The wind sliced through the air like invisible blades.
The cobblestones trembled beneath Luís's slow steps, while Garo's incandescent glare burned the distance between them.
The night felt alive — tense, suffocating — as if even the air was afraid to breathe.
Garo: — Finally, we meet, Sentinel.
Luís: — Go home, kid. You'll end up killing yourself.
Silence weighed heavy. Garo clenched his fists, eyes burning with fury.
Then — the ground exploded.
In a single leap, Garo vanished from sight, his body consumed by a pulsating red light.
— Neo Jutsu: Dread Tendrils!
From the ground, twisted black hands burst upward, gripping Luís's legs.
For a moment, he was trapped — vulnerable.
Garo was already descending, falling like lightning.
(Thought) "If I hit the vital point… even he'll fall. Even a Sentinel has limits."
The strike cut through the air — but met only wind.
A blue flash detonated.
The street split open in a line of pure light.
The shadowy hands were shredded — and Garo was thrown back by the impact.
Luís (coldly): — Too slow.
His very presence crushed the space around him.
Garo stumbled back instinctively, his heart racing.
Garo: — Neo Jutsu: Umbral Assault!
From the ground, crimson blades of aura howled upward, slicing the air like starving beasts.
The explosion tore half the street apart, raising a thick cloud of dust.
But Luís merely lifted one hand.
— Neo Jutsu: Celestial Chains.
Bluish chains materialized, coiling around the blades and redirecting them straight back at Garo.
(Garo's thought) "He—he canceled my entire technique?! And sent it back at me?! How—"
Garo (shouting): — I didn't come here to play! I came to destroy you!
His aura ignited like living fire. Veins glowed crimson.
The air quaked. Stones lifted off the ground.
From a distance, Ruby and Sebastian watched silently.
Ruby: — So far, Luís is completely overwhelming him…
Sebastian: — … (tense silence).
The ground cracked again.
Garo's aura expanded, swallowing everything — transforming the battlefield into a dome of liquid darkness.
Garo (roaring): — Soul Expression: Kurayami Saisei!
Luís stood still, unshaken.
The ground beneath his feet turned to black sludge, slowly pulling him under.
From the abyss, humanoid creatures emerged — distorted bodies, screams that felt carved from within the soul.
Luís (quietly): — Shadows… so that's your essence.
Garo (laughing): — Welcome to my world! Like the décor?!
Outside the dome, Ruby covered her mouth, horrified.
Ruby: — What is that?!
Sebastian: — The Soul Expression. A reflection of the user's heart. Only those who surpass their own limits can unleash something like that.
Ruby (worried): — You think Luís will survive that…?
Inside the dome, it was hell.
The shadows devoured everything. Luís sank to his chest, motionless.
For a moment, he seemed defeated.
Garo: — Hah! So this is the great Sentinel?
— A fraud…
But the grin died fast.
A hand broke through the sludge. Then Luís's entire body rose — unscathed.
Garo (in shock): — Still alive…? You should be melting!
Luís: — You're too weak to bring me down. And too ignorant to grasp the basics.
Soul Expressions aren't toys.
He walked forward, and the sludge evaporated around his feet.
Garo: — What the hell are you talking about?!
Luís: — A Soul Expression can turn the tide of battle… but only when used at the right moment.
He raised his palm.
— Otherwise… this happens.
The air trembled — as if the world itself had stopped breathing.
— Neo Jutsu: Silent Cataclysm.
Above him, a black sphere was born — dense, radiant, with blue lightning swirling around its surface.
Garo: — DIE ALREADY!!
The creatures lunged at Luís — and vanished.
The sphere cut through the field.
A flash.
Absolute silence.
When the dome dissolved, the scenery was clean — no destruction, no blood.
Only Luís stood tall.
And Garo… was nothing but ash.
(Garo's final thought) "What… kind of technique… was that…?"
Luís: — Defeated by my weakest enchantment. What a pity.
He stepped closer.
Luís: — Why did you come after me?
Garo (gasping): — I… just wanted… to build a home for our dre—
His body disintegrated before finishing the sentence.
Luís sighed.
(Thought) "Damn… he died before explaining. Could he have been connected to the masked one…?"
Ruby (shouting): — Luís! Are you okay?!
She ran to him and hugged him tightly.
Luís: — I'm fine. It's over.
Sebastian: — …The sunrise is beautiful.
Luís: — Too beautiful.
The trio walked down the ruined streets, their footsteps echoing in a world that still smelled of blood and dust.
High atop a building, Juan and the Masked Man watched everything.
Masked Man: — Garo was a beast. But far too immature.
That immaturity killed him.
Juan: — He acted like a child throwing a tantrum.
Soul Expressions shouldn't be used unless your opponent is already weakened.
(leans in with a mocking smile)
— Idiot.
Masked Man: — You saw what Luís is capable of. He did all that… without destroying the field.
That's why we must continue.
Juan: — For the new era…
They vanished, swallowed by the wind.
The sun rose over the Capital — a new day began…
but something dark was already moving within the shadows.
---
A Few Hours Later — Train in Motion
The metallic clatter of the tracks sliced through the air.
Kevin, Julian, and Augusto sat side by side, their gazes lost in the gray horizon.
Augusto: — Mind if I ask something that's been bothering me?
Kevin: — Go ahead.
Augusto: — Why's your outfit the same as mine?
Kevin gave a faint, sly smile.
Kevin: — Got it from someone. Said it belonged to your ex.
Augusto raised a brow.
Augusto: — Natasha… that was her name, right?
Kevin looked away.
Kevin: — Yeah. I thought it was love… but to her, it was just a night.
Julian (quietly): — Damn, that's rough, man. We give our heart, and the other person just wants a distraction.
Augusto: — Been there.
The sound of the rails filled the silence.
A child tripped nearby — Julian caught her before she fell.
The girl smiled and ran off. He followed after her.
Kevin stared out the window, his expression softening for a brief moment.
Augusto (low voice): — Don't carry that forever, Kevin. What happened to your sister wasn't your fault.
Kevin: — I know… but it still hurts.
Knowing she became a host for a dragon…
I lost my aunt, and the kingdom lost too many warriors.
Sometimes I wonder… what's the point of hunting these creatures?
So much sacrifice… for what?
And that masked man… who was he?
Augusto: — She knew the risks.
Our kingdom thrives on this — controlling mystical beings means power.
And about the masked man… I've heard stories. But no one knows who he really is.
Kevin: — …What if he's not even human?
Augusto: — Then, my friend… that's a whole different game.
Julian came back, munching on bread.
Julian: — Did I miss something good?
Augusto (laughing): — Just cheap philosophy.
Augusto: — Oh, and get ready…
Next stop's a dungeon.
Kevin and Julian (together): — What?!
Augusto: — Rescue mission. Some adventurers vanished inside. We're going in.
A woman passing through the corridor stopped, stared at them — and went pale.
Woman: — My God… it's the Second Sentinel! And his brother!
The wagon erupted in chaos.
Screams, laughter, people rushing closer to see.
Kevin (laughing): — So much for peace and quiet.
Man: — Is it true?! You're the Second Sentinel's brother?!
Kevin: — No. I'm a Dinark.
The murmurs grew louder.
Woman: — Dinark?! From the First Sentinel's family?!
Another Passenger: — So he's related to them?!
Augusto (sighing): — Let's hope this mess doesn't cause trouble.
The train slowed down gradually; a metallic hiss echoed through the rails before it came to a stop.
The doors slid open with a sharp click, releasing a flood of hurried passengers, laughter blending with footsteps and the drag of suitcases.
The air smelled of iron, oil, and cheap coffee from a nearby stall.
People stepped out with light expressions — some still murmuring excitedly about what they had just witnessed inside the train.
A curious buzz filled the air, as if everyone shared a secret the world outside had yet to learn.
Augusto turned to the group, adjusting his jacket and smiling faintly at Kevin.
— Before the mission, we're making a quick stop. I want to introduce you to a friend of mine… he said he already knows you, Kevin.
Kevin raised an eyebrow, surprised — then smirked.
— Well, look at that. I'm famous already?
Julian watched the heavy flow of people.
The station was massive — tall concrete columns covered in torn posters, faded ads, and street vendors shouting for attention.
The blare of speakers mixed with the sound of a busker's off-key guitar in a corner.
The floor vibrated each time another train arrived. The high ceiling gleamed with sunlight.
He took a deep breath, pulling up his hood.
— So, who's this mysterious friend of yours? — he asked, curious.
Augusto only smiled.
— You'll find out soon enough.