That night after I left Malcolm’s cave I dropped dead in the middle of nowhere. Exhausted, broken and torn apart, I collapsed while just walking ahead mindlessly.

Unknown to myself, I slept for days. It felt like being inside of a hazy dream where the slight tinge of Asura’s voice occasionally broke through the air, images imparting through the mist that lingered about. I could see… carriages, sand, chains among other things.

When I came back to my senses I was inside somewhere very dark. Attempting to get a hold of my bearings, I stood up only to feel chains bound around my wrists.

“Where am I?”

“If you hadn’t been sleeping through the whole thing, you would know.” He sounded angry.

I sat there, alone in the dark. Nothing really went through my head. Feeling more numb than ever before, I didn’t really want to get up.

What now?

Malcolm was dead. So was his entire group. I had no family to return to, nowhere to call home. Everything that I had burned down that night, along with my childhood. So. the question remained.

What now?

Why was I even alive? What else did I have to live for?

“Because you have a role to play in the future.”

“Until I fulfill your goal in your stead?”

“Yes.”

“As if I care about such a thing.”

“Don’t worry. You will come to understand your role in this world. Well... we have time before we get anywhere away from this place. Want to talk?”

“Not really.”

“If you want to survive, you better stop acting like a spoilt child and more like a man.”

I remained silent.

“Do you have a feel for your magic now?”

“Sort of.”

“I can sense that you’ve never used mana before. You’re trying to use it like you’re a human.”

“Am I not supposed to?”

“A part of you is like me now. Demon. Stop relying on your inferior self, rely more on me.”

“I don’t need you.”

“You will.”

“Just go on with what you were saying.”

“You’re not attuned enough with my magic, not for you to inherit what I truly have prepared for you.”

“Am I supposed to try harder for it? It’s not like I care.”

“You will.”

That phrase, “you will”. It was almost as if he knew what I wanted, what I would do far before it even happened. Was fate sealed because the choices I had made were already set in stone, or because fate knew the choices that I would already make?

“So how is human magic different?”

“You don’t draw mana from the same sources as we do. Every race in Elysium draws from the world tree, to some varying degree. However most humans are only able to draw the minimum amount, leaving them with few that are able to excel at magic. Elves, similarly to humans only draw from the world tree, however they’re able to draw in larger quantities.”

“You sound so full of yourself.”

“We draw from a different realm. A darker, more unknown force. One that I tried to study for so long, but was unable to.”

“You sound so cocky, but you don’t understand the origin of your powers either.”

“No… we don’t. Not yet. You should listen instead of speaking.”

“I suppose.”

Asura kept explaining small things to me occasionally. I acted as if I didn’t care, but deep down, I kept note of everything he said. Everything he spoke about magic was stored in my mind, just like the passage of every book I had read before.

Hours passed before I sensed the first glimpse of life other than myself. I could hear footsteps in the distance, from outside of the cell that I resided in. I heard the sound of a door unlocking as the door swung open, revealing a single person outside. He took one look at me, and then smiled.

“Thought you were dead.”

I remained silent.

“That’s good, you’re still in alright shape. No bruising, no injuries. Found you on the roadside, still breathing. Lucky that the slaver found you before anyone else.”

That’s right. I had forgotten to ask.

“Where am I?” I asked inside of my head.

“It’s one of your human cities. I heard it’s called Ethel.”

Ethel, one of the slave cities that I had read about. Disgusting.

“It’s going to be your turn, now. I hope you can at least be an interesting fodder,” the jailor whispered, leaning close to me. He came close to me, just as I had expected. As I was about to break my chains, hot brands began to burn onto the flesh onto my chest, and I gasped out in pain. It didn’t hurt too bad, but I was surprised by it.

“Don’t resist,” the jailor chuckled. “It'll only hurt.”

“Slave marks. Cruel, to use it on your own kind.”

I couldn’t disagree. I knew that slave marks were a kind of magic designed to ensure that those subjected to it couldn’t rebel against owners without permission. And in this case, this jailor was my owner.

He grabbed my chains, dragging me along with him.

I watched for any signs that I could run away. But first I needed a way to get this thing off me, even if it meant doing as he said for a little bit.

The tunnel we walked through was lit up by torches. Cells lined the side, some you could see inside while others you couldn’t. Some were filled, while others were empty. Eventually at the end of the tunnel was a glaring light, I had to cover my eyes as we walked outside, and the immediate sound of cheering penetrated my ears.

As I adjusted to the glare of the sun, I looked up at exactly where I was. Seats and platforms lined up the side of the arena, bloodstained sand decorated the ground below where the slaves fought. All around me, the masses cheered and celebrated the death of peasants whose lives were being taken in the name of entertainment.

We were up on a small balcony. That quickly changed as I was kicked into the scalding hot sands of the arena below. I turned around to watch him laugh, throwing his keys up in the air and walking away. Then he threw something into the sand next to my face. It was my sword, or at least what remained of it. The tip had broken and all that remained was the rusty hilt.

”You were holding onto this when you collapsed. I hope it serves you well now, haha!” I heard him behind me.

He hadn’t even bothered to unchain me.

Up ahead of me were several people fighting in the pits. There were several armored men, armed with crude, nearly broken weapons. Others were unarmed, and simply ran around, trying their best not to get killed. I got up, still bound and watched as dozens more were killed. And in celebration of this atrocity the crowd cheered even louder, as if this was the exact reason that they came here for. For blood, for death.

Dozens more were shoved into the arena, the same way I was. Some were armed with shields and swords, others with daggers and axes. All sent here, to die. For the gods, for entertainment, for punishment, for redemption. All stuck inside this small pit, to fight until the crowds were pleased, to slaughter until only one stood. I could see among the crowds that there were some that didn’t even know how to hold a sword.

One of them tripped, falling onto the ground. His hand grabbed a body by accident, and as he realized he recoiled back, spiraling into his death as he impaled himself on a spear. Many others followed suit. There was no mercy in this arena, none for the weak.

Why was I put here? Why the hell did fate bring me here, if fate was behind all of this?

My thoughts were immediately cut short by a kick to my face. I had been far too lost in my own thoughts and allowed someone to walk up to me without even realizing it. Blood splattered out of my nose, and I recoiled back. I tripped on the sandy ground, landing on my butt. Another kick to the chin followed my face, and I was sent laid down on my back.

Sand went into my eyes, and I couldn’t see anything for a moment. I could feel someone grab my hair, raising me up into the air.

A coarse and dry voice followed. “What’s a child like you doing here?”

I responded by shaking, moving my tied hands up in an attempt to break loose, to no avail.

“Why is a child like you in a pit for criminals and monsters?”

As the dust left my eyes I saw a tan, tall man with tattoos holding me up by my hair. Black markings stretched across his skin as well into the shape of a two headed serpent. And on his face were even more marks, and obviously on his chest was what appeared to be a slave mark as well, similar in shape and size to my own.

“Answer me, child.”

I found the strength to speak.

“A slaver found me on the road. At least that’s what I was told,” I managed to get out.

“I see. So you’re just another slave. That’s unfortunate.”

“Why?”

“Because I have to kill you now.”

“And why is that?”

“The only way out of this place is to be the last one standing.”

“And what’s the point... of getting out of here?”

“I have a family to avenge,” he sounded bitter. “I can’t be dying here.”

“I see.”

My body went limp, and I couldn’t feel anything for a split second. I saw his axe, swinging towards my neck, and my life flashed before my eyes. It was going to be over now. I could rest now.

A part of me just wanted it all to end there. However another part of me, hungering and waiting, didn’t. Perhaps the idea of death just caused me to change my mind, but I didn’t want to die here.

If I die here, then Emery would have died for nothing.

Then the nameless girl would have given herself up in vain.

If I allowed myself to die here, then I was admitting that their sacrifices had taught me nothing. That their deaths were irrelevant and their legacies forgotten.

That the reason that this world was as tarnished as it is was because people like me, who could change the world refused to do so. And that if I die here, I would allow the cycle to continue.

And I couldn’t allow that.

“Find your purpose.”

I can’t die here.

“Your story has only begun.”

Or else I will tarnish the memory of those that died to make me who I am.

“Push yourself… and become my vessel.”

If I can't change the past… then I will avenge it. I had the power to make sure the same thing never happened to anyone else ever again. My choice not to act was the same as condoning the very atrocities that ruined my life. It was far too late to save my sister. It was far too late for me to try to help that nameless girl, who had been clinging onto hope for so long.

But it wasn’t too late for me to make sure the same thing never happened again.

That innocent children were taken from their homes, slaughtered, raped, and butchered. Toyed with and made a plaything.

Never.

Again.

“And now they will fear you.”

Rage. Rage born from my weakness, my inability to do anything, rage so great that I could feel my blood boil and the mana within me burn like an awakened volcano.

“It’s truly unfortunate,” I whispered under my breath.

He was right. It was unfortunate that this man had the misfortune of having to cross paths with me.

Mana began to crackle around me, and once more I drew from whatever reserves that remained inside of my body. The sleep must have helped me recover just a little bit.

A black mark stretched out from my neck, surprising the tan man and making him take a few steps back. I fell onto my knees, allowing power to course through my veins, changing my body as it went.

The slave mark on my chest flared up as I attempted to use magic. An intense shock flew across my body, but it was a shame that it hurt so little, after everything that I had been through. The shocks became more intense as my flesh began to turn into soot, but black claws extended at the tip of my fingers. I dug into my chest, tearing at the skin where I had been branded. And with a single swipe I tore apart the flesh on which the brand was located, tossing it onto the ground in front of me. Blood torrented from the hole in my chest down my clothing, which was ragged and torn. And in that moment the arena grew silent.

My eyes were open now. And I had seen enough.

Black matter formed in the air around me, cloaking me as my feet dragged across the scorching sand. A light layer of black matter protected me from the heat, masking me in a demonic armor that was crude and twisted. All but my head was covered, and in the few seconds before I was completely covered, the tan man had a few words for me.

“Those aren’t the eyes of a person that’s ready to die,” he said, all before he took up a defensive stance with his axe in hand.

Black matter formed and coiled around my bladeless sword, sharpening it to perfection. Everyone’s eyes were on me now. The cheering had stopped. There were no more signs of amusement. Only fear.

“Well done.”

Like the devil dancing on my shoulder, I could hear him whispering into my head. So when the tan man charged at me, his axe swung at my neck. It became stuck and lodged into my armor, and he lost his momentum. Within the split second in which he couldn’t figure out what to do, I took his arm. The sound of his screams penetrated the now silent air, and I gave him a quick death as I cleaved his head and ended his suffering.

And from that moment on, the arena was no longer a game of the past person standing. Because they knew that if they didn’t get rid of me, that none of them was going to live to see another day. So I watched as those with weapons began charging towards me, their weapons raised high alongside their pride. There were no more enemies, there was only me.

They came in waves, those that were unarmed allowed those with weapons to come at me first. Blades became stuck in my armor, as parts of it extended out, grabbing onto their weapons and snapping it. My swordplay was as sharp as ever. I aimed for their throats, then their hearts, then any other weaknesses, maiming them if I couldn’t hit a vital. It was a short but lively battle as dozens fell before me.

I was beginning to forget the sanctity of human life.

Blood soiled the sandy arena as they mobbed me, and it was not long before those that could fight were at door’s death, and those that couldn’t were at the side, unable to do anything but watch. Just like my past self.

And as I ripped the throat out of the last person in front of me, I dropped him onto the ground. And just like that, it was over. Slowly, I was beginning to descend to insanity. Yet I couldn’t feel anything wrong, I didn’t feel guilty.

Why should I have to apologize for being the way I am. When it was the world that made me this way?

“They came for blood, but in the face of a true predator they become so frightened. Such frugal creatures.”

My armor kept becoming more twisted and sharper. I wasn’t really doing it by will, but by intuition. Like Asura had said I had an aptitude for it, and perhaps it was beginning to show.

My entrance in the arena was interrupted by three figures jumping down into the sandy pits with me. They were hooded and armed, unlike the others who looked like they were using whatever scraps they could get their hands on, these people actually had proper equipment. One was cloaked in red and wore armor of the same color, one in black cloak that kept himself mostly hidden and finally one a pale gray whose only feature was his unique raven’s mask. Everyone else in the pits backed off, aware that these three weren’t your typical fodder fighters.

The first to approach was the one in red. He had a spear slung on his back, one that gave off a magical feel. I could actually see it resonating with the air, twirling slightly as it traced against the hot afternoon heat. He gave off a dangerous vibe, unlike anything I had ever felt before.

He was far stronger than me. For now.

I began to understand the flow of magic throughout my body. It was a pleasant warmth, like a second body within your own. As I spent more mana, it felt like my soul was being drained out, and as mana was replenished through my body my consciousness felt more refreshed.

The red cloak took off his hood, and underneath laid a warrior with red hair and piercings. Unlike the other warrior he had no tattoos, but instead the remains of previous scarring and injuries. He wasn’t deformed, but it was clear just by looking at his face that it was the result of years upon years of battle experience.

I looked for a way out, but the other two dashed to the side, blocking any opportunities I saw for an escape. If I were to assume that the other two were as powerful as the red one before me, then I was completely screwed. However I already knew for a fact that they weren’t trying to kill me. If they were, they could have done it already.

That must mean that they wanted me alive.

I tried dashing to the side, avoiding the one in red. Even from a distance, I could feel his gaze on my movement, and within a split second of me blinking he had already covered the distance between us. I was far too late in making a decision, and saw his spear flying towards my throat. At the last second I managed to shift myself to the side enough that it broke the part of my armor that protected my neck.

“He’s fast.”

If I backed off now then I might not get another opportunity. I swung my sword at him from the side, leaving behind an afterimage. With exact precision and speed he deflected my slash with the tip of his spear, leaving his other side open. The armor on my arms crawled down, shaping into large claws at the tips of my fingers that I dove into the other side of the body. He swung his spear sideways, slamming my sword to the ground and up, directing my hand up with the butt of his spear.

From there on it became a game of parrying and deflecting. Every attack he threw at me I found a way to block or parry, sparks flying as our blades scratched each other. Every attack I launched against him he parried perfectly, leaving me with a numbing sensation every time.

“You’ll lose if this keeps up.”

Already, I could feel myself getting pushed back. It looked as if we were even but he was far stronger than I was. My arms were getting numb, and the look on his face said that he knew it. It would simply be a matter of time before my guard fell.

Then at the last second, he backed off. Just like that, his spear withdrew back, and the flurries of attacks that he unleashed came to a sudden halt. Chunks of my armor took the time to regenerate, repercussions from his brute strength caused vibrations across my armor, damaging it. He planted his spear into the ground, returning to his corner of the arena.

“Behind you.”

I turned around, facing a massive fireball. It scorched my armor, melting parts of it away into oblivion. It burned parts of my skin away, leaving behind burn marks instantly from the immense heat. I remembered back in that cave when they first began to use acid to burn away my skin. It was the same sensation, all over again.

Unfortunately for her, I was already used to the pain. For me it was nothing but a numbing tingling that didn’t even bother me.

I emerged from the flames, covered in burns all over me. Skin blistered and turned to soot as my body began to regenerate. Within seconds, the burns had turned into just darker skin, before turning back into the original color. The one that had created the flames stood before me now, and I checked behind me just in case. The one in red hadn’t moved an inch from before.

“They’re testing you.”

The one in front of me was a woman, a sorceress in a black robe. She had purple hair and eyes, the color of royalty. Indifference sprouted in her eyes as she flicked her hands, sending more flames my way. I slammed the ground, creating a wall in front of me that blocked the fireballs. I could hear them crash into the walls, creating an impact behind them. They were able to block a couple spells before shattering, leaving me exposed once again. With swiftness, I dashed around the battlefield. There was a pattern to her attacks. Once every three or so fireballs, there was a small opening where it took longer for the first fireball to attack. I could also see her chanting as her lips moved, so I began to predict when she would leave openings.

I moved, following the pattern I had observed. I started slow not to reveal to her that I had figured out her tempo, however about halfway towards her I sped up. And at the last second, I made a beeline for her, my legs leaving behind a dust cloud as I sprung forward. A smile emerged on the sorceresses as a cloud of smoke emerged from beneath me, confusing me. Suddenly the air was thick and shrouded by this smoke, enveloping me completely. I coughed, covering my face, sliding onto the ground.

“There’s someone else in here with you.”

I couldn’t sense any immediate heat near me, so at least the flames had stopped. However being unable to see anything was unnerving in and of itself. A part of the smoke seemed to bend, and I could sense someone up ahead for a split moment before it vanished.

Asura was right, there was someone else in here, probably the last person from the trio that came down. I saw something at the corner of my eyes, and I immediately turned around. Then behind me as well. Whoever it was in the smoke kept me twisted and turning for a while.

Trying to escape, I tried to run into the cloud, only to be kicked back inside.

After a while of confusion, I felt a cold chill crawl down my spine. I reacted instantly, turning around only to be met with a soft gust of air on my face. Then I could feel a hand on my shoulder. I swung my sword across, only to cut through empty air. I kept feeling like someone was behind me, always. Even though my armor kept me safe, I could literally feel hands on my skin, penetrating through my armor somehow.

It was unnerving, knowing that if she wanted she could just stab me through the neck or the heart and I would be none the wiser. So I became patient. I waited, breathing in slowly like there wasn’t enough oxygen in the air.

“You’re moving like a bumbling idiot.”

“I can’t see her.”

“Are eyes the only thing that you have? Are your nose and ears just for decoration?”

So I listened. I heard. My feet touched the ground, absorbing every vibration from below. I waited. I smelled the smoke, allowing my nose to take in the musty scent of corroded air. My body planted firmly into the ground, holding my position as the cloud around me only became more dense. However my attacker had stopped trying to poke at me, for some reason. I took everything in with every single sense. The smell of the air where it was thicker, the feel of the ground where I stood, the sound of the whistling smoke as it grew dense.

That’s right.

I didn’t need to find her. I just needed to eliminate where she wasn’t. So I felt a vibration from beneath, originating from my side. I turned immediately, catching a glimpse of someone in the cloud.

Then from my back, I could hear the whistling of air as something moved through it, interrupting the usual resonance that I heard.

And from in front of me, I could smell a part of the smoke that became less concentrated. So I lunged myself forward, latching myself onto the pale colored attacker. I could feel that she definitely hadn’t expected me to find her.

I wrapped my legs around the attacker’s slender body, forming a sword on my right arm. And right before I struck her she sent me flying backwards, outside of the cloud. I had been successful in finding her, and now I was back where I started. At the middle, surrounded by those three special gladiators. The one in the pale cloak emerged from the smoke as it began to disappear.

All three stood by now, and I realized that everyone else in the arena had gone. The spectator seats were completely empty, so was the arena itself. There were no more fighters, only us four.

No.

Us five.

There was another person down here now.

I turned to my side, there was still one person in the spectator seats. He was a child, dressed with a simple scholar’s robe. For some reason, he looked familiar, like someone that I had known in the past. Someone that I felt I should know, but didn’t. Then I saw it, a flicker behind him. There was something there, but it had only appeared for a split second.

“What was that?” I asked inside my head.

“What?”

It appeared to be that Asura couldn’t see it either. I decided to ignore my gut feeling as he approached. He was of similar height, however was slightly shorter than me. The way he carried himself was elegant and slow, like he was in no hurry. As he came down the stairs the three people still in the pits walked to his side, protecting him from three sides. It was like watching a scripted play and everyone had just moved to their designated positions.

The boy kept walking towards me, raising his right hand up as his bodyguards stopped walking with him. Until he came right in front of me, showing not a single ounce or fear.

“What’s your name?” he asked.

“Magnus,” I responded earnestly. I didn’t feel like lying, not when I didn’t understand the situation that I was in.

“No last name?” he tilted his head.

“No.”

“I see.”

He observed me for a while, his pupils shifting up and down. I did the same.

“Do you have anywhere to go?” he asked.

“No.”

“I see… how would you like to have a talk?”

“Depends. Who are you?”

He smiled smugly, looking at me with amusement on his face. I had kept listening to him because there was just an air about him that told me that he knew what he was doing. It wasn’t mana, nor was it power, it was just… There was hope in his eyes as he gazed at me, a strange thing to find in someone like me. “I am heir to the throne of the Southern Kingdom, the last Morgenstern. My name is Nobunaga… and I plan on restoring this fallen kingdom to its former glory. I’ve been looking for someone… someone different. And I think I’ve found who I want. I’d like you to help me achieve that dream… if you’re interested.”