Early in the morning, Daemon started his day by learning a series of self defense against knives. Since he can’t use a gun yet because of his trauma, Amor thought that basic self defenses against knives would be a good starter to strengthen Daemon.

“Block the stabbing arm, throw the attacker...”

“Guh!”

“...apply a wrist lock”

“Argh!”

“And cut his neck with his own knife.”

Amor positioned the training knife on Daemon’s neck, signifying the end of the routine.

“Don’t you know how to hold back?”

“You’re just that weak.”

“Hey, that hurts! Although it’s true…”

The two of then exchanged words that seemed as they don’t get along, but the truth is that they are just comfortable with each other along with the sad reality that they only have each other to rely on. Amor and Daemon repeated the routine for a few dozen times more before they switched roles. Daemon is now the defender and Amor as the attacker.

“Right now you should already had an idea on how the routine works. Now let’s increase the difficulty a little higher now. I’ll attack you with a knife and you defend.”

Amor said while smirking at Daemon, who’s currently laying on the floor due to being thrown several times.

“Let me rest for a second, old man.”

“Shut up and stop being a wuss.”

Daemon had no choice but to get up and endure his training. For hours, Daemon instilled all the techniques that Amor is teaching him through his body. Getting the feeling of it, remembering the routines through repetitive application, and understanding how it works, all of these made Daemon slowly gain experience in applying knife defense and memorizing its techniques through muscle memory.

“That’s it for today. Rest up and we’ll continue tomorrow.”

Amor said as he changed into a new set of clean clothes with the intention to go outside.

“Hmm, are going somewhere, old man?”

“Yeah, I’m stepping out for a bit. Dinners in the fridge, eat without me. I’ll be back before dawn.”

“Okay… take care.”

With a worried face, Daemon saw his uncle off and locked the apartment door. Turning into a dark alley, Amor once again opened the notebook that contained the information that he gathered the other day. Amor looked at one of the entries in the list with curious eyes.

* SATANA…….

* MAHARLIKA – A MERCENARY GROUP BASED IN THE PHILIPPINES. MAIN HEADQUARTERS IS LOCATED AT MANILA. SPECIALIZED IN ESCORTS, ASSASSINATIONS, AND ARMY FOR HIRE. LED BY THE FORMER LIEUTENANT COLONEL BLAIR MAYNE OF THE BRITISH SAS.

* GO…….

Amor closed his notebook and started to walk further in the dark alley. After a few hours of ‘asking’ and looking, he ended up at a huge and luxurious mansion at a private village. He got in the village easily with his skills and manage to stealthily enter inside the mansion. Things were going smoothly, but that is what Amor is suspicious about. He then saw a big door that seems like it’s been used for special occasions or for meeting purposes. Looking at the door, Amor had doubts.

[This is Maharlika’s headquarters right? But why are there few guards? Are they really confident that no one will attempt to infiltrate their base?]

Doubts, suspicion, and a sense of discomfort lingered in Amor’s thoughts. He was trying to make reason out of his situation and made a decision, showing his decisive, or maybe reckless side.

[Well, I won’t find out if I don’t do anything.]

After checking that there really are no guards around the vicinity of the door and hallway, Amor sneakily rushed to the door and silently opened it. What greeted him was not the darkness of a room voided of life, but a room filled with men and women alike all pointing various kinds of weapons at him. Cold sweat covered Amor’s body. He immediately regretted his recklessness and thought hard on how to alleviate his situation, but his thoughts was disturbed by a familiar voice that suddenly spoked up.

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“Such recklessness. Since you managed joined an infamous organization like the Testarossa family, I held high expectations from your growth, stupid former disciple of mine.”

Amor’s eyes widened and his jaw dropped, leaving his mouth open. Before Amor could even speak the things he wanted to say, the whitehaired, brown eyed, well built, old man followed up his previous words.

“Did you just think that we would leave our base unguarded? If I haven’t ordered the guards to let you pass, you would’ve been dead by now. Do you understand my former disciple, Amor Reyes?!”

The old man that claimed to be Amor’s former teacher (sensei) said to have let Amor intrude their base easily. Amor, who didn’t expected to have a reunion with his former teacher, was confused and had lots of questions, but he immediately remembered his goal in coming there in the first place.

“So you’re with Maharlika now… Grandmaster… no, Dante Inosanto. I would like to speak to your leader, Blair Mayne!”

“Oh~, and what business do you have with Blair? And what makes you think he’ll allow an audience with you? After all, you did infiltrated our headquarters.”

Amor was unfazed by his former teacher’s rebuttals to his request. He may not have calculated that his former teacher is affiliated with Maharlika, Amor didn’t see it as an obstacle, but he rather saw it as an opportunity to raise the odds of gaining the trust of the said organization.

“I would like to negotiate with your boss, Blair Mayne!”

Amor said with a confident tone as he reached for his bag. Seeing that Amor is getting something from his bag, the people that are aiming their weapons at him all this time, saw it as a sign of resistance and that Amor is reaching for a weapon. Before they could even fire a single bullet, or throw a knife, Dante Inosanto raised his hand signaling them to put down their weapons. When the tension was lessen, Amor threw the documents he had in his bag to Dante.

“Wha-what is this?!”

Dante shouted and stared at Amor with astonishment. Seeing Dante’s reaction, Amor grinned and spoke.

“Now then, let me see Blair Mayne so that we can start the negotiations.”

Once again Amor declared with confidence and grinned like he victoriously defeated his opponent.

“Grandmaster, are you alright? Are the contents of those documents that amazing?”

One of Dante’s subordinates curiously questioned the contents of the files that Dante was appraising. Dante then regain his senses when he was tapped at the shoulders by one of his worried subordinates. After regaining his senses, Dante walked further in the room. His subordinates gave way as he passed by them until he finally reached the wall of the room. He knocked three times at the wall that gave a hollow sound. After knocking, an entrance to a hidden room appeared at the wall. Dante turned and looked at Amor with serious eyes.

“What are you waiting for? Don’t make Blair wait any longer.”

Amor rushed to Dante’s side after hearing his former teacher’s words. When both of them entered the passage of the hidden room, the opening in the wall suddenly closed, making the entrance from before looked like an illusion. Dante and Amor continued walking for a few more steps until they ended up in front of an office like room. Ahead of them is an executive office table and chair that emphasizes the important figure that is seated on it. The man seated in front of them has a platinum colored hair, wolverine beard, and a dangerous looking set of violet eyes. Noticing that Amor and Dante arrived, the good looking man stood and introduced himself.

“My name is Blair Mayne. Nice to meet you Mr. Amor Reyes, brother of Roseleen McCoy, former Mafioso and personal information specialist of the Testarossa family’s executive, Roger McCoy.”

Amor was surprised at how wide the intelligence network Maharlika possessed to gain detailed information about him. Going as far as obtaining information from one of the most infamous syndicates in Europe like the Testarossa family.

[Frightening… Blair Mayne… what a frightening man to mess with.]

Fear, admiration, and curiosity filled Amor’s thoughts as he looks at the smiling face of Blair.

“So let’s discuss the negotiation you want to have with me Mr. Amor Reyes.”

Blair said as he gazes at the documents that Dante placed on his desk.

“Ye…yeah. In exchange for information regarding the Testarossa family’s financial data, smuggling routes, and laboratories, I would like to join Maharlika and have my nephew, Daemon McCoy, under the protection of your organization from the clutches of the Testarossa family.”

Amor was hesitant at first, but said what he wanted in the end.

“Sure, I’ll gladly have you as an information specialist for Maharlika, but…”

Blair’s smile curved downwards as he continued what he was saying.

“…why would I accept a time bomb within my organization? I’m not that ignorant to know that the Testarossa family’s influence is weaker here at the south-east Asia, but that does not mean that they can’t reach us. I mean the Testarossa family is a very influential syndicate in the underground world in Europe. Claiming that the boy is under Maharlika’s protection may provoke the Testarossa family to wage war against us.”

Amor took deep breaths and puffed up his chest and said.

“Don’t under estimate me. Even if it’s the Testarossa family, they wouldn’t have traced us here in the Philippines. They should still be thinking that we’re hiding somewhere in Europe for a while…”

The unpleasant expression of Amor from a while ago, suddenly changed and now had a confident and unfazed look on his face as he continues what he was saying.

“…And don’t worry about Daemon, he’s got potential. We can both mutually benefit from each other. And based on Maharlika’s wide intelligence network, I guess you should already know that Daemon is special. Being the offspring of two people who inherited a pair of halved souls of the Androgynes, there is a high chance that Daemon might had inherited the split soul of the original humans too.”

Blair’s frown became a smile once again, confirming that he already knew about the details, but it was not the same for Dante. Dante furrowed his eyebrows and said in a serious tone.

“Androgyne…creatures with four arms, four legs, a head with two faces and had both male and female genitals. They are called the original, or the true humans… the progenitor of mankind that threatened the gods long ago with their absurd strength and speed, but was instead divided into two and was weakened and scattered all around the world. The halved Androgynes was left with only one set of genitals that is now known as the male and the female humans. Yearning to be one again, each pairs looked and searched for each other, dreaming of the day when they would be united with their other half, be one with their… Soulmate.”

The room became silent for a moment. The one who broke the ice was Blair and spoke with the smile that is still seen on his face.

“Alright… I’ll dispose of the pawns that the Testarossa family will send in the future…”

The innocent smile that painted Blair’s face became more serious and emitted a devious feel into it as he continued what he was saying.

“…but as you said a while ago, ‘we will benefit from each other’ right?”

Amor smiled back at Blair and responded.

“Heh, go on tell me what Daemon should do in return.”

“Like what I said before, I would happily welcome you to be an information specialist for Maharlika, as for Daemon… he will keep my daughter company.”

“HA HA… Huh…?”

Amor was dumbfounded at Blair’s declaration. Laughing at first due to his misunderstanding that Blair was joking, Amor then realized that Blair was serious, leaving him confused at what Blair’s objective is.