While the acceptance of Liv into the Guild was being celebrated on the Island, the leader of the Circuit, who had been in Buenos Aires for a month, was still investigating his friend's murder. Every step he took moved him further from his goal. Guillermo had created a game without players: he couldn’t find the person who had killed his friend. The more he investigated, the more he deprived himself of sleep, food, and drink. Despite Addel’s attempts to reason with him, Esteban continued to ignore his companion’s orders.
The causes kept piling up. Addel informed Maldonado of the situation, and Maldonado quickly ordered the mission to be aborted. However, Esteban's response was clear: he wouldn’t return to Chaco until he found what he had set out to look for.
"NEVER!" Esteban shouted.
“Sir, your condition has deteriorated. You haven’t made progress in the mission, nor have you physically improved.”
“I just… need more time, okay? I can’t leave without having done enough.”
“Time? That’s what you’ve been wasting. Look at yourself; you haven’t slept or eaten in a week. You’re emaciated.”
“… You don’t know what it’s like to lose someone, do you?”
“Sir, Guillermo was also a close friend of mine. If he were alive, he’d tell you to stop.”
Esteban laughed, but it was a sad laugh.
“If he were alive, I wouldn’t have done any of this,” he said while leaning against the building's railing. “Look down there, they’re like ants.”
“This is a construction site. I think you should step away from there.”
Esteban ignored Addel and stayed leaning a little longer.
“Someone betrayed us, someone was clever enough to betray us. When I find them…”
Esteban started to slide down the wall, worrying his friend.
“Sir, Esteban! Answer me!” Addel shouted in distress.
Esteban’s eyes were open, but he wasn’t listening; exhaustion was consuming him. Little by little, he lost consciousness.
As Esteban passed out in Addel’s arms, two people walked below them, unnoticed by his friend: Krauser, accompanied by Maidana, who wasn’t wearing his balaclava.
“God, I hate this city,” Krauser complained.
“Stop complaining,” Maidana responded, pulling down his sleeves to check his watch. “Damn, it’s 3:39 PM.”
“Look who’s talking about complaining.”
“I’m up to my neck with this nonsense, and on top of it, I have to endure this damn cold with you.”
“The mission was optional. Ever since Joaquín returned to command, he’s been trying to solve problems both inside and outside. And you decided to take the mission.”
“I only did it because no one else wanted to take the papers from the table. Hey… why the hell am I telling you this? Better tell me, what are you doing here?”
“I just wanted to meet my traveler self.”
“It would be amazing to see how that ‘other me’ falls apart when he sees this,” Krauser said as he pulled a photo from his pocket, which ended up in Maidana’s hands.
Maidana looked at the photo, and his eyes widened in surprise.
“WHAT THE HELL IS THIS!?”
“It’s exactly what it looks like. Kruger is back.”
“I hate that cheap, obtuse, hateful, bloodthirsty copy of Barreto.”
“What’s the damn difference between you and him? You’re both killers.”
“Don’t ever compare me to that loser. I thought it was clear who’s better between the two of us.”
“I don’t care who’s better, as long as neither of you gets in my way, everything will be fine.”
“I…”
“Silence,” Krauser said, placing his hand on Maidana’s chest.
Then he turned and looked ahead. Despite the crowd around them, he noticed a hooded figure.
“I think that’s the one we’ve been looking for. He looks just like the guy from the security cameras.”
“Perfect, I was getting bored.”
Maidana put on his balaclava, and Krauser adjusted his hat.
“Let’s follow him—remember, don’t kill him.”
Maidana grimaced and replied, “Fine, but let me enjoy it.”
Once Krauser located the individual, they began following him from a considerable distance. The subject continued walking, unaware that he was being followed. As they moved through the streets of the capital, rebuilt after that incident, the city was filled with police and military personnel; security was very tight. The guild members collaborated with the nation's president to protect the citizens.
The tight control made it increasingly difficult to proceed; they had to show identification and state their names several times. However, they repeatedly managed to slip past security due to their efficiency and, finally, were able to catch up with him in time.
The individual's behavior was odd. At no point did he seem suspicious that someone, in this case, them, was tailing him. As he walked, his body moved involuntarily, as if he had a neurological issue. As they got closer, they started hearing the delusional mutterings the man was whispering.
"The ceiling, the ceiling, the ceiling, there’s nothing else... There's nothing else in their hearts, they don’t beat, they don’t move, they feel no compassion... Ha... what a head I have."
After repeating the same thing more than six times, the subject turned right onto a narrow street lined with vendor stalls. Krauser and Leandro followed him down the path until the man stopped in front of a yellow house, completely run-down. He knocked twice: the first knock was soft, the second much harder, making it clear that he couldn’t fully control his body.
"Gentlemen, ti, tan, ta, tan, goton, betem, retan, titan, green eyes, red hair, Poseidon of the sky, Atlas of the cursore... and the great T, for the dead and, and, and, and, for, for, for, for the de, de, dead."
"Paranoid as ever, just come in, Paulo."
"Paulo?" whispered Maidana.
"You know him?"
Maidana squinted for a moment. "Yeah, in the past, when Dockly and I were friends, we went after him. He's a guy with an unstable mind."
"So..."
"Shhh, look."
The door opened, and Paulo entered. Krauser and Maidana stepped back and hid to come up with a plan.
"Alright, we've followed him, and now we know where he's hiding. Now we destroy him."
"No, I think it’d be better to go inside and listen to the conversation. I have a feeling this isn’t over yet."
"Be clear, Maidana, I didn’t understand a damn thing."
"What I mean is, we should eavesdrop on the conversation."
"And how the hell do you suggest we do that?"
Maidana smiled and took on Krauser’s form. "Leave it to me," he said, mimicking Krauser's voice.
He stood up, resumed his normal form, straightened his tie, and walked toward the door. He knocked and turned invisible.
"Who is it?"
"Your mother’s rapist."
The door burst open, and a muscular man rushed out, running to the sidewalk and looking in every direction.
"WHERE ARE YOU, YOU SON OF A BITCH?!"
Krauser, hiding, placed a hand on his face. "What an idiot," he said, leaning against a wall and watching where his friend had gone inside. "Please, don’t get yourself killed."
After throwing a fit, the man returned to the house, muttering and cursing. He slammed the door, but as he turned around, he came face to face with Maidana. Maidana put a finger to his lips, covered by his balaclava, and then placed a chloroform-soaked cloth over the man’s face. Stupidly, the man inhaled deeply in an attempt to hold his breath, which caused him to pass out in Maidana’s arms.
"Good baby," Maidana said as he propped him up in a chair. "Good baby."
Taking on the man's appearance, build, and voice, Maidana carried him to an open bathroom. He sat him on the toilet, locked the door, and hung a sign that read: "Out of service."
As Maidana was turning away, someone approached and touched him gently. He spun around sharply, but when he saw it was Rose holding a drawing in her left hand, he relaxed.
"Did I scare you?"
"Yeah, I thought you were someone else."
Rose looked up and smiled. "I made a drawing for you, Mr. Roberto."
"Really?" Maidana asked, with a sarcastic tone.
"Of course," Rose said, lifting the sheet and handing it to him.
It wasn’t a Van Gogh or a Quinquela; it looked more like a Milo. The drawing was full of scribbles going back and forth, in red, violet, brown, and some other indiscernible color. The figure was basically a circle with four lines coming out of it—arms and legs—with a disproportionate smile on its face.
Maidana looked at the drawing, confused, then at her. "How old are you?"
"I'm nine," she said, smiling.
"That explains everything," Maidana said, scratching his chin and studying the drawing carefully.
“Do you like it?”
“Oh, yes, I do.”
“I’m glad. I’ll make another one for you.”
Rose took the drawing from his hands and dashed off. Maidana watched her leave and murmured, “What’s the point of giving me a drawing if you’re just going to take it away?”
He then walked into a room where several people were chatting. In one corner, a striking young man was leaning against a wall, playing with a PSP console. As Maidana approached, the young man raised a hand to greet him.
“Roberto, quite the charmer, always a Casanova,” said a peculiar guy as he came closer.
“Oh, I wouldn’t say that. I’m just an employee.”
“Don’t be so modest.”
The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there.
The young man had skin like ice, with vapor slowly rising from his body. He wore a shiny red tuxedo with a black handkerchief.
“Reciting poems?”
“Of course not.”
“Come on, Roberto, you always give me one.”
“But I forgot today.”
“Don’t worry, it happens to all of us,” he said, glancing around. “Especially with someone like Desza coming here.”
Maidana’s eyes lit up at the mention of the name.
“I don’t understand why that guy is doing this. What’s the point of holding a meeting here, right at the place where he attacked a few days ago?”
“Is Desza coming today?”
“Have you forgotten? You’re the one who spread the word to everyone here.”
“Right, I forgot,” Maidana said with a cynical smile.
“How could you forget? Goodness, it’s not normal for you to be so careless.”
“I’ve been really nervous these past few days.”
“Yeah, that happens to all of us. Since Desza hit the Semáforos hard, we’ve all felt a bit anxious.”
“Really?”
“Of course. Everyone, well, most people, have always dreamed of taking down the guilds, and this guy, Desza, has given us a push to continue the fight. He’s a hero.”
“Well, I’d like to see that come true.”
“I would too, Roberto, I would too,” he said, glancing at his watch. “Anyway, I need to send a message right now. We’ll talk later.”
He shook Maidana’s hand and left.
Meanwhile, Maidana, having finished his conversation, began to investigate further.
There weren’t many people—twelve in total, each chatting among themselves. It was clear that most didn’t know each other, but Maidana wanted to learn more about Paulo, the hooded guy, so he left the room to search for him. First, he noticed a closed door with sunlight visible from beneath it. Gathering his courage, he knocked.
“Who is it?”
“It’s Roberto, the guard at the entrance.”
“Guard? I didn’t know we had a guard.”
“Yes, well… I was assigned to be here.”
“Oh… oh, I see, that was me. Go ahead, come in.”
Maidana wiped the sweat from his brow and opened the door.
Inside, there were three people. One was the voice he had heard: a woman with short blonde hair, brown skin, and brown eyes, dressed in formal attire from a private school. The second was Paulo, without his hood, with light orange hair, though his eyebrows were red, and green eyes that seemed constantly frightened. He wore bright sky-blue formal clothes, white shoes, a tailcoat, and a yellow handkerchief. The third was a boy sitting next to an uneasy Paulo. He had long black hair, styled back and tied in a braided ponytail. His eyes were completely black, as if his pupils were dilated to the maximum. He wore a trench coat that reached his knees, matching pants, and shoes. On his gloved hands was the symbol of a five-pointed star with an eye in the center.
“Wow, nice to see you here.”
“Thank you, miss.”
“Miss? I’m fifteen.”
“Sorry.”
“You always say that, it’s like…”
“Can we please move on from this topic?” Paulo interrupted, scratching his temple vigorously.
“How silly, go on, my friend,” she said, then looked at Maidana. “Close the door, Roberto. This is private; we don’t want anyone else overhearing us.”
“Understood.”
Maidana closed the door behind him and stood in front of it.
“As I was saying, things will soon spiral out of control. Paulo knows very well that these situations are always the first to get out of hand.”
“There’s nothing to fear; it’s all part of the cause, and we all know that.”
“Whether it’s for the cause or not, there will always be consequences, heh, heh, heh. Paulo isn’t stupid. Paulo is smart; he knows very well the price to be paid.”
“Stop rambling. Nothing will happen.”
“Nothing? That never happens with changes. Something always happens, whether it’s good or bad, productive or catastrophic.”
“Come on, don’t exaggerate, please.”
“I can’t calm down, eh, eh, eh, I can’t calm down if the situation is worse than it seems.”
“Yes, the situation is complicated, but… I think everything is clear now, or maybe not… perhaps…”
“Shut up.”
“You shut up, Sheldon. Being Candado’s clone hasn’t done you any good. Your father, the scientist Darío, was never…”
At that moment, Sheldon snapped his fingers, setting his index finger ablaze with a blue flame.
“Don’t you dare—” he blew on his finger—“speak ill of Darío.”
Sheldon continued reading, but Maidana was stunned by the conversation. Sheldon was Candado’s clone: their faces were identical, as were their skin and gaze. The only differences were his long braided hair, blue eyes, and clothing.
“We all hate Candado, everyone in this house. That’s why we exist. The ideologies of that kid are dangerous for the world. I don’t care about the Circuits or the Guilds, just him.”
“Sheldon, always so punctual.”
“The only reason I’m here is to find Candado… and kill him.”
“Paulo knows Sheldon is vengeful, always chasing the moth, heh, heh, heh. But Paulo also knows it’s very difficult to overthrow Esteban. No one knows what the G.C.G. is planning. They are incredibly powerful.”
(Overthrowing Esteban?), Maidana thought, alarmed.
“Yes, Paulo, I know it sounds impossible, but with Esteban’s bad reputation, nothing is impossible.”
“Exactly. But Paulo will tell you what else is impossible.”
“What?”
“Attacking Kanghar. The W.O.G.A.B. is indestructible. Its democracy is stronger than any other global state.”
Maidana was even more alarmed. (I can’t believe what they’re saying… attacking the W.O.G.A.B.? Overthrowing Esteban? What is all this?).
“That’s why alliances exist.”
“Exactly, little crazy.”
“Alright, this stays between us, okay?”
“Yes, my dear, between the three of us.”
“But there are four of us.”
“He doesn’t count,” Sheldon said, pointing at Maidana.
“Why?” Paulo asked.
“Because he’s a spy.”
“That’s ridiculous. Roberto is my uncle.”
Sheldon pulled a small bell from his pocket and rang it softly. Suddenly, Maidana’s disguise vanished, revealing his true identity.
“You’re good, but not good enough for me.”
Far from being intimidated, Maidana decided to act with cunning.
“Bravo, sir, but assassins need to stay alive to share this glorious information,” he said, bowing graciously.
Everyone stood up to attack him, except Sheldon, who watched him with suspicion. The girl unleashed four steel pincers from her waist, and Paulo transformed his left arm into a strange gun.
“You fooled Paulo, heh, heh. But that will be fixed.”
“Where’s my uncle? Damn traitor.”
“He’s fine, calm down,” Maidana replied, looking up with a smile.
Sheldon panicked and shouted:
“BACK OFF!”
Maidana drew a gun and shot Paulo, pushing him away. Then he aimed at the girl and shot her in the arm. As he was about to shoot Sheldon, Sheldon was already by his side.
“Damn.”
That was all Maidana could say before Sheldon delivered a powerful blow to his abdomen, throwing him against the door.
“Sheldon…”
“Are they alive?” Sheldon asked, looking at Paulo and the girl.
“Paulo realized; they’re electrodes, affecting my magical energy.”
“Will they be okay?”
“It’s temporary. Paulo will be fine, just like Nina.”
“Oh, hell, this will look very bad on my record,” Maidana said, getting up and brushing splinters off his clothes.
“A SEMÁFORO!” someone shouted from the gallery.
Maidana drew his weapon and fired at Sheldon, who dodged the shot and hurled a chair at him. Maidana turned invisible and avoided it.
“Oh no, not that,” Sheldon said as he stomped the ground.
This caused Maidana to fly and crash into the ceiling, becoming visible again as he fell to the ground.
“Is he dead?” asked a young woman.
At that moment, the entrance door shattered, and Krauser appeared.
Maidana opened his eyes, grabbed one of the bystanders’ legs, and delivered an electric shock, leaving him unconscious. He then got up, seized Sheldon by the neck, and pushed him, landing a knee to his stomach.
Krauser ran toward his friend, pressing his back against his.
“Bad time to forget my violin at home.”
“You play horribly, brother. Stick to something else.”
“Well, and…”
“CATCH THEM!” Sheldon shouted just before being shot by one of Maidana’s sleeves.
“Such a damn nuisance,” Maidana said, his arm extended from where the projectile had come.
“We’ll talk later,” Krauser added as he prepared for the attack, adjusting his hat and partially revealing his wicked teeth.
Krauser extended his tentacles and grabbed four of them around the waist, slamming them against the wall. A shot struck his left temple, causing him to turn around. With a tentacle emerging from his wrist, he seized the shooter by the neck and threw him against the wall.
“We need them alive,” he remarked while fighting alongside Sheldon.
“This is the worst plan I’ve ever seen,” Sheldon complained.
“Get used to it,” Krauser replied, kicking an unknown assailant who was charging at him with a knife. “The job is always unpredictable.”
At that moment, Guz and Jørgen made their entrance.
“YOU TWO!” Krauser shouted, releasing the others and running toward them.
“KRAUSER, DON’T DO IT!” Sheldon warned.
Guz, remaining motionless, summoned a tentacle from the floor that ensnared Krauser by the legs, tossing him across the room. His hat flew amidst the debris, and Krauser was suspended in the air by the force of the tentacle.
Seeing this, Maidana rushed to his aid, but before he could reach him, Jørgen, with his incredible speed, grabbed him by the neck and slammed him against the wall, immobilizing him.
“Damn it…” Maidana gasped as he tried to free himself.
Jørgen said nothing, only watching him coldly with one hand in his pocket.
“Well, well, this is a real mess,” an unfamiliar voice said. “I don’t know why I bothered calling you here.”
“That voice…” Krauser murmured, petrified as he recognized it.
The footsteps grew louder and louder until Desza’s figure emerged.
“Oh, Krauser.”
“DESZA!” he shouted with contained fury.
“What a tremendous coincidence to find you here.”
“When I’m free, I’m going to slit your throat,” Krauser threatened.
Desza chuckled and surveyed the scene with disdain.
“You two have really made a mess. Look at this place, it’s disgusting.”
“Sir…” said a voice coming from the kitchen.
Desza walked over and opened the pantry, finding Rose, terrified.
“Oh, my rose, what are you doing here?”
“Burton invited me,” the girl replied, trembling.
Desza extended his hand and helped her out of the pantry.
“Go outside, your brother was very worried searching for you,” he said, gently stroking her cheek. “I was worried too.”
Rose smiled, hugged him, and ran toward the exit.
“You’re a cynic, Harry,” Maidana said disdainfully.
“I’m not. I’m just a normal person,” Desza replied.
“Normal? Someone who killed countless innocents during the journey in Italy? Is that what you call normal? You’re a murderer, no matter how you look at it. Did you really think… schools, hospitals, orphanages… were your targets?”
“No one was innocent, Krauser. Sometimes, sacrifices must be made.”
“You always say that, but what does it mean? What drove you to kill them?”
“God told me.”
“You…”
“Enough with the speeches. It’s time to act.”
Infuriated by Desza’s words, Krauser grabbed the tentacle that was ensnaring him, freed himself, and kicked Desza in the chest, pushing him towards Jørgen and making him release Maidana.
“It’s time,” Krauser said, threateningly approaching Desza.
At that instant, the door collapsed, and Dockly and Rŭsseŭs entered. Dockly immediately shot Krauser’s head off, but Krauser maintained control. From his severed neck emerged a white tentacle that struck Dockly in the abdomen. Desza quickly ducked and cut the tentacle, making it vanish instantly. Although Krauser was decapitated, he somehow continued fighting against those present.
Meanwhile, Maidana got to his feet and ran towards Desza, but Desza stopped him with a blow to the chest using the handle of his machete.
“Weak,” Desza said mockingly.
Maidana reacted by drawing a knife hidden in his suit’s inner pocket and lunged at him, managing to make a small cut that ran from Desza’s temple to his cheek.
“Don’t mock a yellow rank, idiot.”
Switching hands with the knife, Maidana attacked Desza again. Despite Desza being armed with a machete, Maidana’s speed and agility with just a knife gave him the advantage in the fight. Amid the combat, Sheldon emerged from the debris and rushed towards Maidana but was halted by a knife he had hidden in his shoe.
“Candado?” Desza asked, surprised.
Sheldon tried to break Maidana’s foot, but Maidana drew a small gun and shot him in the chest. The bullet wasn’t strong enough to kill him but was enough to disorient him. Seizing the moment, Maidana spun around and kicked Sheldon in the neck.
Dockly suddenly appeared with his Winchester rifle, ran towards Maidana, and aimed at his chest, but Maidana deflected the weapon with his arm, causing the shot to hit Sheldon’s shoulder instead. Sheldon had been trying to stab Krauser, who was busy fighting Jørgen and Guz simultaneously.
Maidana grabbed Dockly’s forearm, looked him in the eyes, and, to Dockly’s surprise, changed shape, which left Dockly in shock.
“How dare you, Leandro?” Dockly spat.
Without answering, Maidana struck Dockly in the neck and threw him into a room. He caught the Winchester rifle in midair and shot Guz in the back. Jørgen immediately reacted, running towards him, but Maidana spun the rifle in the air and struck him with the handle, sending him crashing to the ground.
Desza then appeared behind Maidana, machete raised and ready to attack. Maidana blocked the blow with the rifle, trapping the machete in the weapon.
“NOW!” Maidana shouted as he resumed his original form.
Krauser leaped at Desza, enveloping him with his tentacles and began pummeling him all over his body, his eyes glowing with fury.
“WE HAVE TO KILL THE BEAST!” Krauser yelled repeatedly as he bombarded Desza with punches and kicks.
Then, he lifted Desza into the air and hurled him against a wall, destroying it with his body. At that moment, Desza’s followers arrived, their eyes filled with rage, and attacked Krauser and Maidana fiercely.
“DAMN YOU!” Krauser roared.
He extended tentacles from his back and twisted his face into a grotesque form. He charged at them, first grabbing Joel’s hand and throwing him towards his sister Jane and Rŭsseŭs. Then, he seized Azricam by the neck, threatening to devour his head with his monstrous mouth. However, before he could, Dockly sprang into action, disheveled and disheveled. He pulled a double-barreled shotgun from his waist and fired, but missed the shot. Krauser hurled him towards Dockly, but Dockly dodged the attack, dropped his weapon, and ran at Krauser.
“EVERYONE! MANEUVER NO. 78! NOW!” Dockly ordered.
Jørgen appeared from beneath Krauser and delivered a punch. Then, Dockly leaped into the air with his hands raised. Seeing this, Jane drew her sword and hurled it at him. Dockly caught it mid-flight and, with all his strength, drove it into Krauser’s head, pinning him between the ground and the sword. Krauser let out a spine-chilling scream of pain as Rŭsseŭs slid through the room, burning his legs and forcing him to kneel while struggling to free himself.
“I’LL KILL YOU! I’LL KILL YOU! I’LL KILL YOU! I’LL KILL YOUUUUUUUUUUU!” Krauser screamed in desperation, unable to regenerate.
Maidana leaped to assist him. He ruthlessly struck Jørgen, removed the sword, and shoved Krauser towards a window. At that moment, Dockly, with a vein throbbing in fury, aimed his weapon at Maidana, but Maidana became invisible and struck him on the back of the neck. Quickly, Maidana retrieved his weapon and shot at Isabel, who was shielded by Jørgen. He then ran at Jørgen, kicked the weapon from his hand, and grabbed him by the neck, throwing him against a wall.
“It’s over,” Jørgen said, shaking his hands off.
The others closed in on Maidana. Guz stood up, expelling the bullet from his back. Desza, bleeding from his head, approached Maidana with a psychotic grin.
“Well, well, it seems you’ve fallen.”
Maidana, kneeling, looked him in the eyes.
“No, animals fall. Men never do.”
“Then I suppose we should treat you like an animal. Kill him.”
Maidana pulled out a red star with a white button in the center and smiled, though his expression was hidden by the balaclava on his face.
“I’m sorry, Joaquín. It seems I won’t be able to return to the agency.”
As he was about to press the button, a thunderous roar shook the place. Maidana’s eyes widened as the approaching tremor became more evident. Suddenly, the wall collapsed, and two figures appeared. The first grabbed Jørgen and Guz by the neck and threw them aside. The second figure emerged from the ground with a mask on, which had a slot like a mailbox. The figure puffed up its chest and let out a powerful scream, shattering the glass and expelling everyone present. Maidana collapsed, unconscious the moment his body hit the ground, feeling himself weakening gradually.
Barely conscious, he sensed someone lifting and carrying him. Though his senses were blurred, he managed to see what was happening around him.
“Nice hat. I think I’ll take it,” said a strange voice.
Suddenly, a tentacle shot through the window, grabbed the hat, and a voice replied:
“It’s mine.”
The owner of the tentacle put on the hat and looked at Maidana.
“What are they doing to him?”
“We need to get out of here, quickly,” urged a feminine voice.
“Don’t worry, we’re on his side.”
Maidana closed his eyes and drifted into complete darkness.