The children stood in awe, ready to fight if necessary, but thankful that they weren't harmed.

"You are our rivals. No one is allowed to fight you and expect to get away with it."

Noir explained as he went and healed everyone before departing.

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"Silver man, why do they unleash this kind of power not upon us?"

The questions were everywhere, none of the Hero Alliance knew how to comprehend what was happening.

Their sworn enemies had fought on their behalf and unleashed lethal force, something they never had before.

Rumors were spreading that the Horsemen didn't take them for full, others claiming that it was the light of justice strengthening them when doing good deeds.

He had been elected as the leader because, with sixteen years, he was the oldest among them.

He could banish other hero powers for a while, but he knew that the horsemen worked under an entirely different kind of magic than them, more like the things used by the Paladins.

Luis had to give a quick answer, shooting his power to suppress attempts at telepathy, while his other power continued to hunger for the souls of just about everyone with a power.

With the yearning inside, he proclaimed an answer he hoped would satisfy even the nine-year-olds.

"Our powers weaken them, we are good guys, and similar to my immunity to other peoples powers, we somehow weaken them.

Like us, they are still working on their organization. They probably are on some kind of war against the church people, and we all know what evil guys do with churches. They will rob and plunder. I say we go and punish those priests for being bad guys that pretend to be good guys!"

Thus, the Heroes tightened their organization, ready to deliver justice.

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Francis was exasperated as his healing light shone upon the lone survivor.

"What fate befell thine companions? What monster lurks that could end a knight and a fully armed recruitment force?"

He asked, the weird method of talking he and his fellows had adopted a great help at staying calm and collected.

"I couldn't fathom it at first, but the dead marched against us, and the demonic horde fought by their side. Someone's touch caused our skin to wither and change, even your healing seems to make it worse."

The priest was confused at that, his patient positively brimming with life force, everything within him regenerating as intended.

At least, that was the Idea.

"You must not lie, what happened to you out there?"

He asked, shaking as he noticed his mistake.

There was indeed life growing inside this soldier, strange growths bursting from his body, like pustules and tumors bulging.

"Confess your sins!"

The priest screamed, the survivor in too much agony to answer properly, the corrupted flesh seeming to have a mind of its own.

As the person before him had claws burst from his hands and his body wildly mutating, as Noir's blood did what it was meant to do.

It needed to be better, to evolve into the creature it was destined to be, even as it jumped at the priest, a simple slice almost killing him as it mixed its blood with the holy man's.

Both basked in the healing light, growing into long-armed horrors with bladed arms, no longer showing any signs of the humans they were mere seconds ago. The only hint to their origin being the weakened powers they retained.

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Back in the Dark crusades central headquarters, the leaders were changing into more casual clothes.

"I have gained enough from this fight, the hulk is a horribly perfect creation." Marc announces, everyone happy to have him out of the discussion.

"So, unless Johan over here finally gets a smart Idea on what to do with the guy, I propose he gets the man's armor, and we discuss over who his body belongs to."

They agreed, Conquest still insisting they should simply kill the man, the others now a bit annoyed that they realized he wasn't joking.

"Guys, what the fuck?"

Mia exclaimed, everyone wondering what she meant until they noticed how her skin had turned more vibrant, her perpetually light skin now looking as if a slight blush colored all of it. And if one ignored a yellow shift in her eye color, that change would probably not have been noticed.

Quickly, the others discovered similar changes.

Noir's skin had become softer and more malleable, Marc got even paler than he already was, something that made him look straight up ghastly as it had turned almost paper like. Slowly, they turned to Johan, their German friend having changed only slightly, though his eyes moved a bit faster than they normally would.

"Seems this is the phenomenon those monsters went through when they got their powers, I think we probably shouldn't overdraw them like we did today."

Then, they all agreed to go to bed that say, their groceries placed on the table.

Outside, the sound of dueling and people shouting over card games filled the air, the ambience drawing a rare smile from the horsemen of pestilence.

"It seems our little movement is growing just fine."