“Down!” I shouted with all my might as a pale murky aura rose from Caleb’s body and shackled me even further.

He put a hand in his pocket and took out a grey bud. He swung it with all his might. An arboreal whip thick as a trunk sprouted from it and swept the surroundings. My eyes darted across the battlefield and my brain worked at full throttle. I could follow the attack with my vision, and while I would be able to avoid it, if barely, its abnormal reach would hit everyone around me.

I faced the shot head-on, raising my forearms to protect my thorax. I braced for the impact. My skin was cut open, my arms broke in half and my sternum cracked. I flew backwards and rolled on the ground for dozens of metres. Pain swept through my entire body as I groggily returned to my feet.

“John!” Faye’s desperate cry reached my ears.

She had been laid to the ground, her head kept low by Lily’s hand who had reacted quickly to the danger. Gratitude filled my heart. Hector had been a bit slower to react as he had been closer to me but had managed to escape with only a minor injury to his forehead.

My arms were still numb and their healing took some time, at least compared to my standard. My animal brain told me I needed to look for shelter as I wasn’t in the conditions to face two opponents of their calibre.

Nevertheless, I forced myself to stand up, made my blood boil and ran to the front once again. A triangle formed between Caleb, Isaac and me. Hector stood behind me, his expression distorted in a ferocious grin. Yet he stayed still, as per my order.

We scanned each other but no one dared to take the initiative. Caleb's surprise attack had failed so he had lost his chance to solve everything smoothly.

I was the first one to open my mouth.

“We are at a standstill,” I declared.

“Seems like that,” Caleb giggled to himself.

“Caleb? What is going on?” Isaac intervened, dizzy at his old friend’s sudden appearance.

“Oh, it’s quite simple Isaac…”

“You two will ally against me. If any of you falls before I do, the shackles on my body will lessen and your victory will become uncertain,” I briefly explained to Isaac, so that my ancient enemy would listen.

A disgusting grin appeared on Caleb’s face as he nodded to my every word. Isaac’s eyes became more focused as he listened to my explanation.

“That… seems the only way…” Isaac muttered under his breath, after a long period of contemplation.

At that moment, Faye’s irate voice resounded all around.

“Isaac! You ungrateful bastard! Did you already forget what John did for you?!”

Isaac’s eyes wavered, showing his inner trouble. Nevertheless, nor Caleb’s expression and neither mine changed. We both knew Faye’s words were uselessly spent. Isaac was an idealist and at that moment I was the greater evil in his eyes.

Caleb’s clap attracted our attention.

“So, is it all clear? We are back at the old times, Isaac, two brothers against the world!” he laughed soundly.

“Old times? Caleb, your selfishness took hold of you years ago. It will never be like the old times. As Mr Doe already said, I will temporarily fight alongside you. But mark my word: once this is over, I won’t let you kill him. I will defeat you and bring you back on the right track,” Isaac pointed his sword at Caleb, who simply smiled at him.

My enemy turned towards me.

“Now now, what will the three unknowns do?” he spoke, referring to Lily, Hector and Faye.

I turned around to look at Lily’s troubled expression. Her eyes were darting between Isaac, me and the corpses scattered on the bloodied battlefield. She would take no one’s side. Our eyes crossed and we exchanged a brief nod. We had known each other for quite some time so there was no need to exchange words.

“What are you doing?!” Faye yelled as Lily firmly grabbed her body, lifted her from the ground and started running back to the Gamma.

Mana trembled and the ground cracked. Her hair swept wildly through the air as strong wind gusts raised from the still surroundings. As she was about to unleash her wrath upon the land, I spoke a single word.

“Please,” I pleaded. I wouldn’t be able to fight serenely if I knew she would be in danger.

“Not this time!” she shouted as a powerful shockwave emitted from her body and freed her from Lily’s grasp.

“What?!” Lily squealed as a great force thrusted away her body .

“Faye…”

“Shut up, John. This time I stay. Hector, get ready: we’ll take care of the bastard while John punishes that ungrateful twat,” she spoke with authority while tying up her air.

Her sudden tone shift left me dazed.

“As per your instructions sire, I’ll prioritise the lady’s wishes,” Hector spoke gripping his weapon.

Caleb began to laugh.

“Do you think you two are my opponents? This is the Thorn of The Green, a weapon unrivalled…” he began to speak, but was interrupted by Hector’s sudden ambush.

The verdant whips became a shortsword and crossed with Hector’s own one.

“The weapon which will claim you was forged from my sire’s body and quenched in his holy blood. This is too great an honour for you, you wretch,” Hector spewed out.

My eyes grew wide as I saw the surrounding mana coalesce around Hector’s body. Mana and aura mixed each other inside his veins, and formed a combined flux that enhanced his physique to a higher level.

Caleb clicked his tongue.

“This is inconvenient,” he said, overpowering Hector and pushing him back.

Although their weapons were evenly matched in terms of structural resilience, they weren’t in terms of versatility. But as Caleb was about to wield again his own, the ground under him cracked and he was forced to step back as a sharp glass spike formed from nowhere.

Faye’s mana had extended to encompass the entire battlefield. She turned her attention to me.

“Trust us,” she told me with a firm gaze.

“I always will,” I answered her sincerity, avoiding Isaac’s slash by a few inches.

The battlefield broke in two. Hector and Faye would take care of Caleb, while I would face Isaac. This was the only option. If I left him to the other two, it was clear they would do whatever they could to kill him, and that simply wasn’t my aim. Moreover, Faye had keen eyes and an even keener mind. She knew Caleb’s attack would be like poison to me.

It was an awful situation, but we had to make do.

“Mr Doe, please relent. We can still stop this,” Isaac’s pleaded with me.

A confrontation in which both fighters were aiming for the other to submit and no one could afford to surrender. It was troublesome.

“I can’t do that,” I answered his words, grasping his sword and pulling him towards me.

“Why?! I don’t understand!” Isaac turned his weapon sideways making it slide away from my grasp. He slashed at me.

“You don’t need to, just accept it,” I intercepted his blade with my broken forearms. A slash appeared on my skin but I found an opening to kick him in his lower abdomen.

“How much blood will you shed?” he turned his body to disperse the strength of my attack and took several steps back to recover his guard.

“All that is needed,” I gritted my teeth and jumped at him, my arms extended to grab him.

“You already won. You are the new Patriarch of the Epsilon. Their lives are already in your hands, you could squash them at any time. Just, give them a chance,” he aptly diverted my arms with a wide sweeping motion and hit my solar plexus with the hilt of his sword.

I lost my breath and my body grew groggy for a fraction of a second. He didn’t let the opening escape him, but swiftly brought me to the ground and applied a lever to my extended arm.

“They are soulless zealots made to mimic people,” I resisted the snapping of my limb.

“They are like us!” he exerted further strength. My elbow creaked. It had been years since I had felt this weak. I hated every second of it.

“Because they were made remarkably well,” I whispered through my gritted teeth as I forcefully turned around, raising Isaac and my interlocked arm together and slamming them into the ground with all the strength I could muster.

Isaac had to let me go if he wanted to avoid his head embedded into the ground. He rolled away from me and raised his sword once again.

“Explain!” he and his aura roared. He came at me with his weapon over his head and a beautiful sword dance commenced. The blade cut through the air barely making any sound at all. Slashes, faints and thrusts weaved one after the other to create a dense barrage of attacks. His feet moved with grace and solidity, one moment hovering over the ground and barely touching it, the next firmly planting themselves in it to deliver powerful blows.

There was no opening for me to take advantage of. I could only accept his attacks head-on, trying to avoid his blade biting too deep into my flesh and retaliating with my body, but no matter how many punches and kicks I sent his way, they were all redirected by his blade. Frustration grew inside me.

“Isaac, I have a duty”

“A duty?! To kill thousands upon thousands of harmless civilians?!”

“A duty to protect you and the others from her tools”

“I don’t know what you are talking about!”

I finally snapped.

“Of course you don’t!” I shouted, a shockwave forced out of my lungs.

Isaac’s ears bled and he momentarily lost his balance. My left hand met his chin and made him stumble back, several teeth broken.

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“You all are just playthings, dancing to her tune for her entertainment! Those you are trying to protect are her tools, the connection she has with this world, the one I ought to sever!” my blood boiled stronger with each passing second and the restraints put on my body wavered.

“Why are you so afraid, Mr Doe, when you are this strong?” Isaac’s eyes widened at my sudden surge in strength.

“You aren’t willing to listen. This farce has to end,” I concluded the brief exchange.

I resumed my assault, putting my entire weight behind my punch. He parried with the flat of his sword. The steel bent but did not break. It was a well-made weapon, enhanced by several glyphic engravings that circulated mana throughout its length. My brow twitched at the sight of Faye’s craftsmanship pointed against me.

The sword slid off my arm and targeted my lower abdomen. I protected myself with my palm, earning a deep cut that severed a few tendons, making it hard for me to close my fingers. I used the same hand to reverse slap him on the head, my knuckles creaking against his temple.

He flew backwards, somersaulted in midair and nimbly landed on his feet. The stronger I got, the stronger he did, his body fueled by his flaming aura. He twirled his sword, making it difficult to follow, and embedded its tip in my right thigh. His aura invaded my body, slowing down regeneration and making me numb.

I contracted my quadriceps to slow down the extraction of the weapon, which gave me an opening to plant my tibia against the side of his thorax, fracturing a couple of ribs. He groaned in pain and retreated to regain his battle stance. I did the same and limped away from him to regain my breath. Frustration continued to grow as I vainly tried to circle my ichor and free myself from pale shackles.

I forcefully took control of my body's inner processes and accelerated my healing, regaining the ability to walk normally. I increased my strength output, planted my feet on the ground and propelled my body towards Isaac. He lunged at me with the tip of his sword, but I contorted my body at the last moment and planted a left hook in the centre of his face. His nose broke, his skull creaked and blood spurted abundantly. He immediately regained his bearings and resumed his inescapable sword dance.

And so the battle raged for hours, a confrontation between sharpened sword and honed body. The brutality of the fight continued to increase as the strength of the combatants grew in time. The ground was broken, debris scattered everywhere and blood, mostly mine, colouring the landscape more and more in red.

It was during this fight that I truly experienced Isaac’s martiality depth. Every movement of his held purpose, every attack was studied and perfectioned to its limit and beyond, no energy got wasted meaninglessly. His sword wasn’t a simple extension of his body, it was an integral part of his being, to such levels that he could react to the ‘pain’ and sensations felt by his weapon, from tip to hilt.

In comparison, my movements could be considered crude, with no semblance of beauty or art within. I simply relied on my senses, my reaction speed and my instincts. Through the control I held over each fibre of my being I could guide my body to behave as I desired, limited only by my strength and speed.

In his perfection, Isaac was almost like a machine, while in my instinctuality I was more akin to a beast. Even if my brain worked at full throttle and I was slowly but surely growing accustomed to Isaac’s fighting style, gradually learning how to counteract it, if things continued on as they had, I would ultimately meet my defeat.

But suddenly, an opening. The murky pale energy inhabiting my body dissipated and several shackles went away with it. My strength surged. I grasped Isaac’s slash with my bare hand, the blade barely capable of cutting through my skin. My pale countenance regained colour as new blood sprouted from within me, making up for all that I had shed.

Isaac’s eyes widened and he vainly tried to free his weapon from my grasp: it stood firmly, as if frozen in mid-air. I smiled. It was over. My trust had been rewarded.

“It’s over,” I firmly stated.

“I refuse!” Isaac shouted, red and candid aura intertwining into one and surging from his body.

For an instant, his power grew to levels never before reached. He freed his weapon from my grasp, circled around me and appeared behind my back. He thrust his sword through my back, severing my spinal cord at the level of my navel. I momentarily lost all perception in the lower half of my body and fell to my knees.

“... Now… it’s over… Admit your… defeat… Mr Doe…” he spoke with a ragged breath.

I wobbled back to my feet and turned to look at him. His eyes went wide and his expression grew dazed.

“More than one pathway,” I answered to the question I read in his eyes.

He got back up to his feet, his aura exploded once again and he sprinted behind me and got his weapon back. I groaned at the sudden tug that upset my internal organs. I turned around and blocked his slash with my forearms, my viscous blood flowing from the wound.

“I said, it’s over,” the annoyance in my voice grew.

“No!” Isaac refused to surrender and resumed his assault.

I parried his every attack with my forearms or my tibias but the onslaught showed no sign of slowing down. His aura continued to burn, and his life with it. He was willing to do whatever it took to stop me, even burning out his very life.

“Stop,” I gave the command for the last time.

“Surrender!” he shouted, his cry halfway between an order and a plea.

“Enough!”

A powerful shockwave assailed the surroundings, raising Isaac from the ground and stopping his onslaught. The opening lasted for a fraction of a second, but it was enough. My arm shot several times faster than a bullet and my left hand coiled around his throat.

He let out a strangled groan as he swung his sword towards my head. I opened my mouth and caught it between my teeth, the blade cutting through my cheeks. The taste of blood, dirt and metal filled my mouth as I clenched my jaw and finally broke his weapon.

He swung the broken blade once again, this time impaling my shoulder. I grasped his weapon-holding hand and crushed it in my grip. He gritted his teeth but showed no signs of slowing down as he continued to kick and punch at me with abnormal strength.

I put strength in my calves and sent us both flying towards the horizon. Isaac’s back was assailed by the ensuing tempest of flames. They bit at his flesh and the smell of charred tissue invaded my nostrils.

The journey towards the Epsilon didn’t last long and stopped once we slammed into one of the great obsidian pillars that encircled it. A web of cracks appeared on its surface as Isaac’s body crashed against it. He spewed out a mouthful of blood and for an instant, his eyes went white and his body limp.

I let him fall to the ground, his back against the pillar and his head dangling floppy. My breath was heavy and my skin was filled with bruises and cuts. I felt the last of the restraints leave my body and my condition return to normal. Nevertheless, I was completely spent. My ichor was so diluted I could barely feel its presence and most of my blood was now colouring the landscape several kilometres from here. I had fought brutal battles one after the other under the influence of abstract forces, and I had quite simply reached my limit.

But once I recovered, nobody would be able to stop me.

I raised my head and gazed at the Epsilon. It was quite a simple dwelling and in a way, it reminisced me of the old Gamma. Several buildings filled the flat land, built with an architecture that reminded me of a mix of modern and mediaeval, and colourful streets branched out everywhere. People of all kinds and ages filled the roads. Smiles filled their faces and laughter filled the air. Preachers taught good morals to the kids and the elderly made their way to the temple.

It was an unbelievable sight compared to what I had experienced to this day. There was a sense of cohesion and brotherhood that couldn’t be found anywhere else in this grim world. But this idyllic semblance was more a well-crafted lie than actual truth.

It started with an old woman pointing at me with her finger and announcing my presence to the passerbies. The voice travelled quickly across the entire land. The laughter fell silent, the colours appeared to grow dimmer and dimmer and the smiles turned into distorted expressions.

“Demon!” - “The demon is here!” - “The brave warriors fell!” - “Don’t lose hope, arm yourself brothers!” - “Lay down your lives for Mother!” - “Vanquish the demon!” the cries of the zealots filled the air.

The atmosphere changed and a pale golden hue appeared like a mist. I was invading her territory, but her grasp on the land seemed flimsy. I didn’t know why, but she had probably spent a lot on Sandoval.

I gritted my teeth and braced myself for yet another battle. I had no strength left to flee. My eyes became two thin slits. I would have to recover my strength by feeding on what I could find.

I felt a sudden tug on my foot. Isaac’s hand had grasped me.

“S-stop,” he spoke with his waning strength.

I grabbed him by the collar, raised him from the ground and slammed him against the pillar once again. I raised my fist. Isaac’s closed his eyes, ready to accept his faith. My punch flew at him.

My fist tore through the obsidian pillar, breaking a huge chunk of it. Pieces fell to the ground. The approaching crowd of fanatics froze at the sight and fear appeared on their faces at the unexpected show of power and authority. My eyes darted over them and they took a step back but didn’t retreat.

“W-why?” Isaac’s surprised voice reached my ears.

I turned towards him. He stared at me with wide eyes as he saw the disappointment in mine. The doubt and confusion in his eyes enraged me.

My mouth let out a hoarse voice.

“You are an unfilial bastard, Isaac Grant. For how long yet are you going to let me down?”

“... Am I not going to die?”

“Die? Is that what you think of me? After all I did, that’s quite a disappointment. I saved you when you were at your lowest, had my people nurse you back to health and even when you wielded your blade against me, I still held back to ensure you wouldn’t suffer permanent damage. Can’t you tell from the condition of your own body? You’ll make a full recovery. Even if I should have punished you, I decided to be lenient. And yet, you are surprised I didn’t kill you? What a joke,” I spit out, betrayal and venom in my voice.

I let him fall back to the ground and turned to the crowd once again. My voice broke the air.

“One chance. Forsake the w***e you call ‘Mother’. Kneel to me,” I gave my ultimatum.

I didn’t find pleasure in bloodshed. I would avoid it if possible. But I wouldn’t hesitate. Deep under the ground, I could feel the presence of several mana entities. The zealots had sinned, but could still be forgiven.

“Demon!” - “Don’t listen to the demon!” - “Lay down your life for Mother!” the preachers answered my ultimatum.

I sighed. I braced myself. I was tired, but I still needed to do what I had to. As I prepared to kick the ground and lay waste on the land in front of me, I suddenly stopped. A clapping sound entered my ears and the greatest genuine smile I had ever seen filled my vision.

“Congratulations, Patriarch Doe. You have won the bet. All recognize you as the legitimate owner of the Epsilon and all that is within it,” Tobias amused voice filled the air.

The crowd fell silent at the sudden appearance of the Patriarch of the Alpha. They trembled slightly and many lost hold of their weapons. The rattle of metal was audible from a distance.

I snorted. Tobias did whatever he wanted, whenever he wanted. I pointed at the armed multitude and spoke sarcastically.

“They do appear to have accepted me”

“I meant all that matters,” Tobias’ cold eyes darted across the crowd.

“It is my opinion this behaviour mustn’t let go unpunished. Eradication seems suitable. If you wish, it will be my pleasure to assist you. But ultimately, they belong to you. May I ask how you wish to proceed?” he continued in a mellow tone.

“W-wait,” Isaac’s barely audible whispers reached us before his limp body thumped on the ground.

I stared at Tobias. He had always been quite helpful, but there was an unusual amount of servility in his behaviour.

“Why are you so willing to assist me?” I asked sharply.

“It’s an apology for my past transgression. I ought to make up for it some way,” he answered directly.

“What are your sins against me?”

“I lied”

The surroundings cooled. My vision reddened. My fists tightened. My jaw clenched.

“You lied?”

“It was our first encounter”

Suddenly, everything clicked.

“You butchered me,” I growled.

“Yes,” he nodded, his amused tone unchanged.

“I wasn’t dying”

“You were not”

“I was growing too quickly”

“That is so”

“Were you influenced?”

“Certainly”

“Did you resist?”

“Not much. I was curious to see what would happen”

“Are you still under her?”

“Patriarch Doe, I’m the heir to the power of The Blue. It cost Mother dearly to tamper with me. One single failed chance was all she had. And you still stand”

I brought one hand to my hurting head. I sighed.

“Are you declaring your loyalty?”

His smile disappeared and his countenance became serious.

“Something like that”

“Did you judge I have already won? Is that why you decided to come to me?”

“I don’t know. Mother’s crafty and beyond my sight”

“What if I lose? Aren’t you gambling with your life, Patriarch Miller?”

“I am indeed. After all, most things in life are a gamble, even life itself. If I get it right, I will see a new era. If I got it wrong, I’ve still lived long enough”

I massaged my head. In a matter of a few minutes I had collected too much information. Although my archuman brain had already processed it, my human emotions acted up once again. It was mostly Isaac’s fault though.

I fixed my gaze on Tobias. In my current condition, there was no reason not to grant his assistance. I pointed at the crowd and uttered two simple words.

“Clean up”

He lightly tapped the ground and immediately appeared in the middle of the ground. A blue haze coloured the land. He swept his hand towards the sky and the eternally unchanging law of gravity became a mere suggestion. Winds of storm raised from the ground. Buildings, carts, people. All were swept up by the forceful torrent of energy and carried up into the sky. Cries of panic filled the air as the ground became ever so distant in a matter of seconds.

Tobias continued like this for a bit over a minute, causing devastation wherever he went. The land broke and pieces of the continent soared up and hovered the land. Everyone was swept by his ruthless march.

And then, it started raining people and debris. The consequences of the fall were obvious. What remained of the Epsilon was a blank canvas, the bodies buried under the flattened wreckage. It was quite anti-climatic. The golden hue that had previously filled the air had now dissipated. While for me it was akin to venom, it didn’t bother Tobias in the slightest. After all, he came from me as much as he came from her.

I walked to him and stood still behind him. I extended my hand to him. My anger had not disappeared. It was time to honour the promise I made long ago.

“Choose,” I commanded.

“Right arm,” he answered immediately.

Nevertheless, he didn’t move. My brow twitched. My anger was growing but I couldn’t oppose him, weak as I was. Even if he had proved his loyalty, he wasn’t really going to obey me fully. He was still prideful. Frustration filled me but I decided to bide my time. Next time, not even Patriarch Miller, heir of the dynasty of The Blue, would be able to face me as an equal.

“I will honour my promise,” I declared.

“I would expect no less. A vow made to the self is law to your kind. I’ll wait for your arrival,” he nodded understandingly.

I sighed and retracted my arm. There was another promise to honour. My eyes fixed on the ground, to the presences trapped deep beneath it. The ones who needed rescue.

“The people of the Alpha will take care of it,” Tobias assured me.

Without any remaining worry, I could finally go home.