Difference between revisions of "Shun Zhang: The Red Beast"

First Stance

In school, I was once asked to fill out a career questionnaire. Many didn't think much of it, but I had taken a lot of time to think: what kind of person would I be?

But for a ten-year-old, Zhang Shun, a boy who was as naive and mentally deranged as the family he had been forced to grow up with, the outcome of all that thinking was as silly as one would expect.

"An adventurer."

The teacher gave me a raised eyebrow, and the sarcasm in the way she had read my questionnaire was met with an uproar of laughter.

"An adventurer? Like an RPG? The Chinese boy can't understand Japanese?"

"How stupid!"

And I remember being confronted by that same teacher and held true to my response to this day.

The power to run away and go on lots of adventurers.

To be able to obtain such power in the near future was always a dream I wanted.

My father was a psychopath. He enjoyed abusing the rest of us whenever something good happened. It was almost like he was allergic to good things. The day me, and my brother, Zhang Wen, had our birthday, my mother had bought a duck to celebrate. My father proceeded to flip the table and yell at us for no good reason.

My mother wasn't any better. She believed every hobby I had was "dangerous". A "Christian" woman, who took her faith to the realm of schizophrenia. She caught me playing video games and ordered I throw them into the trash because she believed it was "controlling me".

Needless to say, the idea of escaping such a family was almost like a dream.

I would do anything to escape this family.

But I wasn't exactly someone particularly intelligent, like Wen. Wen was a prodigal, he escaped easily. But I was stupid.

And so I would resort to anything.

Anything to escape my life with these people.

CRUNCH. CRUNCH. CRUNCH. CRUNCH. CRUNCH.

"Shun Zhang of the Red Circle Triad!" Several voices echoed in the distance.

"We know you're there!"

"Come out! And pay for what you did to Master Leung!"

I slowly emerged from the darkness, the cloth that contained Leung's head slung to my side like a prized trophy.

Several Masters gasped upon seeing the severed head.

Many more reacted with outrage.

"How could you... how could you!" A Master shouted at me, a polearm brandished in his hands.

"Master Leung was a good man! A loving father! A caring teacher! Yet you ruthlessly killed him! And you dare to have his head as a troph-"

I stomped on the ground with tremendous force, unleashing a shockwave that repelled everybody back.

Dozens, if not hundreds of martial artists had surrounded me. All wielding swords and weapons of every kind.

Even gang members from rival Triads had come to try to take me down.

I slowly ran my hand through my hair. The blood-soaked bandages left behind a streak of red against the black.

"Master Leung was a target. The greatest martial arts practitioner in all of Hebei Province. Now that you see the might of Boss Lok's son, I am disappointed that you still have the audacity to try to threaten me."

My Mandarin was still a little off, despite my parents being of Chinese descent. But I definitely got the point across.

Because the masters became even more enraged.

"Get him! Kill Shun Zhang of the Red Circle! For Leung!"

"FOR LEUNG!"

I brought my foot back, assuming my stance.

A demonic voice rumbled in my mind.

Shun-dono. There is no alternate route. We must kill every master here. And with how renowned and loved Leung-sensei is, the entirety of the martial arts community has come after us.

"I know, Hataka-sensei. And not just the masters. But rival Triads have come for my head. They think that I will be weaker now that I am supposedly backed into a corner."

Then let us bring about mischief. Show them just how deluded they are. For a Japanese oni foreigner like me to be able to tear them apart with their own martial arts.

A crazed smile appeared on my face.

"For Boss Lok! Of the Red Circle Triad!" I snarled, rushing forward. The attackers retaliated with a battle cry, as the sounds of battle filled the air of the village.

For Boss Lok, I would do anything.

I was Boss Lok's son. There was nothing to leave behind. My father was a shitface, and my mother was a delusional freak. I would throw these parents of mine in the trash at any convenience.

I had no hesitation in calling Boss Lok of The Red Circle my father and my master.

And on that day, I had fought off hundreds of martial arts practitioners and killed many. Blood soaked through my clothes, and the more red that I saw, the more excited I had become.

The greater my lust for death filled my veins.

My victory over the greatest sifu in Hebei earned me a moniker because, by the time I was finished with my battle, I had killed 90% of the martial arts community all at once. The blood that covered my body, and my expression of pure malice earned me the name The Red Beast.

The most ferocious martial artist to ever have lived.

At least...

That was how it was.

Until the day I had lost my oni.

"Shun! Are you awake? We're going to be late for our deliveries!" A young boy said.

I buried my face in my pillow.

Mendokusai.

Pain in the ass, in Japanese.

"Oh for crying out loud," A woman's voice said, as the door ripped open, revealing a short, four foot girl who was holding the door by its hinges.

"Shun Zhang! Wake up already, you idiot child!"

I got up from my bed and yawned.

"Good morning, Lady Melinoe."

Melinoe's face turned red in rage.

"Don't good morning me, you troublemaker! Flock is going to be late because you slept in!"

"Who cares about being late or not? It's just a delivery."

"Just a delivery?! My reputation is already bad enough as it is! I don't need to be known as the Goddess of Tardiness as well!"

A boy peeked from the broken door frame.

"Lady Melinoe! No matter how bad your reputation is, I will always love you!"

Melinoe's anger suddenly disappeared, transforming into feelings of fluster as she turned to Flock and threw her arms around him.

"Flock! How adorable you are!"

I slowly got out of my bed and glanced at the bandages that were neatly folded on my nightstand.

There was not a single speck of blood on them.

Almost like a complete contrast to how they used to look many years ago when I was a member of the Triads.

"Five minutes, Melinoe. I will be ready by then."

Flock and I made rounds as we made delivery after delivery throughout the city of Folia. A city of adventurers, as many would call it, as it is the only city to possess a Labyrinth. As such, many adventurers of different lands and races have come to Folia to try their hand at exploring the Labyrinth. The gods and goddesses have blessed the people of Folia with power, depending on how well their body receives it, to try and conquer the Dungeon. Groups of adventures would aggregate into factions, following a specific god or goddess.

The top Legions were the Poseidon Legion and the Venus Legion, with an average of twenty or thirty members each.

As for Flock and me, we belonged to the lowest of the low.

Melinoe, the Goddess of Ghosts.

"Melinoe is so kind, I just wish more people could realize her and see her more than a Goddess of Ghosts," Flock frowned.

"Perhaps she wouldn't be so terrifying if she didn't resort to ripping open my door every morning."

Our first stop was actually to another Legion, the Apollo Legion. We arrived at the gates, and I couldn't help but let envy take over.

"What a big gate. We don't even have one," I grumbled.

The gate opened, revealing a maid.

"Flock! Always a pleasure seeing you in the morning!"

Flock handed her the package.

"Delivery! How are you, Bethel?"

"I'm doing great! That's very thoughtful of you to ask. You know, my offer still stands. We would be more than happy to let you join our Legion. Even Apollo himself is encouraging it! Melinoe... doesn't really have a good rep around here, being such a scary goddess and all..."

Flock smiled.

"I appreciate the offer, but I will always choose Lady Melinoe."

The maid made a disappointed expression.

"I understand. I just think your talent is being wasted delivering packages is all..."

I grunted.

"Hey, my talent is being wasted too."

"You belong where you are, troublemaker!"

"HUH? You think you can get away with saying stuff like that?!" I growled, marching forward, but Flock grabbed me and held me back.

"No! Shun! Control your anger! We can't afford any more property damage after you destroyed the Tavern last week!" Flock cried out.

The maid frowned.

"What did Shun do?"

"She made a mistake guessing Shun's age is all," Flock reasoned, but annoyance filled my body and manifested in the form of a fast reply.

"She did not just mistaken me! She called me a kid! I'm fifteen years old! I am eligible to order drinks without the need for an adult! I'll do more than trash her place next time, in my homeland, the people I lived with had a custom where those who disrespect us get their fingers cut off!!!"

Bethel took the package as more members of the Apollo Legion peeked out of the windows.

"Ugh... Melinoe's Legion..."

"Do you think that creepy goddess will ever get more than two members?"

"I understand the Chinese pickpocket, but Flock? The guy deserves someone better."

Flock and I made our way back to the village, but I noticed Flock had a troubled expression.

"Are you really letting what Bethel said get to you? Melinoe is Melinoe, no point letting others speak ill of her."

"I know... but I'm just upset that people aren't even giving her a chance. Lady Melinoe is sweet and caring. One of her dreams is to have a Legion just as big as Poseidon!"

Dream on...

The only reason Melinoe even had members was because Flock himself was a human angel, kind, compassionate, and would give anyone a chance.

As for why I ended up in the Legion, it was because I had no fear of ghosts.

Considering for several years I let myself be possessed by the demonic ghost of a martial arts grandmaster and caused mass chaos in China.

"She's the goddess of ghosts, that already is creepy enough. Not to mention the fact that our Legion home is literally a run-down shack. You've gotta be crazy to even consider approaching us," I grumbled.

"Hey. You two look like you could use a woman," A female voice said coyly above me.

"Huh?" I muttered.

I slowly looked up to see a girl in front of us. Knee socks... and a pair of high heels made her look a lot taller than she probably was. A cardigan that had sleeves covering her hands, and complimented by long blonde hair which was so obviously dyed, considering there were streaks of brown at the roots. The jingle of earrings and jewelry rang in my ears.

I encountered many women like this when I used to work for Boss Lok of The Red Circle Triad.

They were often considered "rewards" for us Triad Members for completing kill contracts.

But due to my age at the time, a fourteen-year-old wouldn't be given a reward like that. I was instead compensated with copious amounts of "dragon powder", which made my vision blurry whenever I inhaled it.

I made eye contact with the girl.

"Do you take us for fools? We are not like the men you've played with, we will never give you the time of da-"

"Hi! I'm Flock, and this is Shun! We're members of the Melinoe Legion!" Flock said happily.

Don't go acting all cutesy at a time like this!

I shot to my feet.

"Flock! Don't talk to her. She is bad news."

Flock blinked.

"But-"

"Let's get out of here."

The girl suddenly interrupted us, laughing and putting a hand to the back of her head.

"I was just kidding. You two are just kids after all. I don't play with minors."

"Who are you calling a minor?!" I growled, but the girl didn't look at all fazed and responded by wagging her finger at my forehead.

"I'm bad news? Look who's talking. Rumour has it that you used to work for a Chinese Mafia. Compared to that, being a flirt means nothing."

This bitch sure had a death wish coming!

Flock stepped in between us.

"Now now... get along you two! I recognize you... it's Tilly, right? We were supposed to give you a delivery today."

Tilly twirled her hair on her finger.

"Yeah... I figured it would be easier to come get it myself."

"Why is that?" Flock asked.

I narrowed my eyes.

This gyaru had an unusual expression. Almost like uneasiness. But before I could continue analyzing her expression, Tilly suddenly reverted back to her flirtatious demeanor, wrapping an arm around Flock, who squeaked in surprise.

"You don't need to know, kiddo. Why don't you have some fun with me this afternoon? The guy I'm seeing doesn't need to know."

I grabbed the package, shoved it in her arms, and yanked Flock away.

"Your package. Now leave us alone, you whore," I growled.

Tilly tilted her head, a shadow cast on her face. She looked like she was going to say something, but stopped herself, turning around and walking in the other direction.

Good riddance.

"Tilly!" Flock suddenly called out, stopping the girl in her tracks.

"What is it?" Tilly asked.

Flock fiddled with his thumbs.

"I know it isn't any of my business... but that knife in the package... you're planning on using it to kill monsters in the Labyrinth, right?"

Tilly's expression turned dark, gazing at us from the distance. In contrast with the many people who were walking in the town, she definitely stood out. Likely intentional, to attract the attention of men.

"You are correct, little Flocky. It isn't any of your business."

My hand made a fist.

I served Boss Lok in the Red Circle for many years.

I could tell when someone had an intention to kill.

And Tilly had that expression.

"I- I don't know what it's like to take a life. Monster or human. I've never been in the Labyrinth before, but if something is bothering you... that you would consider killing a human, please. Please, you can talk to us!" Flock called out, freezing Tilly on the spot.

The girl gripped the package, her knuckles turning white.

"If only... more men were like you, Flock..." I heard Tilly mutter, before turning around and leaving us with our last package delivered.

"Lady Melinoe, what is a whore?" Flock asked while Flock, Melinoe, and I were having dinner.

Melinoe's fork froze midair for a few moments before the goddess slowly got up and gave me the signature "Goddess of Ghosts" glare.

"Flocky... where did you hear that word?" Melinoe smiled evilly.

"Umm... Shun called the girl we did our last delivery for one."

"You don't need to know what that word means. And Shun? Take off your hand bandages for me."

I squirmed away.

"Ummm... why?"

Melinoe giggled.

"Just trust in your goddess. You are my child, are you not?"

"I didn't sign up for YEOOOWWWW!" I screamed as Melinoe pressed an ice cube against my sensitive skin.

"Stop teaching Flock weird words!"

"There's nothing weird about knowing about whores!" I complained, desperately putting the hand bandages back on my hands.

"At some point, he's gonna know. If we are to expand our empire we need to consider a larger range. That includes the Night District!" I protested.

"First off, don't call my faith an empire! I am not an evil goddess! And second of all, how in the world does a fifteen-year-old have such a dirty mind?! You are the complete opposite of Flock here!" Melinoe exclaimed.

Flock poked at his food.

"Lady Melinoe... have you ever killed a human before?"

The atmosphere suddenly turned dark.

Melinoe let go of me and turned to Flock, concern laced her eyebrows.

"Flock, why are you asking this?"

"Dunno, I just feel like asking."

"Does this have something to do with your deliveries?"

Flock glanced at me, then at the knife on the table.

"The girl we met, had a knife delivered to her and wanted to pick it up herself. When I asked her what she going to use that knife for, she said it wasn't any of our business. But she looked like she wanted to kill someone."

The goddess sighed, putting the dishes into the sink, which was practically falling apart. The space was so cramped that only Melinoe could fit inside and wash the plates.

"I have been a goddess for many eons. Not once have I had to kill a mortal. It goes against what we stand for. But I have seen many mortals kill other mortals."

"But why?"

"Perhaps it is for satisfaction. But most of the time, it is always because they believe it is the only solution. A mortal human killing another human is not the same as killing a monster in a Dungeon. The decision to kill a human is a big one because once the blood has been spilled one becomes a murderer. And the killing will not stop."

I gritted my teeth.

I knew that feeling all too well.

After all, the first person I had killed wasn't even something I wanted to do. It was because if I didn't kill her, Hiiro and I would have died.

But after killing my first, my body had become used to it, and killing the next had less of an impact. And before I knew it, I was killing nonstop for Boss Lok.

Even if you leave the killing behind, the guilt always stays.

Nothing can erase the fact that you took a life.

"Flock, I understand you are concerned for this Tilly girl, but you don't know her full story. I don't want you getting involved with her shady business. Tilly is one of Astarte's Legion members. And even amongst her followers, she is one of the bottom caste, notorious for starting sexual relationships with married men and getting into affairs. This kind of business is not suitable for a fifteen-year-old boy. Tilly is dangerous."

"But-"

"Flock."

Melinoe turned around and put her hands on Flock's face.

"Promise me you don't get involved with Tilly. You're... you're one of the only children I have. I don't want to lose you. I'm worried."

Flock blinked.

"Lady Melinoe..."

Hey, wait a second.

I was a child of Melinoe's Legion too.

Flock took a deep breath.

"I won't turn my back on someone who needs help, Lady Melinoe. I promise you I will always stay true to myself. Because I still have a dream to make you the greatest god in all of Folia."

Melinoe hesitated, a blush formed on her face as no words left her mouth.

After dinner, Flock and I lay in our bunk bed, looking out the window to see the city of adventurers and the night.

"Shun, were there any stars in China?"

"No. Too much pollution. Lots of blood though."

Flock shifted in his covers.

"I wonder what Tilly is up to at this time."

"Probably getting railed by a middle-aged man."

"What does that mean?"

My mind flashed back to Lady Melinoe pressing ice cubes against the palms of my hands.

"Ah... forget I said anything," I grumbled.

More moments of silence passed. And I would be lying if Tilly wasn't on my mind.

I normally had very negative views of people like Tilly, people who would enjoy the temporary rush of pleasure, playing with men to obtain sex.

It disgusted me, but was I any different? When I served Boss Lok, I was thirteen at the time, and I felt pleasure of my own. By killing and taking lives as a Triad member.

I found it fun to ruin people's lives, because if I couldn't make something out of myself, like Wen did, then I might as well ruin it for others.

Wen and I were brought up the same way. We went to the same school in Nara, Japan, where we were born. We both went to the same Shaolin Temple to study kung fu.

Yet Wen had become a prodigy, top of his class, and became the youngest Warrior Monk ever in the history of the temple. Then became the youngest master to open a dojo. Then became a member of the Venus Legion, as the first Martial Artist adventurer in all of Folia.

Compared to Wen, I was a failure.

Failed out of school, failed out of the temple, and had to resort to using an evil spirit to become strong, only to have the evil spirit killed.

And here I was, lying in a bunk bed with goodie two shoes Flock of the Melinoe Legion, the worst-rated Legion in all of Folia, and a joke of a goddess who everybody found creepy.

The idea of finding any sort of pleasure was akin to taking dragon powder, in a way. Temporary happiness was better than no happiness.

"I want to save Tilly," Flock said, breaking the silence.

"What? Did you not hear a thing Lady Melinoe said? Tilly is dangerous."

"Tilly... Tilly is going to take someone's life because she thinks it's the only solution. I don't know what it is like to fall in love. But I don't want something as precious as love to be ruined for her. Tilly was crying today. I saw it. She doesn't want to kill, and she is not a killer. She looks like someone who needs help."

I sighed, resting my head against the rags of what was supposed to be a pillow.

"Lady Melinoe... your empire is gonna have to wait. Your two troublemakers of children are going to be away for a while," I muttered.

I got up and approached the door.

"You were always like this, Flock."

Flock blinked.

"Like what?"

My mind flashed back to the day I had barely escaped China with my life, blood pouring from my wounds.

I was about to die, I remembered the pain. The machete wounds.

Yet, somehow, I was able to swim to Folia, where I collapsed. Everybody avoided me like the plague.

But you didn't.

Flock.

You look like you needed help. My name's Flock and this is Melinoe! Come join our Legion!

If even a former Triad member could share a bed with this wholesome bag of fun, and eat warm meals prepared by a goddess...

What right did I have to refuse someone like Tilly?

I smiled evilly.

"Flock, hope your tracking skills aren't rusty. Let's track 'em down. We're gonna find Tilly."

Flock gave me a confused look.

"But I don't have anything to track with-"

I handed Flock a stick of lip balm.

Flock's eyes widened.

"What in the- where did you get that? Isn't this Tilly's?!"

"Yes. I stole it."

"But why?!"

I gave Flock a peace sign.

"Pickpocketing is rudimentary for Triad members. I was going to sell it for cheap cash, but looks like it has a much better use. Let's get to tracking. And save this gyaru."

"Remember, Shun. This is all speculation. No more stealing or anything like that, got it?" Flock scolded me.

I pouted.

"A man's gotta do what a man's gotta do to expand his goddess's empire."

"That again?" Flock laughed nervously before the two of us hid inside the bush.

We found Tilly outside under one of the bridges of the city. There wasn't anyone around, being the middle of the night and all.

And just as I had predicted, the man she was sucking face with was definitely middle-aged.

"That apron... is he a blacksmith?" Flock whispered.

"No. That man is no blacksmith," I muttered, focusing on the blood stains all over it.

Fish blood.

He was part of a fish market, which was a perfect coverup for killings.

Tilly you dumb broad. You got yourself mixed up with Folian Mafia?

I tried scanning Tilly's body to try and find the knife, but I couldn't make it out from this distance.

"Flock, do you know any vision magic?" I asked.

"No, why?"

"We need to get closer."

"Closer?"

"Yes. I need to be able to see Tilly's body better."

Flock squirmed away from me.

"Shun! That is so indecent!"

"What? No! I didn't mean it like that! I just need to know where she's keeping her-"

"I agree with Flock. Checking me out sure is indecent, you horny little boy."

"Ah."

I slowly turned around to see Tilly standing behind us, her hands on her hips. Did her skirt somehow get even shorter than the last time we met?

"Uh, greetings... Tilly-san," I muttered, my semi-broken English transitioning to Japanese in nervousness.

"Hi, Tilly!" Flock said happily.

But Tilly's face of disdain shut the both of us up.

"Do you mind explaining why you stole my lip balm, Shun?"

"I don't know what you are talking about."

"Don't act stupid with me! After I chatted with you two, I patted my pockets, and my lip balm was gone! I should have expected that from you two. Men always only want one thing, no matter the age!"

Flock got to his feet, returning her lip balm.

"Tilly, we're worried about you. That knife you bought, are you planning on doing something to that man wearing the apron? Who is that man in the first place?"

Tilly regarded us, taking the lip balm and slipping it into her... cleavage...

"And I told you two that it is none of your business."

"But Tilly, we're just trying to help-"

"I do not need to hear this from you. Shun's theft of my belongings is enough evidence for me. I don't need to receive help from pre-pubescent boys of all people to deal with my situation. Go home, it's late. And Zachery will get suspicious if I'm gone for too long."

I raised an eyebrow.

"Zachery? Is he that Mafia guy?"

Tilly sighed.

"No, you moron. Zachery runs a fish market along with the rest of Triton's Legion. There's none of this Mafia silliness that you probably are used to."

I glanced at Zachery, who popped a cigarette as more people of the Legion joined him.

"Sounds like bad news," I grumbled.

"Tilly, you don't need to get mixed up with Zachery if he's making you feel these things," Flock reasoned, but Tilly swatted her hand.

"You will never understand what my situation is like, kid. Go home."

"Not until you tell me what's going on!"

"I said go home, you stupid- stupid..." Tilly's voice broke, the lip balm dropping to the floor.

Even I was taken aback, as Tilly's body became wracked with sobs.

"You don't understand. You can't possibly understand. You two are just children. You don't understand what it's like to be treated as an object not just by all the men you once trusted... but your own goddess..."

I clenched my teeth, remembering what Lady Melinoe had said.

"You're part of Astarte's Legion, right?" I asked.

Tilly glared at me, trying to keep her makeup from falling off along with her tears.

"Yes. I am the lowest of the low. Astarte is the Goddess of Fertility and Sexual Love. But for people like me, we are considered outcasts. But we still need to abide by our Legion's practices, or we will become Unnamed. I have no choice but to have lovers. They only want my body. They can act kind all they want, but in the end, they all want the same thing. This isn't something that you two can solve. This knife is the only thing that can let me have control. It's all I have."

Flock pursed his lips, glancing at me, before turning back to Tilly.

"Tilly... could it be that you want a friend?"

The girl's eyes widened in between sobs, as she stopped.

"D- Don't be silly. I'm twenty years old now. I'm past silly high school friends and the like. I don't need-"

Flock suddenly stepped forward and took her hand, causing Tilly's face to flush red.

"I can be your friend! Your first friend if you need it. I don't know what you've been through, or how bad these men in Triton's Legion are like. But if you're hurting, you turn to the people who are closest to you. Lady Melinoe taught me that. So let me be that person."

Tilly let go of Flock's hand and slowly patted him on the head.

"Silly kid. I'll... I'll think about it. Thank you, Flock."

The girl turned around to make her way to Zachery, who was still smoking cigarettes and laughing up a storm.

From a distance, I could hear their conversation.

"That Tilly girl... how long are you going to keep playing around with her, boss?"

"Eh, she's still got a few month's worth."

"Think we're being a little mean to the young lady? I mean..."

"Who cares? She's just a distraction from my wife. Once I'm done with her, she can go find another man. That's the point of her Legion, isn't it? Besides, it was her fault in the first place to let a bunch of strangers do her like that, only a lunatic would want a slut like that to be a partner."

The boys roared with laughter, and I could make out Tilly's hands trembling as she made her way back to her lover.

"A failure!"

"An unwanted failure of Astarte! Who would ever feel bad for that?"

And as the insults continued, I suddenly found myself trembling alongside her.

Failure.

Unwanted.

To be treated like a joke.

You are such a failure, Shun. Why couldn't you be more like Wen? No wonder your father always puts your hands into boiling water! If it wasn't for the fact that you are Wen's twin, I would have gotten an abortion! My mother's words spoke in my mind.

Leave me, Shun. You're making me look bad. I am part of the Venus Legion now. You can be Unnamed for all I care, but never step foot in the same room as me ever again, Wen had said.

You are an unwanted failure of a brother.

"I'm going to see if I can invite Tilly out tomorrow, maybe we can talk-"

"No." I cut Flock off, rage filled my eyes.

Red covered my vision.

"I will visit them. Tonight. We played it your way, Flock. Reason won't get Tilly out of this. We will do this my way.

"And show them how the Triads do things."

Second Stance

Foreigners love to act like they know about Chinese culture.

Just because they saw a few movies.

Watched a few documentaries.

They would think they were complete experts on our culture and knew more than the people who lived it themselves.

Such was a common misconception...

Is their belief that Shaolin Kung Fu wasn't meant for violence.

Shockwave Style

Wind Dragon Fist

SKYCUTTER STRIKE

I raised my leg and delivered a powerful side kick which blew open the door to Zach's hideout.

Since ancient times, Shaolin was used by warriors to defend China from invaders.

Shaolin practitioners used it for war. And that same philosophy was what made Boss Lok's Red Circle Triad so terrifying.

We were all practitioners of kung fu, but we brought out the most of its purpose.

Not for health.

Not for grace.

The kung fu taught to me by The Red Circle was always, meant to kill.

"What the?!" A man yelped.

"We're being attacked?"

Flock drew his sword, but hesitated, aiming it at the members of Triton's Legion.

"We're not here for a fight, just tell us where Tilly is!"

"If you're not here for a fight why did you break open the door?!"

The smoke from the destruction still concealed our faces, but pretty soon, we would be identified. We couldn't let Lady Melinoe into more controversy.

"Flock, I'll distract these guys. You focus on finding Tilly and stopping her from killing Zachery!"

"Okay... but promise me you won't kill anyone. Okay?"

I slowly reached behind my back and pulled out a bandanna, wrapping it around my mouth as the smoke cleared.

"I promise. Yubikiri should it be broken. Tilly will never listen to me, but she might listen to you."

Flock glanced at the numerous figures that were starting to pile into the room.

"There's... a LOT of people here! The average level of the Triton Legion is Level 5! We haven't even gone through our Awakening yet, we're basically Level Zero, maybe we should-"

"Zip it!" I snarled, turning to Flock.

"Trust in me, like how I trust you to stop Tilly."

Flock reluctantly ran past the dust, as I was greeted with dozens of members of the Triton Legion.

They were wielding swords, spears, daggers, clubs, bows, you named it.

One of the guys summoned a magic circle above his eyes. A few seconds passed before he started laughing hysterically.

"Hey check this out. Appraisal is saying this kid hasn't even Awakened yet! He's Level Zero!"

"Level Zero? Are you serious?"

"He got a death wish or something?"

"And he's trying to steal Boss Zach's woman?"

One of the men approached me.

"You so don't want to do this, kiddo. I get it, you wanna play the hero for ol' Tilly. But she prefers older men. And besides. You'll find plenty of sluts like her roaming in the Night District. Have some advice, kid. Don't try picking a fight with Level 5's when you're so underlevel-"

SLICE.

The man froze, as he stared at his sword which was severed in half.

I reached forward and grabbed the man by the throat. The man began retching, making eye contact with me.

"Those eyes... those eyes, you're not human! What are you...?!"

SLAM.

I smashed the man's skull into the ground, then slammed my elbow against the back of his neck.

"GAH!!!!" The man screamed, his body suddenly going slack.

"My body... my legs... I can't feel my legs! My arms!"

One of the men fired his bow at me, but I caught the arrow, facing him menacingly.

"What the fu-"

I rushed forward and grabbed the man's bow, snapping it in my bare hands as the man tried to swing at me with his knife, but I met his strike, and my fist reeled back.

I felt my knuckles contact his joint and forced my punch to go through, snapping and breaking his arm as the man howled in pain.

"Stop him! This guy isn't an ordinary unawakened!"

"How is he so strong for being a Level Zero?!"

I spun around and assumed my Wind Dragon Stance, the same stance Boss Lok had taught me.

"You called Zachery 'boss'. I take it this fish market is more than just a fish market. What contraband are you selling?" I asked.

Four more fighters rushed forward, but just as quickly as they stepped forward, I unleashed a blinding shockwave with a kick, slicing through their weapons and shot in, breaking every limb in sight like a wild, feral animal.

Memories from my time with the Red Circle flooded my mind.

The blood.

The chaos.

The carnage.

And as more blood coated my clothes and bandanna, what was originally something I had suspected was made crystal clear.

The Red Beast never once left.

The Red Beast...

I laughed maniacally, beckoning more adventurers forward. One of the adventurers, a mage, cast a fireball straight at me, but I stomped on the ground, unleashing a torrent of wind pressure which dissipated the flame and slammed into the mage point blank.

... The Red Beast was always there. Inside me. Waiting to break free.

I spun in the air and landed on a nearby table, grinning crazily at one of the Triton members.

"He's a martial artist... like Wen Zhang of the Venus Legion!"

I swung my fist, but suddenly, the punch stopped mid-air by a sword which halted its momentum.

I turned around and kicked viciously at the person, but the man parried my blow and retaliated, slicing through my side as my eyes went wide. I stumbled back, assessing the man.

"This boy is nothing like Steel Palm of the Venus Legion. His style is too aggressive. Too vulgar."

The man brandished his sword and shield before me.

"Even if you are a martial artist, you are still an Unawakened. You haven't even achieved Level 1 yet. Why don't you try your hand against someone like me, Blood Beast? The name is Rodin Sark. A Crusader. Level 8."

Rodin braced himself, as the other members of Triton's Legion made way for him.

"Rodin is fighting?"

"Rodin! This boy isn't worth your time!"

Rodin glared at the men, who quietened quickly.

"Don't you dare tell me who I should fight. As it stands, none of you stand a chance against this boy. If I let this continue, more of Triton's children are going to bring shame to our god's name. I'm ending this once and for all. We will discard the body as necessary."

"No. Come with me with all you got. All of you," I said, pointing at the Legion.

"Excuse me?" Sark snapped.

"I don't want a one-on-one. It is insulting."

"Do you even understand your predicament right now? I am a Level 8. I am one of Triton's aces. Being able to fight a one-on-one is enough of a death sentence-"

ZOOM.

I flew forward, launching a punch at Sark, who stopped it with his shield.

"See what I mean? Your strikes are meaningless."

Rodin slammed his hilt against the side of my face but stopped in surprise as I pushed it forward, blood leaking down the side of my head.

"That all... an Ace got?!" I snarled as I threw another punch which smashed into the Crusader's helmet. The punch deflected as Rodin retaliated with a shield bash that sent me flying back into several tables.

Rodin breathed heavily, running his hand against his cracked helmet.

"His punch... shatters Divine Steel?!"

"No, Rodin. Look, his hand!"

"Shimatta... that hurts like a bitch!" I muttered, inspecting my mangled left hand. The skin was scraped clean off revealing blood and white bone of my knuckles.

I got to my feet as Legion members surrounded me, but Rodin called them off.

"Back off. It is a one-on-one. Look at you, Beast. You're no match for me. There's only so much a vigilante who isn't blessed by the gods can do. You're only doing this for some bitch who's had a body count in the hundreds. Are you willing to risk your life for something that meaningless?"

I rushed forward again, delivering another combination against Rodin's armor, but my strikes were being deflected. There was always a limit to kung fu.

The masters I had beaten never danced around wearing chainmail every day.

The rival Triads and kill contracts I completed never hid behind tanks.

So it was always common knowledge that martial artists were never very common in cities where enchanted swords and godly weapons ruled adventuring.

But even so.

I roared, letting the shield smack me in the face as my head snapped back, but I retaliated with a deadly kick that rocked Rodin in the head. A powerful shockwave pulsated outward.

I landed on the ground, slipping through dozens of sword slashes, and shoved the Crusader's shield out of the way.

"Stupid fool! You're just going to keep coming at me until you're unconscious? Tilly is not the type of girl who would appreciate a knight in shining armor! Especially not one as disgusting and ugly as you-"

"You say that... but..."

I slammed my forehead against Rodin's helmet, finally shattering it. Blood exploded from my head as Rodin pushed me back. I slid, forcing myself to stop. Blood from my body was turning the whole room red. The carnage and splinters made up maybe 90% of this base now.

Yet despite my appearance, one thing was absolutely clear.

I held out my fist, the hand bandages that were wrapped around it soaked in a familiar red and pointed it at the Crusader.

"A Level 8, with the armor of the gods, couldn't even beat a street punk who showed up with nothing but a few rags. Pummelling me into this state doesn't prove anything. Anyone can beat a street bum like this. But you got your helmet shattered. And your shield in pieces. If you keep this up, your whole Legion is going to know you as the guy who couldn't even put down a stray and had his armor in shambles."

"Shut up! Mind games won't work on me, you fool! You're probably nameless! With no Legion to call home!"

Rodin raised his sword and struck me with it, but I caught the blade in the palm of my hand, breathing heavily through my bandanna.

"The moment... you saw me crack your armor should have been when you stopped the duel and called your lackeys in to help you. But now it's too late."

I snapped the sword in my hand and stomped forward.

Shockwave Style - Wind Dragon Fist

I brought my fist back, assuming my stance.

Rodin tried to move, but I had completely locked him in place. My leg position was intertwined with his, and my hand had twirled to wrap him in a deadlock.

There was no escaping this. And he knew it.

"Your technique... those moves... you could have been at least a Level 6 adventurer! Why did you choose to live this life?! Let go of me! I could give you everything! I own the drug circulation system here in the Underground. I could make you a lieutenant! No one has to know. So please..." Rodin exclaimed.

"I can't stand people who treat others like trash. Just because of their circumstances. So the satisfaction you feel from being a piece of shit and badmouthing Tilly... will also be the satisfaction I feel when I destroy everything that you are!"

RED CIRCLE DEATH PENALTY

I launched a punch right into Rodin's breastplate, shattering it and unleashing a devastating explosion of wind pressure which sent everybody back.

Rodin collapsed, barely conscious as I stood over him, menacingly.

"You will never hold that shield again. You will never hold that sword again. For every insult you made on Tilly's name, I'll put you on a level of shame that surpasses any prostitute in Folia."

The man gnashed his teeth.

"You are no hero, doing this..."

"Huh?"

I knelt in front of Rodin. The rest of the Legion didn't dare say a word.

"Who the fuck said I'm a hero?" I asked, my voice dangerously low.

"Wha- What are you talking about? You're-"

I slowly undid my mask showing my deranged smile.

"My name is Shun Zhang. I was a member of the Red Circle Triad. Do you think smuggling a bit of cocaine makes you a syndicate? Where's the Mountain Master? The Vanguard? The Incense Master? The White Paper Fan? The Red Pole?"

I stomped on Rodin's arms, breaking them as the sounds of bone snapping sent a chill across the rest of the Legion, who froze in terror.

"St- Stop... stop... I'm begging you..." Rodin whimpered, but I continued.

"The Straw Sandal? 49ers? Blue Lanterns? None of that structure? Is it just you and Zach? And you think that's enough for you to start trying to play around with people like Tilly?"

I slowly got to my feet, licking the blood off my fingers. Whispers rippled like waves amongst the rest of the Legion members.

"Shun Zhang...? As in Wen Zhang's brother?"

"Who is that? Did Steel Palm of the Venus Legion always have a brother?"

"Isn't he from that one Legion?"

"The one with the creepy goddess?"

I tightened the bandages on my hands, blood leaking and dribbling on the floor.

"You fools should have ganged up on me. When I was fighting Rodin. I would have had a hard time. But now your ace is gone. And so will you."

I rushed forward, fighting viciously against the horde of Legion members. Blood and violence filled the air.

After an hour of fighting, my body had reached its limit. I leaned against a wall that was full of holes, the paper wall drenched in blood.

I panted heavily trying to catch my breath as I stared at the countless unconscious bodies. Not a single one of them died.

I kept my promise to Flock.

But not a single one would be able to walk or fight again.

"Gotta... gotta meet up... with him..." I muttered, forcing myself forward.

"Flock... Flock's gotta-"

A light chuckle interrupted me as I spun around to the source of the sound.

Did I leave a member conscious?

I limped to the man, who was sprawled on the ground.

"You think beating Rodin is all there is to it? Flock better be a better fighter than you if he's going to try to... face Boss Zachery," The man croaked.

I clenched my fist, raising it.

"Sorry Flock, but I think I might just break that promise after all. What's one finger anyway..." I muttered.

"Stop! Stop... stop, Shun," A woman's voice said behind me.

I paused, slowly glancing behind me to see a familiar girl with dyed blonde hair and tears streaming down her face.

"Why... why did you come here?!" Tilly screamed at me.

"Me? Why the hell are you here-" I shouted back, before going into a coughing fit.

Tilly grabbed me as the man laughed hysterically.

"Little slut! How proud you must be, to have teenagers try to save you like a damsel in distress! You really never learn! People like you don't deserve compassion! People like you-"

STOMP.

Tilly stepped on the man's face, knocking him out cold.

"Shun... where's Flock?"

I coughed, stabilizing myself.

"He was supposed to find you! He was going to try to confront Zach and-"

"Shun, answer me honestly. Are you the better fighter out of the two of you?"

I stared at the kogyaru.

"Y- Yes... why?"

Tilly's face turned pale as she dragged me deeper into the house.

"Flock... Flock is in danger!"

"Why? What's so bad about Zachery?"

Tilly closed her eyes.

"If Rodin put you in such a state, Zachery is going to do much worse. Rodin may be Triton's ace, but Zachery is his right-hand man. In terms of fighting alone, Zachery is Level 10. No amount of Legion members, whether it's dozens or hundreds can beat him in combat. Flock... Shun... why are you two going to such depths for some depraved slut like me-"

I yanked at Tilly's arm and escaped her grip, then proceeded to punch the wall right next to her head, causing her to freeze in fear.

"Depraved slut... going to such depths... how long are you going to keep victimizing yourself? You claim all the men around you are the same. That all they care about is sex. But here you are talking down about yourself. If you don't wanna be seen as an object, then do something about it. Let us help you," I snarled, mashing my fist deeper into the concrete as blood leaked out of the crater I had just formed.

"I know I am not the right person to tell you this. Deep down, I am a killer. I served as a member of a Triad, a 49er. I did my job so well, that I was offered the position of a 426, a Red Pole. But ultimately I turned it down. I wanted to be the one killing. To become the best son for Boss Lok there was. I thought that my life as a killer would be over when Flock took me in, but today has been confirmation that the thirst for blood never left. The Red Beast was always here, deep inside me. I am disgusting. I am scary. I am depraved. But at the very least..."

I pulled my fist out and licked my wounds clean, to Tilly's discomfort.

"I don't go around complaining about why people are afraid of me. I am fine the way I am. So if you aren't happy with the way you are... then why don't you do something about it? But instead, you choose to bitch about it."

"No. I am doing something about it."

I turned to Tilly, whose hands were over the hilt of the knife we had delivered to her.

"T- Tilly, you're-"

Tilly pushed me as I fell on the ground before her, her hourglass figure casting a long shadow across me.

"You said it yourself. You're a killer. But you're fine with it. So you should have no qualms about me taking a life. I am here to end this once and for all. Flock may know his way, being a delivery boy for so long, but I know this place like the back of my hand. I will find Zachery first."

I reached out, but my body felt like it was on fire.

I had truly hit my limit. All this time, I had been slacking off and not practicing my Shaolin Wushu... I always compensated for it by being possessed. But now I no longer had that luxury.

"Tilly! Don't do something you're going to regret! Once you take a life, it's over for you! You will live with it forever! You need to believe me!" I called out to her, but Tilly shook her head, walking the other direction.

"It's because I trust you, Shun, that I am telling you this. I will carry this out. No matter what you say."

Dammit... Dammit!

I yelled, forcing myself back up, but by the time I had regained my orientation, Tilly was gone.

Flock. Flock was in trouble.

I needed to get to Flock!

I limped, forcing myself to climb the steps. This place was a maze, but I was bound to find Zachery and Flock, I had to.

I needed to.

I collapsed, my jaw slamming against the concrete.

"You pathetic mess..." I muttered, trying to drag myself forward.

"Is this really all you can manage, without Hataka-sensei?"

My fingernails scratched against the rocky surface, but I couldn't move an inch.

Why...

Why.

I knew my life never amounted to anything. There's no point trying to help someone when you can't even help yourself.

But just this once.

Just this once, there was someone who was about to walk the fine line of someone oppressed, to someone doing the oppressing.

I had to do something about it.

Or Flock...

Flock was going to die.

My mind flashed back to the ceremony of the Blue Lanterns, where we were tested by Master Talon for our willpower.

We were asked to hold a teacup in our hands, and the Incense Master would pour boiling hot tea into the cup. Overflowing it and having the boiling tea run down our hands as we were forced to withstand it. We could not drop the teacup.

Anyone who failed would be decapitated.

I remembered panicking and crying like a sniveling mess. Upon seeing me, Talon gave me a look of pity.

I remembered the look on his face.

The look of disappointment.

"It is not in my position to question those who choose to live this life. But take this advice, little eleven-year-old boy. If you want to survive in this harsh world. You must survive with your strength. Do you know why Dragons do not cry?"

I stared at the Master, waiting for an explanation.

"Dragons do not cry, for the flames that leave its mouth not just vaporize his foes, but the tears in his eyes. Strength will always overpower fear. This test shall see if your strength will be enough to overpower that fear of yours. The enemies you face, the enemies who wish to bring down our syndicate. The enemies who try to tear us apart to gain our territory. They will do much more than pour boiling tea on your fingers. If you cannot get past this, you are of no use to this Triad."

Dragons do not cry.

For their flames always dry their tears.

To survive, one must not depend on someone else.

That was the way the Triad did things.

But...

But I was no longer part of The Red Circle. Everybody I knew in that gang was dead. Master Talon. Boss Lok. Everybody.

What was left, when a boy who had the power of a Triad, an oni, and a brotherly connection to one of the greatest martial artists had all these things taken from him?

What was left?

I screamed, yelling and pummelling the ground with what little strength I had left.

"L- Lady Melinoe... forgive me... I'm so sorry for dragging Flock into this. But... we had to help Tilly. I wanted to help her. So she wouldn't end up like me. Melinoe... if you can hear this, I could really use your help."

Just as I thought, Melinoe didn't show up.

Of course, she didn't.

I did nothing to earn her good graces after all.

If it wasn't for Flock sticking up for me and picking me up that day, I would have been walking around Unnamed.

Melinoe loved Flock, but she would never love a killer.

I forced myself to my feet but collapsed again. I had no more strength in my body.

"Dammit... goddammit..." I muttered, seething through my teeth.

Even if I did manage to get to Zachery, there was no guarantee I could defeat him.

I was already struggling against Rodin and his men. If Zachery was Level 10, it would be just another repeat of what had happened to Hiiro.

I glared at the palms of my hands, the bandages momentarily shifting in them and revealing softened, weak, skin that had already blistered and peeled off from the abrasion of the cloth.

A member of the Red Circle could only carve their way out of this world through their own strength. That was how I was brought up.

That was how I was taught.

But ever since I lost Hiiro, it became clear as day that the strength that I was so proud of, even the name "The Red Beast" was never mine to begin with.

My strength came from borrowed power.

And now without that secret cheat code, I was back to where I started.

Weak.

Pathetic.

Dragons do not cry.

Just as their flames dry their tears.

Your flames must dry yours.

I pounded my fist against the ground, memories of my time with Flock and Melinoe flooding my mind.

Never ask for help.

This is the way of a killer.

That was the way of a killer. A killer like me.

Yet despite my upbringing, Flock was never scared. Like any of the other people I had met.

And come to think of it...

Neither was Melinoe.

Was it because she was the goddess of ghosts, and by extension, death?

Was that it?

I growled, scratching the ground with my fingernails.

No...

No, that wasn't it.

"Lady Melinoe, when can Shun and I go to the Labyrinth and go on adventures?" Flock once asked.

Melinoe raised an eyebrow.

"Adventures?"

Flock nodded.

"If we go on adventures we can bring back lots of shiny things. I know you love jewelry, my offerings to you would be much greater!"

Melinoe blushed, turning away.

"You don't need to go that far for someone like me... besides. To go on Adventures, you need to be Leveled. And to be Leveled you need to go through an Awakening."

"An Awakening?" Flock asked.

Melinoe crossed her legs, as I walked past her with dishes in my hands.

"It means something monumental must happen in your life, and only once you've seen past your heart will you be able to accept the blessings of the gods. All Adventures must be Awakened to access the Labyrinth."

Flock's eyes sparkled in excitement.

"Then... when am I going to get my Awakening?"

Melinoe smiled.

"In time. In time you will, my child. But you will need to go-"

"Pfft. I don't need any blessings to tear apart my enemies. From Day One I've always won through my own strength," I cut Melinoe off, making a fist.

Melinoe turned to me, pouting.

"You don't want my blessing? That's so hurtful!"

I scowled in return.

"I don't need your blessings. I am strong as it is. I don't need to be Awakened to kick ass."

After all, that was how I was raised.

But Melinoe didn't agree with how I saw things.

And each time she tried to insist on the two of us Awakening, I always brushed her off with my pride and ego.

Until today.

I closed my eyes, clenching my fists.

"Lady Melinoe... I... I'm not strong enough. I don't care about my strength. Right now, none of that matters. I need strength. I need power. I need your blessing."

No response.

"Goddammit! MELINOE!" I roared, slamming my head against the ground.

Give me power, you divine bitch! I need it!

I need it to kill all my enemies.

To kill...

To kill.

Something fell out of my pocket. A good luck charm, in the style of a Chinese trinket.

It was a charm that Flock and Melinoe had made for me, that one day I was out making deliveries.

The power to kill.

Was I really happy with what I was? To be a member of the Triad meant to make a path for yourself using your bare hands, but ever since I came to Folia, I never once was able to do that.

Everything came from relying on others.

Whether it was finding a place to live, to being Named by Melinoe.

And now to have the blessing to contend with my enemies.

What was power for?

What did power mean in Folia?

I can be your friend! Your first friend if you need it. I don't know what you've been through, or how bad these men in Triton's Legion are like. But if you're hurting, you turn to the people who are closest to you. Lady Melinoe taught me that. So let me be that person.

No matter how much strength I possessed, I could never convince Tilly to put down the knife.

But Flock could.

The power that I could never see myself having. Because it would mean changing my entire outlook on what it meant to have strength.

"I see... so in the end, I was never really a Dragon, was I, Master Talon?" I whispered, rolling over on my back and staring at the ceiling.

"I want to be Awakened because I want power. Not power for my sake, but the power to fight for another. If I don't get up now, Flock is going to lose his life to Zachery. And without Flock, Tilly is going to go down the wrong path. Lady Melinoe, please have mercy on this... irredeemable soul..."

"Arise. Child."

My eyes snapped awake as I found strength surge through my body. I shot up and got to my feet, revitalized, and stood before a young woman, who was flickering with a green light.

"You-"

"Shun Zhang. I know a lot about you, perhaps even more than you know yourself. You are correct, seeking strength for one's own benefit might work in some places, but not in Folia. Especially with the dangers of The Labyrinth. But there is one thing that you have mistaken."

Melinoe approached me and put me in an embrace.

"You aren't unloved, Shun. I love you just as much as I love Flock. But I understand that your perception of love isn't as affectionate as Flock's perception. Because you were raised differently than Flock."

"Lady Melinoe, I-"

I blinked, and before I knew it, my goddess had disappeared.

What was that? That surge of strength.

No. I gotta find Flock. I need to get to him.

I sprinted up the steps to the highest floor in the building, and I eventually reached a large room where I heard a man shouting.

I stopped dead in my tracks to see Tilly on one side of the room, Zachery on the other, and Flock, who was kneeling and pressing his forehead against the ground.

"Zachery, please, stop this. Just leave Tilly alone."

Zach glowered at the kid, club in hand.

"You've got a lot of nerve asking me to give up on my woman."

"But she isn't! Is she?" Flock responded angrily. I had never seen Flock so mad before. The sight of it took me aback.

"This entire time you've been badmouthing her! You have a wife of your own!"

Zachery's eyes flashed with rage.

"Why you little..."

The Triton member stomped on Flock's head and began pummelling him. Tilly watched in the corner, her hands to her mouth but unable to say a word.

"Get out of here! This is your last warning, kid!"

"NO."

Flock grabbed Zachery's foot as Zachery continued stomping on his face. Each strike was making his nose more and more bloody, but Flock hung on for dear life.

"Leave Tilly alone!"

"And what do you think you will change if I threw that slut away?! You think she's going to have a change of heart?"

Zachery kicked Flock and sent him skidding back.

"You are a kid, so maybe you don't understand how women, hell, or even men like that work. Tilly lives off lovers. If not me, she'll go for another man. That's the only way she's gonna feel satisfied. Pleasure comes in many forms, but for people like her, it comes from hookups. You think she's going to break her hundred-man streak just for the words of some delusional teenage boy? Answer me this, Flock of the Melinoe Legion. If I throw her out, where would she go? Where does she belong, if not to another man?!"

I clenched my fist and walked forward, but stopped, as Flock slowly got to his feet.

"SHE BELONGS WITH US!"

A breeze blew past everybody in the room.

Zachery was taken aback, lowering his club.

"With you? What kind of nonsense are you-"

"She can come home with us. To Shun, Melinoe, and me. What she's looking for isn't pleasure. Deep down, she's looking for friends. For happiness. But no man she has been with has ever been able to give her that. I know I'm just a kid. I couldn't possibly understand relationships and romance to that level. But what I do know, is the look of someone who's had nothing. Everybody laughs at my goddess for having no followers. Everybody laughs at Shun for being unwanted by any Legions. But even if someone offers me a place in the highest-level Legion imaginable, I will still choose Melinoe! Because we are small, we are little, but that means we are close. We are friends."

Zachery glared at Tilly, who had fallen to her knees, weeping in the corner.

"You bitch... how many more people are you going to ruin? Now you're going for little boys? Flock. You want to be a hero so badly, then perhaps you will suffer a hero's tragedy."

The man lunged forward, striking Flock in the side of the head as I watched the kid go flying.

"FLOCK!" I roared, rushing forward and throwing a punch as hard as I could at the Level 10 adventurer, but even with my revitalized body, I was no match for him.

My punch deflected, and I watched Zachery spin to me, bat in hand, and striking me below my jaw.

My legs lost all their strength and buckled, collapsing from under me. I felt the man's grip around my head as I was lifted into the air.

"You must be Steel Palm's failure brother. Don't tell me you are also intending to take in that whore."

"GRRRK! GAHH!!" I snarled, my eyes darting between Flock and Tilly.

"I see. So you are just like the boy. Then suffer the same fate."

Zachery began to squeeze as I growled in pain, kicking my feet frantically.

The sides of my vision were turning black.

"STOP."

Flock suddenly appeared in the corner of my vision, glowing white.

"What-" Zachery said, but was interrupted by a strike from Flock's sword which cut a gash into the Level 10 adventurer's armor.

The adventurer stumbled back, staring at the cut that Flock had made.

"You... little bastard! You got an Awakening from Tilly of all people?!"

Flock breathed heavily, clutching his sword, his brown hair had turned white.

"In the name of Melinoe, the Goddess of Ghosts, I will serve as her Champion. My pact will be to never leave a hurting person behind. Not until my last breath."

I crumpled to the ground, watching as Flock charged, unleashing a combination of sword slashes at Zachery, who momentarily was overwhelmed, but regained his footing in the last second.

"Not bad... for a Level 1. You may well be one of the only Level 1's to have ever survived an exchange with someone like me. But your beginner's luck as run out. I'm going to enjoy tearing you apart."

The Adventurer suddenly switched his stance, catching Flock in the side with his club, then another strike to his head as blood splurted from his mouth.

But Flock kept himself standing.

"Apologize... to... Tilly..." Flock muttered, coughing and hacking.

Zachery growled, grabbing Flock and slamming the smaller fighter through several pillars of the house, then threw him onto the ground, punching him in the face relentlessly.

"Die, you brat!"

I rushed forward, but Zachery spun around at lightning-fast speeds, catching me in the chest and hurling me into a wall. I crumpled to the ground, unable to get up.

Zachery raised his hand again, but Tilly suddenly grabbed his wrist.

"That's enough... I've had enough."

Zachery yanked Tilly out of her grip, but Tilly suddenly drew her knife, to Zachery's surprise.

"Tilly!" I shouted, but to my surprise, instead of stabbing the adventurer, Tilly brought the knife to her throat.

"You were right. Flock. Shun. I was intending on taking a human life all along. But it was never Zachery's."

I got to my feet, seething.

"You fool!" I snarled, but Zach grabbed me and slammed me back onto the ground, before he could continue, I grabbed his arm and yanked it out of its socket.

"GRAHH! You brat!"

I spun viciously, my legs swinging and forming spirals of wind pressure.

"Get... the hell... off of me!" I roared.

Shockwave Style - Wind Dragon Fist

VORTEX STRIKES

The adventurer flew into the air as I shot to my feet, rushing forward and unleashing a devastating combination of punches, each punch hitting harder than the previous.

"You... how are you hitting so hard... you're a Level 1!"

Zach caught my fist, but I pushed even further, snarling like a beast and pushing him to the ground, smashing my fists into his face until the adventurer was unconscious.

I slowly got to my feet, but stumbled, my body seemingly losing its second wind.

I could only watch as Flock approached Tilly, whose knife was still hovering over her throat.

"Tilly..." Flock said.

"I appreciate your words, Flock. I really do. More than you can realize. But I can't join you two."

"But why? We can work things out, Tilly. You don't need to be part of Melinoe's Legion, you can just stay with us-"

"Flock, I don't know how Melinoe's Legion does things, but Astarte can never forgive me if I leave her Legion. If you take me in, that would mean declaring war against the Astarte Legion. I can't bear the thought of putting the two of you kids through something like this for my sake."

I breathed heavily.

"A duel... a fight... a war game. I can take 'em on. Let me just... get my bearings straight."

Tilly smiled gently at me.

"You two are so sweet. I wish I had known you two when I was still looking to be claimed by a god. Shun... you are an incredible fighter. What you just did... I've never seen someone accomplish something like that. It's almost absurd! You're so weird!"

"Who the hell are you callin' weird? You aho!"

Tilly laughed, lowering the knife, but keeping her distance from the two of us.

"It's not just Astarte. All the men I've been with... they didn't just throw me away. I threw them away as well. The truth is, I simply don't have it in me to love a partner. The guys I've been with all lust for me, some even creepily following me everywhere, but I can't bring it in myself to say anything. There's nothing in me to love them back, it's no longer genuine. Answer me this... you two. Would you take in someone who routinely cheats on their lovers?"

"We would," Flock said.

"Hell no- I mean yes we would," I stammered.

Tilly knelt before us, inspecting her hands.

"Whether it is because I am a child of Astarte, or because of my rotten personality, either way. I am irredeemable. At its core, I can never find happiness... I cannot leave this life either."

"But why?" Flock asked.

Tilly stared at the kid.

"Why what?"

"Why does it have to be about love? Can't you just be friends with a man? Why does every man have to be a romantic interest?"

Tilly blinked, momentarily taken aback at what Flock had said.

"Because... because ultimately... a man and a woman cannot be friends. One of them is bound to develop feelings for-"

"Well I can never develop feelings for someone as gaudy as you," I grumbled, getting to my feet.

Flock sat down in front of Tilly, putting his hands on hers. Tilly slowly let go of the knife as it clattered on the ground.

"If you want to be friends without anyone falling in love with you, then you can start with me."

I finally mustered enough strength to recover, limping toward the two.

"Exactly. You said it yourself. We're just minors. There's no way any romance can blossom between us, onee-san."

Tilly frowned.

"I am not familiar with the word."

"It means 'bitch' in Japanese," I lied.

Tilly's jaw dropped.

"You little shit! How can you be insulting me when I'm like this?! I was seconds from-"

"What? Stabbing yourself? With this?" I asked, flipping the knife that I had stolen seconds ago in my hand.

"Give it back!"

"Yada."

"Shun! You stupid brat!"

I scurried away from Tilly as Flock ran forward and hugged her.

"Even if you go back to Astarte, we will still be your friends. So please, don't do it. You still have a lot left to live for. If you feel like there's nothing to live for now, then just live for us!"

Tilly relaxed but buried her face in Flock's shoulder.

"I... I..."

"I heard that Tilly was involved in a huge mess with the Triton Legion. Of course, the loser of our Legion would be affiliated with Melinoe's bottom feeders," A woman's voice said, cutting Tilly off as Flock and I tensed.

Tilly pulled away, the blood drained from her face.

"Mira... wait. These two don't have anything to do with-"

SLAP.

Tilly fell backward, as Mira towered over her junior Legion member, surrounded by other members of the Astarte Legion.

"Shut up, bitch. You're the reason we have such a bad name. Why don't you go get railed and keep your mouth shut? Now I'm hearing that you want to leave the Legion after what you did to Lady Astarte's honour?"

A young woman emerged from the crowd, regarding Tilly with cold eyes.

"Tilly, you will return to our chambers at once. For the things you've done, I am assigning you to courtesan duty."

"Courtesan duty?!" I exclaimed, but the woman turned to me, and all of a sudden, my body lost its strength.

I fell to my knees, unable to do anything.

Flock ran forward.

"What are you doing to Tilly? Can't you see she's hurting?"

The woman's eyes flashed, turning to Flock, but he was not stopping.

"This boy... is resistant to my charm?" I heard the lady say, but suddenly, Mira appeared in front of him with blinding speed, kneeing my friend in the stomach and causing him to fall to his knees, retching.

"You dare attack Lady Astarte?" Mira snarled.

"No. Enough," Astarte said, lifting her hand.

"Tell me, Flock, child of Melinoe. What is it about Tilly that makes you bare your fangs at a goddess?"

Flock retched, trying to catch his breath.

"Tilly... Tilly isn't some object for affection. She's a person. A human being who was neglected for so long. Lady Melinoe taught me to always extend my hand to people in need. Always."

Astarte tilted her head.

"Tilly joined my Legion on her own accord. She sought pleasure. Pleasure from men. Someone like her doesn't become a delinquent overnight. Her desire for male affection came from many years of indulgence. You know by now just how depraved she is. For many years she didn't mind being treated as an object. This is not some children's tale, Flock. Did you really think you were 'different' from the other men she has been with?"

The goddess approached Flock and lifted his chin with her finger.

"Little boy, I am a very possessive woman. I do not like having my things taken from me. If you choose to play the hero, then you will need to play my game. And I have conquered men for many eons."

Astarte smiled coyly, as Flock kept his composure, glaring at the goddess.

"Tilly is my friend."

The goddess blinked, taken aback, as with the rest of the Legion, who began mumbling amongst themselves.

"What did he say?"

"A boy willing to be friend-zoned?"

"Of course, it would be a child of Melinoe to say something that left field!"

Astarte removed her hand from Flock's chin.

"A friend... with a person of the opposite gender? Am I hearing you correctly? What exactly would this so-called 'friend' do that a partner would not?"

"I want to be friends with Tilly. Because right now, she doesn't need some partner who can only provide her with physical affection, she needs someone to talk to. Someone to confide in. Someone to laugh with. Someone to cry with. Maybe a romantic partner can provide these too. But not the ones you've been getting her to go for. These 'romances' that you force Tilly to be in can never provide that!"

Astarte got to her feet.

"Tilly, how you disappoint me. I planned to just take you back and leave these two boys on their own for ridicule, but the more this Flock speaks, the more irritated I become. Take this with you, once you don your courtesan garments. The lives of the two boys you've ruined because you wanted to go against me."

"What? Stop! None of this is Tilly's fault!" Flock protested, but several Legion members began kicking Flock down, beating him relentlessly as Tilly ran forward to try to shield Flock with her body, taking the hits in his place.

"Tilly! What are you doing?! Stop!" Flock said, but Tilly grimly smiled, wrapping the boy closer to her.

"No, I'll take how many beatings I need to protect a friend."

No.

I can't watch this.

Not while I still breathe.

I forced myself to my feet, breathing animalistically. That same surge of power that I had displayed against Zachery returning.

"You... bitch... who cares..." I muttered, marching toward the goddess.

"Who cares if you're a goddess..."

Astarte tried Charm on me again, but nothing was taken effect.

"What? Him too? Is this some sort of magic-"

"Who cares if you're stronger..."

My footsteps began cracking the ground, malice dripping from my body like venom.

"By the Paladin Code of Acadia, those who hurt my friends will PAY," I roared, what was left of my bandanna falling to the ground as everybody suddenly went silent.

Astarte stumbled back, a look of pure horror filled her face.

Even I was full of surprise at what I just said.

What the hell was a Paladin Code of Acadia?

Astarte stared at me, as she held out her hand, stopping the rest of the Legion members.

"Stand down... stand down, all of you."

Tilly and Flock stopped resisting, scurrying back.

"What... what's happening?" Flock asked.

"Your guess is as good as mine, I've never seen Lady Astarte act like this before."

Astarte clenched her fists, her teeth gnashed together.

"They said he left, why are you... you..."

"Huh? What's gotten into you all of a sud- er- I mean, yeah, you better be scared!" I said, confused.

Suddenly a swirl of power interrupted us as a young girl appeared behind me, grabbing me by the ear and turning me to the side.

"Don't look at her, Shun!" Melinoe said.

Astarte slowly lowered her hands, which were trembling.

"Melinoe... explain this. Why does this boy look so much like-"

"It is a prank."

"Huh?"

The rest of the Legion tilted their heads at the same time.

Even I did.

"Huh?"

Melinoe turned to her fellow goddess with a deadpan expression.

"It's a prank. Just a prank. I wanted to look cool is all."

Third Stance

KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK.

"Shun, the door," Melinoe said, dismissively while we were eating breakfast.

I got up and approached the door, groggingly.

Last night was such an acid trip. One of the benefits of this new blessing and being Awakened was that by returning to our home, the presence of Melinoe would restore our health and mana.

For once, I didn't regret being in this shack.

I slowly opened the door, my speech already well rehearsed.

"Hi, sorry, but one of our Legion members has come down with a very contagious-"

"HEEEEEY!"

"GYAAAAH WHAT THE HELL?!" I yelped, falling backward to see Tilly raising her fist in the air like some magical bi-shojo that the girls back at Nara used to always like watching.

Tilly stepped inside, as Flock waved his hand.

"Tilly! Welcome to the Melinoe Legion! We have a room prepared just for you!"

Melinoe smiled warmly.

"I'm so glad you're here, sweetheart! Look at you, so cute in that little cardigan of yours."

Tilly blushed, putting her hands on her face.

"Aww, you're going to make me blush!"

You're blushing already, you bimbo!

"What is Tilly doing here?" I asked.

"I live here now. I'm part of the Legion," Tilly answered.

I stared at our new Legion member, unable to hide my Japanese.

"Chotto matte."

Melinoe rested her chin on her hand.

"Do you really not remember what happened last night? Shun?"

"No. I blacked out by the time we returned home. Something something knife. Something something... oh shit! Why are you here? What about Astarte?!" I exclaimed.

Melinoe looked away, embarrassed.

"Nevermind. I think it's better if you didn't remember-"

"Oh! I remember now. I remember EXACTLY what happened, BAHAHAHA!" I laughed, clutching my stomach, as Melinoe began twitching in irritation.

Yes.

I remember all too well.

(Several Hours Ago)

"To steal a member from me would normally only be possible if we engaged in a war game. But with only two members, it would make me feel bad," Astarte said.

Melinoe dragged me and Flock away from the group, defensively putting distance between us and the goddess.

"You're right. We don't stand a chance against you in a War Game. We will be leaving, so sorry for causing you trouble."

"Now we can't have that, now can we, Melinoe?" Astarte said, running a finger over Tilly's face.

"Not only was my Legion informed that one of its members was affiliated with something so violent, but now I am hearing it is you of all people taking center stage with your raggedy group of ugly Legion members? Since when did the most disgraceful god of all of Folia get members in the first place? Did you not remember what happened the last time you had members?"

Melinoe hesitated, her grip on me tightening.

"It isn't like last time."

"You are not the goddess of prophecy. You are the goddess of ghosts. Keep the death to your own Legion. But you will not be involved with any more Legions. No. For the price of what you have done, I will be keeping Tilly... and..."

The goddess lifted her finger and pointed it at Flock, licking her lips.

"I will be taking him."

Flock made a whimpering sound.

"You can't have him! Flock is fifteen! You're, what, like four thousand years old?" I shouted, but Melinoe hit me over the head.

"Shun!"

Astarte regarded me.

"Hmm..."

"Lady Astarte," Melinoe said, falling to her knees and prostrating herself before the other goddess, to everyone's surprise.

"I beg you, please leave my members alone. What is it going to take for me to... be in your good graces..." Melinoe muttered.

I froze in place, my mouth hung open.

I had never seen Melinoe put herself in such a pathetic state before. Wasn't she a god? Why was she...

"I'll do anything. Absolutely anything... just please. Don't take away the only children I have," the goddess's voice broke, sending a weird surge inside my chest.

I didn't like seeing this.

I didn't want to see this.

Astarte approached the goddess and put her foot on her head.

"HAHAHA! Look at you, Melinoe. Being so pathetic. It's so hard to even believe a bottom-feeder peasant like you is even the same species as me. Everyone is going to have a good laugh once they find out about this. And they will know about this. I bet Triton himself will be quite pleased seeing you like this after what your stupid child did to his followers."

I wanted to say something, but seeing Lady Melinoe like this broke my heart. I didn't want to make things worse.

Astarte sighed, taking her foot off of Melinoe.

"How long are you going to keep bawling like this, you disgraceful goddess?"

"As long as it takes. Please, I beg you."

The goddess of love turned to Tilly, then to Flock.

"Ugh. Well, Tilly was never worth much, and I'll get my precious little Flock some other way. You can have that failure of a child for all I care. But in exchange, you will declare that you are my dog."

Melinoe clenched her teeth but didn't dare say a single thing.

"You will be working once a week, as a peasant like you are. A peasant of the gods, and now a peasant of man. Once a week you will work one of the stalls in the town, and you will serve us. You... and your little cosplayer over there. Both of you."

What?

I was going to what?

Melinoe grabbed my head and put my face on the ground.

"Yes, we will gladly take you up on your offer, Lady Astarte."

From the dust on the ground, I could make out Astarte's sadistic smile.

"Very good then... my little doggies. In exchange for me handing Tilly over to you, Shun and Melinoe will be my slaves for two months. And your disgrace will be made public to all of Folia."

(Present)

"YOU GOT ME WORKING PART-TIME?!" I snarled, grabbing my goddess and shaking her wildly.

"It is necessary, it was the only way for us to truly get Tilly out of Astarte's gra- stop shaking me! I'm going to throw up my breakfast!" Melinoe yelped.

"I'll shake you as much as I want for what you got me into! I don't know how to work a stall, hell I basically dropped out of middle school! I don't know how to work!"

Melinoe escaped my clutches.

"GAH! I got us out of this mess! Why are you complaining? Besides, we only have to work once a week. For the rest of the week, we are free to do our deliveries. And besides... we still haven't even managed to celebrate yet. Quick quick! Flock, get the streamers!"

"Yes, Lady Melinoe!"

Tilly looked confused.

"Celebrate? For what?"

Flock handed me a streamer as I popped it, shooting confetti all over Melinoe.

"What do you think, genius? We just got a new Legion member after so many months of just Flock and me. This is a huge deal for Lady Melinoe," I said.

"Yes! Now we have enough people to finally form a party!"

I stopped spraying confetti and turned to the goddess.

"A party?"

"Yes! Now my Legion can finally go to the Labyrinth! One of my dreams has finally come true... I'm so happy I could cry!"

Tilly scratched the back of her head.

"I don't really know what you are talking about, but sounds fun!"

"Sounds fun?! Do you even know how to fight," I said.

Tilly put a finger to her lips.

"Mmmm, you just wave a pointy stick around, right?"

Forget trying to catch up to Wen and the Venus Legion.

We probably couldn't even rob a homeless man with this setup.

"Hey, what's this?" Tilly picked up a wooden figurine off of a shelf, causing Flock to go into full panic mode.

"Ahhh! Tilly don't touch that!"

Tilly raised an eyebrow.

"Isn't this a doll of Leah Crawfor from the Poseidon Legion?"

Flock quickly swiped the figurine and hid in the corner in embarrassment, causing Tilly to laugh.

"That's so cute! I didn't know you liked collecting that stuff, Flock!"

"It's not what it looks like! I... I don't play with dolls! Honest!"

"I never said it was a bad thing," Tilly put a hand to her mouth and giggled.

Melinoe smiled, watching Tilly and Flock interact.

"She looks so much happier than she used to."

"Huh?" I asked.

Melinoe reached behind me and cleaned up the streamers.

"I am a goddess, I keep tabs on what is happening in Folia, and I often speak to other gods routinely whenever you two are out. So I always knew about Tilly of the Astarte Legion. The smiles she would put on whenever she was with a lover... it never was genuine."

"Hmm, well, I don't know how having a gyaru will improve our chances of expanding our empire."

"That again?" Melinoe said as she put the dishes away.

"Shun, I'm also very happy for you too."

"Why? That's weird. Stop being weird. That's creepy."

"Don't call it creepy! I'm genuinely glad for you. For once, you prayed to me, you're making the heart of this goddess aflutter!"

"If it was Venus's heart maybe..." I grumbled.

Melinoe laughed.

"A start is a start nonetheless. But look at what we've started. We're slowly expanding. I think... I think might finally be able to escape my curse."

I looked at Melinoe again, remembering what Astarte had said.

Did you not remember what happened the last time you had members?

Melinoe was a goddess, meaning she had existed for thousands of years. There was a high chance she had followers in the past. But if Flock, Tilly, and I were the only ones now...

Then I couldn't imagine what must have happened to the Melinoe Legion years ago.

"Melinoe... you know how you always get me to dye the pink streaks in my hair black?"

Melinoe pursed her lips.

"Y- Yes."

"Does it have something to do with Astarte's reaction to me last night?"

Melinoe slowly took a deep breath.

"I- I'll tell you in time, Shun. Just not right now."

"But-"

"Shun," Melinoe reached for my face, grabbed my cheeks, and pinched them with her hands.

"I promise I will tell you, but now is not the time. Okay?"

"MMFAY."

Melinoe let go and lowered her face.

"Did you mean it? When you said you wanted power for the sake of another?"

She remembered my embarrassing prayer?!

I scratched the back of my neck.

"I... Erm... Yeah... I figured, that maybe, just maybe the strength I gained, doesn't have to all come from me. If it means helping you expand your empire."

"And seeing your brother one more time?"

I slowly turned to Melinoe, who sat on the beat-up sofa across from me. Even though she was the goddess of something as creepy as ghosts, her warm smile made me feel at ease.

There was nothing scary or creepy about this goddess.

"Maybe. Who knows. Right now, I feel like I'm right where I need to be."

"Tch," I muttered, standing with Flock in the shabby yard of our shack.

"We told Tilly to be here by 8 am, what is taking her so long?"

Flock waved his hands.

"Ah, let's not rush her, I'm sure she has a good reason."

"Back in the Red Circle you'd get whipped for every minute you were late to a summons," I grumbled under my breath.

"Heeeey!"

I glanced up to see Tilly jogging toward us. Her blonde dyed hair was tied back in a ponytail and she was wearing what looked to be an athletic uniform. A black sports bra and a pair of black leggings that accentuated her figure.

Normally I wouldn't mind something like that. Adherent clothing was something that Master Xi wore whenever she taught us how to infiltrate rival markets.

But... with Tilly... she had something that Master Xi wouldn't ever imagine having.

BOING. BOING. BOING.

Tilly approached us and frowned.

"What's wrong, you two?"

"Nothing," I replied a little too quickly, trying to keep myself from staring at the two giant winter melons that were in my face.

Flock's face flushed red.

"Umm... Tilly, do you normally wear something this revealing whenever you're training?"

"Of course, I don't like getting my normal clothes all sweaty."

Tilly raised an eyebrow and leaned in close to Flock.

"Hey, you wouldn't happen to be aroused, would you?"

Flock yelped, doing a jazz hands motion frantically.

"N- No! Of course not! I- I- um..."

Tilly grinned coyly.

"I'm just messing with you, little Flocky. You're so adorable whenever you're flustered!"

"Tilly, do you know any magic? Any weapons? What class do you belong to?" I asked.

Tilly put a hand to her chin, as if in deep thought.

"Dunno!"

This airhead!

"What do you mean you don't know? Surely your time with Astarte had given you some chance to learn magic of some sort. Lady Astarte was able to use Charm, right?" I asked.

"I don't know anything about classes. And Charm is a form of magic that only Lady Astarte can use."

Flock raised his hand.

"But surely Lady Astarte's Legion has had members go to the Labyrinth before, right? What kind of weapons and magic do they use?"

Tilly shrugged.

"We were never really exposed to that kind of stuff. After all, people like me were of the lower caste. Going to the Labyrinth was always a pipe dream for some of us. What classes are you two?"

Flock drew his sword and assumed a stance.

"I'm a swordsman! When I awakened, Lady Melinoe said I possess the special skill White Eclipse. Not really sure what it does still, though..."

"Ooh, it sounds pretty fancy though. What about you, Shun?"

I put my hands in my pockets.

"I'm a martial artist."

"What about your special skill?"

"No idea."

Flock and Tilly stared at me.

"Huh?"

I shrugged.

"Like I said, I have no idea what my special skill is. When Lady Melinoe did an Appraisal on me, apparently I was a Level 1 Martial Artist. But for some reason, she couldn't read what my special skill was, she said it was in a weird language."

Flock scratched the back of his head.

"To form a party, we need a group of Awakened adventurers. I know Shun and I have awakened, but Tilly..."

Tilly blinked.

"Ah."

This woman was hopeless!

"If it is an Awakening you want, we can help with that. Awakening is kind of like initiation right?" I said, evilly.

Flock turned to me, a nervous smile on his face.

"Umm, Shun I don't think I like where you're going with this."

I raised my fist.

"I have no qualms about hitting a woman. An Awakening requires one to go through a monumental event in their life, right? Then let us begin with Tilly's Awakening! You are not fighting to Level up, Tilly-san, you're fighting to LIVE!"

SMACK!

"GAAAHOWW!" I yelped, clutching my head.

"What do you think you're doing to Tilly, you idiot child?" Melinoe snapped as she put distance between me and Tilly.

"But... initiation..." I protested.

"This isn't the Triad!"

Flock put up his hand.

"Lady Melinoe, why don't you try using Appraisal on Tilly to see what class suits her best?"

Melinoe perked up.

"That's a good idea. Tilly, come here."

Tilly knelt down in front of Melinoe.

"Am I doing this right?"

I narrowed my eyes.

"Wait a second, Tilly, you've never been Appraised by Astarte before?"

"No."

Tilly smiled weakly.

"Ever since I moved here, it's been a bunch of firsts for me. First time sleeping in a bed... first time sharing a bed with Lady Melinoe. First time being told good night..."

Magic began to swirl around Tilly, assessing her abilities.

"I know I've been letting you two down, being the only Legion member who hasn't Awakened yet. I promise I will change that."

"Tilly, you don't need to feel that way," Flock said, kneeling in front of his fellow Legion follower.

"We will wait for you. Shun and I. We won't go on adventurers unless you're with us! Right, Shun?"

"Ah! Erm... Yeah... whatever..." I grumbled, trying to hide the heat that was in my ears.

Melinoe blinked as the Appraisal process was over.

"Tilly... can I ask you something?"

"What is it?"

"You mentioned that you used to do chores for Lady Astarte, right?"

"Mmhmm."

"What kind of chores?"

Tilly thought for a few seconds.

"Well, I've always been tasked to carry things in and out of the Legion mansion. Cargo."

"How heavy is the cargo?"

"Not really heavy... maybe like 200 kilograms?"

I choked.

"Say what?!"

Tilly looked at us, frantically.

"Huh? What? Did I say something weird?"

"Tilly, Shun, come to the tree stump," Melinoe ordered. The two of us did as she told, sitting across from one another.

"Tilly, you are going to arm wrestle Shun."

Tilly stared at the goddess in surprise.

"I'm going to what?"

"Yeah! Why am I arm wrestling with a girl? This is beneath me. There is no honor in fighting those weaker than you!" I protested, but Melinoe held up a finger.

"Tilly, if you win, Shun will pay for your next shopping spree."

Tilly suddenly perked up, clasping her hands together. For a second, I thought I saw her eyes sparkling.

"Really?! Oh, my gods!"

"Hey! That's not fair!" I shouted, but Melinoe cut me off.

"Shun, if you win, I will buy you a pair of the white sneakers I've seen you eyeing at the Market."

"Okay, this bitch is going down."

"No hesitation..." Flock and Tilly muttered at the same time.

The two of us linked our hands together. Tilly's hands were surprisingly calloused for being so feminine. As for mine...

My mouth twitched, and Tilly noticed.

"Shun... your palms feel surprisingly soft. Like... really soft. Are you okay with doing this?"

"Shut up! I am fine."

Tilly turned to Melinoe.

"This isn't fair to Shun. Do you mind letting him wear his hand bandages?"

Melinoe raised her eyebrows.

"Oh, I didn't think of that. If it means making it fair, why not."

I don't need your pity...

I wrapped my bandages over my hands and faced Tilly again.

There should be no reason I would lose.

My punches are strong enough to shatter concrete. When I trained in the Shaolin Temple, I was able to destroy the training dummies with the sheer shockwaves of my kicks.

There was a reason why my fighting style was so unique. It was a deviation-branched style off of traditional Shaolin Wushu, taking full advantage of the strength that I was so proud of.

It made use of the shockwaves that my strikes produced to land hits even if my limbs couldn't connect. What was originally known as the Vacuum Fist, which turned into the Razorwind Fist under Master Talon's tutelage, then finally the Wind Dragon Fist under Boss Lok's tutelage.

The strength that made me so terrifying in China.

This was the type of opponent you were about to face, woman-

SLAM.

"Heh? Nani?"

"Tilly wins!" Melinoe said, as Flock, me, and even Tilly stared at the stump surface in surprise.

What?

What just happened?

"Ya ya ya. I wasn't ready. This time, this time for sure, I will show you the true terror of a former Triad 49er," I growled, leaning forward.

Tilly smiled nervously.

"Shun... don't push yourself, okay?"

SLAM.

"Tilly wins again!"

SLAM.

"Tilly is victorious!"

SLAM. SLAM. SLAM. SLAM. SLAM.

"This is bullshit! How am I losing to a girl?!" I snapped, shooting to my feet.

I pointed my finger at Tilly, who was suddenly flooded with compliments by both Melinoe and Flock.

"You're cheating! You must be! How are you physically stronger than me?!"

Melinoe put her hands on the stump.

"I don't know what kind of things Astarte put you through, Tilly. But for some reason, your physical strength is incredible. It far exceeds anyone in this Legion. Your durability is quite high too. If I could make a suggestion, I would say you would do best as a Crusader."

Tilly went silent.

"A Crusader?" Flock asked.

"Yep."

Flock grinned.

"Wow! That's incredible! Tilly, you have a class now! A Crusader is one of the most sought-after classes in all of Folia! A warrior that marches into the front lines and fights toe to toe with the enemy! Tilly, you're amazing!"

Tilly's grip on her thighs suddenly tightened, somehow wrinkling the tight fabric.

"No."

"What?"

Tilly slowly got to her feet, her head hung low. The bangs on her face covered her face.

"I don't want to be a Crusader."

"But why?" Flock asked.

Tilly looked away.

"Because... it... it... it isn't very ladylike."

"The hell you mean it isn't ladylike? You think you can just run into the battlefield wearing a dress?" I said.

Tilly pouted, crossing her arms.

"No means no! I don't want to be a Crusader! Besides, I won the challenge. You're supposed to take me shopping!"

"Geh!"

"This is probably one of the few times I enjoy going out," Tilly said.

"Why is that?" Flock asked.

"I used to always go out to prettify myself to hook up. Since it was expected of me as a follower of Astarte. But now I can do it because I want to."

"And also because I'm paying," I muttered.

Tilly leaned over a shop that had a few dresses.

"I like the golden lining, makes it look so cute."

I walked up to Tilly's side and took a look at the price tag.

I'd seen contraband products go for cheaper!

"Maybe I should pull the plug and have you buy it! Just kidding."

"Cut that out!" I snapped.

Tilly continued walking, browsing the shops.

"Have you two ever been in this street before?"

"Only for deliveries," Flock answered.

I didn't want to admit it, probably because I just didn't want to feed Tilly's ego. But the way she conducted herself, from the way she could be so attentive to the smallest details, to the way she would look behind her to make sure we were still following her, made me see how easily it was for her to find guys.

Sure, her usual outfit made it so that she was physically attractive, but that wasn't it. She was cheerful and caring, even the smallest things like her pouty attitude whenever things didn't go her way were kind of... cute.

I had a feeling she easily could have bought every shop out of its stock. I mean, there was nothing stopping her from doing so; all of this was coming out of my paycheque.

But for some reason, she seemed to hold off on making any purchases, despite eyeing the articles of clothing, the hair accessories, or magical trinkets and ornaments.

"It's getting kind of late, huh," Tilly said.

Flock yawned.

"We can keep going if you want."

My eye twitched in irritation.

"You didn't even buy anything!"

"I know. Because I already had something in mind all along," Tilly brought us to a familiar-looking store and approached the clerk.

"Hi!"

"Hello young lady, how may I be of service?"

"How much are those white shoes on that shelf?" Tilly pointed at a familiar pair of sneakers.

"What the- what are you doing?" I asked.

The clerk took the sneakers and put them on the counter.

"About 400 gold coins."

400 gold coins?! I couldn't afford that!

"Tilly, you can't be serious!" I exclaimed.

"Awww, what a shame... We can't afford that."

Tilly leaned forward a bit.

"Wait, Tilly what are you... huh," I narrowed my eyes at the clerk, who suddenly shifted his attention from us to...

Tilly's chest.

Tilly smiled coyly.

"Please? Mister Shopkeeper? I'm really not doing so well on finances. I could use your help! I'll do anything for you. Nothing is out of bounds," Tilly reached out and stroked the shopkeeper's chin, subtly shifting her cardigan around to reveal a purple lace.

"T-T- Tilly! Y- Your chest is showing!" Flock yelped, covering his eyes with his fingers.

A bead of sweat ran down the clerk's face.

"One little peek... and I'll sell it to you for twenty gold coins."

"Twenty? Can we do lower?" Tilly asked as she climbed on the counter.

Hey hey hey! What the hell do you think you're doing you crazy bimbo?!

Tilly whispered into the man's ear.

"I'll show them to you for five seconds. For fifty silver coins."

"M- Make it ten seconds. And it's a deal."

"Kaaaaay."

Tilly handed the sneakers to me.

"Surprise!"

Flock collapsed on the spot as I caught him.

"Surprise, my ass! You just showed your winter melons to some old man for a pair of shoes! I thought you said you hated doing that stuff!" I growled.

Tilly leaned against the wall of an alleyway, twirling her hair on her finger.

"You're right. I hate doing that stuff. But I also was asked by Lady Melinoe to have you buy something for me. So I got you to buy those shoes you wanted, with a big discount."

Flock regained his composure.

"Tilly... you did all that for Shun?"

I took the shoes and slowly kicked away my rotting sandals, slipping the white sneakers on. Tilly smiled and put her hands on my shoulders, bringing me to a mirror.

"You may be a vulgar kid who probably should have his mouth washed out by soap, but you have to admit... this look does suit you!"

I stared at my reflection. The black and pink hoodie that I usually wore, and my baggy shorts, were finally complimented by a pair of clean, bright, white sneakers.

"..."

Tilly leaned in close.

"I didn't mean to make you feel embarrassed in our arm wrestle. I also still have no desire to become a Crusader. But this is the least I can do for someone who gave me the strength to keep living. Thank you Shun."

My ears felt hot as I scurried away from her.

"GAH! You- You- You think this makes us even?! I- I- I don't need gifts... I wasn't embarrassed at all!" I stammered.

Tilly smiled, but the moment was cut short. Because a shadow suddenly loomed over us.

The three of us turned around, to see a man standing before us, trembling. He had a knife in his hand.

But that wasn't what made him look so unsettling.

It was the odor...

By god, the odor.

"H- Hey... Tilly... do you remember me? It's Brandt... Mira told me you were here."

Flock stared at Brandt.

"Do you need something from Tilly?"

Tilly's face turned pale as Brandt shoved me out of the way.

"Hey!" I protested, but Brandt ignored me and grabbed Tilly's wrist.

"Tilly... why have you been ignoring me? After all those nights we spent together? Are you sick of me? Hey? Tilly? Hey? Aren't you going to answer me?"

Tilly froze in place, terror on her face.

"B- Brandt... I..."

Brandt turned to Flock and me.

"Who are these boys? Tilly, are you betraying me? I thought you said you liked older men. I want to be with you... we can even make love in front of those boys. No one can see us, remember when we used to do it in the back alley? Hey, remember?"

This creep mentioned Mira's name, meaning Mira had sent this disgusting pig to come after Tilly.

Astarte... you divine asshole.

Was Melinoe and me working stalls not enough humiliation for you? That you'd still go this low to playing a game of spite for a Legion follower who you spat on?

"Quit it! Tilly doesn't want to do that stuff anymore! Leave her alone!" Flock shouted at Brandt, but the hulking man pushed Flock over.

"Oh, you are so dead!" I snarled, marching forward, but Tilly stopped me.

"Don't... you might cause another conflict! Brandt... Brandt is my responsibility. I'm so sorry. I just... I just didn't feel the same feelings as you did. This isn't your fault. But we can't be together."

"Huh?" Brandt hissed, pushing Tilly against the wall.

"You don't get to decide when to end things. You are mine! Mine mine mine! No one else can have you. You were, and still are, my property! I'm gonna fuck you until you pass out! Then I'll kill you! Do you think I don't know about all the men you were seeing while you were with me? You depraved little bitch!"

CLASP.

Brandt turned around to see Flock, who grabbed the older man by the wrist. A silver glow appeared on his body.

WHITE ECLIPSE

"Don't touch her."

"Let go of me, you brat!" Brandt turned around to grab Flock, but Flock stopped his momentum with a fierce kick that landed on his face, sending the man flying back into a trashcan.

Flock approached Brandt, the glow transitioning into a flame.

"I don't know what you were to Tilly, but I don't like the word 'property'. Did you always treat Tilly that way when you were together? There would be no way Tilly would have liked being called something like that!"

Brandt slowly got up and charged Flock, but Flock was too fast for him, zipping past his attacks, planting his palm under the man's chin, and flipping him backward.

"You can't do this... you can't! You'll give your group a bad name! You'll-"

"So what?" I said, kneeling before Brandt, while Flock held him in place, overpowering the man.

"We're part of the Melinoe Legion. Our reputation is already as bad as it gets. I don't see how it'll be the end of the world if we jumped some creep who can't let bygones be bygones."

Brandt struggled against Flock's grip.

I glanced at Tilly, who was frozen.

"Hey. You don't owe us anything, Tilly. Hope you realize this," I said.

Tilly slowly put her hands to her mouth.

"Shun... Flock..."

I turned back to Brandt.

"Last chance, meat. Tell me what Tilly was to you. A girlfriend? Someone you loved?"

Brandt glared at Tilly and spat in her direction.

I lowered my head.

"Anosa, Brandt-san, this was your last chance to escape what I'm gonna do to you. But you decided to fuck it all up. Quite frankly, I don't get romance. But someone who can't even say he loves the girl he's trying to stalk means the relationship probably wasn't a thing to begin with."

I slowly took off my sneakers, bouncing the balls of my feet against the pavement.

"I... I will ruin your life! I will ruin yours and Tilly's!"

"Of all the lives you should be worried about, ours shouldn't be your concern. You tried sexually assaulting a close friend of a Triad Mafia. You've already dug your grave."

I reeled my foot back and drove it against the man's crotch, hearing the sound of a crunch.

"GAHHH!!!" Brandt's face turned pale, his mouth hung open.

"You don't need these. Don't think you'll ever need 'em ever again," I smiled crazily, as I went for another go.

And another.

And another.

And another.

I laughed at the sky, throwing my hands into the air. The reflection of my outfit flashed in my mind. Tilly's words of gratefulness appeared in my head.

"Tilly is a free woman! She's a strong independent woman! She doesn't need a man like you to live! So..."

I turned to Tilly with a sinister grin.

"Let's do another bet. The first person to make this creep pass out from nutsack shots gets all the drumsticks for tonight's dinner."

Tilly lowered her hands, a smile forming on her face.

"Are you sure this is a good idea? Our Legion could be-"

"Lady, we are the worst Legion in all of Folia. It doesn't get any worse than us bottom feeders! If you're just gonna keep standing there, those drumsticks are gonna be mine!"

Tilly sighed, taking a step forward, and looked down at Brandt.

"The fuck you looking... at... slut..." Brandt muttered.

A sadistic expression appeared on Tilly's face.

"A past that I don't want to see ever again."

CRUNCH.

Fourth Stance

The gods.

Divine beings who descended to the world, in search of the hidden secret of the Labyrinth.

However, due to the rules of the world, only mortals could walk the plains of existence. Meaning only mortals could investigate the Labyrinth.

And so, the gods decided to bestow their blessings on select mortals to lead expeditions into the Dungeon on their behalf. By having a sufficient number of followers, a god can descend to the mortal realm and inhabit a mortal body, living amongst their children through the social structure known as a Legion.

However, a god's power is great, and so restrictions on their power usage were placed long ago, limiting their full strength.

Sometimes, I forget about these things, considering one of these so-called "gods" was currently working at a grilled squid stand next to me.

"Get your grilled squids here!" Melinoe called out, trying to hide the embarrassment on her face.

"Two grilled squids please," One of the customers said. I turned to the goddess.

"Another order of grilled squid, two of them."

Melinoe's eyes flashed.

"Though I have been humiliated, my thousands of years of experience in the culinary arts cannot be replicated by mere mortals. You shall be blessed with the greatest grilled squid in all of mortal history!"

Don't get pumped up over something so stupid!

"Yeah yeah. You've got the best culinary whatchamacallit's in all of mortal history. Just hurry and get them grilled so the customers don't get kept waiting."

The two of us sat down, serving the last bit of customers, and took our break.

"Heya!" Tilly greeted us, along with Flock.

"Need some help?"

I swatted my hand.

"No need. We're on a break. I think I might never eat tempura ever again..."

Flock took out a box of cans and set them on the table.

"Tilly and I thought that maybe the two of you could use some drinks after all that hard work."

"DRINKS?!" Melinoe perked up, eyeing the box.

"Non-alcoholic, since Shun and Flock are minors," Tilly clarified.

"Oh."

I gave my goddess a disappointed look.

"Lady Melinoe, doing customer service while being drunk is in bad taste."

"I know I know..." Melinoe grumbled.

I leaned back in my chair and took a sip of the refreshing beverage.

"Say, Shun, I always wondered..."

I glanced at Tilly.

"What is it?"

"You mentioned that you used to be part of the... Chinese... Triads... right?"

"You don't need to whisper it, most of the people in this town don't even know what that is anyway. But yes, my ethnicity is Chinese."

"But sometimes I hear you switching in and out of Japanese, and your mannerisms are very similar to the Ronin in Hachiman's Legion."

Flock and Melinoe leaned into our conversation.

"Tilly makes a good point, I've always wondered that too, Shun. You always said you were Chinese in ethnicity, but a lot of the times you speak in the same tongue as the people of Hachiman's Legion, who are Japanese in ethnicity," Flock observed.

I took another sip before answering.

"My parents were both Chinese. Whenever I was raised by them, I was raised to be Chinese. However, I was born in Nara, Japan. I attended a traditional Japanese school until I was ten years old. Then I moved back to China to study Shaolin Wushu at their temple. I can speak Japanese, Mandarin, and English. But I'm a native Japanese speaker. My English and Mandarin are both a little broken as a result."

Tilly smiled warmly, crossing her legs and resting her head against her knee.

"I think you have a cute little accent. Would you say you are more Japanese than Chinese in that case?"

Was it just me, or today was unusually hot?

"Meh. I don't really care about the accent. But if I were to declare my nationality, I would say I'm Chinese mostly because my parents were-"

"A complete embarrassment, just like you," a voice said from behind me.

I turned around and felt the blood leave my face.

Flock and Tilly got up, but both of them froze on the spot.

Flock took a step backward.

"He looks just like... just like..."

Tilly grimaced.

"Who the hell do you think you are, badmouthing Shun like that?"

The boy turned to Tilly, causing her to gasp.

"Oh god... you look... just like him..."

"Is that so? Then I take great offense to that."

The boy wasn't alone. Next to him was a hulking man who was at least eight feet tall, with bestial features and two large greatswords on his back, and trailing them were several other adventurers with incredibly high level gear.

"I advise we continue on our ways, Young Master. It is in bad taste to affiliate ourselves with low-level trash like the Ghost Goddess," one of the adventurers, an elf, said to the boy, but the boy brushed him off.

"No. But this is an exception."

The boy approached me, the two of us face to face.

He was wearing a silver and blue cloak, which covered most of his body and shoulders. But his hair was jet black, spiky just like mine.

And his face hadn't changed, after all these years.

"Of all the things you could have done to bring me shame, you had to go ahead and affiliate yourself with the people who ruined our lives? You really are a failure of an older brother," Wen sneered, his voice dripping with disdain.

Wen lowered his gaze to my shoes.

"Take them off."

My heart began beating faster and faster. I knew exactly where this was going.

I slowly did as he told me.

"Shun! Why are you letting him boss you around like that? This isn't like you!" Tilly exclaimed, but her voice quickly died down the moment she was the expression on my face.

Wen brought his hands up and wrapped one over a fist.

"Awakened Fire Palm - Wen Zhang."

I did the same, but I couldn't keep my hands from trembling.

"Wind... Wind Dragon Fist - Shun Zhang."

My fighting style was based on offense. Just like Hiiro's. Meaning the whole style was based on strike-first tactics.

I stomped on the ground and rushed forward, but it was like my whole body refused to listen to me. It would rather listen to its instincts.

And right now, those instincts were telling me to not even dare attack the terrifying being in front of me.

Wen calmly approached me, speaking in Japanese.

"You came all this way to try to follow me after I said I wanted nothing to do with any of you. With father and mother. And most of all, with you. But of course, you would try to continue RUINING MY NAME. By not just being named by a god lower ranked than Venus, but by the WORST goddess in all of Folia. How long are you going to keep being such an eyesore?"

My little brother struck me in the face. My body was unable to react, and the force of the strike was so great that I flew right into the stand, crashing through the wood and having a bunch of squid spill onto my clothes.

Flock quickly ran to my side, while Tilly and Melinoe put distance between me and my brother.

"What the hell is wrong with you? How could you do that to your own big brother?!" Tilly shouted at Wen.

"Tilly, don't," Melinoe grabbed her arm, stopping her.

"Don't provoke them any further."

Tilly looked like she wanted to respond, but hesitated, looking around at the crowd that had started to form.

"Young Master, because of this little scuffle we've attracted unwanted attention. I strongly advise we best be off."

Wen regarded me condescendingly.

"Leave our family's names out of your damn mouth."

An overwhelming pressure slammed into me, forcing me to nod submissively.

"Is that the Steel Palm?"

"It's Steel Palm and the Venus Legion!"

"Steel Palm's infamous chi technique, I never thought I would see it in person!"

"That's Jora of the Venus Legion, the greatest Elf archer in all of Folia!"

"Sh-Shun..." Tilly muttered.

"Man... ototo really ruined my hoodie. It's a good thing I took off my shoes. They would have been ruined," I said, getting to my feet.

"I'm fine, so you can calm down now, Lady Melinoe."

Melinoe's fists continued to tremble in rage, but she was doing her best to keep her composure.

The whispers continued when suddenly, an even greater pressure erupted from the group of Venus Legion followers.

The large man emerged from the crowd, immediately silencing everybody.

The man walked forward, past Tilly and Melinoe, and approached Flock.

"Our Lady's offer still stands. You have at last awakened your special ability, your White Eclipse. Just as he did. Your place is in the Venus Legion."

Flock held his ground, helping me to my feet.

"I appreciate the offer. It is a huge honor. I know that more than anyone, but I will always be faithful to Lady Melinoe. Always."

The man regarded Flock and the rest of our Legion, before grunting and turning around, with the rest of the Venus Legion in tow.

"It's him... it's really him in the flesh," a villager whispered.

"The strongest man in all of Folia."

"Oxaar Uxas, the highest Level 30 Adventurer in history..."

Flock put his hands on our goddess' shoulders.

"Thanks, Melinoe, we really appreciate your concern. But all that matters is we're okay, right? I don't want to put any more burdens on you just because we lashed out on the Venus Legion of all people."

Tilly crossed her arms, watching the rest of the Legion walk away from us.

"I- I guess. If even Shun of all people ended up being so quiet, it puts in perspective just how terrifying Folia's top Legion is."

Flock smiled at Tilly, causing her face to fluster red.

"And things are different this time because you're here with us. Things don't feel as lonely anymore!"

Tilly's expression slowly softened.

"I guess."

"Hey. Big ears."

The gang looked at me in surprise as I pulled a piece of raw squid off of my hair. Oxaar stopped in his tracks.

"Ummm, Shun, what are you doing?" Tilly asked.

I slowly raised my hand, forming a claw-like gesture, a crazy smile forming on my face.

"My ototo is one thing, but don't think you can try to come and poach Flock of all people to join that broad's Legion."

WOOSH.

Oxaar suddenly appeared in front of me, towering over my frame with his eyes wide and his pupils dilated. Even more tension filled the air as Tilly, Melinoe, and Flock's mouths hung open.

"What... did you just call... my Divine Lady?" The warrior asked, with a dark, menacing low voice.

I tilted my head, malice dripping from my smile.

"I'd never join the Venus Legion, because joining her would deny me the opportunity to surpass you. As many times as it takes... I'll become strong enough to cave in that face of yours."

Oxaar regarded me from above, as I disappeared, materializing above him with my foot raised in the air.

"S- so fast..." I heard Tilly whisper.

"You're slow."

I brought down my foot in a vicious axe kick right at Oxaar's blind spot, but the warrior deflected it easily with the flat of his greatsword, without even turning around.

"You were much faster when that Oni possessed your body."

"Tch!"

I spun around and launched kick after kick in mid-air, but Oxaar deflected each one with ease.

Normally, a fighter would have blind spots or openings. But for every opening I had tested against this guy, it was like a tease. Because each time I went for it, Oxaar would somehow deflect it with little to no effort.

The ultimate defensive fighting style by the strongest man in all of Folia.

But even so...

Shockwave Style - Wind Dragon Fist: Skycutter Strike

I feinted, allowing myself to slip past Oxaar and rush in with my clawed grip.

ZOOM.

"Wha-"

Oxaar stepped back, making distance in the blink of an eye, and before I knew it, the fist of his unarmed hand came flying down, connecting with my head and smashing me into the ground.

If you want your brother back, then satisfy me.

Show me a power that surpasses my right-hand man.

And I will not only return your brother to you, but I will tell you the truth.

Venus's gaze pierced through me.

The truth behind those pink streaks in your hair.

"GAH!" I woke up to the smell of perfume and the soft sensation of something against the back of my neck.

My vision was still groggy, but I could make out a tanned woman looking down at me from above. A white crop top that had a small ribbon that tickled my nose.

"Oh, you're awake!" Tilly said.

"You- huh? What happened? Oh, it's you."

Tilly grabbed me by the cheeks and yanked me into a seated position.

"Hey. What the hell was that all about earlier? You'd shy away from your own little brother but not hesitate to fight the King of Adventurers of all people? Something is seriously wrong with your head!"

"ACHOO!"

I rubbed my nose.

"That's a killer sneeze."

"Shun..."

I turned to Tilly, who grabbed me by the collar of my hoodie and waved her fist in front of me.

"You have a death wish or something?! What kind of guy sneezes at a girl?! I just changed into these clothes too!"

"GAH! Let go of me! I'm supposed to be the one who threatens people in this Legion!"

I yanked Tilly off of me, taking notice of the change in her outfit.

She was right.

She did change into a different outfit. Her usual cardigan and skirt were replaced with a white crop top which exposed her midsection and her cleavage along with a pair of short fringed shorts.

"Why did you change? Now we're going to get even more customers, most of them probably male," I said.

Tilly's forehead vein popped out.

"YOU'RE the reason I changed! Do you not remember?"

I put my hand on my chin, replaying the fight I had with Oxaar in my mind.

I remembered he had slammed me into the ground with an overhand right... and there were still bits of squid on my hoodie.

"Oh. My bad," I said, nonchalantly.

"You bastard..."

"Wait! Don't strangle me again! It's not that big of a deal! So what if your clothes smell like squid."

"It's a HUGE deal! Do you even know what you're saying?! People could take the squid smell for something else!"

I raised my eyebrow.

"Huh? Like what?"

Tilly's face turned red, but not the usual red whenever Flock said something kind to her.

No, it was the red that she had whenever I said something to her.

"Don't make me spell it out! My gods, how did Flock and Lady Melinoe survive with you around?"

I slowly stood up, taking off my hoodie and dunking it in a tank of water.

"Where's Flock? And Melinoe?"

"Working the stall."

"Okay, I'll fill in for Flock then."

As Tilly and I made our way to the stall, I could make out Flock interacting with the customers.

"Flock is really good with people," Tilly smiled.

He was a natural, given his usual kind and approachable nature, but even the great Flock of Social Skills had a weakness.

"Hi! What can I get for you- GEH!" Flock choked, as a beautiful young woman approached us. She had silver hair and was wearing white armor with red accents.

Her piercing blue eyes seemed to freeze Flock on the spot.

"C- Calyps.. Calypso! Calypso Rosewald of the Poseidon Legion! What are you, what are you doing here?" Flock stammered, his face pale as a ghost.

Calypso tilted her head curiously as if a panicking Flock was the most interesting thing in the world.

"Squid."

"C- Coming, coming right up! Umm... how- how are you? By the way?"

"Hungry."

"Ah... I see that. But what kind of squid would you like? Grilled, or-"

"Squid. The underwater kind."

"C- Calypso... all squids are... underwater..." Flock said.

"Flock! Are there no more orders? I could have sworn I saw someone was at our booth- HEY!" Melinoe snapped, grabbing Flock and yanking her child backward.

The goddess stuck her face in Calypso's direction. The two women had completely opposite expressions on their faces. With Calypso acting doll-like, and Melinoe... well...

"Just what does a hussy like you want with Flock?! Look at how flustered he is!"

Calypso regarded Melinoe with a blank expression.

"Lady Melinoe, it is an honor," The adventurer bowed.

Melinoe stood there awkwardly, her arms still outstretched and tensed up.

"Aww, now you've got me flustered, I can't stay mad at you, little girl!" Melinoe wrapped her arms around herself, blushing.

Tilly leaned in close to me.

"Hey, who is that?"

"Who? The girl in the armor?"

"Yes. Why is Flock acting like that toward her?" Tilly asked, pouting.

"That's Calypso Rosewald, she's a first-class adventurer to the Poseidon Legion. She's one of the strongest adventurers in all of Folia, actually. So having her come to our booth is quite unbelievable."

Tilly frowned, sitting on a chair behind the stall. Her dyed blonde hair, which was normally tied back in a flared-out ponytail still had pieces of squid embedded in it.

I kind of felt the obligation to let her know, but at the same time, it was kind of funny keeping quiet.

"Hmph. She's not that great. Surely. At least, in that department," Tilly muttered.

Hoho? Was I sensing jealousy from our resident gyaru?

"She's probably one of the closest people in Folia to reaching Oxaar in power. She's Level 23, and even has a nickname. The people in Folia call her The Queen of Knives. She's also one of the very very few adventurers that Oxaar acknowledges in her generation. I'd say she-"

I suddenly stopped talking, realizing that Tilly was glaring daggers at me.

"Even you are enthralled at this chick? Look at her armor! It practically accentuates her breasts and her legs! Have some shame, bitch!"

...

Tilly... you're wearing the shortest jean shorts imaginable, with the button undone teasing your underwear, and a white crop top that was a button away from exposing your bazookas, but by all means, Calypso should be the one with shame.

"Flock, have you kept up with your training?" Calypso asked.

"Training?!" Tilly choked.

"Pfft," I snickered, causing Tilly to turn to me aggressively.

"Ah! Mou... this floor hasn't been, uh, swept, recently..." I stammered, trying to avoid digging a deeper hole than I already had.

"S- Sorry... I haven't had the time, recently. A lot has happened, after all, we got a new member in our Legion."

"A new member?" Another voice said, peeking from behind Calypso.

Flock suddenly yelped, falling on his back and causing pots and pans to clatter to the ground.

"Flock! Are you okay?! And who are you supposed to be?!" Melinoe said.

The girl got out of hiding, her pink hair tumbling to her shoulders.

"It's Leah! Leah Crawfor? Do you remember me?"

Flock's face was turning redder by the minute... and so was Tilly's, probably for a different reason.

"How does Flock know so many women?! Why am I getting so pissed!" I heard Tilly grumble under her breath.

Leah approached Flock.

"Anyway, congratulations on the new member! I'm so happy for you and Lady Melinoe! Is your member here?"

"Yeah, right here," I said, pushing Tilly into the spotlight.

Leah turned to face Tilly, and for a split second, her smile wavered. I was able to make out the direction of her gaze. From Tilly's dyed hair to her ponytail, to her earrings, and finally her very exposed chest as well as her overall outfit.

I always wondered how prim and proper ladies like Calypso and Leah would react to seeing someone like Tilly, or I guess, anyone from the Astarte Legion, but it was about as what I expected.

"Oh... wow! You must be the new member of Melinoe's Legion! You look... um... really... yeah!"

Tilly's forehead vein looked like it was about to burst.

"My name is Tilly, nice to meet you."

Leah glanced at Tilly's chest again, her hands momentarily going for hers.

Chin up, Leah. We're still growing!

As for Calypso, she didn't react at all, glancing at Flock, who, up until now, had not uttered a single word to Leah. A look of annoyance flashed on her face.

"Meet me at the top of Winchester Building at sunset. We will train."

"O- Okay."

"With three members in your Legion, will you descend to the Labyrinth?" Calypso asked.

"The Labyrinth? Oh yeah! You guys have three members now, you can form a party!" Leah said.

"We cannot, Tilly hasn't Awakened yet," I replied.

"Really? Oh, that's unfortunate... I was hoping I could see you guys in the Dungeons sometime. After all, Flock, you've always been so enthusiastic to go on adventures."

Calypso grabbed Leah by the ear, causing her to yelp.

"We are the Expedition Party. If we bring Level 1's to our group we will have casualties."

Leah pouted.

"I forgot about that. Sorry. But hey, one of these days, I wouldn't mind creating a temporary group with you guys! Flock, Shun."

Flock's blushing suddenly receded as he slowly turned to Tilly, who stared dejectedly at the ground.

"Shun and I will not go on any adventures until Tilly has Awakened. Sorry, Le-AH! AH! Forgive me! I didn't mean to shut you down! I uh! Um!"

Leah laughed, poking Flock on the nose.

"You're so sweet. Take your time, Flock. There's no rush!"

And with that, the two Poseidon followers left, leaving our group on our own until we finished our shift.

I stretched my arms.

"Well, Flock. You might as well go visit Calypso now. Our shift is over and sunset is approaching."

Melinoe took a beer can and popped open the lid.

"Sweet ambrosia..." The goddess' mouth began watering.

Have some decency!

I grabbed my hoodie and wrung out the water, slinging it over my back.

"Time to hit the hay-"

"Shun."

"Heh?"

I turned around to see Tilly, whose face was still downcast, but her teeth were clenched together.

A sigh escaped me.

"Tilly, like I said before, no one's pressuring you to Awaken. Take as much time as you need."

"It may not be a problem for you or Flock, but it's a problem for me. Flock... whenever we aren't around, I sometimes overhear him speaking to Lady Melinoe. And whenever he talks about the Dungeon and adventures, he gets all excited. Melinoe and Flock finally managed to get a third follower but he still can't descend down the Dungeon because I haven't Awakened yet."

I picked out the last bits of squid in my hair.

"Okay, well, if you want, we can train a bit this afternoo-"

"Fight me."

I stared at my fellow Legion member.

"What?"

Tilly clenched her fists.

"An Awakening requires someone to overcome something monumental. Like initiation, right? What you suggested we do before... let's do that."

"Tilly, this is a really bad idea! What if you get hurt?" Melinoe said, clasping Tilly's hands.

"I understand where you are coming from, but this is really dangerous."

Tilly gently pried her hands off of her goddess'.

"It's because it's dangerous that I need to do it. Shun. Surely you get it. I don't want to stay weak forever. If there's a chance I can become someone who won't hold you two back... I have to do it. I don't want to be weak anymore. I don't want to be someone who you guys need to protect all the time. I hate it."

I slowly put my hands in my pockets.

"You realize I'm not the type of person to pull my punches, right? If I fight you I'm going to come at you for real."

Tilly gave me a determined expression.

"I expect nothing less from you, Shun."

The sun had set, and with that, the courtyard of our little shack had transformed into a dueling ring.

I slowly wrapped the bandages around my hands.

"The first person who loses consciousness or the ability to continue fighting is the loser. Got it?"

"SHUN! If you even mark Tilly's face I'll bring upon the most divine wrath imaginable! Got it?!" Melinoe screamed.

"How the hell am I supposed to fight Tilly without marking her?!"

"Don't aim for her face... or her body!"

??????

Tilly took out a large sword and a shield, courtesy of Melinoe's generosity. Cladding her body was a set of pretty simple Crusader armor.

I bounced on the balls of my feet, warming up my body and doing preliminary stretches.

"I thought you said you didn't want to be a Crusader because it wasn't very ladylike," I observed.

"This isn't the time for appearances."

"Could have fooled me. Those boots don't look battle-ready."

Tilly flustered.

"The standard issue doesn't fit the rest of the look!"

"I thought you said this wasn't the time for appearances!"

Tilly gripped her sword. It was at least twice as big as Flock's. Meaning she had the range advantage.

And if I got caught by that...

I didn't even want to imagine it.

Why wasn't Melinoe concerned for me like she was for Tilly?!

"Tilly... I will hurt you. This is your last chance," I said.

"I know."

Melinoe threw a coin into the air.

PLINK.

SHOOM.

Tilly rushed forward, to my surprise, her sword reeled back.

I narrowly dodged the blow, the shockwave momentarily knocking me off balance as I fell on my back.

My style was heavily based on offense. Meaning to win a fight would require me to strike first.

To have Tilly be the first to go on the offensive put me at a disadvantage.

Did Tilly know this?

Tilly ran toward me, her eyes wild with determination, and swung again, but this time, I rushed in, deflecting the flat of the sword and spinning it in the palm of my hand.

I reeled my fist back, finding an opening right at her side.

If I landed this strike, it would catch her right in the liver, finishing her instantly.

I wasn't the type to pull my punches.

No matter who my opponent was.

But...

I didn't mean to make you feel embarrassed in our arm wrestle. I also still have no desire to become a Crusader. But this is the least I can do for someone who gave me the strength to keep living. Thank you Shun.

The image of Tilly bringing me to the mirror appeared in my mind. Of her presenting me with my white sneakers.

The smile on her face...

There weren't a lot of people in this world who would do kind things for me.

The white sneakers that Tilly had gifted me were neatly placed in the far corner of the room. I would always take them off in matches so I wouldn't get the shoes dirty.

I grimaced, shoving her away instead of striking her. I watched Tilly fly backward, grinding against the ground and grunting in pain.

I bounced on the balls of my feet again.

Tilly charged, swinging again and again, but missing wildly. I retaliated with open-palmed strikes.

At this point, our duel pretty much consisted of Tilly running forward, missing swings, and being shoved back.

I didn't know if there was even a point of this anymore if-

"Why... WHY ARE YOU HOLDING BACK?!" Tilly shouted, startling me.

"Huh? What the hell are you on about?"

Tilly skidded backward, breathing hard. Sweat drops ran down the side of her head, and her hair was plastered across her forehead.

"I'm not the type of person to pull my punches... was that all just an act to look cool?"

"HUH?! DO YOU WANT TO DIE FOR REAL?!" I snapped, angrily.

"If what you said earlier wasn't bullshit you would have done it already! Come at me with your full strength!"

I hesitated, dodging another strike.

"That strength, that fierceness you displayed when you and Flock came for me... where is that monster now?"

"Shut up!"

"YOU shut up! And listen!"

Tilly attacked again. I dodged, weaving through the blow, and watched my opponent slide to the other side.

"If you don't fight back... I'll never Awaken, Shun. It has to be this way! For Flock, for you... and for Lady Melinoe. Or maybe you're not as tough as you led yourself on to be?"

I felt a vein pop on my forehead.

"You bitch..."

Tilly jumped into the air, swinging her sword in a backhand motion.

Shockwave Style - Wind Dragon Fist

I brought my hands up in a cross fashion, catching the blade in the space between my forearms and twisted, pulling Tilly closer to me.

DRAGON'S BITE.

My fists came together, slamming into Tilly's sides. I felt her ribs against my knuckles crack from the pincer movement.

Tilly coughed out blood, stumbling back and clutching her midsection, falling to one knee.

My hands dropped to my sides as I ran to Tilly's position.

"Tilly! Hey!"

Tilly shoved me, making me stumble back.

"What... the hell... are you DOING? Attack!"

"But... I..."

Tilly propped herself against her sword, blood leaking from her mouth.

"You really are just another failure, aren't you."

My eyes widened, Wen's voice echoing what Tilly had said.

"Are you holding back because I'm a woman? Is that it? You think you're in any position to give me pity like that?" Tilly snarled, forcing herself forward and swinging her sword.

I caught the blade's flats with the palms of my hands, but Tilly's strength was ridiculous. I found myself leaning back.

"Shimatta!" I gasped, stumbling back as Tilly took advantage of my loss of balance and slammed her forehead against mine.

"Gah!"

My vision began to blur. I could barely make out Tilly's figure, bringing her sword up and reeling it back.

I brought my arms up. There was no time to dodge! I had to block this!

I felt the full force of Tilly's sword against my elbows, and the wind in my breath knocked right out of me as I flew backward violently, slamming into the side of the courtyard walls and crushing the cement.

Tilly lowered her sword, approaching me.

The breastplate she was wearing had already cracked, crumbling to pieces from my Dragon Bite.

"This isn't the speed or power that you showed when you fought Oxaar. This wasn't even the strength that you showed when you fought Zachery. Are you saying that I'm inferior to even Zach?"

I didn't answer, unable to make out the intimidating pressure that was coming off of Tilly's body.

This wasn't the aura of a Crusader that Melinoe predicted.

It was something far more wrathful.

I glanced at Melinoe, who had a hand to her chin, watching intently.

"Shun."

I gasped, as Tilly's face was suddenly an inch away from mine. Her eyes were wide with murderous intent.

A fear had seized my body, instantly making it go on autopilot.

I narrowly dodged another fierce swing from my colleague and countered with a punch which Tilly blocked with her shield, but the punch went right through the metal, shattering it.

My other hand was raised, going straight for Tilly's side from where I had injured her ribs.

It wasn't until the moment of impact did I realized what I was about to do.

Stop...

Stop, Shun! You're seriously going to hurt-

PANG.

"Wha-"

My fist was stopped, its momentum gone. What was supposed to be Tilly's skin was the flat of her blade, which began to overpower my punch.

I slowly looked up, to see Tilly glaring daggers at me. Her eyes glowed a demonic orange.

Tilly shoved me back and was about to swing again, but I dodged mid-air, back-flipping and gaining distance.

"Enough. This duel isn't going anywhere. You're too much of a pansy to hurt me. I didn't take you for someone to be so soft, Shun. After all that bravado you put up this entire time."

"You-"

"There's a word that we use for people like you, Shun. Maybe you aren't familiar with it since English isn't your native language. But what you are doing can be described as pandering. Going easy on me just because of your feelings."

"Hey, are you calling me soft?" I asked, my voice dangerously low.

"Yeah."

Tilly raised her greatsword and ditched her shield. An orange mist was trailing her irises, which were now fully orange.

"But whatever. That's fine by me. Even if I don't Awaken, at least I get the satisfaction of knowing I beat a supposed Triad 49er."

I closed my eyes, exhaling.

"Alright then. You better be ready for what's about to come. You're gonna need it."

Tilly braced herself as I slowly took off my hoodie, wrapping it around my waist like a sash.

I grabbed the two sleeves and pulled them in opposite directions from behind my back, leaning forward and assuming my stance.

"Wind Dragon Fist - Shun Zhang."

ZOOM.

I appeared in front of Tilly, who gasped and brought her sword up, but my hand curled around the blade, slithering around her arm until we were both interlocked by our corresponding limbs.

I roared, pulling and dislocating Tilly's shoulder as she cried out in pain.

I felt something weird in my chest but ignored it.

Tilly, if this is what you want, then you'll get everything that's coming to you.

This is the ruthlessness of a kung fu practitioner raised by The Red Circle Triad.

I spun and drove my foot into Tilly's side where I had injured her ribs previously, hurling her into a wall.

I landed on the ground, leaning forward and charging like a feral animal.

That's right, Shun-dono. I had to do what needed to be done. If it meant lying to you to momentarily take control of your body, then I would make that call. So we could both live.

To murder that girl in cold blood.

Deep down, you knew you wanted to. Didn't you?

In the end, there wasn't just one demon in that room that day.

I approached Tilly, who lay motionless, buried in rubble. Blood streaked her hair and covered her entire face.

There were two.

I seethed, glaring at my blood-soaked hand bandages.

My surroundings flickering from Folia to China.

CLASP.

"..."

I slowly removed my hands, to see Tilly desperately clutching my ankle. One of her eyes was permanently closed, but the other was barely open, struggling to stay awake.

"I will... Awaken... even if it kills me..."

"Enough..." I muttered, shaking her hand off my ankle.

"You can't fight anymore. I won't do anything else-"

"I'm... not a failure... Lady Astarte..."

My chest flared in pain as I stared at Tilly.

Her eyes were losing their light.

"No. No, I'm taking you back. MELIN-"

WOOSH.

A sudden force slammed me in my chest, sending me back. I flew into a wall and crumpled to the ground in surprise.

Tilly had miraculously gotten to her feet, barely able to stand, but still conscious.

Her blood was dripping from her body and made a mess on the ground.

"Lady Melinoe... I want to be strong... I want to be strong too. I've been letting my monsters haunt me for so long, feeling sorry for myself."

A black aura began emanating from Tilly's body as her greatsword began to grow even bigger, weird spikes had begun forming at the hilt, giving it a demonic appearance.

It was that same aura, the same aura that had intimidated me earlier.

"I thought I had changed by leaving Lady Astarte, but I never did. An attention whore then... and a pity whore now..."

Tilly took another step forward, her legs buckling as she dragged her sword across the ground.

"You..." I muttered. Never in my life had I felt so undeserving of a human being.

I had done so many things when I was in China.

Hell, I had even committed taboo by letting myself get possessed by an evil spirit.

But all of that paled in comparison to hurting someone who cared about me.

Hurting a friend with the same hands that were used to destroy my enemies.

The black aura dissipated, and I watched Tilly lean forward.

I extended my hands, catching her before her head could conk on the ground.

"Tilly... Tilly! Melinoe! Melinoe, Tilly's in critical-"

"I know! I know... it's okay. It's okay, Shun. Just calm down," Melinoe said, appearing beside me and putting a hand on Tilly's forehead.

"Her soul is fine. Just her body is banged up. Let's take her back to the house."

I clenched my fists so hard that blood began to leak through the crevices of my fingers.

"Shun, you should also get yourself cleaned up. It's-"

"I don't... deserve her. Or you. I..."

The blood-soaked bandages were in full view.

Bandages that had the blood of my friend.

Melinoe gave me a look of concern, grabbing my shoulders and forcing me to turn to her.

"Don't say that. Don't you dare say that. You are my child. It may have been Flock who extended his hand to join me, but ultimately the decision to admit someone into a Legion can only be placed through divine authority. I made the call to accept you. You deserve us, Shun. Let's just get Tilly back and we can talk, okay?"

Tilly was brought into her room, where her wounds were treated. An hour later, I found her resting in the bed that she shared with Melinoe.

"How is she?" I asked, immediately, sticking my face through the door and scaring the daylights out of the Ghost Goddess.

"GAH! Shun! Don't scare me like that! My goodness. Scaring a Goddess of Ghosts of all people, you really are something, aren't you?"

"Tilly... did Tilly Awaken?" I asked.

Melinoe shook her head, causing a sense of dread to wash over me.

"I'm sorry, Shun. I didn't sense Tilly's body Awakening."

So even after all that, after everything I had done to her, she didn't even get an Awakening.

"But... something interesting did come up when I did an Appraisal on her."

"What's that?"

Melinoe beckoned me toward Tilly's side.

"Tilly's strength and durability are profound, they're characteristic to that of Crusaders and Berserkers. But there's this third element that I'm not so sure of. You mentioned that Tilly fought better without her shield, right?"

"Yeah."

Melinoe hovered her hand over Tilly's forehead.

"Crusaders and Berserkers fight with shields. I've never heard of either of them not using one. And there's also this black aura she was emitting. It makes me think that she may have partially Awakened into a completely different class."

"Could she have Awakened as a Swordswoman?"

"No... Tilly isn't as agile as Flock. It has to be something else. Regardless of what it is, I'm glad she's made progress! I'm also happy for you too."

I looked away.

"What for?" I grumbled.

Melinoe put a hand on mine.

"You pulled your punches. For the first time in my life, I saw you hesitate to strike someone down."

"I don't see how that's relevant now. I injured Tilly really bad."

"But... even when you did fight her 'for real', all you did was dislocate her shoulder and break a rib. The old you would have done way worse, right?"

"..."

Melinoe put her hand on my head, causing my black and pink hair to ruffle underneath it.

The only time I was able to run around without wearing that black hair dye was when I was with Melinoe.

"It's okay, what you're seeing yourself becoming. It isn't a weakness to value your friends. This is what I'm trying to show you. I know about your wager with Venus, and I know about your situation with Wen. You feel like a failure compared to your little brother because he is in the Venus Legion, right?"

A pout slowly crept on my face.

"I wouldn't... say I'm jealous per se..."

Melinoe laughed.

"It's fine to feel that way. I know I'm not exactly a model goddess. But maybe that's what you need. Venus only sees her followers as tools and weapons. The same way she sees Oxaar she sees in Wen. But you... you are more than just a follower to me, Shun. So be proud of yourself, as proud as I am with you!"

Pride...

Boss Lok had once prized his "sons" based on their ability to follow orders. To kill whoever they were asked.

The only reason I had become a son, was because I was able to kill Master Leung. One of the most famous and greatest martial artists in all of Hebei province.

And Leung was the one who had defeated Lok's right hand, and my original martial arts mentor, Talon.

To the Red Circle, one's worth was based on merit.

But here in Folia... no... here in Melinoe's Legion, I didn't need to prove my worth, for some reason...

For some reason, I was appreciated regardless of how many deliveries I made, or who I fought.

Or how strong I had become.

I was appreciated not as a weapon, but as a person.

I looked at Melinoe again.

My first run-in with a god was with Venus, who had revealed she had taken Wen from me and gave me a seemingly impossible task to win him back, by surpassing the strongest man in all of Folia.

My second run-in would be with numerous gods and goddesses who turned me away because of my lack of money, my unkempt appearance, and my vulgar nature having been raised as a notorious criminal since I was eleven.

Only Melinoe had taken me in.

"I've made up my mind."

The Ghost Goddess raised an eyebrow.

"Huh? For what?"

I got to my feet, tossing my hand bandages aside and smoothing out my skin, which had blistered again.

"I'm gonna surpass Oxaar. And become the strongest man in all of Folia."

"Umm, yeah, I know. To get Wen bac-"

"Not just Wen. But..."

I slowly made a fist with my vulnerable hand, ignoring the pain in my palms.

"Flock and I may have different methods of reaching there, but our goal is the same. We will make you the most respected goddess in all of Folia, by making this the strongest Legion. Flock will become strong enough to stand by Leah Crawfor and the Poseidon Legion, inspiring and showing them just how kind you are. And I will do so by showing them through sheer, unsurpassable power.

"I'm not seeking strength and becoming the strongest for my own benefit anymore. This was the condition for my Awakening, right?"

I got on one knee, kneeling before my goddess, and lowered my face to the floor, to Melinoe's surprise.

"Sh-Sh-Sh-Sh- Shun! Wha- What are you doing?! Stop that! You don't need to-"

"Melinoe-sama. I swear on my name, my pride, and my fist, Shun Zhang, that I will become your strongest follower. For the longest time, you were considered a minor god, and I don't know what happened in the past, but many look at you with disdain. Many have called us a bottom-feeder Legion. I will change all of that. I will make you the greatest goddess in history."

A few moments of silence passed by, as I slowly raised my head.

"Melinoe?"

Melinoe had her face in her hands, blushing hard.

"Gods... you are such a handful... arise. Child."

Melinoe helped me to my feet.

"I accept your pledge, Shun. Go. And become the strongest. And I will be waiting for you."

Fifth Stance

When Flock returned from training that day, I half expected him to wallop me over the head after learning of my duel with Tilly.

But instead, Flock had directed his attention toward Tilly herself, to the surprise of both me and Melinoe.

"How could you do something so reckless?" Flock asked.

Tilly, having recovered from her severe beating, rubbed the back of her neck with a look of embarrassment.

"I wanted to Awaken. I thought, that maybe, Shun could help me do so by putting my body through immense danger. I'm really sorry for worrying you like that."

Flock's lip trembled, and in response to her apology, the kid rushed forward and embraced Tilly in a hug, causing her to lose her composure.

"F- Flock!"

"Shut up! Just... just stay where you are..." Flock muttered, burying his face into her shoulder.

"Ultimately I couldn't Awaken... You too, Shun, I'm so sorry, for putting you in that position..."

"In a battle, recklessness costs lives," Calypso said, from behind me.

"GEAHHH! What in the name of Huang Daxian?!" I exclaimed.

"I am not familiar with that god."

"It's a Chinese Taoist deity from my parent- wait why am I answering your question? What the hell are you doing in our house?!"

"Calypso wanted to come along. I suppose she was interested in what was going on with the rest of our Legion," Flock explained as if it were perfectly normal for a Folian celebrity of Rosewald's caliber to casually show up to our front door like that.

Calypso walked forward and approached Tilly, her cold aura sending chills down my spine.

"A formal party of three Awakened adventurers is required to descend into the Dungeon. From what I have been told, you achieved a partial Awakening. If it is an Awakening you are after, I would recommend you join Flock and Shun into the Dungeon and form a party."

Tilly blinked.

"But don't I need to be Awakened?"

"A partial Awakening also counts."

"Then it's settled!" Melinoe exclaimed, happily.

"The three of you, go and register yourselves to the Guild at once!"

"Wait wait wait, hold on, don't we need a reference patron?" I asked.

Calypso raised her hand.

"I will be your reference."

...

"HAHA! Calypso, you're one funny girl, you know that? You should be a comedian, and you're dead serious aren't you," I muttered.

Calypso tilted her head.

"Flock wishes to go to the Labyrinth."

I had a bad feeling about this.

A real bad feeling.

"It's the Queen of Knives herself!"

"What's she doing in the Guild?"

"Where's the rest of the Poseidon Legion?"

"Do you think she cleared another Dungeon Monstrosity?"

More and more people had turned to our direction to catch a glimpse of Calypso, while the rest of us trailed behind like little puppies.

"Ummm, Calypso, you really don't need to go through all the trouble for us..." Flock said, nervously.

"I made up my mind. I will allow no one else to be your patron, Flock."

"Calypso..."

"Also, I need to turn in my tokens for clearing a Floor. This is convenient."

"Ah... yes, I suppose it is..." Flock muttered.

The four of us approached the Guild lady, who looked up happily from her desk.

"Calypso! Have you come to cash in?"

"Yes. Five Juggernauts were slain. Leah, Yvir, and Wes accompanied me on this Expedition. We have broken past Floor 82."

More murmurs rippled across the people in the Guild Hall.

"She cleared FIVE Juggernauts? With just three people?!"

"A single Juggernaut alone requires upwards to twenty first-class adventurers!"

"She's a monster..."

Tilly's face paled, having finally realized the reality of Calypso's abnormal strength.

"Just... how strong is she...?"

I picked at my teeth with a toothpick that I had stolen from the Tavern along the way.

"Well, she's Level 23. So she'd probably beat all of us at the same time if she went all out."

"You're kidding, right."

"Nope. Dead serious."

Calypso didn't get that epithet for nothing. She was personally respected and acknowledged by Oxaar himself. Expedition teams were responsible for pushing the limits of Adventurer potential, venturing into the deepest known Floors of the Labyrinth to descend deeper and deeper. There is no knowledge of the next Floor, meaning only the strongest of the strongest were trusted to take on the task. Calypso being trusted to lead an Expedition with a team of only four in itself spoke volumes to how much of a machine she was.

"Oi! Gimme a chance 'ere! I promise I won't cause you any trouble!" A girlish voice shouted after a group. She seemed to have a weird accent...

"Ugh, it's her," I heard someone from the group answer.

"Leave us alone, you filthy wench!"

"That's no way to treat a lady!" The girl replied, angrily.

"You are the furthest from a lady there is! The last thing we want is a psycho like you causing yet another disaster in the Labyrinth!"

"Oi! What did you just say?! Did your mother not teach you any manners? Talking to women like that?! Hey! Don't ignore me!"

"Who was that?" Tilly asked after the commotion died down. Judging from the reactions of everyone in the Guild Hall, this seemed to be a routine occurrence.

"Word of advice, miss?" One of the adventurers turned to us, resting his arm against the back of his chair.

"Don't make eye contact with her. Or she'll stick to you like a leech."

Calypso was still helping Flock with the paperwork to file out the composition of our party.

"I will not allow any delinquents to influence Flock. The girl will not be affiliated with-"

"Ahhh, you're very sweet, aren't ya? What's your name?" The same girlish voice said.

"It's Flock! I saw you were looking for people to go to the Labyrinth, if it isn't any trouble, do you mind coming along with us? It's our first time going to the Labyrinth."

The girl put her hands to her mouth, her eyes sparkling.

"By the gods... you're one bundle of wholesomeness you know that?"

Calypso stared at her protege.

"Huh?"

I focused my attention on the girl whom Flock had literally just recruited on a whim.

If Tilly was the definition of a "hot beach chick", then this girl was the definition of... well, whatever was the opposite of that.

She had on a blue tank top and black camouflage pants which were cladded with additional hide around her knees.

Her brown, scraggly hair was similar to a bob cut, but it was hard to make out its full appearance because she was wearing a cap that covered most of her large round eyes.

She kind of reminded me of a camper girl, tomboyish, and of all things...

I slowly put my hand over my coin pouch.

A crafty trickster.

And Flock had just recruited this walking red flag into our party!!!

"Flock, are you sick? Do you need to see a doctor?" Calypso asked, pinching Flock's face like a mother trying to see if there was anything wrong with her child.

"Mmmf! Mmmm, mfine... mmmm!"

The girl lowered her hat.

"Pleasure makin' your acquaintance! The name's Yuna! I specialize in traps n' magic projectiles."

"You talk funny," I blurted out.

Tilly's jaw hung open, but Yuna smirked.

"Oi, don't be goin' around thinking you're the center of the universe, there! I'm from Yorkshire, England. English comes from England, so if anythin' you're the ones who talk funny. And besides, if we're talkin' about accents, wouldn't you be talkin' funny too? Your English has hints of a Chinese accent."

"Geh!"

I hate this girl already!

"But Flock, you sure you wanna take in someone like me? I ain't even from your Legion, you seem a lil trustin' don't cha' think?" Yuna asked, the overhang of her cap casting a shadow over her face.

Flock smiled.

"Sometimes I visit the Guild Hall and I always see you being brushed off by people... but despite being pushed away you still came back every day. I think you deserve a chance!"

Yuna's demeanor, for a split second, changed slightly. Her lips curled as if taken off guard by Flock's reply.

"You... er, well, if I'm useful then I don't mind, erm I mean, yeah! You bet I'll be of good use, who do you think you're talkin' to anyway?"

I glanced at Calypso, whose eyes narrowed dangerously.

The first-class elite stepped forward and grabbed Flock by the arm, yanking him away from Yuna.

And Yuna noticed right away.

"What's with you? Princess? Bein' so obsessive over Flock? You're from a different Legion aren't 'cha? You're not even in his party."

"I am not handing Flock over to you," Calypso said, her mouth forming into a pout.

The fearsome Queen of Knives was pouting!

I was witnessing history in the making!

A sly smile formed on Yuna's face.

"What's this? Do I sense... jealousy?"

Yuna walked forward until she was face to face with Calypso, though it was kind of funny, considering Yuna's short stature compared to Calypso.

She was almost a whole head shorter than the Queen of Knives.

"I can be pretty ladylike if I want to, ya know? It ain't that hard. Just gotta..."

Yuna began fiddling with her tank top, trying to tighten her waist, but the jangling of her clunky belt and chains was making it almost impossible.

"Wait, gimme a sec. I... I almost got it. Hourglass figures n' that, you know?"

"Ummm, Yuna, what are you doing-" Flock said, but Yuna cut him off.

"Oi, Flock, which one of us, out of all the women here, is the most ladylike?"

Yuna took off her hat, trying to make a pose, but I guess her tomboyish appearance wasn't just an act.

She was hopeless to the core.

Flock blinked.

"I... Don't really know if I can answer that."

"Come on, it ain't that hard. Just say it's me! I've got more assets than anyone here..." Yuna's voice suddenly trailed away as Tilly rejoined the gang.

"Heeeey, guys. I've finished my part of the paperwork. Calypso was right, a partial Awakening also counts. Looking forward to... ummm... what's going on here?"

Yuna stared at Tilly, her eyes completely glued to her chest, waist, and legs.

I watched as Yuna fell to her knees in defeat, her soul seemingly leaving her body.

"Maybe I should just be a guy after all."

That was fast! And out of pocket!

"What is it, Tilly?" I asked.

"The Guild Lady says we need to go through orientation so we can go to the Labyrinth. Something about basic understanding of how it works and everything, and liability waivers, considering how dangerous Dungeoneering is."

"So... like school then?"

"Yep! In a way."

"Okay, I guess I'm out then," I turned around left, but Tilly grabbed my collar, locking me in place with her monstrous strength.

"Get back here! Don't tell me you never went to school before."

"I did... sort of."

"Sort of?"

I did go to school, back when I lived in Nara. But I never graduated.

I left school to go to the Shaolin Temple with Wen, and when I dropped out, I ended up back in China where one thing led to another and I ended up getting adopted by The Red Circle.

"Aww! It's okay, Shun. You won't get bullied during orientation. You have friends now!" Tilly said, happily, putting her hands to her cheeks and gushing.

"Why are you assuming I had no friends?!" I snapped.

Yuna pointed at me and began laughing.

"BAHAHAHA! Insecure I see!"

"Shut up, washboard chest."

"What did you say?!"

"Nothing, it was your imagination."

Yuna crossed her arms and then tipped her hat.

"You can all relax. I've been to orientation many times. So much that you lot should take lessons from me."

And what exactly would we be learning from a lunatic like you...

"You have to repeat orientation for each party you're in?" Tilly asked Yuna.

"Nope."

"Then... why are you joining our orientation?"

Yuna grinned proudly.

"Because I haven't passed it once! I've been sneaking into the Labyrinth this entire time! HAHA!"

Tilly made a choking sound, while Yuna continued laughing to herself.

Flock smiled nervously, turning to Calypso, who looked like she was regretting being our patron more and more with each passing remark.

"..."

The lady who was running the orientation gave Flock and my group a once-over.

"Lady Calypso, are you sure about this group?"

Calypso stared at the ground, probably realizing just what she had gotten herself into.

"Well, I won't question your judgment, after all, you are one of our star adventurers. But..."

The woman looked at us again.

Someone was snoring next to me at her desk. I slowly turned around to see Yuna fast asleep, her mouth open and drool leaking out of the corner.

"Who's the prettiest... yeah... me! I am!" Yuna mumbled, giggling creepily.

"Hue hue hue hue hue!"

"Before we continue, I would like to introduce myself. My name is Elizabeth, formally part of the Hermes Legion. I will be conducting an orientation to discuss basic Dungeoneering etiquette, safety practices, and knowledge on navigating the Labyrinth. I hope you all make good use of my-"

A snort suddenly interrupted Elizabeth.

"BAH! Aw, crud. It was a dream," Yuna snapped awake, wiping the drool off her mouth with her hand.

Ignoring Yuna, Elizabeth continued, explaining about the Labyrinth.

The Labyrinth was composed of Floors. Each Floor was a completely different environment. Some of them even had magical properties that seemingly eclipse basic understanding. Each Floor contained monsters, and with each monster slain, their bodies released something called "shards", which could be cashed into the Guild Hall in exchange for currency.

Some Floors, named Auric Floors, were home to exceptionally powerful entities known as Monstrosities. Monstrosities were immortal creatures that required upward of twenty adventurers to defeat. The deeper the Floor was, the stronger the monsters became, and by extension, so were the Monstrosities. Thankfully, if a Monstrosity was slain, they would revive after several hours.

All monsters were assessed based on a ranking system, all the way from D Tier, to A Tier.

There was a legendary rating, known as the S Tiers, both those were reserved for incredibly powerful monstrosities that surpassed logic and reason. Needless to say, we shouldn't have any reason to worry about them at this stage.

That was pretty much the gist of it, but I would have been lying if it hadn't taken a toll on me mentally.

"Flock... I think I'm done for..." I muttered, my brain felt like it was about to burst.

"Hang in there, Shun! We need to pass orientation before we can go on adventures! Think about Melinoe!"

I remembered my pledge to our goddess, how I acted all cool and valiant, and everything. It would be a shame if we all flopped at the first step of the journey. Flock was right. We needed to give this with everything we got.

We needed to give it our A-game.

I glanced at Yuna, who had fallen asleep again.

Yeah.

No.

This one was a lost cause.

But we still had Tilly. Tilly seemed like the type of person to put a lot of effort when she set her sights on something.

"What should I wear for the Labyrinth... Something functional, maybe armor? But I also want something cute..." Tilly mumbled under her breath, crossing her legs as if she was deep in thought.

No! Tilly you useless gyaru!

Think. Shun. Think.

I needed to set an example for the rest of the Legion, otherwise it would just be Flock and me who would pass orientation. The whole point was to make all of Lady Melinoe's Legion great. Not just us two. Flock had already done his part, having been able to befriend Calypso of all people. I had to do mine.

A thought appeared in my mind.

That's right... do my part. Do it my way.

The only way I knew how. I was practically braindead from all this lesson material, but if I fell now, I would be setting a bad example, lowering the morale of my comrades. This is our bastion. We will not fall.

I slammed my fist against the desk, warping the metal.

"Totemo ii... Elizabeth-sensei. Keep the knowledge coming! I CAN TAKE IT ALL!" I roared, causing Elizabeth to jump and drop the chalk on the floor.

Even Yuna yelped, falling out of her desk.

"Huh? What? What just happened? Are we being attacked?"

Flock and Calypso stared at me with their mouths wide open.

"Ah. Sorry, continue," I muttered, awkwardly sitting back in my seat, which had now become so warped I was practically tilting to one side.

Elizabeth nervously turned to Calypso, her hands trembling.

"Calypso... these people are scary. Whose Legion did these people come from again?"

"Lady Melinoe."

"..."

Elizabeth walked to the front of the classroom, taking a deep breath.

"Absolutely not. I will not let this Legion access The Labyrinth. Repulsive... vile... you have my greatest respect, Lady Rosewald. If these delinquents are blackmailing you, please don't hesitate to let us know and we will deal with them."

The toothpick that I was using fell to the ground. I got to my feet, approaching Elizabeth maliciously.

"Huh?"

"EEK!"

I planted my hand against the wall.

"You're not letting us pass? We can't go on adventures if we don't pass orientation," I said, my voice dangerously low.

"L-L-Like I'll let you! You don't scare me! None of you do!" Elizabeth stammered.

"HAHA! Look at you go, Beast! Threatening the orientation officer! This is hilarious!" Yuna slapped her knee, laughing hysterically.

"Miss Elizabeth, we're all working really hard to get permission to enter the Labyrinth! Why aren't you letting us pass?" Flock said, frantically, trying to yank me away from the officer.

"...Do I really need to spell it out?" Elizabeth answered, escaping my grasp and hiding behind Calypso.

"Aside from you, we have a delinquent girl who daydreams about outfits, a braindead student who's about to fail her 44th orientation in a row, and now an ex-mafia maniac who's threatening me with blood murder! In what universe would I pass these walking migraines?!"

I clenched my fist.

"You're seriously underestimating this team, lady."

"Then why don't you prove it?" A man said, causing our commotion to end abruptly.

"No way, is that who I think it is?" Tilly mumbled.

"Huh? What are you guys freaking out for?" I asked, irritated.

I took a step, but Flock grabbed my arm, stopping me.

"Don't."

"Why? This man is-"

"You feel it too, don't you?"

I looked back at the man again, and a pressing sensation filled my chest.

"What the... who is this man?" I asked.

The man approached me, his aura was making me nauseous.

"We of Folia do not acknowledge Melinoe's Legion."

"Huh?" I grumbled.

"I see that you are not satisfied with my answer, Shun Zhang of Melinoe. But it is because of your lack of understanding of our history."

"History is history. Whatever Melinoe did in the past should not affect what she wants now. She's not harming no one!" I protested.

The man glanced at my hands and feet.

"Do you want to dispute our decision?"

I smiled cruelly.

"Is that even quest- GAH!"

Tilly and Flock yanked me back.

"What the hell are you doing?! Are you seriously challenging this guy to a fight out of the blue?" Tilly snapped.

"Shun! Think this over! What happens if you lose?" Flock said.

I tried struggling against Tilly's hold, but she was way too strong, not to mention the fact that her chest was in my face, distracting me.

"Quit it! You guys! I can't even deliver my challenge because you two are complete eyesores! Yuna! Say something! Say..."

Huh?

Yuna...

Yuna was sitting completely still, which was a complete contrast to the way she was behaving earlier. Her face was white and her eyes were wide in terror.

"Ah... I see you're here. Again. Yuna Tethis. And this is the party you hope to take advantage of this time?"

"L- Lord Zars..."

"You don't even have an excuse this time?" Zars said, putting a hand on the desk.

I had never seen Yuna look so terrified in my life. Her hands were trembling.

"How many times will I tell you, Yuna? There's no point going down there. Yuri is dead."

"No he isn't! He's alive! He has to be... he's one of the best Crusaders to live. He is!"

Yuri...

He must have been someone important to Yuna.

Zars eyed Yuna with no sympathy.

"If Yuri Tethis disappeared on Floor 79, the Expedition Team would have found him already. All you have been doing is wasting everybody's time. And giving our Legion a bad name."

Yuna didn't reply, clutching her pants tightly with her hands.

"Yuna isn't taking advantage of us," Flock said, interrupting Zars.

Zars turned around, raising an eyebrow.

"Flock... good samaritans should only be reserved for redeemable people. Yuna is the furthest from it."

"As long as I permit it, Yuna is with us. You may have the power to deny us, but you don't have a say on whether or not we abandon her."

Flock stood next to me and Tilly, reaching out his hand to Yuna.

"Come, Yuna. Let's go find Yuri together," Flock smiled, causing Yuna to stare at him, dumbfounded.

Hints of blush appeared on her face, but Yuna quickly hid her face under her cap.

"I'll... be in your care..."

The resident tomboy was being surprisingly docile.

Zars regarded us with cold eyes.

"Party or not, you must require the permission of the Guild to access The Labyrinth. We have not given you said permission."

"But you didn't object to the idea of contesting it though, didn't you?" I asked, wrapping my bandages around my hands.

"Let's throw down. If I beat you, we get to-"

"You will never defeat me."

I paused, my eyes wide as Zars suddenly appeared in front of me. I didn't even see it coming!

"I despise upstarts like you. Those who get a kick out of being the underdog. I already know what you are thinking. And I already know what you have been doing to get this far. Before living in Folia, you trained in foreign lands. Despite being Level 1, you possess power beyond that. And now, you are trying to leverage that advantage by dueling me. Am I wrong?"

I seethed. This asshole completely saw right through me!

Who the hell was this guy?

Zars cracked his neck.

"My name is Zars of the Ares Legion. Like you, I have also trained for years before arriving in Folia and becoming a follower of the God of War."

The same pressing sensation hit my chest as I found myself moving on its own.

That sensation...

I finally realized what it was.

But it was too late.

"GRAAAH!" I roared, rushing forward to strike the man, but a set of fingers stopped my momentum, halting me in place by pressing against my throat. I stumbled back, retching, the same feeling rushing through me again.

I stomped on the ground, launching a back kick, but Zars stopped me again, completely overwhelming me, and grabbed my throat, lifting me into the air.

"No way... Shun's completely outclassed in empty-handed combat...?!" Tilly gasped.

Flock gritted his teeth.

"Shun Zhang of the Melinoe Legion, answer me this. What drives you to serve Melinoe, the most hated Goddess in all of Folia?"

I grabbed Zars' hands but was unable to pry his grip away.

"I will... make her the strongest..."

"No. You lie."

CRUNCH.

Zars swept his hand with me in it, smashing me into several desks and sending me flying out of the Guild Hall, tumbling into the street. A crowd of yelps and screams erupted in response, as more people began to crowd around us.

"A fight?"

"No, it's a demonstration..."

"That's Zars of the Ares Legion! Known as The Spear of Ares!"

I struggled to my feet, and the rest of my party watched in stunned silence.

The whispers continued.

"One of the strongest Spearmen in Folia, it's said that even archers fear him!"

Spearmen... I remembered Melinoe mentioning this class. Adventurers would wield the spear specialized in long-range combat. They could fight at range due to their long weapon reach, and if they needed to face enemies at longer ranges, they could chuck their spear.

It was also said that Spearmen had a disadvantage when it came to enemies of close range, especially those who breached that distance.

But...

"Dammit!" I snarled, blasting forward before Zars could push me back.

Shockwave Style - Wind Dragon Fist: JET STRIKE

I appeared before Zars, and my hand reeled back, but Zars deflected my attack, striking me in the face and sending me skidding backward.

I roared, charging again, only to be struck down over and over again.

How was I losing in a close-range confrontation with this guy?

I threw a punch in an unorthodox angle, but Zars caught the strike in his hand, and in his other, his spear had manifested in full view.

"I will ask you again, Shun Zhang of the Melinoe Legion, what drives you to serve the Goddess of Ghosts?"

I had no choice but to answer. I was completely outclassed. I also had a feeling if Zars killed me right here and now, no one would bat an eye.

I lowered my face, remembering all the snide remarks about Lady Melinoe and her Legion.

And what Astarte had said about her.

Melinoe and her children were so condemned that whether they lived or died had little to no impact on Folia's society.

That was how low-class we were.

"Her... her warmth, and-"

"You still lie."

"How is that a lie?! I speak from my heart!"

Zars used the flat of his spear and jabbed it at my stomach, causing me to vomit blood. I stumbled back, completely stunned at how powerless I was.

Zars had instantly defeated me right in my specialty.

Despite being at a disadvantage, I was defeated in close-range combat by a Spearman.

"You seek strength. Like the rest of us in the Ares Legion, because the spirit in your body embodies War. That is your nature. Your true nature."

I grimaced, standing before the superior adventurer, who planted his spear on the ground.

"I am the former Captain of the Ares Legion. Level 15. As a Captain, I inherited a special skill, passed down by his mightiness himself. The ability to sense Bloodlust. No one in this party of yours has that Bloodlust, but you. And yours is quite unique. It is rather foreign."

I was Chinese... so it made sense that he would say that, but the way he put emphasis on the foreign... for some reason made me believe that was not what he meant.

And something deep inside made me believe that too.

"I sense Acadian Bloodlust from your soul, Shun Zhang."

My eyes thrust open, a weird sensation filling my chest.

"Acadian... Bloodlust...?" I whispered.

The others were just as confused.

"What are you talking about? Shun's Japanese and Chinese, those are his only nationalities," Tilly said.

"Acadian... as in..." Flock muttered, staring at me. What was going through his mind must have been exactly what was going through mine.

That thing I had blurted out when I tried to stand up against Astarte.

That Paladin Code of Acadia...

"What do you know about Acadia?" I asked Zars, but the Spearman sheathed his spear, turning around.

"You have lost, Shun Zhang. Both in integrity and in strength. I don't care much for low-level parties. But given the situation of Folia, we have tightened our restrictions on who gets to access the Labyrinth and who gets admitted to such privileges. Your party is not strong enough if you are the sole fighter."

Flock and Tilly's faces turned downcast.

"No... give me another shot, Zars," I said, forcing the nausea out of my system.

But Zars simply glanced at me with disapproval.

"You will not beat me."

Was this seriously going to be the end? Before we even started?

I turned to Flock and Tilly.

"Your guilt is understandable. But realize this. A party is only as strong as its weakest link. From what I see, the former Astarte girl has yet to achieve a full Awakening, is that correct? Even if you protect her, what will the party do when they face a Monstrosity? Either you die and it makes all the monsters in the Labyrinth stronger, or you run away, and the Monstrosity sends its children to come after you all on the upper Floors. Either scenario will result in more casualties. And there is another reason."

Zars walked forward and stood before Yuna, whose face was hidden under her cap. From the shadows of the hat, I could make out her lips trembling.

"I will not let any more adventurers suffer the same fate as that clown of a Crusader that is Yuri Tethis. Heroism in this day and age is for only select individuals. There is no underdog in this world. Yuri's fate has resulted in a victory on the monster's side."

"My brother... my brother..."

"Is not worth compromising other parties. If it had not been for your proficiency with tactical warfare, we would have thrown you out ages ago, Yuna Tethis of the Ares Legion."

Yuna's hands trembled violently.

"You of all people should know that you cannot go against me. I am your Captain. And you do as I tell you to do. All of this," Zars spread his hands.

"All of this I give to you as a method of grief, but your obsession with finding a ghost has led to many parties voicing their complaints directly to our Legion. Starting now, I will revoke your privileges as well."

Yuna choked back a sob as she turned around, running in the other direction.

CLASP.

Zars went silent.

Yuna stopped dead in her tracks, her wrist caught by Flock, who put distance between her and Zars.

"Yuna wants to find her brother. What does that have anything to do with you?"

Zars raised an eyebrow.

"And what does any of this have to do with you, outsider? Yuna Tethis' situation with her brother, is her own. My affiliation being her Captain, but here is you thinking you can intervene, a lowly member of a disgraceful godde-"

"I have everything to do with this. Yuna is my party member. I chose her and she chose us. If Yuna wants to descend to Floor 79, then we will do that."

Zars bit his tongue, the irritation now showing.

"Do you have any idea what you are saying, boy? Descending that deep is suicide unless you are an Expedition Party."

"You say that Shun is the only fighter in this party. That alone tells me you know nothing about us. Shun isn't the only fighter here. We all are. Tilly is a fighter, and so is Yuna. Her 'obsession' with finding Yuri isn't an obsession. It's love. I will get her there."

Flock pulled out his sword and planted it in front of Zars' spear.

"The Ares Legion operates on merits of strength. If you think we are all weak links that drag Shun down, then maybe a battle with you will be enough to convince you that we're all in this together."

Zars' voice became dangerously low.

"Are you challenging me to a bout?"

A ripple of concerned chatter went through the masses.

"Flock is challenging Zars?"

"No way..."

"Is this actually happening?"

Calypso ran forward to Flock's side, and Zars noticed.

"Lady Rosewald, surely you see the folly in your protege's statement. Reprimand such delusions as-"

"Do not dare criticize familial love in front of me."

A wave of intimidation slammed into Zars, stunning him.

"What?! But Lady Rosewald! This boy-"

"He will defeat you. What you did against Shun will not work against someone like Flock."

Zars gnashed his teeth, the veins on his forehead visible.

"You... you dare insult me... with this brat...?! Why did you even take him in? This is beneath you!"

"Once you fight him, you will see why."

Flock stood before the older adventurer, his white hair rippling with the wind. More and more chatter erupted from the huge audience that had surrounded us.

"As the Captain of the Melinoe Legion, I challenge the Captain of the Ares Legion to a bout. If I win, you will let Yuna party with us and find her brother, and you will never bother her again. You will apologize to her for everything you've said, every last insult on her name."

Zars gripped his spear, planting it even deeper into the ground until the floor split.

"Very well then. But if I win..."

An ominous air filled the surroundings as Zars looked up, his eyes glowing with a sadistic light.

"Flock... you will join our Legion. You will no longer be part of Melinoe, and you will forever swear loyalty to the God of War."

Tilly's face turned pale.

"Flock! This is crazy, are you serious? If you lose you'll be part of Ares' Legion!"

Even I was in disbelief.

"You saw what he did to me! This man, despite being a Spearman overwhelmed me in close-range combat, what are you going to do against an opponent like that?"

Yuna buried her face into her hands, but Flock put a hand on her shoulder.

"You asked Shun earlier, what drove him to serve Lady Melinoe, Zars. I don't have an answer to that. But I do have an answer as to why I serve Lady Melinoe."

The young adventurer pressed his fist against his heart.

"To give every person who has been spat on a chance. Just as Lady Melinoe had done for me. You looked down on people like us. This duel will show you just how fierce my loyalty to my goddess is. I will turn my back to no one. Not even if a Legion Captain is against me."

Zars glared at Flock from above.

"You underestimate me, Flock. All of this for Yuna... how inconceivable you would let yourself be wrapped around that girl's finger. I will crush your entire Legion with my bare hands. I won't fight just you, boy. I will take on this entire party in front of me.

"You, the Foreigner, the Astarte girl, and Tethis. I will fight you all at once."

Sixth Stance

"Ummm, who is this?" Melinoe asked, staring at our newly formed party.

"'Ello there, Lady Meli-Melly... Mellino... Marshmallow..." Yuna fumbled with her words, scratching the back of her head.

"It's Melinoe!" The goddess snapped.

"Can't pronounce. I'll call you Lady Marshmallow."

"Do you want a death sentence?!"

Yuna tipped her hat forward.

"My Lady. The name's Yuna Tethis and I'll be stayin' with Flock for a bit."

Melinoe blinked.

"Staying with... Flock...?"

"Aye."

"For what reason."

"He's going to be my husband."

...

"FLOCK! Explain this to me!" Melinoe grabbed Flock by the shoulders and began wringing him like a bobblehead.

"Lady Melinoe this isn't what it looks like! Yuna, clarify this now! We're just party members!" Flock yelped.

Tilly made a snarling sound, pouncing on Yuna and twisting her in a lock.

"What the hell are you sprouting out of that vulgar mouth of yours, you bitch?! Marrying Flock?! You literally just met him!"

"'Tis just a joke... just a joke! I have nowhere else to live but here! And- owowowow! Let go! You're going to twist my arm clean off!"

A few minutes later, everybody calmed down. I had gone to prepare tea and rejoined the group.

"A bout with former Captain Zars of the Ares Legion..." Melinoe muttered.

"Yes," Flock said.

"It will be a team-based battle consisting of Tilly, Shun, Yuna, and I. We will be up against Zars and a lieutenant of the Ares Legion."

"And what are the forfeits?" Melinoe asked.

The air turned tense.

"Flock joins Ares," Yuna blurted out.

"WHAT?! Just what did you get my child into, you tramp?!" I watched our goddess strangle Yuna again, while the rest of us sat in silence.

"Lady Melinoe, I wouldn't wager something that extreme if I didn't think we wouldn't win. I think we have a good chance at defeating Zars," Flock reasoned.

Melinoe didn't look the least bit convinced, but she slowly let go of Yuna, who slumped on the ground.

"By the gods, I have been in worse shitholes... but this treatment is somethin' else..." The Ares girl muttered under her breath.

"Are you normally this bitchy?" I asked, handing the tea to the group.

"Huh? Who are you callin' a bitch?!" Yuna asked, turning to me, but paused.

"Crazy hairstyle, Tilly's delinquent fashion choices inspire you or somethin'?"

A vein bulged out of my forehead.

"This is my normal hair color."

Tilly and Yuna shot to their feet in surprise.

"What?!"

"You mean those pink streaks weren't from hair dye? I thought we were two peas in a pod!" Tilly exclaimed.

"Don't lump me in with you!" I snarled, putting the tray away.

"Lady Melinoe says I have to put black hair dye to cover the streaks whenever I go out in public because I'd be easily noticeable."

I ran my hand through my hair.

"I wish I could have something more permanent though, since it keeps washing off whenever I take a shower."

Tilly frowned.

"But there are tons of permanent options to dying your hair, by default, it should be permanent."

"No idea... we've tried everything. Right, Marshmallow?" I said.

"Don't call me that!" Melinoe snapped.

"And yes, we have tried many options to dye Shun's hair. For some reason, it's always temporary. Those stubborn pink streaks refuse to go away. And now we have Flock, whose hair is now white as snow! What am I going to do... my children have all become delinquents!"

Melinoe crossed her legs, inspecting us intently.

"Yuna, now that you are aware of this, do you mind not telling anybody about Shun's hair?"

Yuna raised an eyebrow.

"An odd request, yeah? It's just hair."

"If you are to stay with us, that is the condition."

Yuna narrowed her eyes and shrugged.

"Okay, then."

I didn't really have high hopes for this woman. Out of all the things in the world I would have expected out of her, considering the impression she gave us in the past several hours, keeping secrets was most likely not one of them.

"My name's Yuna Tethis. Was born in Yorkshire, England, raised there my whole life with my brothers. Their callin' was to be a Crusader."

I blinked.

"But you're anything but-"

"Shut up! I know I ain't nothin' like that. Just keep your trap shut and let me finish my story!" Yuna replied.

Yuna crossed her legs, resting her chin against the palm of her hand.

"My parents didn't expect me to be born female. They kinda just assumed I'd be a boy, considerin' the other four sons were men. When I was born, they had little to no expectations for me. Lucky me, eh? I got to do whatever I wanted! Haha!"

Yuna's laugh sounded weaker than before, as if she was hiding something under it.

"After all, what's the point of having a kid who's gonna lose her surname anyway when she gets married off to some rich prick, yeah? That was how it was. To the Tethis Household, I was just a commodity, a lady to be married off like some kinda merchandise. No one expected me to be a Crusader... hell no one expected me to make anythin' outta myself."

Yuna rested her elbow against the table, where her navy blue tattoos were in full view. Flames and skulls, with Greek Letters all over her shoulder, the language of Ares.

"No matter what I did, whether it was foolin' around with boys, to doin' drugs. My parents didn't care 'bout anything as long as I came home wearin' a dress and actin' all pretty. Seemed like the life, ya know? When the boys in the family had such tremendous pressure to be Crusaders, actin' all high and mighty, while you got to do whatever you wanted and no one cared... right?"

We were silent for a few moments, when suddenly, Yuna threw her arms into the air, sitting back in her chair.

"Y'all look what you made me do! Now I'm all gloomy. No party has ever made me feel this way. Enough about me. That's all you need to know-"

Flock leaned forward.

"But deep down... you wanted someone to care, even if it meant reprimanding you, right?"

Yuna stared at Flock with a surprised expression.

"You really can't help extendin' a hand, can you, Flock?"

The Ares girl took off her cap, revealing silky brown hair which was combed to the side like fringes. Even though it looked extremely gaudy... it felt like she had done it on purpose.

And no one but our resident gyaru was able to confirm this observation with absolute certainty.

"Your hair... it's so pretty," Tilly said.

Yuna flustered and quickly put her hat back on.

"It ain't that pretty. Shut your pie hole."

"It's naturally silky smooth and a beautiful shade of brown, like a noblewoman's. But you intentionally made it all scrunched up and ugly... you did it for a reason, didn't you?" Tilly asked.

Yuna looked away, crossing her arms.

"...only Yuri ever reprimanded me for anything. I hated him for it, obviously. Tellin' me what to do. The nerve of the guy! But, part of me liked it. To be scolded for once. To be scolded for not makin' something out of myself. You're dead on, Flock. The only person in the Tethis Household who had expectations of me was my big brother. And that day Yuri wanted to go to Croft to study magic, I went along with him. He learned magic on how to strengthen his body, and I learned Trap Magic and Explosion Magic."

I watched a magic circle appear on the tip of her finger.

"When we learned of the existence of a Dungeon City, Folia, Yuri wanted to join the Ares Legion, to serve as a Crusader. His work ethic was admired by everyone there. Of course, they would, the lads loved him. Good lookin', strong, kind, and hard workin'. I joined him because, at that point, my sole reason for existin' was because of Yuri. But I could never measure up to my brother's accomplishments. I didn't have his physical prowess, and I ain't got his talent. All I had was a coupla magic tricks and that was it. But that was enough for me. As long as I got to be with the only bit of family who acknowledged me, it was fine. Couldn't care less..."

Yuna lowered her head, a shadow cast from her hat covering her eyes.

"Yuri, that selfish prick... always trying to push himself beyond what he's able. I can't stand people like that. Especially when they know they got people waitin' for them. His little sis was waitin' for him. I stood by the door of the Ares Household for weeks on end, waitin' for Yuri Tethis, the Star Crusader to come home. He never did. And what was initially weeks of hope, turned to months of worry, and now... years of denial.

"To this end, I'll do whatever it takes to reach Floor 79. I'll drag my brother out of whatever mess that got him stuck in there, and I'll... I'll be sure to... to give a ruddy good whippin' for... for worrying me like that..."

Yuna's voice broke.

"Even if it means using whoever I can find, whatever group will take me in. My brother's the good man, I don't care if I have to be the villain. I don't wanna be left alone in this world. I'll... I'll be the worst person in the world if it means seeing my brother again."

I slowly examined my hands.

The worst person in the world.

That was something I had said. A long time ago.

When I had accepted Hiiro Hataka to possess my body, and when I willingly let myself become a part of The Red Circle.

My brother, Wen Zhang, is everything a Shaolin Monk aspires to be. Humble. Reserved. Peaceful. And though he and I both studied Shaolin, I am nothing like him, because I will do whatever it takes to win. If that means becoming a demon. To become arrogant. Ferocious. Merciless. This is the Kung Fu taught to me by the Red Circle Triad.

I looked up at Yuna again. She was forcing the same laid-back expression on her face.

"Sorry, you lot had to see that. But that's just the type of girl I am. I'll be as rebellious as I gotta be. I'll stop at nothing to see Yuri again, even if it means tarnishin' my name. I don't expect you all to like me. But please... if you have the strength to do so, I beg you to lend me that power."

"You don't need to tarnish anything," I said, getting to my feet.

"Regardless of how you go about doing it, the Legion's goal is to expand, if it means conquering the deeper Floors of the Labyrinth, then we will do whatever is necessary."

"Shun is right," Flock followed up.

"Tomorrow morning, we will be training with Calypso together. She will personally see to our development in our bout against Zars. We will win this. If we can take on Calypso, we will be able to take on Zars."

Tilly choked.

"The Queen of Knives herself?! Do you hear yourself, Flock? This is madness-"

"Calypso Rosewald, eh?"

A smile formed on my face as I made a fist.

"I like your thinking, Flock! I always wanted to throw down with Folia's First Class!"

"Wait, no! Now you got Shun all fired up... oh god!" Tilly put her hands to her face.

"Flock, we aren't really going to fight her, are we?"

"It's the only way. And Calypso agreed to it! Relax, Tilly! It'll be fun. Right, Yuna?"

Yuna stared at our group, dumbfounded.

"This... this is actually happening... I don't believe it..."

...

"Hi! I'll be filling in for Cali today!" A young woman with pink hair waved at us.

"L- Le- Lea Crowbar...!" Flock stammered, his face pale.

"Flock? What's wrong? Every time I see you, you always look sick to the stomach! Are you okay? Do you need me to get you some wat-"

"No! I'm okay! All okay! Yep! Yep yep yep! Cho kawaii! Right, Shun?"

"You just said you were super adorable but sure," I replied.

Yuna glanced at Flock.

"So that's his quirk, eh?"

"Quirk?" Tilly asked.

"Aye. You lot seem to have some weird thing goin' on. Tilly with your obnoxiously large chest..."

"Hey!" Tilly protested.

"Shun being a complete psychopath... and now Flock's incredible stone elemental impersonation."

You're the one with the most quirks out of everyone here!

Flock turned around and walked robotically to us.

"Th- Th- This is Miss Leah Crawfor... The Poseidon Legion's Lieutenant..."

"Y-Yeah... we know, Flock, I think we all know who Leah is," Tilly said.

Flock's teeth chattered, and his face was red as a tomato.

"Haha! Aww, you don't need to be so intimidated by me! I'm not like Cali in the slightest! Let's have a good time today, everyone," Leah wrapped an arm around Flock's shoulders. It was almost miraculous how the guy hadn't had a heart attack yet.

Leah put a fist into the air.

"Let's have a great time everybody!"

And with that, Leah led us to the fun training spot she had planned for us today.

The Labyrinth itself.

Leah put her hands on her hips.

"We're going to be training in the Labyrinth. Who's excited?"

...

"You're throwing us into the Labyrinth?! I thought we weren't allowed!" I exclaimed.

"I have special privileges as a Lieutenant to Folia's top three Legions. As long as the party doesn't go beyond Floor 5, we should be okay. And besides, Flock, Shun, you two were always wanting to get an idea of what the Labyrinth was like, right?"

Flock and I looked at Leah, stunned.

"Y- Yeah, I guess, but what if a monster attacks us?" I asked.

Leah smiled and turned to us. But something about that smile edged out a degree of animosity.

Almost like a predator that gave off vibes from hunters to not approach it.

"If a monster comes for you guys... I'll kill it."

A lump formed in my throat.

I had to remind myself that under all that charisma and charm, Leah was still a member of the Poseidon Legion, and not just that, but a lieutenant.

Calypso Rosewald was one of the biggest names in Folia, but Leah wasn't someone to scoff at either.

She and Calypso were rivals on the battlefield.

"Welcome to Floor 1!" Leah said, enthusiastically.

Floor 1 wasn't exactly that spectacular.

In fact, it was pretty much as anti-climatic as it could be.

The area resembled the inside of a cave structure, rocks and gloomy mineral deposits lined the walls. However, I could see why it would be considered a good starting place for newbie adventures.

"Floor 1 is practically barren of any monsters. The worst you would see are Demon Rabbits," Leah explained, leading us into a large arena-like area.

"Most, if not, all, adventurers in Folia skip past Floor 1 using their Transport Rune, so this Floor is practically abandoned. But here, we can gain some practical experience. Let's go for a warm-up, shall we?"

Leah pointed at a patchy area of darkness.

"We're going to start off by slaughtering some rabbits!" The first-class adventurer said, gleefully.

...

"No offense, Ah-Leah, but if we are to gain experience fighting someone of the caliber of Zars shouldn't we take on more-"

HISSSSSS.

Huh? What just happened?

I spun around to see a horrific... thing inches away from my face. Its body was already decaying, but its red eyes were unnaturally large, and its teeth were so elongated as if its mouth was full of nails.

From the decay, I could make out the barrel of a strange-looking firearm with a glowing body. The light receded, revealing Yuna behind the trigger. Her hat and glinting with the blood of the monster she had just saved me from.

"You owe me one, Beast Boy."

Geh!

"Demon Rabbits are the best warmup for newbies since they train you to be sensitive to the environment. When you're fighting someone like Zars, who focuses on overwhelming attack power, you can't afford getting caught in his attacks," Leah said, putting a hand on her hip.

Tilly, Flock, and I stared at Yuna, dumbfounded.

There was no way this five-foot-four tomboy had just outdone us like this.

Yuna smirked.

"Oi, you lot gonna keep gawkin' at me or are we gonna kill some monsters?"

Why that little...

I brought my foot back, assuming my stance.

Wind Dragon Fist - Fujin-giri

I swept my hand in the form of a chop, unleashing a shockwave that decimated a pack of rabbits into dust.

Flock and Tilly joined in, bringing their swords and slashing at the pack.

Now I was not going to lie. After about four minutes of butchering these so-called "rabbits", my patience had finally worn out. After all, we had signed quite possibly one of the most outlandish terms of initiation in all of Folia. I was doubtful any party had to go through what we went through during orientations.

But instead of taking what little time we had before our match against Zars to train against similarly elite monsters, we were out here killing fodder monsters in front of this pink-haired airhead.

I glanced at Leah, who was sitting on a rock with her legs crossed, reading a book.

"This girl... is she seriously messing with us?" I grumbled.

Yuna blasted another rabbit away.

"Eh. Better do what she says, Beast. Considerin' she's a First Class."

"First Class my ass... I know from rumor that she is supposedly very strong, but she has done nothing to prove it."

Yuna smirked.

"I had my doubts about you and Flock not having any Labyrinth experience. But I guess that confirms it."

"Huh? What do you mean by that?"

"You're not cautious enough. If acting all cutesy and batting your eyelashes is enough to make you lose all suspicion then you're good as dead down here. Everything is a threat."

I stared at the Ares girl as she pulled out an object from her back pocket.

"If even Leah Crawfor of all people makes you underestimate her, why don't you see for yourself just how strong she really is?"

I watched Yuna aim at Leah, who was sitting on a rock cross-legged, reading what appeared to be a manga.

SWIFF.

"What the- hey!" I protested, but Yuna crouched down.

"She'll be fine."

The tomato bomb sailed across the Dungeon room, but before the bomb could land, a sudden flash of pink cut the bomb in half.

But Leah hadn't moved an inch from her spot.

In fact, her manga was still in her hand, and her eyes were still glued to the panels that were on the pages.

The only difference now...

Was that in her other hand was a sword.

A gasp escaped me.

"How did she... did she just draw her sword and cut the bomb in half?" I asked, in disbelief.

She did it so fast that even I couldn't register her movements!

I had fought so many opponents who were renowned for their speed.

But in the span of a fraction of a second, Leah had predicted the location of the tomato bomb, drawn her sword, and cut the bomb.

These were all movements that would have taken years to practice even if the practitioner was able to see the bomb.

Yet Leah had executed all these movements, not just in a tenth of a span as some masters who could have done it, but not once did she even look up.

The sound of a book closing cut my train of thought off.

"Done with the rabbits?" Leah asked Yuna and I, smiling. But for some reason, her smile seemed to drip with malice.

"Umm... uh..." I mumbled.

Leah approached us, putting her sword on the ground.

"Is there a reason you tried to ruin my only copy of Love and Lace?"

"No, it was an accident, well... not really... an accident..." I stammered, scratching the back of my head. This was the first time I really spoke to Leah one-on-one. Most of the times I had seen her, it was whenever I was with Flock or Lady Melinoe.

I didn't know if it was for any specific reason, or if it was some stranger level of coincidence.

But for some reason...

The moment I looked into her eyes, something strange welled up in my chest.

"Umm, Shun? What are you..." Yuna hesitated, staring at my hand which had slowly turned into a fist.

I had no way of really telling what I looked like, there was no reflection.

But looking at Leah gave me the weirdest sense of deja vu.

And the feelings of deja vu weren't pleasant in the slightest.

Leah narrowed her eyes at my fists.

What... what's going on?

What was it about this girl that made me so mad?

"Say... you're not from here are you?"

"N- No, I'm from China."

Leah's focus shifted back to my face until our eyes met.

"Hmmm, let's put a hold on the rabbits. Flock, Tilly, regroup with us!"

The others stopped hacking away and rejoined us.

"Shun! What's wrong? Your face!" Flock exclaimed, running to my side with a look of concern.

Tilly noticed and immediately turned to Leah.

"What the hell did you say to him? Did you two get in a fight?" Tilly asked.

Leah studied me curiously.

"Maybe it's just my imagination, ignore me if I'm wrong, but... are you capable of transformation?"

Our party stared at Leah.

"Transformation?" I asked.

"Yes. But not any kind of transformation."

Leah traced her sword across the ground. The cheery bubbly vibe that she had suddenly disappeared.

I felt like if I said the wrong thing I would set off a bomb.

"Hey... what's going on, Shun you're acting real weird here. Did Leah know you in a past life or something?" Yuna said.

My heart felt like it was about to burst from my chest as Leah locked eyes with me again.

And this time, I felt the full force of the legendary Leah Crawfor of the Poseidon Legion.

The rival to Calypso Rosewald.

The First Class Adventurer that was before me.

"A Black Dragon. Can you turn into one?"

...

"No. I cannot turn into a Black Dragon," I said, unable to hide my utter confusion.

Leah's tense expression seemed to soften.

"Oh. Okay! Well, that's a load off my shoulders! Haha!"

Flock's gaze slowly shifted toward Leah's hands, which were still shaking.

"Leah... this Black Dragon-"

"Don't worry about it. Just an old past of mine is all. Just an old past."

I watched Leah put her hand through her hair, whipping it.

Just a past, I guess even Leah was full of secrets.

"Now hold on just a moment," Yuna said, stopping us dead in our tracks.

"Yuna?" Flock said.

Yuna marched up to Leah.

"This ain't something we should just brush under the rug."

"It's fine!"

"No, it ain't. I've seen that type of face before. On hunters who are about to pounce. If there's something on your mind you oughta tell us. Keeping secrets ain't safe in the Labyrinth."

Leah turned around, the normal smile returning to her face.

"You're quite pushy aren't you, Yuna of Ares? But I don't feel comfortable sharing. And it won't affect our time here in the Labyrinth!"

Flock put a hand on Yuna's wrist.

"Yuna, we should respect Leah's privacy. This is probably a sensitive subject for her."

Reluctantly, Yuna backed off, but her hands were still gripping her gun, her hat covering her cautious expression.

We continued walking across the Dungeon, following Leah's "training plan".

We fought monsters from Demon Rabbits, to slimes, to orks.

Each time we slain an enemy, a small shard would appear from their corpse.

Leah explained that each shard was of high value because upon trading it into the guild on behalf of our patron god or goddess, it would serve as an offering.

Depending on the monster, the size of the shard could range from something like the pebbles of the Demon Rabbits we had killed, to entire boulders.

"Wow, what a sweat you guys worked up!" Leah said, enthusiastically, while the rest of us were completely drained, sweaty, and covered in grime.

Tilly breathed heavily, trying to fan out the sweat on her chest by lifting her black tank top.

"This... this is awful... I smell so bad!"

"Ya get used to it," Yuna said.

"You're one to talk! You're a ranged fighter, not a melee- oh my gods! How did you get so filthy?!" Tilly cried out as Yuna put her hands on her hips. Her clothes were completely covered in monster guts, and her face was almost completely blackened with ashes and slime.

"I'm a professional when it comes to killin'! This is like a medal of honor!"

"No, it's not!" Tilly snapped.

Leah sat down on a rock and put a finger to her lips, seemingly deep in thought.

"Hmmm..."

"Leah?" Flock said.

"Can I be really honest with you?" Leah asked.

"?"

"This team will not reach Zars in the time before the match. Even if it is a four-on-one."

My heart sank.

Of course, it wouldn't be possible. Considering how Zars had absolutely bodied me earlier.

"You don't know for sure," I protested.

"You may not see it, but the others do. There is one glaringly obvious fact about this party that Zars will most definitely take advantage of. And that weak link... is clear as day."

Leah pointed at Tilly.

"Zars will go for you first because you still haven't Awakened yet. You are, by default, at a disadvantage. Flock and Shun are experienced in combat, and Yuna has many years of experience in the Labyrinth. I was observing your swordsmanship skills... you've definitely trained a lot. But in terms of raw strength and power, you cannot keep up."

Tilly gripped the hilt of her sword and stared at the ground.

"If Zars goes for Tilly I'll rip him apart myself," I growled.

"Agreed. She's one of us, we won't tolerate that," Flock said, but Leah shook her head.

"See what I mean? Your reactions to what I've said pretty much confirm it. Zars will go for Tilly, and you two will be so preoccupied with trying to keep her safe that you won't even be able to properly defend yourselves. I know this isn't something you want to hear, Shun, Flock, but this is the truth. Tilly is holding this party back. And with the terms set in stone of this bout, there's no chance you four will beat Zars."

"You don't know Tilly one bit, all you did was watch us kill lowbie monsters this entire time, what do you know about what Tilly can and cannot do?" I snarled, stepping forward, but Yuna grabbed my arm.

"This ain't the time to be emotional Shun. I hate to admit it, but Leah is right. Look at how you're losin' your cool just at the mention of Tilly being a burden to the group. I get you're tryin' to be protective of her, but it is what it is."

I turned back to Leah, unconvinced.

"If Tilly is holding us back, then let her get stronger. Let us prove you wrong."

Flock's eyes widened.

"Wait, Shun, you can't be serious-"

"I'm dead serious."

Leah raised an eyebrow.

"Guys... we should focus on the training plan. We have to start small, and-"

"Fuck the training plan," I growled, wrapping my bandages around my hands.

"I said it from the start, and I'll say it again. If it is a four-on-one, we should be getting experience fighting in a four-on-one. Here you are standing right before us, and we're being told to kill rabbits all day? You really aren't taking this seriously at all. Aren't you, Leah? Or maybe you're just scared that I'll become that Black Dragon that you mentioned earlier."

A dangerous expression flashed on Leah's face.

"AAAH! Shun! That's enough! Leah, I'm so sorry! Sorry for what Shun said!" Flock yelped, putting a hand on my mouth.

"If it is a four-on-one you want, I can give it to you. But are you sure you really want this, Shun?" Leah asked, lifting her sword from the ground.

"Um... lads, I think this is a really really BAD IDEA!" Yuna said.

Boss Lok had once said, that the best way of knowing someone, was to fight them.

Something wasn't right from the start when I first learned of Leah Crawfor.

And now, today really set it into stone.

Something was up between me and this girl.

I didn't know what our connection was, but if this had anything to do with all the mystery surrounding me, then I had to figure it out.

What this Acadia thing was.

What this Black Dragon was.

Why I had to keep my pink streaks a secret.

It all had to be linked.

And Leah was a lead.

Seventh Stance

"Shun-dono."

Hiiro and I huddled across a fire we had made in the middle of a forest. We had just escaped from yet another Triad and were recovering after we had sabotaged their Dragon Powder supply cart for Boss Lok.

From the light of the flames, the purple and red skin of the oni was in full view.

"Have you kept up your training?"

"Training?" I asked.

Hiiro grunted.

"I take it as a no, then."

I scoffed, tossing another twig into the fire.

"Why must I train in my Vacuum Fist when I have Japan and China's most fearsome Hung Gar Grandmaster at my disposal?"

Hiiro watched me continue breaking and snapping the twigs in my hands.

"Are you really fine with being so reliant on me? Where is your warrior pride?"

"Warrior pride?!" I exclaimed, putting a hand on my forehead and laughing out loud.

"You're funny, Hiiro-san! What pride do I even have left? Yokai possessed, and a member of a Chinese Triad, I am a criminal and I have killed so many people. Even Yan feared me, even though I dared to say to her face that I was unlike the other killers she had known. I have no respect left. A man with no respect has no right to demand pride."

The yokai brought his knee to his chin.

"Shun-dono, it may not be in my place to tell you this, since our bond is a Master-Servant oni bargain, but there will be a time when I cannot protect you with my Hung Gar. When that day comes, you must be strong."

I glanced at the elder Japanese martial artist.

"Uzai. I don't wish to speak of this any longer."

Hiiro hit me in the head with a stick.

"Aho! Listen to your sensei! Will you continue being so dependent on borrowed power for the rest of your life? Each contract we do for Lok-sama means we gain even more enemies!

I had dismissed Hiiro that day. I never imagined a life where Hataka Hiiro-san would not be by my side.

After all, it was Hiiro who had given me another chance at life.

For the boy who failed out of everything. Who had lost his parents, and never had to chance to make amends to his dosan...

The boy who left the Shaolin Temple as a failure.

The boy who was denounced by his ototo.

I never imagined a life without Hataka-sensei.

Because I couldn't ever accept the possibility that I would have to take control of my own life.

BOOM.

My body smashed into the ground. The sensation of Leah's combat boots against the back of my head felt excruciating.

"Shun!" Flock shouted, charging forward, but Leah disarmed him instantly, pressing her palm against his chest and sending him flying back. Tilly tried her hand too, but we were so uncoordinated, Leah didn't seem to even be paying attention as she continued toying with us, swatting her hand and deflecting all of Yuna's projectiles with no effort.

"GRRRRRARRR!" I tried forcing myself up, but Leah pressed me back on the ground.

There will be a time when I cannot protect you with my Hung Gar.

I glared at Leah, who continued overpowering us.

If only I had Hiiro's Hung Gar.

If only Hiiro was with me now.