[Red's POV]

The last thing remembered was to see everything red. I burst into anger seeing that mother and daughter's death. Hacking and butchering the creature. His last words were:

"We're not that different after all."

[King Darius's POV]

After subduing my disciple. I confidently thought that there was no issue after that. Then a burst of aura explodes behind me. As I see what happened.

Red got up from the ground forcefully. You can hear his bones creaking as he struggles to get up. Suddenly both his giant blade and Spear start to glow. As they lift up, floating around him.

"Ego Weapons, shit."

[Looks like they accepted him as their master.]

Before I could investigate more, the spear starts flying towards me like how a missile does. Piercing through the air, while Red controls it like a puppet master, using the other hand to lift the sword up. He dashed and kept the blade close to him, posturing himself. The spear speed up, flying at a high speed towards me while he ends up behind me slashing from the bottom.

I smile and laugh. Though the situation is serious, I can't help but have fun. In that split second when both of his weapons were gonna land on me. I threw my sword away. Grabbing the spear by its handle a few centimeters from my face. And stepping on the great sword that Red was willing to stop it from swinging. I completely blocked and rendered his attacks useless. Still grabbing the spear, I threw it at Red, aiming for his clothes as it pushes him all the way, pinning him against the wall.

He removed the spear leaving it on the ground. He stabbed his giant blade on the ground when it suddenly shrinks down in size into a long sword. Just the right size for him.

"Let's try this then."

I summoned a sword gifted to me by the Fairy King, that was blessed with spirit magic and elemental magic. The sword itself was a long sword but had a pretty wide blade across it. Blessed with wind attributes, it might just be the right weapon I need to calm my stupid disciple up.

With the sword now more of his size, his Agility sped up, closing the gap between us within a second. He starts another barrage of slashes against me. Using my sword, I created a thin layer of shield blocking all of it. The moment he changed his stance midway, that was where my opportunity is. I took the chance and stabbed Red's body. With the spirit magic Imbued, the weapon instead cleanses any mind magic Imbued on the target. Removing all mental status Effects on target.

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He drops to the floor closing his eyes.

[Put me on his face.]

I picked up the charm, it turns to the mask that he was previously wearing.

[Many Thanks.]

I placed it on Red's face and allow the mysterious being to do his job.

[Ryong's POV]

Now deep in Red's subconscious, the last time we were here. It was his room. Now. it's blank space. A space with a puddle of water that spreads across infinitely. From a distance away. I saw a tiny figure sitting alone. I head towards that person and sat beside him. Quietly, sharing the same view he was looking at.

"Hey, Ryong. What does it take to be strong?"

[...]

"Does being strong meant that I could do whatever I want in the world, without a care?"

[...That depends on thy view.]

"I definitely felt stronger while being inside the forest. But I killed for fun... Those monsters. They might have been bad or evil, but some of them did surrender. I killed them all without a second thought."

[...]

"Is that how it's been this entire time even back in history? People win, and forget the what atrocious thing they did to reach that point?"

[What does thou think.]

"The Creature was right. I said that what I did was for survival. But that was not the truth. I have some sick, perverted urge that they all must die. They might be monsters but they were also a mother and father as well."

"When the monsters were screaming for their children to run away. I continue cutting the mothers down. I felt nothing towards it. NOTHING."

"Sparing the child is showing mercy? I might as well kill them off since they are going to die regardless."

[...]

"The last scene I saw before I went nuts, was the bodies of a mom and her daughter." Red started tearing up as he continues speaking.

"I had the power to kill the creature. But my complacency got the better of me. Now someone's wife and daughter are dead forever." He explains, expressing the guilt he has stored up all this time.

"If being strong meant feeling nothing when cutting down your enemy and being weak means that you die an unfair death due to someone else's mistake."

"What's the point in living."

[...]

I didn't know how to answer him. What he said was justifiable. The strong inevitably devours the weak. When given power, some turns into a monster as they get drunk with power. Causing more havoc in the world.

This causes a vicious never-ending cycle of the strong vs the weak.

"Sorry, Ryong. I'm done."

[If that is what thou wants... I respect thy's wishes.]

"Hey, Ryong... What would you do."

[I would get stronger.]

"Aren't you scared that you might become a different person? A monster that kills for pleasure?"

[That's why thou have me. Thou are not alone. I'm here to help thy.]

"Why? Is it because I happened to pick the mask up and you are forced together with me."

[Maybe so. But it doesn't change the fact that thou are stuck with me.]

"You suck." Red chuckled, cheering up a little.

[If it makes you feel better, I don't know what will happen either. But I will be here to see it through with you.]

"Thank you."

We left the area together as a door appears out of nowhere, we took a step to be better.

[Red's POV]

Waking up, I was on a horse galloping away.

"Awake now, my foolish disciple." King Darius asked.

Seeing the wound inflicted on the King. I instantly tried to get up and apologize just to get hit in the head by a tree branch.

"God Dammit."

"Seeing you so lively, you seemed fine."

We took a break in the forest to catch up.

"First and foremost, I'm sorry that I left you in there for that long. No one was able to survive there without any aura, not even me. But I pushed you too hard and forced my ideas on you." He said as he lowered his head to apologize.

"It's ok King Darius. Thank you for putting me through that hell. I made me more clear what I want to achieve at the end."

He smiled and smirked before going to full-on laughter.

Oh man, it never gets old.

"Alright then let's continue our training. Now we travel together around the continent. You should be able to improve more now that you are fighting a human."

"Won't the people in the castle say anything if the King's not in."

[Serene's POV]

"That shitty old man. When he comes back. I'm going to kill him."

[King Darius's POV]

"Nah we're fine. Let's go kid."

[Red's POV]

So onwards to my training.