Chapter 3

Inside the living room, Nicola and his mother, Berrina, sat quietly in front of the television, sharing dinner in a warm family atmosphere. Suddenly, Berrina broke the silence with a cheerful voice:

"Oh, Nicola!"

Nicola lifted his head with a smile, prompting his mother to continue with a hesitant grin:

"I forgot to prepare a plate for your father, Goki! Could you go to the kitchen and get it before he returns?"

Nicola responded with a bright smile, playfully adding:

"As you command, my queen!"

Berrina chuckled softly while Nicola stood up, walking toward the kitchen with confident steps.

—

Upon entering the kitchen, a warm smile still lingered on Nicola’s face. He gently opened the cupboard, lost in thought:

"My graduation day is so close... I can already imagine Mom’s tears on that day."

He carefully picked up the plate and turned to head back to the living room.

But that fleeting moment of peace vanished in an instant…

—

A deafening roar tore through the house.

The walls shook violently as the windows shattered, sending shards of glass flying like deadly daggers. Jagged pieces cut into Nicola’s face, leaving thin lines of blood on his skin.

Before he could even process what was happening, a powerful explosion tore through the walls of their home.

Debris scattered in every direction. Huge stones crashed into the living room like raging waves. In the kitchen, a massive rock struck Nicola’s stomach with devastating force, launching him like a broken doll and slamming him against the back wall.

The impact was brutal—his body hit the wall so hard that saliva burst from his mouth, and his head collided with the surface, causing blood to stream down onto the wrecked floor.

The house, once a peaceful haven, had crumbled into ruins.

The lights had gone out completely, leaving only the silver glow of the moon filtering through the shattered remains, casting its cold radiance over the destruction.

Silence returned, but this time, it was an eerie, heavy silence. The place now stood as a silent witness to an unspeakable tragedy, while the echoes of the explosion faded into the darkness.

—

In the Streets of the Raipozi Clan.

Moryo stood firm, his finger pointed at Goki, who lay sprawled on the ground, his body soaked in blood. From the tip of Moryo’s finger, a green spark began to glow, growing brighter until it reflected in Goki’s eyes, which flickered like a fleeting flash.

The spark suddenly shot forward like a lethal arrow, aimed directly at Goki’s chest. But with astonishing agility, Goki flipped backward, narrowly dodging the attack. The spark struck the ground with force, leaving behind a smoking crater.

Moryo paused for a moment, his cold gaze fixed on the crater before slowly lifting his head. His dark eyes locked onto Goki, who stood unsteadily, blood dripping from his body like rain. He looked like a living statue, staring in horror at Moryo, who began walking toward him with slow, deliberate steps—his icy expression making him even more terrifying.

Goki panted heavily, struggling to gather his strength, but his mind was in turmoil:

"He's a true monster... just like his father... but... but even worse. I can't give up now! I have to avenge... my little girl!"

He raised his trembling hand and muttered weakly, his voice faltering:

"H...Healing Technique!"

A yellow spark flickered around his body, swirling like a small storm. The wounds covering his flesh slowly faded, and the blood smeared on his face evaporated as if it had never existed. As the technique completed, Goki stood restored, his body free of injuries.

He fixed his determined gaze on Moryo, whispering to himself:

"Alright... it's back to the beginning now!"

For a moment, Moryo stood motionless, as if time had frozen.

Then, in the blink of an eye, he vanished.

Before Goki could even register what had happened, a chilling force pressed against his face—Moryo’s palm, gripping him with merciless precision.

Without hesitation, Moryo lifted Goki effortlessly with one hand, as if his weight meant nothing, before hurling him with monstrous force toward a nearby house.

Goki soared like a broken doll, his body crashing into the wall with devastating power. The structure collapsed under the impact, sending shards of stone flying in all directions.

Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.

Inside the house, a woman stood frozen in shock. The debris struck her eyes directly.

A sharp, agonizing scream tore from her lips as she clutched her face:

"What's happening?! I can't see!"

As she screamed, a massive chunk of rubble plummeted onto her sleeping infant.

The impact was catastrophic. The child's body burst like a fragile bubble, his blood splattering across the room in a grotesque, nightmarish scene.

The mother, blind and desperate, wailed in sheer agony, her cries filled with helplessness:

"My baby!! What's happening?! ... Please, if anyone is here... help my child!"

Outside, Moryo Slowly Advanced Toward the Ruined House his steps were steady, heavy, and terrifying. Each movement carried a weight of dread, his cold eyes locked onto Goki, who still lay slumped against the shattered wall, his body writhing in pain.

Moryo’s expression remained unchanged, as if the horrors unfolding before him meant nothing. As he drew closer, the woman’s sobs and desperate cries echoed from within the ruined house, yet he showed no reaction—just a face devoid of emotion, steeped in deadly silence.

Stopping before Goki, Moryo stared down at him with an icy gaze. Inside, he reflected:

"So, he possesses a healing technique… similar to Lady Laura’s. But it's worthless in battle, utterly meaningless."

Slowly, he raised his finger, pointing it directly at Goki’s heart. In a hushed voice, as though speaking to death itself, he murmured:

"Do you have any last words?"

Goki remained on the ground, his eyes fixed on the dirt beneath his feet. His thoughts were clouded, filled with regret:

"Is this the end?... But I still… I still haven’t avenged… my daughter, Asmaa."

For a moment, absolute silence reigned. Moryo stared coldly at Goki, who remained lost in his thoughts. Then, slowly, Goki lifted his head and met Moryo’s gaze. Those frozen eyes were like a silent abyss, void of any feeling.

With a hoarse, weak voice, Goki spoke:

"Your father… killed my daughter."

Moryo’s expression didn’t change, as if the words passed through him without effect. But Goki continued, tears now streaming down his face:

"I don’t know… I don’t know why we keep killing each other..."

As he spoke, a single warm tear fell onto the cold rubble. In a voice shattered by sorrow, he asked:

"What was her crime?! Was it because she was from Kaisima?!"

Then, Goki erupted in a cry of anguish, his voice thick with bitterness:

"Is this what we wanted in the end?! Our true enemies are not here! The real enemies… are not in Kaisima! They are out there!"

Moryo’s face twisted in anger, his darkened expression growing harsher. In a deep, scornful voice, he snapped:

"What nonsense are you spewing, you wretch?!"

But despite his tears and agony, Goki persisted:

"I’m tired of this world… We are the only ones paying for sins that aren’t ours!"

Moryo froze for a brief moment, taken aback by Goki’s words. His voice sharpened, direct and cutting:

"What are you trying to say?"

A heavy silence settled. The cold wind slipped through the ruins, and Goki lowered his head. In a voice barely audible, drenched in despair, he whispered:

"I don’t know… Just kill me. In the end… we, all of us… the people of Kaisima… will never achieve anything."

Moryo didn’t hesitate for even a second the tip of his finger glowed once more with a green spark, the eerie light reflecting off Goki’s pale face.

The spark shot forth like a deadly bullet, piercing Goki’s chest directly, leaving a gaping hole in his body. His body collapsed onto the ground, a pool of blood spreading beneath him as the last remnants of life faded from his eyes.

Moryo stood over the corpse, his expression still cold, emotionless.

Nothing but silence remained. The icy wind whispered through the ruins, carrying the weight of death that loomed over the scene.

Amid the stillness of the night, atop the ruins of the shattered house, Moryo stood firm as a rock, his gaze locked onto Goki’s lifeless body, which was gradually losing its color.

Suddenly, a voice broke the silence from behind—a hesitant, shaken voice filled with shock.

"What...?"

Moryo slowly turned. Just a few steps away stood Hyona, her eyes wide, brimming with disbelief and dread. She stared at the scene before her, her gaze shifting between the shattered wreckage, Goki’s corpse, and the blood that stained the ground. In a trembling whisper, she asked:

"The innocent...? Moryo, what have you done?!"

Moryo’s expression remained unreadable, his voice calm, devoid of regret.

"Weren’t you the one who said you would be part of this?"

Hyona shivered at his words, her gaze still fixed on the debris as she muttered:

"I never said… we would kill innocent people! Everyone here… is sacrificing their lives for Kaisima!"

Moryo stepped toward her, the echo of his heavy footsteps reverberating through the ruins. When he stood directly beside her, he leaned in slightly and spoke in a low voice—each word carrying a stark warning:

"Hyona… do not interfere. The moment you even think about meddling in this, you too will become a target of the World Sages."

Hyona froze in place, his words piercing deep like daggers. A heavy silence settled over them, with the full moon casting its cold light upon their faces.

Then, suddenly, the silence was shattered by the distant sound of someone weeping.

Moryo stiffened, turning toward the source of the sound, his brow slightly raising as he listened. Hyona’s eyes, on the other hand, widened in horror. Her voice trembled as she murmured:

"Isn’t that…? Isn’t that Nicola’s voice?!"

Moryo’s gaze remained cold as he asked indifferently:

"Nicola? Who is that?"

Hyona lowered her head slightly, tears welling in her eyes as she whispered:

"You’ll never understand, Moryo… You’ve become a monster. All that matters to you now is revenge, regardless of who stands in your way—innocent or guilty."

Moryo’s expression suddenly darkened. He leaned in closer, his eyes burning with fury as he spoke in a sharp, threatening tone:

"Oii! Girl! Who do you think you're talking to?!"

Hyona lifted her head to meet his gaze directly. Her eyes were filled with tears, yet she showed no hesitation. In a voice cracked with sorrow, she said:

"Oh, I know exactly who I’m talking to. I’m speaking to the heir, aren’t I? The heir who believes that power is the only law that governs this world!"

She turned away before he could respond. In a quiet voice, laced with bitterness, she said:

"I’m sorry, Moryo. I truly believed you were the one who could destroy the clan… but the right way."

Before Moryo could react, Hyona broke into a run, her tears flowing freely, racing alongside her hurried steps toward Nicola’s house.

Moryo remained still, staring blankly into the distance as Nicola’s cries echoed through the night.

—

Inside Nicola's House

Nicola sat among the rubble, crying bitterly as his tears poured down like rain. His trembling hands were covered in blood, and he stared at the body of his mother buried beneath the debris. His crying sounded like that of a child who had lost everything.

Hyona quietly entered the destroyed house, her steps slow as though she feared facing what she might see. She stopped suddenly when she saw the scene before her: Nicola kneeling in front of his mother's body, surrounded by the ruins of the house. Her eyes widened in horror, and tears froze in her gaze. She whispered with a choked voice:"

Nicola...?!"

Nicola slowly turned towards her, his face covered in tears and dust, and said in a broken voice:

"Mom? ... Mom... she's... she's dead!"

Hyona froze in place, her body no longer responding to any movement. Nicola's words echoed in her mind like a painful echo. She looked at the debris around her and whispered, barely audible:

"How did this happen... so quickly?!"

---

In the Streets of the Raipozi Clan

Moryo stood alone in the center of the city, silence filling the air. The full moon illuminated the sky, and the night's breeze wrapped around the place. Suddenly, the silence was broken by a loud voice:

"Oi! Moryo Raiso!"

Moryo calmly raised his head, gazing at the starry sky, then opened his arms as if welcoming the world around him. He slowly turned, his face sporting a faint smile, to meet Roimelos, Tolimos, and a group of Sorcerers behind them.

Tolimos spoke with a firm voice, his eyes fixed on Moryo:

"I've come to end you, Moryo Raiso. You are the last of your family!"

Moryo's smile remained unchanged, but he slowly lowered his arms, and green sparks began to dance on his palm. The ground beneath his feet began to glow, astonishing everyone. Roimelos looked at the scene with wide eyes, whispering to himself:

"It’s him... by the heavens, he’s the heir to the Time Technique!"

The sparks suddenly vanished, and Moryo lowered his hand. He began walking toward them with slow steps, his hands in his pockets. In a barely audible voice, he muttered to himself:

"Sadly... this world is what brought me to this state."

Tolimos responded firmly:

"Your entire family, from your mother Biola to your father Smart, and now you, all of you are traitors... you deserve nothing but death!"

Moryo paused for a moment, then shook his head mockingly, a cold smile on his face:

"Really? Are we? Maybe... but I don’t care if your words are true."

Silence filled the air for a moment before Moryo continued his walk, now face to face with Roimelos and Tolimos, only a few steps away. Roimelos spoke confidently:

"Why do you refuse to become a servant to the World Sages?! If you join us, you’ll live a peaceful life!"

Moryo looked at Roimelos, his smile unwavering, and then spoke quietly, but filled with bitterness:

"A peaceful life? What happened when we became servants to your rulers? My friends are all dead... and there’s only one left, and even now, I don’t know how he is."

Tolimos responded decisively:

"You will die because you chose to live outside the control of the Sages!"

Moryo stared directly into his eyes and said in a calm but firm voice:

"No... I won’t die because I rejected your rulers. I’ll die because I was free, because I chose revenge!"

They all stood still, their eyes on Moryo, and his eyes on the group of mages before him. The air around them grew tense, and everyone was prepared for the upcoming battle.

End of Chapter