The night is black and the stars shine upon the green trees and grasslands. It was quiet, beautiful, and relaxing but in no way peaceful. This world and any other world can never be peaceful. It will always be a cycle of birth, life, and death and it will never be fair.

In the middle of the woods away from the main city where nothing can be heard except for the crickets and the beasts of the night. Hercules walks along the path of dirt and rubble. He is wearing a white shirt and grey boxers and is in need of a shave.

He arrived at a beautiful lake in which they call the butterfly lake. The moon is reflected so well on the waters of the night. There was silence until the waters divided like the ones on the bible revealing a secret entrance on the ground at the very bottom of the waterless portion of the lake.

Hercules slowly approaches the secret door on the ground and it opened upon his presence. A staircase leading down underground was revealed behind the door upon opening. Hercules went down and arrived at another door. This time, a tall bald man was guarding the door. “Good evening, sir.” The guard uttered as he opens the door for Hercules.

Hercules enters the door and is greeted with a hundred cheers from people on the bleachers. The place looked like an underground fighting ring where illegal battles occur. There were rows of seats on the sides and a stage for the announcer to stand on. In the middle, there is a cage where fighters battle it out.

Inside a ring, there is a muscular man that looked like an MMA fighter and he is beating up a young boy who looked like he was in his teens. The fact that this is utter brutality and is not even a fight, the fans still cheer so loudly and place their bets.

“The boy is down! He only lasted 3 minutes!” The announcer shouted. The people were betting on how long the young boy will last against an adult. The people inside the arena seem to be pleased in witnessing this kind of brutality.

Hercules enters the cage after the lifeless body of the beaten teenager was disposed of and instructed someone to bring his opponent. Hercules is ready to kill. He is giving off a smile of excitement. He doesn’t know who he will be facing but regardless, it excites him.

After a few seconds, a little girl in chains is being assisted on her way inside the cage. Everyone went silent upon seeing this. What is this? Is this Hercules’ opponent? A little girl?

Hercules seems to be shocked himself as the little girl enters the cage crying. The guard removed her chains and locked the cage saying; “She is all yours, Herc.”

Hercules couldn’t utter a single word, is he worried? Has it gone too far? Is this it? No… Hercules smiles as he walks closer to the girl and said; “Come on now, if you don’t fight, you’ll die.” After his statement, the crowd cheered from the top of their lungs.

“Beat her! Rip her apart! Go for it Herc!” The girl looked so shocked as the tears fall heavily on her face. She is confused, disdained, and has given up hope. This is a ruthless world after all. And one question comes to mind, is violence and brutality the ecstasy that people long for?

Hercules kneeled and gave the little girl a pat on the head. “It’s ok little girl, this is for the people, you will have lots of fans after this.” He ended his statement with a smile slowly grabbing her neck.

The little girl was gasping for air as she is slowly lifted by Hercules’ big arms. She wanted to scream, she wanted to escape, she wants her parents, and she wants to live. Her teary eyes signify her will to live. But what can a little girl do against the most powerful being on this earth?

Suddenly the entrance door was blasted a few feet away from where it originally was with the guard on top of the metal door, lifeless and disfigured. Then there was silence. Hercules drops the girl on the ground and somehow managed to crawl away while catching her breath.

The cage door was then busted open as if it was being destroyed by a telekinetic ability. The girl took the opportunity to escape and ran towards the open exit but is stopped in her tracks by 3 mysterious individuals. They enter the room slowly and somehow they have already asserted dominance in the majority of the room.

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Hercules’ eyes are filled with fear and despair as he stares at the soulless appearance of the man slowly walking towards him. He looked like a middle-aged man wearing a maroon trench coat with nothing underneath. And there are 2 other people with him. One looks like a tall and muscular man wearing a grey hoodie. It appears that his size is making small tears on his jacket. And the other looked like a young boy in his teens. He has black hair, a white shirt, and black sweat pants. His eyes were blue as the sea but at the same time lifeless.

“Nithramm? W-w-what are you doing here?” Hercules cowardly uttered. It seems that he cannot stop shaking nervously from what he is currently witnessing.

Nithramm, the middle-aged man wearing the trench coat laughed hysterically. “To fight of course! What else?” He uttered as he holds the little girl’s hands without any signs of letting go.

The crowd just remains in their seats in silence as if they were in a trance.

“To fight!? Are you crazy?! There is no way I can beat you!” Hercules uttered in a nervous manner.

Nithramm grins and said; “Oh I am not the one who is fighting.”

“I- regardless, I can’t fight Stone Heart as well. There is no way!” (Stone Heart is the big companion of Nithramm with a grey hoodie).

Nithramm made a farting sound with his lips and said; “Wrong again, this boy with me. He will be the one who is fighting. Let me introduce you to Tristan… Tristan ugh…” Nithramm glanced at Tristan as if he was asking for a hint. “Well.. ehem… Just Tristan… no last names. Haha!”

Hercules looked somewhat confused. “I know that boy, he was supposed to be with Reinford.” (Reinford was introduced a couple of chapters before who forced children to fight for entertainment. He was killed by Nithramm.)

“Just find him a suitable opponent and ugh his ability is uhm ice… things. Yeah! Ice powers… that is it.. that is what I meant to say.” Nithramm utters with excitement.

Tristan slowly walks up inside the cage with hands in his pockets. He looks like a person with no soul inside his body. He is not mindless and yet, he looks like death with his cold eyes and pale skin.

“I see, Blazer! Come down here!” Hercules shouted. A man then comes down from the bleachers with style as he was propelling himself in the air with his fire ability.

Blazer is a black man with dreadlocks. He has noticeable scars on his neck. Hercules flew out of the cage and got himself a seat on the sidelines. Naturally, people would ask him questions but he ignored each one. He was caught up with a dozen questions in his mind like, “What is he doing here? Is he here for me?”

“Hey, kid my fire can burn even your bones in a second. I just wanted to let you know.” He uttered with a very confident look. Blazer then created balls of concentrated fire from both his palms and blasted it straight at Tristan’s direction. “HAHA! Burn kiddo!”

Tristan just stands there calmly with hands in his pocket as the fire suddenly stopped mid-air before hitting him producing a gas of air resembling the appearance of dry ice getting evaporated.

Blazer and of course Hercules was taken aback at the sight presented before them.

“WHoooooH!” Nithramm exclaimed. “Tristan manipulated the temperature around him making the fire evaporate instantly! That was awesome!” Nithramm was enjoying himself like a child as he holds the girl’s hand tightly.

Tristan lets his hands out of his pocket and slowly kneeling on one knee on the ground. Tristan touches the floor with his left hand and exhaled slowly, showing that even his breath is cold as winter. After this, he stood up, inserted his hands inside his pockets once again, and walked back to Nithramm.

“Nice one,” Nithramm uttered as he pats Tristan in the back. Nithramm exited the room together with his companions bringing the little girl with him.

Meanwhile, Hercules is just sitting in the bleachers. Half his body was covered in ice. Everything and everyone around him is frozen solid and lifeless. Hercules is even struggling to break free from the frozen shackles.

“What kind of monster did you make, Nithramm,” Hercules uttered with a worried look in his eyes.

Outside the underground arena, a few meters away from Butterfly lake, NIthramm is kneeling while comforting the little girl. “What is your name little one?” he asked.

“Sniff Sniff.” The girl dried her tears and replied; “It’s Isabella.” Nithramm smiled and carried Isabella on his back. “I’ll take care of you now, don’t you worry.”

Behind Nithramm was a mountain of ice that is about 50 feet tall covering the entire lake in which the underground arena is located. “I think Tristan overdid the freezing thing,” Nithramm comments with a chuckle.

(Tristan froze everything while creating a small opening for them to pass through and exit the underground arena.)

Meanwhile in the frozen wasteland which was used to be called the secret underground arena. Hercules thawed himself out and said; “Of all places, why would they choose this world? Well, I’m not letting you take it! This world is mine!” Hercules’ eyes started to engulf in golden flames.