Kyrion hadn’t gotten far when an arrow of green energy passed through his throat, followed by a barrage of arrows from around him, piercing his body and turning him into a mass of Swiss cheese. He hadn’t stood a chance, it was as though they were waiting for his arrival.

“So I return here on death?” Kyrion asked the giant serpent. 143 appeared over his left hand.

“You return here when your soul takes enough damage. I suggest moving stealthily. As you are without the aid of a guiding priestess, you are almost fated to fail. Throughout your trip you make come across ponds like this one. Their water has powerful healing capabilities. With the help of a priestess you’ll be able to set those places, and even learn how to gain power. That path however could take a while and I’m sure you need all the time you can get. You also will need to find a priestess which is rare for one such as you.”

“...What in the” Kyrion looked down and noticed that all his clothes were gone, save for a pair of small clothes that worked to hide his lack of modesty. His body didn’t have internal organs or any unnecessary external features aside from the hair on his head.

“You just noticed?”

“I mean… I got used to wearing a battle skirt and no shirt. This is somehow more modest in some regards.” Kyrion yawned sheepishly.

“I see…”

“No. You don’t. So you’re saying I need to hunt down a priestess and ask her to do what exactly?” Kyrion did some stretches before following them with spins, kicks, and rotating jabs.

“So you’re going to lollygag?”

“You must be an old snake.” Kyrion squinted.

“Focus.”

“Yes. I am in no rush to get back to my responsibilities. Kyrie can handle it. That and I’m not fully here. Part of my soul is within my old body, and in time, I’ll get back.”

“Why?”

“You may not notice. But I can still feel part of my body. It’s in some sort of stasis. Almost comatose as time reverses. I’m sure I’ll get back before the tournament is over.” Kyrion said cheekily.

“Fine then. The priestess of stars is currently being held captive by a creature known as Abaddon. On the 8th floor of the tower of Gehena.”

“So I need to rescue her before getting anywhere. Sounds easy.” Kyrion pounded his hand into his fist.

“I doubt you’ll be able to best them in your current condition.”

“Hmmmm…” Kyrion bent his legs down and jumped with all his strength. Flying above the giant serpent before landing in the pool. “Where is this tower?”

“You’re too weak to challenge that tower.”

Kyrion rolled his eyes. “Then I’ll die and end up back here. What’s the big deal? I have six more days afterall.”

“Death hurts. Doesn’t it? Wouldn’t it be more efficient to, I don’t know. Go straight home?”

“It would. But my body is strong, and I am maybe a teeny bit stubborn. That combination is messy. Also, it’s training I can not get anywhere else.”

“You’re mad.”

“I thought that didn’t need to be stated. Now I need to kidnap me a priestess. Is she also semi immortal?”

“Yes, and no. If she’s killed in a certain way she will immediately rejoin the cycle of life.”

“I can’t have that… Alright, now where?”

“Two of your miles northeast over the hill, through the swamp, and over the highway to hell. From there you’ll see a tower with 100 floors.”

“That’s where I was ambushed. Until I make it to the priestess, I should probably avoid being wide open.” Kyrion thought aloud.

“The creatures you find on the way to the tower will be significantly weaker but more numerous and quite dangerous. Be careful and get stronger.”

Kyrion smiled wildly as he looked at his hands and made a series of rotations before he was satisfied. “Where do I need to hit to deal the most damage?”

“Where the core of their soul is hidden in their body. That will cause weaker Lost to die temporally and send denizens of the lower planes back for a number of years proportional to their rank.”

“Why does this sound vaguely familiar?”

“Because you think too much. I tire of speaking.” The serpent closed its large eyes.

“Right…” Kyrion turned and entered a sprinting stance. Shooting off into a sprint. Going past various lost souls wandering the world much to their own confusion.

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He continued forward until a green arrow passed next to his chest. As Kyrion spun mid-stride, barely evading the arrow, he caught adding its momentum to his spin as he moved into a dash.

“Oi! What’s that for!” Kyrion yelled as he began to zig zag, making his position hard to track.

“Fresh meat has entered our territory. And da boys are hungry.”

“Ah.” Kyrion accidentally snapped the arrow in his hand, shivering as he felt part of the energy that made it up enter his body.

“Kill him!” The leader yelled.

Archers popped up all over, which was a dumb move in Kyrion’s eyes. Had they taken potshots and stayed hidden. Then he would have had no way to know where they were. They gambled on intimidation and lost.

“Now now. Let’s not be too hasty. If you attack me then I’ll be forced to fight back, my first target will be your boss. Then those of you in the splash zone and continue until you lie broken. Then I’ll repeat the process every time you pick up a weapon. After a third encounter I will preemptively hunt you all down over and over again. Now then. Do you really want to shoot at me?” Kyrion used his own intimidation.

His presence caused one bandit to fire early and wide. The shot carelessly passed him and landed on the ground. That shot, however, made most of the others feel brave and let loose a volley at Kyrion.

The target of the arrows stood completely still as they passed into them as though they weren’t worried. A green light filled the area, and nothing was left behind as they faded.

“And that, boys, is why I’m the boss! Upstarts like that are nothing! I best not catch any of you slipping here.” The boss yelled from atop a tree branch.

The bandits looked confused as a figure stood behind their boss as though it wasn’t strange. Two arrows in hid hands hands.

“Is that so?” Kyrion asked as he plunged both into his foe, one through the head and the other through their chest where their core seemed to be. Watching as they faded to nothing, a small amount of power entered his body. Making it look slightly more defined.

“Boss!” The bandits shrieked.

“Now then. How would you like to surrender?” Kyrion twirled both arrows simultaneously as he entered a defensive stance.

“F-fi…!” Said the bandit who shot first. Having been interrupted as an arrow passed through their chest and caused them to disintegrate.

“Sorry. Didn’t catch that. Did you say that you were going to lead these warriors to their deaths?” Kyrion asked.

One bandit proved to be decent at math. But foolish at gambling.

“There’s eighth of us and one of hi…” That bandit was interrupted as an arrow passed through their skull.

“Seven. Are you all feeling lucky today.”

“I’m out! The last time I saw something like this, my superior killed me for bringing up desertion. Said superior is currently dead.” A bandit threw down their weapon.

“Traitor!” Said one zealous bandit who pointed their bow at the one who surrendered.

Kyrion appeared behind that bandit and grabbed their head and shoulder before he started pulling. Despite not having a bone structure or organs, they were well-built. That, however, didn’t stop him from tearing his head from his shoulders in an act of brutality that was almost out of character. Unluckily for them, they couldn’t die here, just temporarily asleep. Something Kyrion was ok with doing.

“And Five. You haven’t fired again.Throw down your weapons and surrender or be attacked.”

The remaining five, shocked at the man who casually ripped off someone’s head, decided to retreat and live another day. Most abandon the life of banditry altogether and pass on into the cycle, primarily out of fear.

With that, Kyrion retrieved four arrows, which he placed at his hip and sighed. He’d gained some strange energy, but it just seemed to sit there and do nothing.

“Ah. So it’s useless.” Kyrion scowled as he picked up a dropped bow. He hadn’t trained in archery, and throwing weapons was different. It, however, could be used as a club if he needed some leverage.

As he entered the swamp, an armored figure was impaled by a tree branch. This alerted Kyrion to more danger as he looked about for angry roots.

“Be at ease warrior. I am the hanged knight of Pheldora Swamp. I believe I have been trapped here for centuries at the least.”

“I see. Do you want me to get you down?”

“Bah. I’m stuck pretty good. The tree’s aren’t going to let me go.”

“If I get you down then you get to give me your clothes. You seem rather close to my size.”

“You’re a strange kid aren’t you.”

“I’m no kid. I’m fifteen.” Kyrion crossed his arms.

“Ha! Where I’m from you wouldn’t be qualified to even get magic.” The man shook his head.

“Rude. I can see why people haven’t tried to get you down.” Kyrion kicked a rock.

“That has more to do with the king of the swamp killing and eating whoever is unlucky enough to come here.”

“Who are you anyways?”

“I believe that I was known as Michaleangelo a long time ago.”

“Too long. You’re Mikey.”

“I’m way older than you.”

“And yet you need a kid to save you.”

“I thought you weren’t a kid.”

Kyrion raised his eyebrows. “I like you.”

“Would you believe me when I say that, your phrase is quite terrifying?”

“No. Now how do I get you down?”

“The trees suck up soul force. Attacking it will do nothing.”

“Ah. So that’s what this is.” Kyrion approached the tree, felt the energy in his body like mana, and sighed. “Oh…”

Kyrion gently let the strange energy flow into the tree as he channeled the power he absorbed from the people and arrows into the tree holding Mike.

The tree branch lowered to the ground and withdrew from Mike as he landed.

“How are you still alive?”

“I was quite powerful in my time.”

“Doesn’t answer my question.”

“I received training to increase my soul’s endurance. On top of some other methods.”

“Is that so? Can you help me train instead of giving me your clothes?”

“That training was done on the side of the living in preparation.”

“For what?”

“Ah, Nadir told me to wait here for the supposed second shepherd.”

“Like a sheep herder?”

“Must be from the countryside to know what that profession is. Are you a shepherd?”

“I was a farmer a long time ago. Long is relative given my age.”

“Was that a job?”

“My dad was allegedly a farmer.”

“Gotcha. Why are you here?”

“I’m here to prepare for my first and final battle with a body stealing monster. And give my uncle back his body.” Kyrion’s eyes cut to the left.

“That’s noble. And a lie.”

“I also felt something calling to me down here. A fragment of something important.”

“You resonated with a shard of your soul?”

“I don’t know. Either way I got some information and intend to do some training. You?” Kyrion shrugged.

“I’m looking for a boy with green eyes and either black or red hair. Around seventeen or so supposedly…Mischievous nature and prone to causing trouble for people who should be able to squash him like a bug. That’s how Mal…”

“Lalalala! Nope, I don’t know what you’re talking about.” Kyrion covered his ears and started walking forward.

“Nadir Maldain. Do you know him?”

“I know a Maldain… Does your Maldain have a weird obsession with eyes?”

“Different Maldain.” Michele shuddered.

“Oh. Then no. But the other one took one of my eyes. Had to have it replaced by a prosthetic.”

“Is that so. Al phizar malexpulse!”

Kyrion screamed as his eye lit up and glowed a deep red. What felt like energy gathered in it projected a tall figure with black hair and green eyes.