While Miko and the others were inside the hellish Ruined World, Luka was receiving training from her great-Grandfather Joesph Flameheart.

“………”

Joesph stood over Luka who was on the ground sleeping. She was covered in dirt and had a lot of wounds over her body. He recalled when she came to him little over a month ago.

“You want me to increase the level of your training?”

He was relaxing in the garden of the Flameheart Residence when she came to him.

“Yes. I need to get stronger than I am now.”

He could see the determination in her eyes.

“Is this because of the recent events surrounding Miko?”

Luka nodded.

“When Miko was kidnapped, the idea of him suddenly dying made me feel like my heart was shattering in my chest. It’s only then I realized that I didn’t want to lose him.”

The look in Luka’s eyes then changed.

“However, I recently realized another thing. The greatest threat to Miko was himself.”

“Oh? Explain.”

“Miko lost control and turned into a Satan. In that form, Miko was like a completely different person. He didn’t have any memories of who we were and he only sought destruction. Most importantly, his own strength was destroying him. If Layla wasn’t revived, Miko would’ve either been killed by his family or by his own powers.”

Joesph nodded.

“What you said is true. So you want to get stronger to defeat Miko’s greatest enemy, Miko himself?”

Luka nodded.

“If he loses himself again, I want to be able to do something. If someone targets him again I don’t want to be worrying and feeling powerless. I want to be strong enough to be his shield.”

“Marvelous!”

Joesph suddenly sprung from his seat.

“Answer me, Luka. Do you love Miko?”

“With all my heart.”

Joesph nodded.

“Then that’s all you need to get stronger.”

“It is?”

Joesph grabbed her shoulders.

“It is, because you’re a Flameheart.”

Luka looked even more confused.

“Listen, Luka. The blessing that I and my brothers got from Aphrodite was the power to turn our affections into strength. While it came with the “curse” that made our descendants overly emotional, it was a great power to have. Did you know? A Flameheart is their strongest when they’re in love. It’s the opposite of what happens when our hearts are broken. When we’re in love, we will experience tremendous growth especially if you share a deep love. It’s basically harnessing the power of love!”

“Sounds corny.”

“Everything about love is corny.”

Joesph released her shoulders.

“Luka, I’ll teach you just how to grow with love. I’ll pass down all the Flameheart techniques and a few of my Masters’ techniques as well.”

********

“She’s growing at a very satisfying rate.”

Joesph said. He turned around and looked at the people who were laying on the ground in similar conditions as Luka. These were her apostles.

“They’re actually going through with this dangerous training; all for Luka.”

He smiled.

“I guess we aren’t the only ones who grow with love.”

*********

Ruined World. The hellish atmosphere didn’t change in the month Miko and his group has been here. There was still a world of destructive flames and hellish monsters.

*BAM!*

In a burning city, a building collapsed after someone was forced out of it. It was a humanoid monster that looked like it was made out of molten rocks. It tried to get up. But it was stomped on the chest and forced to the ground. It looked up at the monster that it was just fighting.

“You gave me a hard time, you little shit.”

Said Sasha. Her purple hair was wild and stuck to her sweaty skin. Her clothes had tears all over, and her body was covered in cuts. By the way, everyone came here with fireproof clothing. The damage to her clothes came from her battles.

“If this was the outside world I would’ve killed you without even moving and yet it took my all to crush you.”

The flames around them caused her eyes to illuminate as they looked at the monster.

“Die.”

She crushed the monster’s chest and caused it to shatter. She then looked around.

“Where am I now?”

She clicked her tongue.

“How long has been since we got separated?”

Let’s go back a bit. After everyone started doing their best to survive in the Ruined World, Kimiko proposed something to the group.

“You all should separate for a while. If you stay together you might lose the sense of danger needed for you to push past your limits. If you’re by yourself with no one to rely on, you’ll be forced to get stronger.”

Before everyone could object, Markus and Kimiko used some kind of spell to scatter them all over the Ruined World. Sasha has been by herself since then.

“Damn it.”

She started feeling dizzy.

“This place isn’t good for someone like me. All of my abilities have to do with water or darkness after all.”

Being the descendent of a water dragon and goddess of death and ice really played against her in this world. Of everyone here, Sasha was probably the most restricted.

“I gotta get going.”

She started walking again. Her body felt heavy as usual and she still hadn’t gotten used to the burning sensation in her chest whenever she breathe.

“Ugh…”

Her steps started to become unsteady.

*Thud!*

She collapsed onto the ground.

“Ugh!”

She tried to get up but she couldn’t put any strength in her limbs. The situation suddenly became dire. If she can’t move then she won’t be able to protect herself. Not mention she was getting burnt from laying on the ground. The only reason why her skin didn’t start melting was because she formed a thin ice layer over her body like she did whenever she wanted to sleep. She was still being burnt, but not on a dangerous level. But that was just for now.

“This is really really bad. I can only maintain the ice layer for about a few hours at full strength, but now…I don’t think I can last even 10 minutes.”

Sasha only had a few minutes to get back her strength or she’ll be cooked alive.

*Bam!*

A familiar sound reached her ears. It was the sound of molten monsters being born. Behind her, a giant molten wolf emerged from the cracked earth.

“Aoooo!”

The wolf howled and caused the surroundings to tremble.

“A molten wolf?! Shit, I can only take those on when I’m at full strength!”

Sasha’s situation only became even more dire. The wolf spotted her and immediately started approaching her. Sasha could hear its steps and could tell how close it was.

“Move! Move dammit!”

Sasha shouted as she desperately tried to get up. But it was no use, she couldn’t pour any strength into her limbs.

“Grrr…”

She could hear the wolf growling as it approached her.

“Like hell I’m gonna get mauled by a monster I could easily kill in the outside world!”

She shouted. A sizzling sound started coming from her skin that suddenly started burning.

“Ahh!”

She screamed out and forced herself off the ground. Her skin peeled off after being stuck to the hot ground. She turned around and faced the wolf.

“?!”

The wolf halted when Sasha locked eyes with it. The intense look in her eyes made the wolf feel like it was facing a dangerous opponent.

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“You think you can hunt me?!”

An ominous dark aura started leaking out of her body. It was as if the world was diming around her. In the wolf’s eyes, Sasha now seemed like a terrifying entity, one that it’s instincts were screaming to avoid.

“Well, bring it! I’ll show you and this place just who you’re messing with!”

The wolf looked at Sasha and suddenly turned around and ran. Sasha glared in its direction until it was gone. And then-

“Hah~.”

She sighed in relief.

“It was a good idea to redirect my power from maintaining the ice layer to strengthening my body. Thanks that I was able to scare it away.”

She could feel the heat assaulting her skin.

“I nearly died just like that.”

For the first time, Sasha didn’t care about the heat.

“I nearly died leaving all my love ones behind….”

She clenched her teeth and then started to grind it.

“How pathetic….How pathetic you are, Sasha!”

She clenched her fists and her body started trembling.

“You’re far better than this! Since when have you been this weak that even a mere wolf scares you!”

The dark sinister aura of death started leaking out of her body again.

“You can never protect your kids like this!”

*BAM!*

The already cracked ground started bursting open and lava geysers started appearing one after the other. From them lava monsters manifested and quickly surrounded her. Sasha looked at them with a burning gaze and took a fighting stance.

“Come.”

“Rah!”

The lava monsters charged at her simultaneously and attacked her from every direction. Despite knowing that she was supposed to be drain of power, Sasha didn’t feel powerless. Instead she felt like she was overflowing with power. Behind her an image began to form. It was the image of a woman with half of her body rotting. She was holding a scythe and was riding a rotting dragon.

Seeing the monsters charging at her stop, Sasha showed a terrifying smile. When she smiled the half dead woman and her rotting dragon started smiling as well. When they saw this, the monsters felt like their surroundings were becoming incredibly dim. The only thing they could see clearly were the three bone-chilling smiles. It was Sasha’s chilling voice that felt like a death sentence.

“My head feels so clear.”

Elsewhere in the Ruined World. There was a huge battle occurring on the side of a mountain or was it a volcano?.....It was just a huge mountain on fire with lava pouring out of it. Anyway, there was battle occurring on the landscape. The battle was between a group of flame giants vs a sole person.

“Ahh!”

This person roared as their crimson hair trailed behind them. They had caramel skin which was covered in wounds and strange crimson markings. He was shirtless and his face had tattoo-like tribal marks. This person was Leon Saevus. He was facing a tribe of flame monsters on his own in an intense fight.

*BAM!*

One of the flame giants swung down a giant burning club on top of him. The blow forced Leon into the side of the landscape. One hit made his entire body feel like it was broken. Even so, he got to his feet and charged at the monsters with a beastly roar. As he charged forward thoughts started running through his head.

“What the hell have I been doing for the last 17 years?!”

He recalled the day Miko was born. Just as the reports had stated, that day was a terrifying day. All who helped in Miko’s delivery lost their minds and committed suicide one after the other. This included a wet nurse that had helped with Leon’s own birth. Even so, Leon couldn’t hold a grudge against his son. The first time he laid his eyes on him, a single thought appeared in his head.

“I’ll protect this child from the world if I must.”

*BAM!*

Leon jumped over another strike from a club.

“Yet…”

He clenched his right fist.

“Yet, why haven’t I lived up to my word?!”

*BAM!*

He slammed his fist into the nose of one of the flame giants and sent it flying.

“?!”

While he was midair, a different flame giant swung it’s club at him. He wanted to clenched his fist again but his body was drained of power. He was on the verge of blacking out.

*BAM!*

He was hit by the club and was swatted away like a ball. He flew off the side of the landscape and crashed at the base.

“Ugh….”

Leon laid in a human-shaped crater with his body screaming out in pain. Despite the pain or because of it, memories continued to rush to his head.

He recalled the first time Miko’s life was ever targeted.

At that time, Miko was only a toddler that didn’t even grow his first tooth yet. Miko was targeted while he was pushed around in his stroller by a maid. That maid was actually the daughter of one of the wet nurses who helped with Miko’s birth. That nurse took Miko on a walk in the city and brought him to a group of people, who were afraid of what Miko would become in the future and wanted to kill him. She had planned to have them kill Miko since she couldn’t. The plan was leaked to Sasha by Aeon who had an eye on all the victims of Miko’s birth.

By the time Leon had learn about it everything was over.

“I wasn’t able to save him myself, but at least he’s safe.”

Those were his words back then. As long as Miko was safe, he was happy. But then Miko started being targeted more and more. Even though he was saved every time, there was never a time Leon saved Miko himself. He was always away or too late to get there. This started weighing on his conscience.

“Miko was targeted again today and yet once again I was of no use.”

He held his head.

“If the others weren’t there I would’ve only arrive to see my son’s corpse….”

Something in Leon started to crack. However, that was only the beginning of his worries.

“Leon, Miko was targeted again today.”

“I see…”

Leon didn’t know when he became like this, but hearing that his son almost died became someone commonplace to him. So as much as it made him feel disgusted, Leon had became numbed to it.

(I’m sure someone else saved him like usual.)

“Did you save him?”

“Yeah…”

“I see….”

Leon lowered his head with empty eyes.

(Again, I was unable to save my child….)

He thought as he stared at the ground.

“Hm?”

He noticed a wet spot on the ground.

*Patter!* *Patter!*

Two drops of water fell and created two more wet spots on the ground. This caused him to look up at Sasha.

“?!”

There he saw her with tears streaming down her cheeks.

“Sasha, what’s wrong?!”

He held her shoulders in panic.

“Waaahhh!”

Sasha suddenly started bawling which made Leon panic even more.

(What? What’s going on? Why is my wife crying? Who made my wife cry?!)

He became angry. That’s when Sasha started shouting.

“I can’t take it anymore! This is the third one this week, and seventh one this month! Miko came so close to dying today that my heart stopped when I was able to make it in time!”

Leon was caught off guard by her cry.

“Why, why do people hate my son so much?! He hasn’t done anything to hurt anyone, but they all keep trying to hurt him!”

Leon eyes slowly widened as he looked at his crying wife. The same wife that always seemed so strong was now crying like a baby in front of him. His heart started pounding in his chest, that had now felt tight. Even so, he tried his best to be strong.

“Calm down, Sasha. I’m frustrated too, but we have to keep our heads. If we don’t, how will Miko react?”

He spoke words he didn’t even believe.

“Don’t you get it, Leon?! That child is on the verge of collapsing!”

Sasha’s cry was like a hammer slamming on his heart. His son’s face appeared in his mind.

“After I saved him today, do you know what he said when I asked him if he was alright?”

His beloved son that he swore to protect, even if he had to go against the world, appeared in his head.

“I was only about to get stabbed in the chest, it’s no big deal. That’s not something a child is supposed to say with a smile!”

The image of his son shattered before his eyes.

(What have I done for my child? I’m upset that I wasn’t able to protect him? What a joke! I should’ve been happy that he was safe and guide him like a father should!)

“Miko is beginning to believe that it’s normal for everyone to hate him to the point of wanting to kill him! How can I stay calm after realizing that my son don’t value his life at all?!”

Leon clenched his fists so hard that cracks came from them. He gritted his teeth and his eyes became demonic. Yet, he tried his best to speak calmly.

“Even so, we must keep calm.”

But in his head he was shouting.

(I have failed my son!)

Sasha placed her hands on his shoulders.

“Leon, how can you convince me to keep calm when you yourself look like your planning on killing everyone in a fit of rage?”

(You’re wrong Sasha….I’m angry at those bastards aiming at my son, but the person I’m most furious with is myself, because I’m the true source of your pain!)

“I’m fed up of killing everyone that badmouths or harms Miko. It just seem like it won’t end. Sometimes I wonder if this is all my fault and if the gods are punishing me by trying to take my child away.”

(No, this my fault and mine alone, Sasha. I failed as a husband and a father.)

“Miko is a cute child that doesn’t even get mad when people try to harm him. How can someone hate him to the point of wanting to kill him? This must be my punishment.”

(This is my punishment for thinking of only myself.)

Leon resolved himself and swore.

“I’ll do my best to be a good father to my son.”

But that night Miko disappeared and the next time Leon saw his son, he was a completely different person. He had given up on life and showed no ambition. It was then Leon was certain.

“I’m a failure of a father.”

Leon spoke as he crawled out of the crater he was in. He looked up at the monsters on the mountain slope while blood flowed down his face. The monsters looked down on him with sneering expressions.

“You cocky fuckers!”

The marks on Leon’s body started glowing. He shot forward and started climbing the mountain with the fastest speed that he could manage. Flames started dancing around him. He leaped towards the pack of monsters while roaring at the top of his lung.

*BAM!*

He forced a giant into the ground with a punch. He was sandwiched between two punches from the flame giants. He fell onto the ground and then was assaulted by a barrage of punches and stomps. Leon started cursing the Ruined World for making him so weak. He started transiting between being conscious and unconscious. Old memories and resentment started coming to him.

He remembered when he heard the news that Miko had became Tiamat’s proxy. He was honestly proud that his son was chosen when so many wasn’t. But he also asked himself a question.

“Won’t this make people target Miko more than ever?”

He started worrying for his son safety.

When he and Sasha had returned they saw lots of people aiming for his son. When he saw that Nova was there, he was happy but instantly became enraged when he thought about those who wanted to harm Miko. It was like all of his anger he built up over the years were rushing forward. Because of this, he didn’t hesitate to turn those who insulted Miko into ash.

When Miko was arrested he had to watch his wife worry about their son while being worried himself. His worry soon turned into anger. He became angry with everyone for taking his son away from them and himself for not being able to do anything.

When Miko’s trial had began and Miko was brought before him in a terrible state, his anger started bursting forth and he was ready to slaughter everyone who was involved. If it wasn’t for Sasha summoning Kimiko, he would’ve lost himself back then. After that, Leon saw that his son had became a dependable person who could protect himself. He felt proud but lonely at the same time. He couldn’t say with confidence that he’s ever done anything great for his son who grew up so fast. As such, Miko was his greatest regret. Even so, Leon started to enjoy the peace where he could just hang out with his son.

And then, the Flamehearts made a move against him. Like always, Leon only heard about this after everything was over. Anger once again started brewing inside him.

“How could I let my guard down?!”

As if it wasn’t gone in the first place, Leon’s anger started to grow even when Miko was no longer in danger. He showed his anger when he slaughtered countless people and destroyed enemies with the rest of the clan. But his anger didn’t diminish in the least.

When Miko left for the academy he was angry he wasn’t chosen to look after him. This was the ultimate proof he couldn’t do anything for his son and everyone knew it. Even so, he tried his best to stay calm. But then, Tang and Dragon Storm made their move.

The city that his son put so much effort to build was destroyed and Miko was kidnapped and was constantly on the verge of death.

“Sasha! Sasha!”

Yet, he couldn’t allow himself to explode because his wife needed him. Seeing his wife wither before his eyes and his children crying in secret made him feel powerless. Powerlessness turned into anger. Deep anger that went straight to his bones.

When Miko was found, he was happy. But he then learnt that he was once again too late to save his son, who had lost himself in anger and was on the verge of destroying himself. He saw the countless people who came just to kill or capture his son and use him as a bargaining chip.

Anger. Anger.

In the end, it was not him who saved Miko despite being right there. This made Leon asked himself a question.

“Can I even call myself Miko’s father despite being so useless? Despite never being able to save him from his troubles like a father should? Despite never being able to protect him and be his shield?”

Anger. Anger. Anger. Anger. Anger. Anger.

*BAM!* *BAM!* *BAM!*

The flame giants continued to mercilessly attack Leon with punches, stomps and even clubs. While on the receiving end of such an assault, Leon started feeling something brewing inside him. It was a feeling that he was all too familiar with.

ANGER.

*BAM!*

All clubs, fists, and feet attacking Leon were blown to bits. The flame giants looked down in shock. There they saw a bloody Leon standing with his head down.

“I give up. It seems I’m just not made to be a shield.”

He looked up. His eyes were completely crimson, even his cornea. It was like the flames of hell were trapped inside his eye sockets. His crimson hair started moving like it was a raging flame and a fiery aura surrounded his body to the point it seemed like he was a made of flames.

“If I can’t be his shield then it’s simple.”

He disappeared.

*BAM!*

A crimson light burst through several giants’ chests in an instant. They crumbled away one by one. The remaining ones looked up in the sky. Leon was floating in the air while on fire. He was like an enraged flame god that had descended onto the mortal realm.

“For the first time, I’m glad that we came to this world.”

The clouds started moving in a circular motion in the sky. They opened up and revealed the scorching crimson sun behind Leon. He looked down on the world with his blazing eyes.

“I can blow some steam without care.”

*BOOOM!*

The mountainous range erupted and lava and flames rained onto to the world as if celebrating the crowning of a new king of destruction.

“All those who threaten my son shall feel my wrath and resentment as they are baptized in the Hellfire.”