Malungo went back to the hotel. Charlotte was in the lobby, calling the receptionist who was no longer there. When she saw Malungo coming in, she exclaimed:

— Malungo, where the fuck were you?

— I was chasing an android kidnapper. He wasn't dangerous, so I came back.

— An android kidnapper? Is that why the receptionist isn't here anymore?

— Yes, he added her to his collection. What are you doing here?

— I was going to ask the receptionist if she had seen you. We were all worried, even Anelise!

— Wait, for real? She worried about me? This is indeed something strange.

— You sent us that message asking if we wanted to watch the tournament finals. We couldn't find you anywhere and we thought something serious had happened.

— Relax, I'm fine.

Charlotte lightly slapped Malungo's face, crying. She complained:

— At least let us know before trying something so dangerous! I don't know what I would do if I lost you.

Charlotte cared intensely about her friends. She was very sentimental, so she sacrificed himself whenever they were in danger. Malungo was like that too, so he felt better with the slap. She continued:

— Will you still want to see the tournament?

— Of course I will. Now I'm more excited than ever!

— Let's meet up with the others, then.

Everyone was looking for Malungo around the skyscraper. Charlotte sent a message for everyone to gather. As it was almost lunchtime, they chose the main dining room of the hotel. It was a fancy place, full of fancy people.

When they saw Malungo, they smiled in relief. They sat down to lunch. Anelise was looking at him with a malicious smile. She didn't usually smile, because she almost always felt disgusted by everything and everyone. She said:

— Look if it isn't our dear Malungo. I missed ya, you know?

— I'm glad to hear that, it doesn't even sound like you.

— Give me a break, my friend, I worry about you.

— Why are you smiling like that?

— It's because I'm so happy to see you that I can't help myself.

Malungo suspected the veracity of that statement. She was certainly hiding something. Yuto commented:

— Thank you for that message, Malungo. I was all set to watch the finals, but I didn't know when they would be.

— I didn't even know about them until earlier today. They are on the home page of the association's app. You should use it more often.

— I am afraid of being tracked while using that app.

Genesis suggested a solution:

— If that's the case, Yuto, I can create a new cell phone just to access the application. You can discard it later.

— Thank you, Genesis. That would help a lot.

Malungo continued:

— By the way, Ishikawa-san, did you know that Caliel is missing and Revon will replace her?

— I didn't know that. We've heard some rumors, but we didn't actually believe them at the time. A level 6 being killed by a boy? Turns out they may be true.

Genesis added:

— Yeah, we were on the same shopping when that happened. Yuto doesn't remember much from that day, so I had to tell him everything.

— Wait, really? Yuto, you must be suffering from amnesia, you should see a doctor. Can't Kiseki heal you?

— I've tried, but it seems like it's not something related to my body. It seems that an outside force prevents my memories from returning to me.

— That's weird, really weird. If Kiseki can't heal you, I hope time can.

— Thanks, mate. Time is usually the answer for everything, so I'm sure I'll be alright in some days or weeks.

— I hope so. Anyways, did you get to see the recent battles by any chance? We've been busy with our work, so we had to pass it.

— Yeah, we've seen the semifinals. They were pretty good, I must admit.

— Do you think we would stand a chance?

— Against the level 6's? No way, man, at least not yet. I'm not downplaying you, I'm just saying that powers and 7-Up get stronger with time.

— So they monopolize the levels.

— Not really. If you train hard enough, you can skip some levels. But the powerful heroes always have the advantage.

— Looks like I'll need a power.

Yuto, Tatsuya and Genesis looked at Haji.

— Why are you looking at me? I'll not give powers like candy.

Yuto explained:

— She's the main source of powers in this country. If you touch her, you'll get a power tomorrow.

— Wait, really? I think I'll pass this time. I don't want to become dependent on my power. What if I lose it?

Haji answered:

— It's permanent. Don't worry, I'll always be here when you decide to get a power.

— I meant, what if someone seals my power? I'll keep working hard to not depend on anything besides my body. Thank you for the offer, though.

They talked some more after they finished lunch. They went to their respective rooms to change. Malungo was lucky enough to have two girls in his room. On purpose, he took longer at lunch. He was the last to return to the room. He opened the door slowly to peek out at that miraculous image.

Genesis and Charlotte were standing talking, only in their underwear. Malungo enjoyed every second of it. He was in his youth, so it was natural for him to be interested in this. When Charlotte turned to pick up her cell phone from a table, she saw the half-open door. She went to it to close it, thinking that the wind had pushed it.

This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.

When she grabbed the doorknob, she remembered that Malungo hadn't returned yet. That looked very suspicious, so she opened the door to see if anyone was in the hallway. She saw Malungo squeezing himself against the wall so as not to be seen. He tried to run away. Charlotte threw her cell phone as hard as she could at his head.

She used her power to increase the cellphone's speed in the air. As Malungo knew she would react like that, he quickly lowered his head. The cell phone went straight through the window at the end of the hall. It was never found again. As Malungo ran, she shouted:

— Get back here, you bastard! You won't get away with it!

Genesis created another cell phone for her. Charlotte could have run faster than him, but she calmed down after destroying her cell phone and went back to her room. She was very embarrassed at having been seen half naked by his friend, but destroying any object was enough to quell the anger.

Genesis and Charlotte finished changing and went to the hallway to wait for the others. Without looking at him, Charlotte complained:

— I'll never forgive you for that, but... what do you have to say…?

— I sure loved it.

— I-Idiot! Go change soon and get out of my sight.

Genesis didn't seem bothered by any of that. She was smiling, as if she actually enjoyed it. But she was smiling most of the time, so it was hard to know what she was thinking.

The side door opened. It was Anelise, who was still wearing her usual military clothes. Charlotte asked:

— Anelise, why haven't you changed yet? The match will start in a few hours, but we'd better get going soon.

— I am not going, I'll stay with Malungo. I need to talk about something important with him.

Malungo, surprised by that preference, said:

— With me? I myself had planned that I would go with them…

— Malungo, you wouldn't reject a little chat with me, would you? Or would you rather refuse the attention I'm giving you for the first time in your miserable life?

Anelise said this with an even more hideous smile than before. Her eyes stared straight into Malungo's, piercing his soul. He looked away, but he couldn't help that ominous aura. He responded:

— Okay, okay, you won! I'll stay with you. Why are you so interested in me all of a sudden?

— I'll tell you everything about me. Be glad a goddess like me is giving so much attention to an impure nigg*r.

Charlotte, bothered by those insults, commented:

— Anelise, what the fuck?! Are you out of your fucking mind?!

— Shut up, Charlotte, I'm not talking to you.

Charlotte was surprised by her aggressiveness. She was the person Anelise treated the best, but it seemed that person was now Malungo. She responded:

— Okay, whatever. If you want to be with him so badly, there's nothing I can do.

Tatsuya, Yuto and Haji also came out of their rooms, prepared. Seeing everyone, Malungo apologized:

— Guys, something unexpected has happened and I will not be able to go. Go without me.

Confused, Yuto asked:

— What happened, Malungo?

— Anelise really wants to talk to me, and it needs to be now. We'll meet you later.

Anelise noticed an error in his statement:

— We're not meeting with you later. Malungo and I will have a long talk. We won't have time to see you.

Tatsuya sensed that something was going to happen between them. As he was married and had a child, he thought they would form a family together. He smiled, saying:

— There's no need to be afraid, Malungo. Every adventure starts like this. Enjoy youth while you can.

Malungo understood Tatsuya's interpretation instantly. He was embarrassed, thinking he was right. He looked at Anelise, but her devilish gaze didn't seem to say the same thing as Tatsuya's. Yuto didn't understand any of that. He was still too young for that conversation, even though he was already an adult. Tatsuya continued:

— Well, we have to go. Let's leave the two alone.

When everyone left, Anelise pulled Malungo to his room. She threw him on the bed, laying down soon after, very close to him. Extremely embarrassed and unprepared, he commented:

— Anelise, don't you think we should start with something simpler first?

Anelise didn't answer, she just put her finger in front of his mouth, as a symbol of silence. She started to speak:

— Malungo, have you heard about the Third Reich?

— Oh... yes. It was the period of Nazi Germany, right?

— Exactly. However, many historians claim that it never really took hold. They always say that Nazism was not the Third Reich. How dare they doubt my great-great grandfather?

— Anelise, I'm not sure I understand what you're getting at.

— Do you want to form the Fourth Reich with me?

— What? This is a joke, right?

Anelise's eyes and smile didn't make it sound like a joke. She looked more serious than ever. Malungo, not knowing what to answer, said:

— Why in the world would I accept such an offer? Hitler was a villain, and I don't side with villains. Also, I am not part of the Aryan race. I would be persecuted by such a regime.

— I'll tell you a secret that even Charlotte doesn't know: my great-great-grandfather was Adolf Hitler. I have the right to inherit his empire.

While at school, Malungo was very interested in history. Not even he himself knew that Hitler had descendants. Surprised, he stated:

— There's no way that can be true. He died without having any children.

— My lineage had to go into hiding for over a century because of public opinion. They isolated themselves in different corners of Germany after Adolf-sama died. He himself made a point of erasing the family's identity before he died, so that they could live in peace.

— I do not believe that. Even if it's true, you don't have to follow their legacy. You are Anelise, a young woman free to be whatever you want to be.

Malungo realized that Anelise felt chained to her lineage. He wanted to free her from the chains of that cursed family. However, she replied something unexpected:

— You're right, I'm free. And I chose to follow the same path as my great-great-grandfather. In fact, I want to be even bigger than him. I want not only to dominate Germany, but the whole world this time.

— Anelise, you can't be serious. We've known each other for years, and I'm sure you're not like that.

— Do you think you know anything about me? I am of the Aryan race and I agreed to ally myself with a disgusting monkey like you. I'm offering you my pity to continue the Hitler bloodline. If you agree to have a child with me, we will rule the world together.

— You're scaring me now. This is definitely not you. Why would someone from the Aryan race have a relationship with an african?

— If we join the best race with the worst, we can discover something new. Our child could be a god beyond our comprehension. Since we've never tried this before, it's possible.

— No way, Anelise. I will get you out of this illusion. You are not well and need treatment.

Anelise never stopped smiling. Malungo was growing scared, but he decided to face it to save his friend. She, still smiling, replied:

— Are you sure you can challenge me, you disgusting pig?

— Wasn't I a monkey until a few seconds ago?

— I don't care what you are. Your race is so horrible that it should be erased from existence. However, I'm having the mercy to try something new and give you the chance to take over the world with me. It's like they say: opposites attract.

— I won't change my mind. I will get you out of this illusion, no matter what happens to me!

— Are you sure? I'll give you one more chance.

Malungo would respond with all the willpower he had. He wasn't going to change his mind, because he knew what the right thing to do was. However, the fear that he felt in his heart reached its peak. The answer he chose would change the course of his life.

Anelise waited for the answer for seconds that seemed like hours to him. He froze, but she continued to smile with her eyes as red as blood penetrating his soul. He gathered all the courage that was left in his heart and shouted:

— NO WAY AM I GOING TO ALLY WITH NAZISM! I WILL PROTECT YOU EVEN IF IT COST MY LIFE-

Realizing that he hadn't changed his mind, Anelise pierced his heart with her fist. Still smiling, she commented:

— Protect me? Malungo, you are very funny. Well I gave you a chance and you turned it down. It's a shame, such an experiment would be very interesting.

Malungo didn't think she would actually do that. As he was in Japan, he imagined himself in an anime in which the protagonist fearlessly faces danger and the antagonist respects his courage, deciding to join his side.

He thought this was a perfect formula for resolving inevitable conflicts. He never imagined that a friend could betray him so easily. He trusted her and expected her to trust him too. The reality proved the opposite.

Anelise took a knife out of her uniform and pierced Malungo's head vertically. It was not enough to kill him instantly, so she sliced his face out of his head. 7-Up increased the kill time, so Malungo wouldn't die as quickly as he wanted. He lasted for some seconds, having that demon as his last memory. He couldn't do anything, just wait for his fate.

A fate he could have changed, if she was a little less evil.