After the raid on Underworld base, the activities of the syndicate disappeared from the Republic. The city of Raind was taken back by the Red Dragon and order in the criminal world was reestablished.

For the time being, no more fools will dare to challenge one of the three major syndicates. New fools would always emerge eventually. In the main base of the Red Dragon, the bosses were having a meal and discussing the situation after two months.

"There has been no activity and the hideouts have been purged. All members fled or were killed by us or the army. I think it is safe to say this problem has been dealt with it." Yu Bo said as he took a bottle of alcohol and raised it high along with the others in cheers.

"Yes, we did. Yuuuuu, are you feeling sad? You did such good work. I know it must have been hard. After all, one of your old recommendations was killed in the raid. Want to cry on my shoulder?" Zendul hugged him in a tender embrace as he drank.

"Thank you, Zendul, but I already accepted his death after he abandoned the Red Dragon. I gave him a chance to live his life, but he chose the wrong person to follow." He drank half the bottle in one gulp. "By the way, didn’t you send that young boy who was causing trouble there too? Did he die?"

"Mmmmmmmmm… Yes! Finally, that stupid dog is dead and buried. He caused so many troubles, but I heard he worked hard during the raid. A fitting end for a useless dog. Let me tell you, after disposing of so many troublemakers and idiots, it feels so gooooood ordering the lackeys knowing they aren’t going to make trouble for the Dragon. Ah, I love this short time after purging the weaklings."

As Yu Bo and Zendul relaxed, a group of women brought food and drinks. The other two bosses present were watching them get drunk and celebrate with rowdiness.

"Pfff... so noisy, stop making a fuss about one little purge. We need to get back to work for the leader and the Dragon." Xia let a long breath out along with the smoke from her pipe. "Men are so simple-minded; don’t you think so, Ping?"

"Mmm, I can't say that for certain. Maybe women are too complex, or maybe your thoughts are deeper than most people, Xia. Whatever the case, I can't make an accurate judgment on this matter." The woman spoke with an almost mechanical tone, and her eyes were wide and cold. She was wearing a small leather armor with symbols engraved on it. They had powerful spells ready to be used at any moment.

Her name was Ping, and she was one of the six bosses of the Red Dragon. She was mostly known for her cold exterior and disinterest in anything. She had a nickname in the criminal world: "The Peacekeeper." A mocking nickname born from the fact that every time she was dispatched somewhere, there were barely one or two survivors.

She changed subjects and looked at her companions. "According to the report from the army, the leader of Underworld was a young man named Thanatos. According to the findings, he was a necromancer."

"A necromancer? Yes, I heard that the Executioner that we sent was turned into a zombie and was killed by the army. But it is nothing special. We have encountered some apprentices of necromancy in the country. After the battle with Zek, some fools still think they can replicate a fraction of his power."

"They said it wasn’t just zombies or skeletons. Some grunts present reported hearing a cry from inside the building during the battle. It was muffled by the wood and stone, but they could feel their minds hurting, like being under a mental attack."

"What are you going with this Ping?" Zendul made a weird face.

"There was none else beside Thanatos in Underworld that was worth considering. The rest of the syndicate collapsed without his leader, and they scattered to other countries. But we didn’t find Thanatos' body. Neither did the army. Who took it away? And more importantly, if he could use necromantic abilities, there is a chance that a ritual could bring him back to life."

"Your point is that you think he could return to the Republic for us."

"Yes."

"Hahahaha, that’s very unlikely. If he could resurrect himself from the grave, it would probably cost him his humanity. He would be an undead after coming back. He can’t rebuild a syndicate like that. and trying to fight us after dying would be stupid when he could go to another country or even to the wilderness to live the rest of his undead days and build a proper army of death." Yu Bo didn’t believe in Thanatos coming back for revenge, but…

"If he were to return, then we only need to send him back to the ground again. Isn’t that enough?" His fighting spirit was oozing into the room. The prospect of fighting one of those legendary creatures called liches would be exciting. He would never be as strong as Zek, but he couldn’t help but feel curious.

"Oh, Yuuuuuuu, I’ll be right there at your side if you want to kill undead. Just the two of us fighting an undead army, it as a nice sound doesn’t it?"

"Yeah, we only need to kill him again." Ping turned back to her meal and kept eating in silence.

In the end, strength was the most important factor in a fight; that was the philosophy of the Red Dragon.

***

Slowly, the name of Underworld was forgotten. The legend of the necromancer Thanatos that showed up out of nowhere was short-lived. Most commoners and regular people had no idea of his existence. Only a few groups knew of his power and the syndicate he founded.

To the army of Selus and the Kingdom of Axes, he was a human monster that tried to use dark power for his illegal activities. For syndicates like the Red Dragon and the assassin organization known as The Hand, it was a thorn in their side that was finally removed. Others, like the Demi Human Council, had met him, but they were unaware of his true identity.

Only one man had noticed he was still alive. He was dancing under the moon in a big white hall. It was pristine and only used for important ceremonies, but this man could go there and use it as much as he wanted. Because he was Dante, the most powerful member of the Black Order.

He was wearing his training uniform. It was made of a special fiber that allowed him to stretch without breaking it. It didn’t have any magic spell to make it resistant; it was naturally good. It cost a lot of money, but it was one of the few whims the Orders gave him.

He enjoyed this piece of clothing not because it was special beyond his resistance, but because it allowed him to express himself in the only other thing that wasn’t combat: a dance. A solo performance meant to satiate his own soul.

To Dante, these moments were one of the few enjoyable things in his life. Sometimes, when he got so happy that he couldn’t contain himself, he came here to dance till his heart was filled. Tonight was one of those times.

The news about Underworld reached the ears of the Orders, and so he was naturally notified. After studying for the past two weeks, he made connections. The disappearance of a noble in the Kingdom of Axe that trafficked demi humans, along with the break out of an underground demi human fighting ring that had connections to none other than Arin Sevia, the man who was selected as the new trainer of the next generation of the Black Order.

Dante read the report, and according to the time of death, someone came and had contact with the children, pretending to be Arin Sevia. They were inspected to make sure they hadn’t been put under the influence of a spell, but Dante already knew.

The man who ran from him that day was the one who used a Death Knight to kill the noble of Axes and dismantle his slave ring. The man who had necromancer powers and led a syndicate.

"Thanatos," just saying the name made his body shiver with delight. His opponent was the one who could show him his real limits. He was still alive and had escaped from the grasp of the Republic into hiding.

I know you’re still alive. They say you died only to keep the people calm, but I can feel it in my chest. Your soul has not left this world. I’m waiting to see your face and use our powers in a deadly dance. Let us bare our souls together, Thanatos, until we reach the climax of our lives.

His dance changed from elegant to a wild but equally beautiful fight. He was battling himself. He moved his body as if he was dodging and attacking at the same time. The dance finally transitioned into a full mock battle in his mind. He tried to visualize the man he saw in his mind that day. What weapons does he use? Can he use spells other than necromancers, or is he completely specialized in that school? So many questions.

"Ah… ah… ah…" he was sweating after the dance and his body was at the wrong angle. A normal person would think he had broken bones, but it was the flexibility of his body honed after years of training. The sound of clapping caught his attention to the door; he already knew he was there watching him.

"Master..." It was Edan, trainer of the Black Order. "What brings you here? Have you found a new teacher for the kids?" His voice sounded disinterested and his white eyes were looking out the window. After years together, Edan knew this was the bare minimum that Dante could care about matters that bored him.

"Not yet, there is a screening tomorrow for the final election."

"Too bad you can’t keep training. The kids would be happy to have such a good teacher."

"Happy uh, we told them about the spy that pretend to be their teacher after checking they weren’t being controlled but they only had good things to say about him. One of them asked us to hire him, he said "He was super strong and cool!". Don’t you think it is pathetic that we let a spy inside and had contact with the Black Order?"

"Yes, but it is not our fault. We arrived after the mission and there was no other member present in headquarters at the time. It was just unlucky."

"Tell me, Dante, do you seriously believe this man is still alive?"

"Yes."

"Do you have any proof?"

"No... but he wouldn’t let this be the end. He’s recovering his power and preparing for his revenge. That’s what I think at least, master."

"If he really comes back, the Order can let a necromancer free. We would have to kill him and, depending on where the hideout is, declare war on another country. We can let another incident like with Zek happen again."

"I know master, all I want is to kill him with my own hands. I can do it, right?" They exchanged glances...

"Yes, I can promise you that."

"Thank you, master."

In reality, Edan only planned to let them fight as a last resort. He was afraid of the storm these two monsters, Dante and Thanatos, could cause if they encountered one another.

The days passed, turning into months. Until the day of freedom came…