World Enders

As I sum up the information I possess, I close the relatively useless book and lean back in the chair.

I'm getting a clearer picture of the Dream Realm, but it's one of those situations where the more you learn, the more you realize you don't know.

So, here's the deal: there are three human Citadels in this place, but only one of them has a working Gateway. The other two Gateways broke a while back for reasons nobody's clear on. They've turned into massive bases to house armies, just in case the Unholy Titan decides to pay a visit to our world and cause all kinds of chaos.

Now, even with this huge army at their disposal, it's pretty clear that they wouldn't stand a chance against the Unholy Titan. This army is massive, with, as far as Gale knows, around five Saints, over fifty Masters, and an unimaginable number of Awakened.

Gale explained that the more powerful Awakened who decide to join the Government are send to this deadly place. And there they spend most of their lives, turning into Masters and maybe even Saints.

The Citadel with the working Gateway, called the Prison of Satan, is home to a Saint, one of the earliest Saints ever known and one of the mightiest. They call him the First Saint, even though technically he's not really the first. But whatever. Maybe they mean the first Saint of the Government, who knows.

He's rumored to wield a Scythe which isn't even a Memory, but something much more terrifying. There is another rumor, saying that the Scythe is actually not a Memory or even an Echo, but a living Nightmare Creature which is somehow trapped in the Scythe. But these rumors are tough to verify, and it's hard to say for sure. Maybe if I really appear there, I might learn more.

Anyways, the Saints, Masters and Awakened are just one part of the defense there. Which makes sense, because there is no way mere five Saints with their army can resist an Unholy Titan. There are two Gods too.

'Demi-Gods at best, and they are weak. There is no way they will even scratch that bastard in that ice', the Dark Prince interrupts my thoughts, 'I, at my highest, was stronger than them, and still, even I wouldn't be able to fight and defeat that Unholy Titan. You know what the King of Hell calls Creatures at that level? World Enders.'

"That makes sense... all the Gods are dead as far as I know, so it would be kind of weird if there were two more. Is there anything else you want to tell me about them?" I ask him, completely ignoring the King of Hell part. Asking him about that would be useless anyways. He doesn't talk about Hell, or anything related to it, only mentioning it sometimes.

'First of all, you don't have to talk loud for me to hear. I am you and you are me. Till we reach Hell of course. So basically, I can read your thoughts, and you can read mine, but since I don't usually think that much you don't hear anything, following so far?

Second of all, yes, I do know more. These two bastards you call Gods, are just failed experiments, they won't be a problem, as long as you don't try to attack them.

Third of all, the biggest problem here are the Snake and the Angel.

The Snake is goddamn large. Its so big it is nearly as long as the whole island. Now its probably AS long as the island. This piece of trash grows too fast. 

And the Angel. Oh Angel… this goddamn bastard. I am not sure if he is still around there, but if he is, just let me handle him.'

With all this new knowledge from the Dark Prince, I say my thanks, get up from the chair, and return the books to their spots on the shelves. As I wander through the library, I can't help but think about what the Echo told me, especially that bit about us merging. But for now, I push that thought aside. As long as I'm the one calling the shots, the details of this connection don't matter much.

Stepping out of the library, I find Andromeda waiting for me. She's dressed in a tight beige turtleneck that neatly tucks into her matching trousers. I greet her with a warm hug and ask, "Hey, how were your classes?" 

"Wonderful, but it was boring without you," she replies with a smile. We proceed down the hall, heading to the cafeteria. After all that reading, I'm eager for something sweet.

"You know that I don't need the medical classes since I don't have a Healing Ability, anyway. Oh, and by the way, make a mental note of the people in there. We need to know who might be useful in the future," I instruct.

Andromeda takes a moment to think before responding, "Well, there's this one girl who can heal exceptionally well, and only heal. She has no other Abilities. The rest of the students are pretty much useless.

I nod and mentally note the girl's description as Andromeda elaborates. Before we reach the cafeteria, I spot Eve and she greets me with a playful smile. Over the past few days, I've gotten to know her better, learning about her Aspect and Flaw.

Eve's Aspect, as I theorized, has a second part to it. Not only does she grow stronger when people like her, but she can also influence or control those who like her to some extent. The stronger their liking, the harder it is to resist her.

Her Flaw, on the other hand, requires a second person to satisfy her needs, lest she grows weak to the point where an ordinary human could overpower her. I've helped her with that Flaw a couple of times.

Andromeda gives us both a curious look but doesn't say anything. Instead, she follows me into the cafeteria, where we both indulge in dessert. I order black tea, a cheesecake, and five donuts, while Andromeda opts for a simple strawberry cake and coffee. It's curious how Andromeda has developed a taste for coffee since our enrollment here, given that she used to be a tea enthusiast back at the mansion.

With our treats in hand, we find an available table and take our seats. As I enjoy my cheesecake, I survey the cafeteria and spot Lionheart, who's seated with Seraph and a few other students. I recognize one of the guys sitting with them. Konstantin is his name, a young lad with red short hair and a medium build. There was nothing remarkable about him, except for his arms. Elbows down he had slight burns. The poor guy had a strong Aspect, but the Flaw was just as strong. His Aspect allows him to burn any part of his body at will, although the lack of fire resistance seems to result in self-inflicted harm. But I am not sure if the nonexistent fire resistance is a part of his Flaw or not. 

The group seems to be having a great time, chatting and laughing. I can't help but mutter under my breath, "This guy should be sulking in a corner, not having fun with these weaklings. And Seraph…Gods how annoying his calm expression is. It makes me fucking mad." I grip my fork tightly, causing it to bend. 

Raijin, whose calm voice I recognize coming from behind me, advises, "Be cautious of Seraph, Dante. Lionheart might have taken first place, but I'd rather face him than Seraph." 

I greet Raijin with a casual, "Hey, shorty," as I take a fork from Andromeda's plate to replace my mangled one. "Why's that? Do you know Seraph?" I ask, savoring a bite of my cheesecake.

Raijin briefly glances at Seraph and takes a seat near me. "Seraph isn't exactly human. He's more like a weapon, a deadly one. And currently, Lionheart has his hands on this deadly weapon, which isn't good. It's as if a toddler is playing with a railgun. And yes, I know Seraph," he explains. As he does, I scrutinize his eyes, noting a mix of sadness, frustration, and anger. A really bad mix.

I inquire with a smile, "Is it possible for me to wield this 'weapon'?"

Raijin nods in response. I sense that there's something deeper between these two. The Dark Prince chimes in with his thoughts, "This Raijin is a weapon himself as well, though not as deadly as Seraph. A weapon, nonetheless. Trust me on that one, I can see these kinds of Creatures from a mile away.", confirming my theory. 

I casually ask, "Anyway, where's little Eliot? I haven't seen him since the Survival Classes." I feign interest in his personal life because I need him for his strength, and I can't afford to have him mingling with others, not that anyone likes him anyways.

Raijin shrugs, "I don't know. He's seemed pretty down for the last few days."

Ignoring Raijin's response, I stand up and signal for Andromeda to follow me. "Hey, shorty, we've got only two months left. Train as hard as you can, as I'll be needing you," I tell him as I walk toward the exit. But before I go, I turn back to Raijin, "Today, I'm throwing one last party. Come by and bring Eliot with you. We could use some comic relief.", I say before turning around once more and walking towards the exit.

---

Lionheart and his group were sitting near the exit, so I slow down at their table, with a playful smile on my face. I run my fingers through Seraph's hair, brushing them lightly, and lean in towards his ear, whispering, "I know who you are, my dear angel. You will be mine.", remembering all the information Raijin gave me. I will need a weapon sooner or later. Even though I have the Dark Prince, I can't be constantly relying on this bastard, something about him is too sketchy.

Seraph doesn't react visibly, but I get the sense he might be blushing.

I think to myself, 'What an embarrassment,' but keep my thoughts to myself.

I notice Lionheart giving me a weird look. "The hell you looking at?" I retort, and to my surprise, Lionheart responds and I guess my disrespectful way of speaking was his last straw, "Listen, dude, you got a damn problem? You think I didn't notice the way you behave? Are you maybe just angry and sad that I bested you and got the first place? Meanwhile, you're stuck behind Seraph in third place? Is that why you were so eager to defeat me back in the Fighting Class? Well let me tell you something, even my younger brothers fight better than you. You lost so hard you had to use some dirty tricks."

The voice in my ear whispers, 'Oooohhhhh, you gonna let him talk like that, boy? If someone ever talked like that to me back in the days, I would feed him his own tongue.'

And suddenly it happens again. The lights flicker and dim all around me, and the air becomes heavier, suffocating. Breathing gets harder, and my mind starts shutting down. My fingers clench together, and the space around me seems to shift like a mirage. 

"What did you just say?!" I manage to utter.

"You heard me right. If you're so sad about all this dumb placing stuff, then go cry in your room, but not here, not around me," Lionheart retorts as he stands up from his seat.

I take a slow and hard step forward, cracking the floor beneath me slightly. Afterwards I completely lose control over my body.

Unintentionally, my arm flies towards Lionheart, and something shoots out of my palm. Another arm, pitch-black and made of the same sticky void as the Pentagram, extends with bloody red markings on my palm. The second arm grows longer and longer until it reaches Lionheart, grabbing him around his throat. He manages to turn himself intangible, but not before my hand already grips his throat and drags him toward me, causing him to stumble and fall onto the cold floor.

Before Lionheart can stand up, the others around his table rise, all except for Seraph. One of the two guys lunges at me, wielding a sword and shouting, "What do you think you're doing, attacking a Legacy, you shithead!" The sword materializes in his hand, a Memory.

'Ha, another kid thinking he can attack you. You've really messed up by showing them who the real deal is, kiddo. Go on, show them who you are, show them not to mess with you. Establish your place in the food chain, kid.' The voice in my mind whispers again, repeating two words over and over: 

'Kill him.'

As the guy plunges toward me with clear intent to slash, another Pentagram materializes on my chest, enveloping it completely. From within the Pentagram, around five grotesque arms burst forth, each adorned with razor-sharp claws and menacing spikes which are facing the lad whose eyes are clearly showing an expression of fear as he sees the terrifying limbs. But there is no time for him to stop anymore.

Before the kid can draw near, these nightmarish limbs thrust through his abdomen, coming out from his back, unleashing a horrid fountain of dark crimson blood that splatters in all directions. 

The aftermath is a symphony of terrified screams, drowning out all other sounds.