The dark prison cell’s temperature matched the bucket of water thrown at Haruto. Rats scurried around nearby, and the floor beneath his bare feet felt slimy and rocky. As Haruto sat by a wall, he heard the chains bound to his hands. However, the chains were not attached to anything else. Eventually, Haruto heard footsteps before getting closer.

“GET UP!!!” using his right leg, the cruel man uttered the words five times to make Haruto move. The man had a rugged, bearded appearance, similar to Hollywood Vikings. His bulky build also matched perfectly.

Haruto stood up as he panted, clutching his bruised stomach. His perplexion only worsened. Opening his mouth proved even worse, for a cracking whip flew right to his neck every time. Out of searing pain, Haruto fell into a fetal position. The cruel man pulled his crown for a better look; Haruto screamed and grunted.

Brown eyes glared at Haruto in resentment, with a hint of glee, “Perhaps it’s what you want. Fret not…. I’ll make sure your forefathers weep as they witness you weep red….”

However, even in a new life, the White Delinquent lived on. As Haruto glared right back, he grasped the cruel man’s arm with both; he heard gushing and crunching sound.

“AAAAAAAAAAH!!!” The cruel man let go of Haruto as he witnessed his bloodied, mangled, wrung arm. Haruto took a look at his smeared hands; bits of flesh and bone were seen. At that point, Haruto’s confusion reached its peak.

He realized the man towered over him as if he shrunk. The man in question grunted in anger, and right before Haruto’s eyes, he witnessed a remarkable phenomenon. In Haruto’s view, the cruel man created strange symbols out of thin air on his arm, completely healing it.

The man went on the offensive against Haruto by delivering a right straight punch. The latter returned the favor with interest, stopping it with his own. The cruel man’s whole fist crumbled and gushed out as the air reverberated around the dimly lit cell. His agonizing wails continued.

The man had no time to heal again as Haruto continued the fight. As they did, the same thing happened to the cruel man’s left fist. Laying on top of the man on the floor, Haruto pummeled him senselessly for two minutes. Now he groaned in pain, not getting up.

Haruto noticed the large cell door in front of him.

His vision began to blur as he ran outside to a hallway. Eventually, Haruto slowed down. He now felt very lethargic yet kept going, but it did not last. Halfway through, he inevitably kissed the ground. Drooling from his mouth, Haruto did not sleep, for he was still conscious yet incapable of movement, no matter how hard he tried.

Behind, Haruto heard slow steps from another man: a masked man holding a tranquilizing pistol. In Haruto’s mind, he must squirm out of the way but could not even do that.

The man kneeled down, plucking out the dart from Haruto’s right elbow. “Our Highness will be very pleased with you, young one…. To take down Gorm so easily was unforeseen, not since His next-in-line came to be. With enough time… you’ll be an excellent general in our rank–” he interrupted himself, looking at Haruto’s nape, “By the Gods…!”

Back in another cell, another splash of water was thrown at Haaurto. As he coughed, he saw the man taking off his bronze mask and storing it within runes. His freckled complexion was fair, showing blue eyes and a full crown of orange. He sat on a chair in front of Haruto, who was also sitting.

“Who are you…?” Haruto walked closer. The man pointed at him, “That is of zero importance, young one…. For what you should realize now… is that you perished from the realm you call “Earth.” Am I wrong?”

Haruto’s eyes squinted, “Perished…? Yeah…. What about it?”

The man chuckled, “Well, first off…. I am not so fond of hackneyed legends from questionable sources, but if they are to be true as I see it through my eyes right now, you… are the one to lead our family to greater glory and prosperity. Or, at least… that is what others here say.” his shoulders shrugged.

“Family…? W-What are you talking about…? Where am I…?”

The mysterious man chuckled again, “Children are indeed very precious, as they say. Fret not, young one…. You’ll inherit our will soon enough as you understand us more. Come… let us walk.” he exited the cell.

Just as Haruto thought his perplexion reached maximum volume, it managed to burst right through the cork. Either way, Haruto followed the mysterious man. Remembering the way he called him, Haruto finally realized he aged all the way back to twelve years old.

Climbing a flight of stone steps, Haruto realized he was hanging about in a fifteen-level dungeon. The mysterious man explained to Haruto that Gorm found him on the lowest. Walking behind his companion, Haruto heard the endless wails of the sorry people behind bars. “What did they all do?” he moved closer.

“Failing to love our family, young one. Or, at least… that is how anyone else here would say. What they were really for… was refusing to join the cause.” he chuckled. Haruto’s eyes squinted. “Cause…?”

“Yes…. The cause against the Prosperity Triangle traitors… and the Coelestis pigdogs!” the man briefly raised his fist, “Or, at least… that is how anyone else here would call them. We are at war with three grand cities, young one. As well as with the grandest of them all; Pantaiyanilam’s capital. It’s the beautiful nation we are in.”

Walking out of the dungeon, Haruto witnessed more misery. Countless worn-out, tattered-clothed people in chains literally hammered their way through enormous gold and silver boulders. The hammers in question were gigantic themselves, thrice the size of average men, and yet the slaves lifted it as if it were light as a bo staff. Haruto even saw a brunette girl of his age do it effortlessly. “What are they doing?” Haruto looked up at the man.

“Mining the Palladium. Only workable when broken down. Think of it as the family heirloom. The unrivaled sword, shield, and armor. Mind that it is not the earthly kind, young one. And the tools used to harness it are also made of Palladium fortified with magic.”

“Magic?” Haruto walked beside the man.

“The backbone of the world we are living in; Parallaxis. Ever been so curious about how you managed to overthrow Gorm before? I would say your output is even greater than our Highness.” Just as they kept walking, the tongue of the Devil spoke behind them.

An enraged Gorm, all healed up, screamed “gnat” at the top of his lungs. Turning around, Haruto went on the defensive while his companion pulled out another pistol weapon via runes. The barrel was as long as a musket, and it widened at the end. A giant fireball came out as the man pulled the trigger. Gorm ran straight through it, only receiving minor burns.

Haruto’s companion was very much shocked about this, so he proceeded to carry him as they jumped up very high to dodge Gorm’s downward straight punch that fissured the ground. Everyone else in the vicinity covered their eyes from the dust and debris.

Landing back down, the mysterious man stood in front, “What are you doing?! Have the Gods now cursed you forever with brawns?!” his eyes narrowed. Gorm threw a boulder at him, “SHUT YOUR MOUTH, GEVÄR!!! If you had true respect for Him… you would not defend the culprit of my suffering before! I’ve never known loyalty from you… so He’d never mind my brawl with you. SO STAND DOWN BOTH WAYS!!!”

The mysterious man prepared his weapon again, but suddenly, Haruto ran past him and charged right at the enemy. Gevär reached out his hand, “No, little one! Just because you’ve dealt with him before does not mean—” His words were drowned by Haruto’s battle cry.

With Haruto’s right straight punch, Gorm delivered back with his left. This time, Haruto’s whole arm folded like an accordion. It fractured to the point that bone jutted out.

“AAAAAAAGH!!! AAAAAAGH!!!” Haruto fell to the ground, moving about frantically. The throbbing, gnawing pain made him think he was getting mauled by wolves. As a result, the screams became louder.

Gorm pulled Haruto up by his crown again, “You see, gnat… you fought me at my most vulnerable. You have the gift… but none of the concentration to live up to…. Legend or no legend… you deserve the beating!” Gorm folded in his other arm.

Haruto’s screams continued as he was thrown to the ground. Eventually, however, Haruto could not even utter it anymore. Tried as he could, Haruto was choking on it. He passed out as his blood could not circulate properly anymore. Meanwhile, Gevär tried numerous times to get to Haruto, but Gorm kept closing in their distance.

All throughout, Gevär worried in his mind that Haruto would not survive the shock if he failed to get the upper hand. All he could do was dart around further away from him to avoid Gorm’s attacks. However, Gevär’s mind did not think of such an unexpected turn between him and Gorm. A wave of dust flew by as a gust of wind was felt by both fighters.

Haruto was carried by someone’s arms from afar, and runes were cast to heal his shattered arms. Gevär and Gorm immediately stopped the brawl to kneel down to the man before them. Alaric’s emperor, Adel Brand, stood by.

Even at age sixty-five, his appearance had all the elegant graces of royalty, and he also inherited the hardened qualities of a veteran warrior. Stern green eyes, long wavy gray hair, and countless scars.

Adel wore an ornate coat like a cape, which showed his empire’s emblem at the back: a Dark Age sword pointing upward accompanied by two curved parchment scrolls at the top and bottom. In capitals, the former scroll read: “pro familia” while the latter scroll read: “pro imperium.” Beneath the coat, Adel wore a plain white sleeveless shirt and a pair of gray trousers and black shoes.

Calling Gevär to stand up, Adel handed him the now sleeping Haruto, “Take him to my son’s room for now. He hasn’t returned yet.”

Next, Adel looked at Gorm, who sweated bullets before his presence, “If you were to expect anger from me… you would be very disappointed. However…” he delivered a spear hand to the neck in a flash, “…examples have to be made.”

Gorm’s now lifeless body slumped to the ground.

Adel presented the detached head to all of the slaves, “Gaze upon this as a burning reminder if you ever so dare cross the red line. Hurt one family… you’re family no longer. May your love prevail… lest perishment awaits your soul.” Hearing his words, the slaves did not respond in fear but recognition. Most cheered on, except for one.

“Grandfather…! Don’t ever dare praise conquerers…!” the brunette girl tugged his tattered shirt from behind. The elderly man only responded with a smile and a sigh, patting the girl’s head, “I would never stop you thinking that way… but you mustn’t speak in such a manner before His presence. Do you understand…?” Unfortunately, his grandaughter shrugged him off and ran away.

The elderly man stood by, looking at his grandaughter in the distance, as the other slaves immediately returned to their duties.