RiftRippers can’t see the colors of the world but our feeling is our form of sight. When I was blinded by rage, I couldn’t even feel the world around me. I glided through the area in a mad daze, slicing everything I came across.

Colors suddenly explode around me. The colors splash on me, dousing the burning fire in my mind.

When awareness returns to me I notice a small angel, gazing up at me curiously.

She must have broken me out of my rage. I…can’t even remember what triggered my state of being.

The angel walks off.

“Hold on!” I pick her up. “You have a sister, right?”

She nods.

“I’ll take you to see her.”

The angel emits beams of positive energy.

When I return to the place where I dropped off Annie, she is nowhere to be found. I decide upon dropping the angel just outside the closest village. Dark and Broody may sound like an ominous place, but it’s her best bet at returning to her sister. Not knowing what else to do, I make my way back to Doomed Village.

I am overcome with a sense of vertigo upon arrival and collapse.

“I take it you failed the mission,” says Old Dude, poking me with a walking stick.

“What mission?” I ask in a daze.

“To devour an angel.”

“I…I don’t want to do that.”

“Well, I’m glad you’re back. Though we could use all the help we can get.”

“Did something happen?” I ask, erecting and at attention.

“Rather than answer that I think I’ll keep you on edge by telling you a story. Do you know how this village got its name?”

“I often forget my own name. I doubt I’ll remember this story.”

“We were once the Village of Hope. Thought the name gave us power to stand against the enemy. But it didn’t. Our greatest hero fled and we were nearly decimated. I wasn’t going to make the same mistake again. I christened this place as the Village of Doomed to remind the people of the ever-present threat that looms over us. We find strength in our fear…at least that’s how I feel.”

“When are we being attacked?”

“Time is meaningless to a RiftRipper. But it will be soon…very soon. Fret not. The preparations have already been made. You need to rest.” He places a Time Blanket over me.

When the Blanket is removed, I hear screams, metal clashing and feel mist encroaching throughout the village.

The village has become a battlefield.

The Produce Pirate pops out from behind the cover of his fruit stand and fires at the enemy army.

I think it’s the enemy. They’re all heroes…fighting each other. What do I do?

I focus on the auras of each fighter.

Angels!

I track down Annie to see a hero blindly protecting her. He moved like a puppet, blocking attacks directed at her with his own skin and flesh.

Was he bewitched? Are Angel’s capable of such things?

“Stay focused,” says a familiar voice. The Huntress places three arrows on her bow, crouches and waits for an opportunity. When the heroes take a breath before attacking, she launches three arrows.

“Why are heroes attacking?” I ask her.

“Not important. They are rebels. Must be killed.” She loads up another arrow and fires at another hero.

White Knight teleports into the projectile’s path, holding an injured girl in his arms. “There are too many projectiles! I can’t do anything here!” He teleports around the battlefield, thoughtlessly protecting both friend and foe.

I speed up to him and pull him into my Void. I then race outside the village and spit him out. “You’ll be safe here.”

“I was just in the way…wasn’t I?” He holds his hands to his helmet and sobs.

“All I saw was a hero protecting other heroes, regardless of sides. There’s a village not too far from here to the East. These people will need medical help. You can help after the battle is over.”

“That’s not very flashy, but…yeah…you’re right.” White Knight salutes me and rushes off.

As I head back I see a giant rise up from the battlefield. I speed on ahead.

Annie. She’s alive…but in danger.

The angel is in the hands of a rebel hero who has grown to massive size.

If I strike now, then I could end up putting her in more danger.

I sense anger from the giant. He releases the angel to punch the massive wooden structure in front of him.

Even Old Dude is fighting on the front lines. He truly cares about this village.

I glide across the ground and catch the angel in my arms.

She is coated in terror. I have to help.

“Welcome to my village, little angel.”

Old Dude creates a spatial distortion to repel the massive fists. “We have no need for a hero who abandons his people for selfish reasons. Chop him to pieces. Save the heart so we can pass on his powers.”

That’s why he wanted me to eat hero hearts. It’s not about me getting more powerful…it’s about him having more supped up heroes! Either way, any hero who would harm an angel deserves to die.

“As you command.” I extend my tendril to the top of a nearby building and set the angel down. I fill my mind with violence and climb the fallen Hero, slicing his body in the process.

When the giant sends his arm crashing into the building, I keep my ground by becoming a shadow. As the building falls to pieces, I jump from the rubble until I have a clear shot.

Die!

A single tendril comes out and slices into the giant’s throat.

To kill a hero, I’m going to have to go all out.

“With a target this large, I think I can avoid unneeded casualties. Misery Clad.” My body unfolds into spinning blades as I zoom toward the throat of the behemoth.

A white shadow rides up the giant’s belly and blocks his throat. The shadow creates a portal and sends a bladed tendril into it.

Multiple portals spawn around me and the single blade parries my attack.

The shadow takes form.

Betrayer! It’s really him!

“Finally! I found you!” I yell, getting sliced while sending multiple bladed tendrils into the portals.

A single bladed tendril comes out from the portal in front of Betrayer. He slices it with ease, cutting off all of my tendrils. “Did you come after me as a request or is this personal?”

“Die!” I pull out a metal spear from my Void and slam into Betrayer.

“Ah, so it’s personal. Your hatred is misdirected.” The murderer pulls me into a violent embrace with the tendrils coming out of his body. “I gave you everything.”

“Then why do I have nothing?” Tears rush out from my body. My back shifts into a saw and elongates into the Hero’s throat.

“Dios has nothing to lose. For the first time he is fit to lead the rebellion. I won’t let you kill him,” says Betrayer, struggling to pull out his tendrils.

My cloak kept the tendrils locked in place with hooks.

Yes! I can do it! I can kill him!

I feel my throat aflame, the pain enhanced by my size. I watch myself saw through my target’s throat. Rather than toxic thoughts of rage filling my mind in my last moments, I think of my dear sister who was held captive by the village.

The blood splatters my cloak and puts me into a frenzy. My blades chop the giant to pieces.

Old Dude appears before me and calms me with his overpowering aura. “Good work dealing with the leader of those detestable rebels. Now drive your bladed truth into the hearts of the other rebels. Kill every single one of those weeds.”

The heroes were misguided…like I was. If I can just appeal to his reason…maybe I can save lives with my truth.

“Their leader is dead. We can round them up and bring them back into the light of ISEKAI,” I say, exuding positive energy.

Old Dude places a hand on my shoulder. “A free thinker. We’re fortunate to have you.” The building of the village come to life and start attacking the rebels. “Three brothers run this branch of the Mortal’s Militia. One of them is with the prickly angel. Track him down first. Once he’s dead, I can call a ceasefire but until then…every second is a life.”

I bow and speed off.

I have to kill to save lives. Finally. This is what an assassin is meant to do.

As I search for the hero, I spot Annie being carried away.

I won’t let them take her!

I follow them to the clearing.

If I just kill one, the others will disperse.

A blade emerges from my puddle and bursts out from a hero’s chest.

The violence triggers screams in my head. The ghosts of those I slaughtered circle around me, screaming in agony.

I send my blades every which way, trying to dispel the ghosts from haunting me.

Mental clarity returns to me when the hero holding the angel’s hand is cut down.

I look out at all the bodies.

What have I done?

There isn’t even a way to determine how many rebels I killed. The fleshy chunks decorate the grass in a heap of bloody chaos.

Is bloodshed all I’m capable of?

I look at the Angel.

Warm blood had splattered on her face; I was drenched in it.

Poor girl looks terrified.

I lift her up and hold her tenderly. “No worries, little angel. I’ll keep you safe. The wise elder has assigned me to watch over you.” I try to wipe the blood off her cheek, accidentally cutting her.

Everything I touch ends up in pieces.

Annie looks at me in a fearful daze. Her eyes shine with purity.

Not everything they taught us at that school was a lie. Angel’s are truly blessed creatures and they must be protected.

“You can stay with me. Think of me like your papa.” I send out what little warmth I have remaining.

She grips onto me and cries.

She’s alone. Betrayed by her own grandfather…the same man who betrayed me. I will protect her against Betrayer and ISEKAI. I’ll be her guardian.

She falls fast asleep. “Sorry, blessed child. I have to return to the battle. My village needs me.” I set her down in the bushes. “I’ll be back as soon as the blood stops dripping.”

I return to the warzone. Even with the leader dead, the fighting continues.

Why are the Heroes rebelling? They are revered and respected. It doesn’t make any sense. If I kill the Hero who abducted the prickly angel, will the fighting stop?

The Produce Pirate guns down enemies as he makes his way to me. “You have to help! My daughter was taken. A CatBoy Commander took Fruity!”

I’ve never felt the Produce Pirate be so desperate and weak. It sickens me.

“I’ll find her.” I speed along the battlefield as a shadow, ignoring the cries of heroes from both sides.

She couldn’t have gotten far.

I sense a CatBoy presence inside a building.

The teenage CatBoy is holding the eleven-year old girl hostage. “Back off! I’m not going to hurt her. This is a fetch quest. I’ll be back to burn this village to the ground later.”

Wait, that’s a girl. I didn’t know there were female CatBoys.

“I said back off!” She growls at me.

Fruity looks up at me. “She isn’t kidnapping me. I…want to go with her.”

The enemy gave off the red energy of anger, but I could feel the sorrowful waves flowing inside her. Are even CatBoys victims? And why would the Produce Pirates daughter want to leave?

I turn the tips of my cloak sharp while chattering teeth throughout my body.

The enemy must have threatened her. Wait a moment…she’s the one that massive Hero traitor wanted to save. Did he know she was already transformed into a cat of the Dictator?

A shadow arises between me and the enemy Commander.

Damn I’m not strong enough to kill him yet.

My blades move on their own slicing at the detestable traitor.

Betrayer gets sliced several times before his cloak becomes revolving blades that deflect mine.

The Commander rushes off with Fruity as we fight.

I could go after her…I should. But he’s here now. I need to end him.

“We should hurry before she escapes with the child.” He maneuvers around me with blades at the ready.

My tendrils become black snakes and bite at the murderer.

Betrayer’s shadow spreads out and then forms into massive axes. He slices at the walls of the building, having it topple on top of me.

I speed after him and slice at the fleeing shadow.

As my blades sing a song of rage a voice breaks through and reaches me.

Annie.

The Angel is two feet off the ground, ensnared in vines of the toughest wood.

Old Dude appears at her side. “Surrender if you don’t want every bone in her body grinded into sacred powder. Funny how Angel’s are actually more expensive when sold in parts.”

The vines pull at her limbs.

“No! Stop!” Betrayer lunges at Old Dude, but his attack is distorted and misses entirely.

I slice his back and turn him to face me. “Your granddaughter is in danger. Die now and I’ll have time to save her.” My black snakes are neutralized by his White Mist.

A Hero in a costume, guided by an angel, fires wind sickles that free Annie.

“If you’ll excuse me.” Old Dude vanishes and begins fighting the Hero.

I turn back to Betrayer. “Only I can save her from him.”

“I…want her to die. I tried to do it myself. Tried to convince myself that she was impure and selfish…but she wasn’t. She’s a true blessing but one that must be put out.”

“Do you resent angels?” I ask, pulling my tendrils in and waiting for the White Mist to clear.

“I pity them. Having the burden of carrying a responsibility they didn’t spark. For Heroes, the Catalyst is activated by a small amount of Angel’s Soma, the special blend of all of an angel’s fluids. Any more than a small dose means certain death and sometimes even a drop can be too much for those mortals. With RiftRippers a single drop would just be diluted in the vast world within us. We need an entire angel.”

“Not just the heart? Old Dude said that…”

“Old Dude believes we only grow from failures. He doesn’t want you to have a power. He wants you to fail at claiming it and become even more miserable. He knows that those who are desperate will continue to serve him. It’s the basis for ISEKAI.”

“What about hero hearts, do I need those?”

“Not until you’re cursed. See, RiftRippers don’t receive Miracles like Heroes. We aren’t so fortunate. Power comes to us at a cost. After devouring an angel, if they survive, a RiftRipper will gain a Curse. My White Mist is my Curse.”

“And the only way to overcome a Curse is with another one, I take it.”

“Perhaps. You know, she’s going to be killed regardless. You might as well put her to good use.”

Betrayer really doesn’t care about anyone but himself!

“That isn’t true. Everything I do is a sacrifice,” he says, his voice unnaturally soothing.

“You pretended to love me, but Goopy and I were just pawns to you.”

Betrayer opens up his cloak and shows me his core. “I gave you my Black Seed. We are bonded. If I die, so will you.”

My tendrils shoot out to destroy my core but are sliced to ribbons. “You misunderstand. The connection is not equal. Your death would merely allow me to bond with another.”

Then my only option really is to kill an angel. But if I sacrifice an Angel to kill him, then I’ll die following in his footsteps.

My mind catches fire. I no longer see vital energy. Everything is just a torrent of flames. My body bends and lashes around, killing everyone in the area.

I feel the vibrations in the air suddenly shift.

The prickly Angel is dancing through the battlefield. Not only do my attacks stop but the fear and anger coating the warzone disperses. Even Betrayer is unable to attack as she hops and skip around.

Such power. I had no fathom that peace could be such a potent force.

There is only one whose rage and sadness is not alleviated by the Angel’s Dance, the cat-girl commander.

She grabs onto the costumed hero and sobs against his chest. When she looks up at me, her eyes are filled with the same toxic hate that plagues me.

Pure vengeance.

“My brothers…because of you. Monster!”

Her hatred clings to my cloak, giving me the fuel to act.

If I eat that Angel now, I can kill Betrayer.

The revenge-fueled commander is pulled away by her squad of CatBoys.

I approach the little Angel.

All I have to do is put her in my void and I can…

My body freezes.

Despite her exhaustion and injuries she’s giving all her energy to healing the costumed hero. She collapses but her wings come out and have her continue to pool energy into him.

Even if I mustered up every trace of darkness from all the tortured souls within me…it wouldn’t be enough to snuff out her light.

White Knight arrives on the scene with some medics. “Tend to the Angel’s first! Then the women. If there are any men with missing limbs, then they can be healed last. The rest of them can just get over it!”

A Hero girl shakes Annie to her senses. “Wake up! Come on! Get up!”

Her shadow rises up from behind her and slices her sides. “Gloom, we’re on the same team.” She glares at him.

“Still just as defiant as the day I killed you.”

“Wait, you’re the one who skinned me alive back at that convention.”

Gloom cuts her cheek. “Does that terrify you?”

“Of course!” She leaps into a hug with him and nuzzles him while shivering.

“Oh…umm…you’re warm.” Gloom holds her close.

“Warm like blood!” She beams erotic waves at him.

What a strange Hero.

I slide across the ground and pull in Annie into my void.

“Hey! Give her back!” yells the Hero girl, chasing after me.

Gloom carves a portal and tosses her in. “Better hurry before I close it.”

The Mortal Militia pools into the portal.

Old Dude waves at them as they flee. “You’ve been given a chance. We’re going to wipe out every traitor the next time we meet. Best to leave the militia before then.” He gestures to the bodies. “We have plenty of job spots that just opened up.”

Despite the obvious threat, I feel nothing by kindness and compassion beaming from the Primordial.

Old Dude turns to me. “Now then, hand over the Angel.”