1 Awakening

Chapter I: Angels & Demons

Tsugaru Taka's Division, numbered 96th, was ordered to capture two members of the crime syndicate "Obscura" that were seen around the lands of Burgundy, and are believed to be taking refuge in an abandoned chapel.

It was dusk when they arrived.

The forest surrounding the chapel was very dense and dark. Some of the soldiers were already scared by the shadowy woods upon their dark entry, making the idea of facing members of the most terrible faction in Europe even more terrifying than it already was.

As they approached their final destination, low class monsters appeared on their surroundings.

"Skeletons!" Shouted a soldier as the bone soldiers lurked through the woods, holding clubs, knives and rusty swords.

"And zombies!" Yelped another, while rotten corpses slowly approached them, wanting to taste their living flesh.

"There must be remnants of Black Magic in this area. Corpses will animate even if there is not a Necromancer" Taka explained, trying to keep his men calm. "For now, ignore them, but don't hesitate to return them to the Hell where they came from if they get too close"

"Yes, Captain" The men agreed.

They all continued their path towards the appointed location, some more afraid than they should have been, for soldiers.

"Captain Tsugaru, why were we sent here?" Inquired a scared soldier.

"What do you mean?" He asked back.

"It's just that, we are merely Inquisitor Guards, and even if they aren't considered a major threat, they are still members of Obscura!"

"Get a hold of yourself, soldier! The actions of the Inquisition are not for you to question. In fact, you should be grateful that we were given such a task" Taka retorted firmly.

"Sorry, Captain"

"*sigh* I understand that you might be afraid, but we have to do this. Otherwise... Everyone who has suffered at the hands of Obscura won't find peace in life. We're responsible of bringing justice to them all!" The Captain replied with a comprehensive tone, trying to raise the morale of said soldier, along with any other who felt troubled.

"The captain is right, we can't let fear defeat us. Not even death can beat us if we fight in the name of Christ!" Said another comrade.

"Well said soldier. Now, don't be reckless. We will enter the building with caution, so half of the team will go inside with me, while the other half will patrol the area. Understood?"

"Yes, Captain Tsugaru!"

"Good, let's go!"

Entering the church, they immediately saw the two men, who were carelessly standing as if the soldiers in front were merely painted, not representing a threat at all.

The man at the right had curly red hair, lightbrown eyes and an aggressive smile. He had a muscular complexity, and a fair height. He was wearing a ragged brown tunic and matching brown pants. His clothes were full of marks of ash and burns, as if he had just come out of a building on fire. His right arm was uncovered and showed a sun tattoo.

On the left stood a taller thin man with short straight brown hair, blue eyes and a bored expression. He was wearing elegant blue clothes, probably made of silk or satin. His left arm was uncovered and, just like his partner, it showed a tattoo, but it was a snowflake.

"Hieloo can you believe this? Such low level scum was sent to capture us. What does the Inquisition think Obscura is?!" Said the sun tattooed man.

"Just let it be, Ryoku. Take it as a break from the real knights we've had to face lately" Answered his ally.

"Enemies of the church, in the name of the Pope and the Grand Inquisitor, you will be captured and prosecuted to meet your end!" Shouted one of Taka's soldiers, approaching the two.

"No, wait!" Taka knew it wasn't so easy.

It couldn't possibly be.

"The only church that gives light is the one that BURNS!" Said Ryoku as he embedded his hands on fire.

In a second, an explosion of flames ate that rash group of Guards.

"Captain! UWAAGHH!" Screamed a soldier as he met his death.

"No! Ukuro!" Taka shouted at the sight of his soldier.

"You asked for it, Inquisitors… 「Frozen Ray」" Hieloo blasted a light blue beam that froze the Guards that were on the sides of the church in an instant.

"Arghhh!" The soldiers let out a death scream as they froze to death.

"Dammit! No!" Exclaimed Taka in agony as he saw his men perish.

It was his responsibility. It was his fault.

Attacks of fire and ice had killed the 15 men that were accompanying him in an instant.

He had only survived as he had pulled out his long sword and used it to defend himself from the attacks.

"Well done, Captain, you blocked those fireworks and remained another second alive! Too bad you will be burned just like our kind at your hands..." Ryoku teased him as he wanted to give him a painful death.

"Do it quick, Ryoku. I don't want to waste more time on these pests" Ordered Hieloo with scorn and boredom.

"Tch... You're so boring..." He snorted.

"N-No way... Is this...? This is how it ends? All I've worked for, all the people that were put in my charge and all that I've sacrificed will come to nothing? No, there must be something more that I can do…" Taka thought desperately, his mind racing through a myriad of possibilities, trying to find a way out.

"Heh, I won't even grant you last words,「Flame Surreal」" Attacked Ryoku.

A blast of blue flames engulfed him, making his whole body ache as he became scorched within seconds. Taka thought he was dead, until inside his soul, he felt a heat, one that came from the purest fire. At first it was weak, but he felt the fire rising, burning with more strength every second that passed.

"Eh...?" He wondered. "What is this feeling? Shouldn't I be... dead?"

A crescendo of thoughts was occurring inside his mind, memories of the past and dreams he had yet to accomplish. The Inquisition, the soldiers, the Church…

...His brother.

"Open your eyes Taka" Said a mysterious voice.

"What the-" Thought Taka as his iris turned orange, burning just like a bursting flame.

"He has a fire Angelus?!" Both enemies said in unison.

"This strength... I... I will somehow defeat you and finish my men's duty!" Said Taka, still not comprehending what was really occurring, or even how to use these new powers, but determined to fulfill his objective.

"Don't act so high and mighty just because you awakened that power. I'll show you just how useless it is against true strength!" Said Hieloo as he challenged him.

He created a sword made out of ice and stabbed Taka in the stomach.

At first, there was a terrible pain, which later turned into a sheer cold that went through his whole body.

However... After that, he felt how his soul somehow embraced this cold and made it his own.

Inside of him, fire and ice were dancing, growing and empowering him in a way he had never felt before.

"What in the world...?! Is that a fire and ice Angelus? Hieloo, this is getting interesting… Maybe we should take him to XIV…" Proposed Ryoku.

"It doesn't sound like a bad idea, let's knock him out and take him with us" Hieloo agreed. "He has an interesting potential..."

"I won't let you, I won't be taken by people who kill and defy God's intentions!" Said Taka as he refused.

"God's you say? You think God wished for people who believed in him but in a different way to be brutally murdered? You think God just cursed us all to live the way we do? You think GOD would put some imperfect beings to do his divine bidding in this shithole of a world?! Open your eyes, idiot, the Church is rotten because it's not God who controls it, but mere humans!" Hieloo angrily answered due to Taka's words.

"Maybe it's true, but I will fix that in the best way possible, without the destruction and death that Obscura has brought!"

"And what about the destruction and death that the Church has brought, huh? Are you ignoring the fact that they have caused more damage than we and the Muslims together?" Said Ryoku trying to convince Taka while trying to deal a hit on him. "Or are you so fucking blind that you don't even see that?!"

"The Church has committed mistakes, yes, but... I will fight to make things right! I will do my best, I promise!" Answered Taka with his stubborn attitude as he cut Ryoku's cheek with a swing of his sword, his black hair caressed by the flames of his own.

"Argh! You're too naïve" The original fire user complained as he dodged most of Taka's attack. "Hieloo, let's end this. We'll show you the strength of two of Le Quattro Stagioni combined!" Threatened Ryoku.

"「L'inverno」" Hieloo created a snow storm.

"「L'estate」" Ryoku summoned fireballs as shiny as the sun.

The two powerful elemental attacks hurt Taka, who couldn't control his powers, but that didn't stop him.

"You won't defeat me!" Said Taka. "I can't let you...!"

And as one of his eyes turned orange and the other lightblue, from his sword a barrage of lightblue flames engulfed them both.

"I'm burning!" Screamed Hieloo.

"What the…?" Said Ryoku as he became frozen solid.

"Is this my power? Is this my gift from the Heavens?" Thought Taka, sensing a light that descended from the holy skies above.

He contemplated his enemies, one of them scorched and lying in the floor unconscious and the other one encased in ice. The church had been severely damaged, half of it being completely destroyed, and the other half was composed of shattered windows, burned furniture and fragments of ice scattered across the floor.

But the bodies around him still reminded him of his utter failure. As much as he had stopped the two... People at his charge were now in the next world.

"Captain Tsugaru!" Screamed the rest of the men as they entered the church.

He directed his look, still in a state of shock from the unexpected turn of events.

"Were there any enemies on the outside?" Asked Taka, in automatic response.

"Aside from the living dead...? No, sir. We checked the whole area of these woods. We were going back when we heard noises of broken glass and fire. Are you ok?" Asked one of the soldiers.

"Miraculously, yes. If it hadn't been for my…" He looked at them straight in the eyes, everyone noticing the change, even more evident on the fire and ice particles surrounding him.

"Angelus!" Exclaimed the Guards, astonished as they saw the remnants of his power around his clothes, slowly disappearing into nothingness.

"Yep... I was at the brink of death when it manifested. I won't have any luck for the rest of the week after this…" His eyes returned to their gray color and the particles vanished, as if nothing had occurred.

"Amazing! It's fire and ice!"

"What did you do Captain? Fire blasts? Ice spears?"

"Oh my God! I am honored to be a member of your squad!"

"*pant *pant* Ungh..." Taka fell unconscious.

"Captain!"

Some Guards were crying of happiness, others were standing in awe, and some were cheering Taka's name. It was good that these men had survived, but still, Tsugaru's thoughts were stuck at the fact that half of his crew had perished in battle as he looked at the destroyed church while passing out.

When he opened his eyes again, he was by a fireplace, outside the dread forest.

"The Captain has woken up!" His Soldiers quickly communicated. "Pass the food"

"Huh? *yawn* Thanks, guys" Taka smiled at them, receiving a plate of stew.

After replenishing his energies, he decided to give a speech.

"Squad 96! This might be called a victory, but the fifteen men that died fighting in God's name cannot be forgotten. I want you all to swear in your comrades' names that you will continue fighting with all your might against the evil of this world"

"Yes, Captain! We, Inquisitor Guards of the Catholic Church swear to protect justice and purity with our lives, and to live righteously and carry their will!" Swore one that took the lead.

"Amen!" Shouted the whole squad.

"Now, carefully put the bodies in the cart and reinforce the handcuffs of the enemies with holy shackles" Ordered Tsugaru. "We don't want them trying anything funny..."

"Yes, Captain!" They agreed with a salute.

The soldiers took their diseased comrades' bodies to a cart they had brought, while Ryoku and Hieloo were taken by foot after they regained consciousness. This was possible thanks to the holy shackles, which apart from being heavy, were made of Holy Iron and fragments of Angel Halo, a rare crystal said to fall from the heavens. Both of these materials made Dæmonis and Diabolus holders lose its powers while being in contact with them (Holy Iron weakens them, while Angel Halo completely nullifies them).

Next morning, they started their journey back home.

"Now, let's head back to the Vatican. We'll arm another camp when the night falls"

"Yes, sir!"

...

It is the year 1217. The whole world seems to be in conflict, with the crusades going on in the middle east and the "witch hunting" that's occurring in Europe.

This world is composed of Central Europe, Eurasia, the Middle East, the Northern Lands, the Far Eastern Land, and the North of Africa.

As expected after defining its current struggle, this world is ruled by the Catholic Church, an institution said to act in the name of the one and only God.

However, mere faith and words are not able to maintain the peace, which is why the Inquisition was created as a way to defeat the enemies of God by force.

The Inquisition is a hierarchy dominated by the Grand Inquisitor, who is only second to the Pope as a religious symbol. At the pinnacle of the pyramid is the Grand Inquisitor, who commands all actions taken by the Inquisition. Then come the 3 Paladins, the strongest warriors of the Church. After them there are 12 Cavaliers, who are also tremendously powerful. Following are the Holy Knights, who normally are at service of a Cavalier or Paladin. Going down there are about 1,000 Knights, who are the Elite warriors. Further down you have the ranks of Lieutenant, Captain and Guard respectively, which are about 10,000 soldiers aside from the Elite. In addition to that, the Knights Templar and the Knights Hospitaller orders are also affiliated with the Church, and therefore allies, even though most of them are fighting muslims at the Holy Land.

In this world some people are born with certain abilities. In the Inquisition, almost everybody past the rank of Captain has a special ability. Some abilities are called a blessing, because it means that a saint or angel has chosen a person to fight in his name. These abilities are called "Sanctus" and "Angelus" depending on their power level. However, there are other abilities that are said to be a curse, because it's believed that you have been chosen by a demon or devil to wield a destructive and evil power. These are called "Dæmonis" and "Diabolus", and those who are born with it are considered wicked and therefore persecuted by the Inquisition.

This is the story of a man with wild black hair, grey eyes and a will of Adamantine.

This is the story of Tsugaru Taka...

...

The Captain thinks as the carriage takes them back:

"I became an Inquisitor because I wanted to fight in the name of God and faith, and for years I blindly followed the orders and laws that we were given. However, three years ago, my older brother, Amuro, who was a Knight of the Inquisition, was accused of having a Diabolus. He was taken to the ecclesiastical court and was found guilty. Turns out that he had awakened a power that allowed him to kill people just by touching them. Such power seemed too dark to be a bliss, and too strong to be a Dæmonis, so the church decided to eliminate him right away. However, he was rescued at the time of his execution and most likely became a Rogue Knight afterwards. I haven't seen him ever since, but the name of the faction that rescued him was already feared across all Europe for a couple hundreds of years: Obscura"

"After such an event, I wasn't able to keep living the way I used to live. I began having second thoughts about lots of things, and even thought about some aspects that are wrong with the Church. However, the only thing I can do for now is to keep fighting and becoming more powerful so I can become a Paladin and speak to the Grand Inquisitor himself"

"Me and my brother were orphans. The closest thing we had to a father was a priest of the Cathedral in Milan, Father Enzo, who had taken us in when Amuro was four and I was a baby. It seems that our parents had died of a mortal disease. Due to all of this, we dreamed of being Inquisitors, and when Amuro became thirteen, he left the church and enlisted to become an Inquisitor Guard. After a year he became a Captain, and a year later, he had become a Lieutenant. By the age of sixteen he was already a Knight, the first step in the Elite Inquisitors, and was one of the youngest to get to that position in the history of the order. That was the same year I joined, since the minimum age was thirteen. But... a year later... the tragedy occurred, and if it wasn't for that, my brother would possibly be a Holy Knight, or even a Cavalier, but I guess that was never meant to be..."

The image of his kind brother appeared on his mind, smiling broadly at him, his long and messy hair neatly waving in the breeze.

After almost a week, Squad 96 was back in Rome, bringing along the prisoners and the bodies of the perished soldiers.

When Tsugaru was asked about the mission by one of the Knights at the Vatican, he informed about everything, from the death of his men to the awakening of his possible Angelus. Soldiers of the Inquisition in general were not concerned about details and cared more about the result than anything else. This Knight was no different, so he was content with the fact that two members of Obscura had been caught.

After that, he headed to a bar to have a drink (or some) with a couple of his men. He wasn't expecting to meet anyone, even though it was pretty common to find a soldier or an official drinking there.

"...That's so funny, Captain Tsugaru!" One of the soldiers laughed as they entered the tavern.

Said building was a modest establishment where mostly men gathered to drink and socialize. It is frequented by lower ranked Inquisitors for its cozy atmosphere, always lively and warm around the fireplace, and its location is in the city center, so it is more than convenient.

They were ready to order the drinks, yet hadn't realized that the previous comment revealed the Captain's position to an old friend.

"Tsugaru Taka!" Said a loud manly voice.

"Akira-san!" He recognised it.

"Akira-dono!" Expressed Taka's soldiers, with even more respect than they did to their Captain.

He sat by his side and ordered a glass of mead. They started a trivial conversation and from there they got to the important stuff.

"So, you believe to have awakened an Angelus nonetheless?" Said the man.

"Affirmative, Lieutenant Akira" He assured, nodding in a cool manner.

The Lieutenant was in charge of squads 90 to 99. He was a very big muscular man of darker skin, black hair and rough face. He did not seem friendly, but even though he looked intimidating he was a very righteous man who was worried about the men put to his charge. He had no magical skill or power, but his strength and ability was recognized by various members of the Church, and he was by far one of the best trainers in Rome.

"Well, you know how things work, kiddo... You're probably becoming a Knight from now on. However, the Church is going to judge that power of yours to determine its origin. It would be too bad if it was a Diabolus…"

"I perfectly understand, and I know the risks" He was determined to go further, as further as he needed to change the world, the reality he had to face...

"No problem then. However, you won't get away so easily…"

"What do you mean?" He seemed confused.

"Heheh… You really think I'm just gonna sit here and watch as one of my best students leaves? No, soldier, you're having a one vs one with me, today, at the Colosseum!"

The other men gasped.

"Wait wha-? Sir, you're not serious are you?"

"Do I ever joke about fighting...?!" He gave a deep threatening look.

"I mean no! But, are you sure?" Taka moved his hands nervously.

"What is it? Are you saying that you're too strong for me Tsugaru?!"

"N-No! It's not like that either!" He agitated them even more, denying that idea as much as he possibly could in the eyes of his superior.

"It seems that the fame of that brother of yours has made you quite the proud fella..."

"What are you saying... Lieutenant?" Taka's mood suddenly became dark and somber, and a deafening silence filled the room.

However, Akira knew how to swiftly change his mood back. After all, he had been the one to train him after he joined the Inquisition.

"HAHA! I was just fooling around a bit… BUT! You will fight me tomorrow morning, with your full potential. You have to demonstrate your power anyway, so I went ahead of things and invited Makise-sama"

"Way to go, Captain Tsugaru!" Said a guard. "That's a great prospect!"

"Yeah!" Another one agreed. "Makise-sama is said to be one of the three strongest in the whole institution!"

"No way! The legendary Cavalier? The one who fought alongside Paladin O'Dokuro and Mæstre Kurikara against the muslims in Damascus and Jerusalem?!"

"The one and only, so don't disappoint me"

"I won't, I'll fight with all of my might. Even though I don't control my powers very well yet..."

"Just give it your all, that's enough" Akira gave him a pat on the back in a friendly manner.

"Okay" He seemed calmer with that, although he was still anxious about that special guest.

The Colosseum is the most important place in terms of fighting events. Every day there are duels, some to submission and others to death. It's not only a punishment for prisoners, since warriors can also fight to train. There's always crowd watching the fights, and inside the Inquisition, a formal duel can help a lot to gain prestige and rank up.

"I remember as a child being amazed by the bloodshed and violence displayed in it. At first I was scared, but Amuro made me understand the honor that meant fighting in the arena..." He thought with a hint of nostalgia, that ended with determination. "That not only made me admire those fierce fighters, but inspired me to become a strong warrior myself. I must prove to be up to the task!"

After bidding farewell to his men, Taka went home and got mentally prepared for the fight.

So far, it was probably the most important one in formal terms, way more challenging than the Captain exam, which he easily passed with high regard after showing his various skills.

He had trained hard from a very young age, so his body was always in good condition for a soldier. In addition to that, his ability with the sword was also quite developed, and he had both good reflexes and the brains to make good use of that skill. But above all, Taka was determined. No matter what kind of situation presented itself, he'd somehow find a way to sort it out, and sacrifice what was needed in order to get it. He never gave up.

This was a double edged arm. Cause, due to this, he was willing to lose even his own integrity. He would gladly be stabbed, burned, dismembered, or even killed, as long as he knew he kept fighting.

"I won't ever give up..." He muttered to himself after praying.

The next morning he was putting his Steel armor on, and kept thinking in a strategy to defeat Lt. Akira. He could not be taken lightly, and even though his power was pretty amusing, he knew that Akira's experience and ability were greater than his.

Arriving at the cave-like door in the Colosseum, he felt how a lot of emotions came to him, anxiety, courage and hope being some of them.

As the door opened he entered the arena. At least some hundreds of citizens were watching. Akira-sama had asked for the whole arena, so there was plenty of space for a majestic showdown.

He saw his figure approaching from the distance. He was about 2 meters tall, while Taka was only 1,76.

"Welcome citizens of Rome and travellers from abroad! Today, we have a duel between two ranked Inquisitors. The first, a man of steel that without any special powers is unquestionably respected by the whole Church: Lieutenant Akira Kitsuchi!" Screamed a presenter.

Screams of support and admiration were heard across the Colosseum, to which Akira saluted kindly.

"The second, a young fighter who recently defeated two members of Obscura: Captain Tsugaru Taka!"

Many applauded, but there were also screams of fear and murmurs of distrust at the mention of his surname. This was to be expected after the reputation Amuro and Obscura had gotten. His brother was often referred to as "Grim Reaper" by the people who told stories about him due to the similarities of his powers and Death itself, and some stories told that he carried a big Adamantine Scythe which he used to massacre entire towns on his own. Taka did not believe all of the stories, because he knew that Amuro wasn't an evil person, and that the wrongs he had done were because he had no other choice. After all, he was indebted to Obscura. He was at their mercy. Or at least... that's what he wanted to believe.

"Let the battle begin!"

With that call, Taka came back to reality, and saw how Akira was charging towards him with a fierce expression.

"Wake up kiddo!" He said as he punched his student in the face.

"Argh!" He shouted as he fell to the floor and spit blood.

"C'mon Tsugaru, aren't you aspiring to be a Paladin?" Provoked Akira.

"I WILL BE A PALADIN!" Taka shouted, and as his eyes turned lightblue, he created sharp pillars of ice that went towards Akira.

The Lieutenant had a hard time evading the attack, but he only got a couple scratches and superficial cuts on his body.

"That's more like it!" He seemed more amused from that point on.

They clashed a couple more times, Taka threw ice punches that the Lieutenant resisted with difficulty, but still fought back with all his might.

"I'm not done yet!" His eyes turned red and he created a sword made of flames in his hand.

"Woah, you said you didn't control it well, but I see quite the contrary." Akira pulled his sword and ran towards Taka.

Tsugaru clashed with Akira, but the swords were not the same. Taka's being made out of pure fire went through the Lieutenant's blade and cut him under the eye before he realized this.

"Agh! How foolish of me, I should've thought that a flame sword would pass right through my Steel blade…" Akira thought.

"C'mon Lieutenant, we're not done yet are we?"

"Of course not!" He said as he jumped a few steps back.

Both men looked fiercely to his rival before attacking. Once both had the resolve, they charged at the other once again, and this time, the Lieutenant jumped before Taka could clash with him and stabbed him in the back.

"Ga...ga...ga…." He heavily breathed as the pain went through his body and he vomited blood.

"It seems like this is the end kiddo… don't worry, your wounds will be healed in a while" He said as he pulled the sword out of Tsugaru's body.

"No… I am so much more… I can still… fight!" Again, one eye got orange and the other got lightblue, sign that meant a combination of the two elements that lived within him. He froze his torso wound at the same time that his hands were engulfed by light blue flames.

"What the-"

"THIS is the end, Lieutenant Akira! 「Frozen By Fire」!

Taka used the same attack that had defeated Ryoku and Hieloo, only with his power under control, not to kill him.

"ARRRGGGGHHH! WHAT IS THIS?! It's like... I'm freezing and burning AT THE SAME TIME! ...Ugh" He fell unconscious with his skin burned and iced.

The crowd screamed full of energy at Taka's victory, and he could sight a group of his soldiers that were watching him scream "Captain Tsugaru!" from their location.

Two female Guards with the cross of the Knights Hospitaller came and took Akira out of the arena to heal him.

Tsugaru didn't realise, but between the cheering public there were looks of hate and disgust towards him. Also, a cloaked man with dark green eyes and black hair was also particularly interested in him. He had seen every move, as well as the short time in which he had controlled his new powers.

After receiving the final ovations, Taka went out of the arena to heal his wounds and check on Akira.

Surprisingly, the damage he had received wasn't so serious, with the exception of the stab in the torso. The Healers were exceptional though. They casted a healing spell that had stopped his bleeding and another one that stimulated his body's regeneration.

The one that was healing him was a young woman, she had brown eyes, ginger hair, and a slightly curvy body as well.

Taka found her pretty, although nothing that made him interested in a more special way, but for chivalry and manners he decided to start a conversation regardless.

"Hospitaller healing magic really is something else, isn't it? " He told the Healer as she was finishing a bandage in his wound.

"It is amazing, but our spells are nothing compared to the Grand-Maître's sister"

"Really? How is that possible?"

"Her Angelus is believed to have the strongest healing powers. She can heal anyone just by seeing them if their wounds are small, and it's said that major wounds and illnesses can be healed in no time with her touch. She calls it 「Healing Vision」"

"It must be truly amusing to be on the brink of death, and when all hope is lost being healed by this lady…" He thought, imagining an angelic silhouette descending on the battlefield to save the day.

"I also caught a glance of your Angelus! I had never seen someone with such a skill!" She confessed to him. "And believe me, I've seen mid and high-tier magicians, so I know about Mana and outstanding powers"

"Oh, really? I recently awakened this power" He told her as he blushed a little.

"I would love to have that kind of strength... But healing is also a very important task, so I do my duty the best I can"

"Totally, you speak the truth. No Order would be as effective as it is without the support units, such as the healers" He agreed, admiring her for her motivation on the line of duty.

"Thank you for such sweet words. Now we're done! But... you should leave"

"Huh? What about the Lieutenant...?"

"I know you're worried about that man, but no need to, he already regained consciousness" She assured him.

"Then-" Taka insisted.

"But he needs extensive rest, and we know his type, he won't stay still after seeing you. So I beg you, leave him to us. I can tell him that you wanted to see him"

"Really? *sigh* Alright then, I'll leave it to you" He stood up. "Thanks for everything. Bye!"

"Goodbye! And take care!" She cheerfully bid him farewell.

Now Taka was free to roam, but decided to go back to the place he called home and call it a day. It had been a fierce encounter after all.

His house was small and of white walls. Inside, he had a kitchen, a room and a small living. Every Captain lived on the same conditions, unless one bought something different with their own money or got married. For him it was just what he needed though.

"And now it's time to have some sleep." He said to himself.

He laid on the bed and closed his eyes and prayed for a couple of minutes.

Then it all went black. He was alone in a dark void. He wasn't aware that it was a dream though.

It was like that for a couple seconds, until a shining sphere of all colours came to him.

Its presence was complicated to describe. Somehow, it was both soothing and overwhelming at the same time.

"So we finally meet..."

"Who... Who are you?"

"It's not time for that... Not yet"

"What do you mean? I don't understand anything" Taka said, more than confused.

"Don't worry, in time you'll comprehend"

"Wha-"

"Just remember to always fight for what you think is right"

"But-"

"Open your eyes, Taka"

He woke up in his bed, a shining sun on his face. He couldn't remember well what this luminous entity had told him, but he felt that it was important. The memory was so faint that he thought it was all just a dream though.

After waking up, he searched for food around the house. There was only a half rotten apple in his table.

"It will do for now..."

He put some clove and cinnamon on the rotten part and ate it as well. Even though he had some benefits with his current rank, the Inquisitors were not paid much. He yearned for a piece of salty ham from Hispania he once tasted, but this meant paying around 2 gold coins just to get a quarter of a whole ham, an amount he could not spend carelessly.

Still, his hunger made him realise that he was not too far from some woods, which gave him an idea.

He went as fast as he could and, once inside the forest, as quiet as possible.

Said forest was a calm landscape of caressing breeze, soft grass, tall pines of dark green leaves and ancient oaks, with a soothing-sounding river running in the middle. It was a must to maintain the peace and quiet of such a place, especially for hunting.

For a couple minutes, there was nothing to be found, until a deer was drinking water in a pond.

Taka quietly raised his hand and pointed his finger.

"I remember Hieloo did this before attacking with that Ice beam..." He recalled 「Frozen Ray」.

His eyes turned light blue and he focused his energy on the tip of that finger and aimed for the feet.

A freezing blast was shot and instantly froze the feet and lower legs of the deer.

"I can't believe it worked! Now Deer-san, you're going to fill my stomach!" He said as his eyes turned orange and he created a fire sword.

He cut the deer's head cleanly and then stuffed the sword inside its body to cook it.

"Creativity is born of boredom they say, but I think hunger is a lot more motivating" He thought happily as he scavenged the body and ate the flesh of the animal.

"I should've brought something to drink the blood… Amuro always drank the blood of the animals when they were killed. At first I wasn't too fond of the idea, but it truly is delicious..." He remembered.

By afternoon, he arrived and ate about a quarter of the animal and cut the rest in pieces to transport them home. Once in his house, he added salt to the meat. This way it would rot a lot slower and he would be able to enjoy it longer.

He felt the door knocking, so he went to open it.

"Who is-?" He saw an adult man with pitch black hair, deep blue eyes and a confident smile.

"Hello" He said in a casual way that didn't come close to the prestige this man held. He wasn't wearing his characteristic armor, instead he had a blue t-shirt, black pants and black leather shoes. But even in that more than normal attire, his face was easily recognized by anyone from the Inquisition.

"No way...! Makise-sama!" His eyes glistened like a total fanboy.

Makise Naoki. A famous Cavalier that's known for his tremendous power and his achievements in the Third Crusade when he was in his twenties. He has always been in position to assume the rank of Paladin, but he never does.

"Oh, please. Just call me Max" He always said that, but no one who hadn't fought side by side with him felt worthy enough to agree to that. "I saw you yesterday at the Colosseum, and I saw that you had potential…"

"I-I do...? You really mean it?!" His eyes shined even brighter.

"I like to tease others sometimes, but it's not the case now. I'm speaking from the heart" The Cavalier assured. "I want you to be my pupil"

"No way... You're going to- You're gonna train me?!" He started thinking he was still dreaming.

"Not so fast, I have decided to train you..."

"I can't believe it! Thank you so much for-"

"...If you meet my expectations" He made clear. "I want to see what you're able to do, so I brought him along" He said as he pulled a bored young man to the door with him.

"So, you're Tsugaru Taka. You don't hear that name frequently and relate it to something good…" Said the man. He was about Taka's age, with pointy blonde hair and green eyes. He looked a bit more muscular than himself, but he didn't seem especially strong. He was wearing a red jacket, a yellow t-shirt, jeans and leather boots.

"And you would be?" Taka asked for an introduction.

"Gakuso Sota! Ex-Captain of the 100th Division, currently ranked a Knight, so you could say I'm your superior"

"You want me to fight him, Makise-sama?" He wondered.

"He's been training with me for a couple months now, so he's the perfect rival for you" Naoki confirmed.

"Now, now, don't think I'll go all out on a mere rookie. I've heard you have a special Angelus and all, but training with Makise-sama leaves you on a new level" Sota said defiantly.

"We'll see about that…" Taka thought.

"Now young men, let us go to the arena" Makise said with a mighty aura.

"Arena? You mean the Colosseum?!" Asked Taka, more than surprised to go fight in that place two times in a row.

"Of course not, silly. We'll go to some woods and I'll improvise something" Answered Max.

"Oh… Well that's fine, I guess"

They walked for half an hour and ended up in what seemed the bottom of a mountain.

"Here it's alright! Now, Sota!" Makise ordered.

"My pleasure" he said as he rushed at Taka.

"What?" He muttered.

Sota punched him in the face, which made Taka's body burst in flames as a result, his eyes turning Orange as the flames activated.

"Woah, he is a bit more unpredictable than I imagined at first" Gakuso told his master.

"What the hell?!" Tsugaru didn't comprehend the situation.

"This is your first lesson, a hand to hand combat with my student" Makise grinned proudly.

"But, why now, out of nowhere?" Taka asked.

"A Knight has to be ready for any situation. Always" The Cavalier pointed out.

"Tsk!" He made a sound of frustration and anger, but he couldn't deny that.

"Hey, what's that? The fight's only started" Gakuso enraged him on purpose.

"I know that already!" He said as flames started burning brighter than any previous time.

"Show me your strength…" He said as he came for another hit.

Taka saw his moves coming though, so he evaded the first hit and advanced towards Sota's blind spot to hit him with a fist of scorching flames.

''DAMMIT!!" He said as he felt his skin burn.

"C'mon, Sota, get a hold of yourself, I never said that you couldn't use Adam's Murmur" Naoki told his student.

"What? He already knows Adam's Murmur?!" Taka thought, amazed.

Adam's Murmur, an ability said to be dormant in every human. Not much is known about its history, but as the name implies, it is a power said to be created by the first man, Adam, which allowed him to conquer the ruthless world outside of the Garden of Eden. Since all humanity descended from him, we can all awaken this in some way, but only a handful of masters around the world know the secret to unlock it, and even less get to the point of mastering it.

"I didn't think that you would force me to this, but here we are Taka... C'mon! Keep pushing me!" Sota shouted as a red aura started to form around him.

"That is-" He knew what it meant. It was no bluff that Gakuso Sota had in fact awakened Adam's Murmur.

"I still don't control this very well… But I'll finish you in one attack with it!"

"Here he comes!" Taka thought and forced his body to summon his full potential. With an eye for ice and an eye for fire, he braced for what seemed as a real Final Attack.

"「New Year」!" He shouted as he started dealing blows on Taka's body.

To withstand it, Tsugaru created ice fragments in every part of his body that was getting hit, that way, some kind of shield protected him from taking more damage at the same time as his wounds were being treated with ice.

"Urgh!" The attack was still more than he could handle. Without his sudden countermeasures he would've been knocked out in the first thirty hits.

"Yeaarghh!" Sota wasn't stopping, he was pushing his body further and further to complete the combo. "133, 152, 176… Not… Enough!"

Taka was now trying to avoid as many hits as possible, but even with the ice shields and his ability, at least 3 hits got him every second.

"234, 258…" Sota continued muttering.

"What's he muttering?" Taka thought. "No, it can't be!" His eyes stuttered at the situation and Sota's fierce expression. "Don't tell me…" He remembered what his rival had called the attack. "...He's planning to throw 365 successive punches!"

"304, 325, 341…" They were fighting in mid-air now.

"Here come the last ones, resist, Taka!" He encouraged himself.

"350… 360…" The punches got a tad slower, but they were still as strong, if not stronger as the previous ones.

Tsugaru was almost fainting. He knew he was bruised beyond healing for at least a week, and he felt a lot of broken bones too. To serve as the cherry on top, his skin had also been burned by the friction caused by the speed of the punches in the areas where Sota landed them.

"363… 364… And...." Sota was almost fainting too from exhaustion. "HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!" He screamed as he hit Taka in the sky with a tremendous strength Tsugaru had never experienced before.

Taka had managed to create an ice shield in the last moment, but as the punch went in contact with the shield, it broke in a thousand shards and let the final hit land in his chest. He felt how almost his whole rib cage was broken.

It was not over though. His fall created a long hole in the earth, big enough to make a small artificial river.

He did not understand how or why, but he wasn't unconscious, and dead wasn't an option.

"I… have… to stand…" That thought resonated through his whole body.

Sota, on the other hand, was barely standing on the other end of the hole, but was thinking about falling to the ground to finally rest. After all, there was no way in Hell that he'd be able to resist that...

But contrary to any logical thought...

Taka, with almost no energy left, stood up.

"How?! What the hell?!" Sota shouted in disbelief.

"So... painful… Heheh" He muttered and collapsed in the ground once again.

"He is crazy…" Gakuso thought as he laid on the ground and closed his eyes.

Taka woke up laying in a bed inside a tent. Next to him was Sota, who was sitting on a chair and had a bunch of bandages covering his arms, but it didn't seem serious.

"Gakuso-senpai! What happened?"

"You received my most dangerous attack" He replied, prideful. "I'm actually surprised that you managed to evade many of my hits, but in your current level, I knew that you were no match. You were unconscious for a day. Still, I wanted to make clear who was the strongest of us two. Also, call me Sota. Don't drop the honorific though"

"Understood, Sota-senpai"

"Hehe, I was just like you when I first started this special training… All stiff and rough. Well, that's how they teach you to be when you're on the lower ranks… But cheer up, if you train well, you should become a fine Knight at the very least"

"You're more approachable than I thought, Senpai. I thought you were just another brute who wanted to bully me" Taka confessed his first impression, but seemed at ease with him now.

"Sh-Shut up! It's not like I'm counselling you or anything..." Sota blushed a little.

"Hahaha… So, where are we now?"

"We're in Makise-sama's training grounds, in the mountains, where no one can disturb us or get hurt during our special training"

"How much time have you been doing that with him?"

"About five months. It has been extremely difficult to get to where I am now, but I also gotta admit that I wasn't as strong as you when I started here. No, I think I wasn't as clever as you. The way you used your powers, it was pretty smart"

"Thanks, Senpai, it means a lot coming from you. You are tremendously strong. You kinda remind me of my brother, but by now, he really must be on another level..."

"What's that, idiot? You sound way too happy about that fact" Sota said, dead serious. "He is our enemy, Taka"

"E-Enemy?" He frowned.

"Of course. He is known as one of the worst criminals in history. He has massacred entire towns all across the Empire"

"Lies!" Taka lost his cool and viciously looked at him. "He... He would never...!"

"Oi, oi… I don't want to upset you or anything, don't get the wrong idea" He clarified. "But that's a fact: your brother is part of Obscura… That alone is enough proof that he is a murderer"

"LIAR! Don't you dare say those things of him! There's no proof! It's all just rumors…" Images of his kind smiling brother went through his head again. "It's all lies. Obscura is evil, but my brother hasn't done anything personally, right?" He thought.

"*sigh* Look Taka. I know that it must be hard, but if you are an Inquisitor, you should know better than anyone what is right and what is wrong. It doesn't matter if it's family, sometimes they can be the worst…"

"Amuro is my only family" He replied angrily.

"Well, what of it?! I just told you that even family can go straight to hell!" Now it was Sota who got angry.

Taka was surprised by the switch he had flipped in his partner. Something about that idea, was unbearable for him.

"You don't seem to like that word, do you, Senpai?" Taka asked him sensibly.

"It's none of your concern…" He replied bitterly and looked away, uninterested in continuing the conversation.

A while passed with an atmosphere as tense as it could get, until Taka tried to start another approach with a friendly tone.

"Well… Changing of topic then, who healed our wounds?"

"That was my doing!" A young smiling blue haired girl with yellow eyes entered the tent. She was wearing a casual brown t-shirt, blue pants and brown leather boots.

She had a nice-looking body and a cute face. Somewhat menacing due to her rash nature, but still attractive.

"Who are you?" Taka asked her.

"I'm Makise. Makise Sakura!" She introduced herself, doing a mighty pose.

"I never heard that Makise-sama had a daughter" Taka noted.

"Well, my dad has always known how to keep his private life well hid from the public. On the other hand, we all have heard stories about you, or your brother to be more precise"

"Of course. All Europe knows about the evil acts of my brother, like always…" He said bitterly, grinding his teeth with frustration.

"What's with you? I wasn't trying to bother you or anything. Gosh, such dramatic people are the Inquisitors…" She replied as if it was a drag.

"Just leave him be Sakura-san. His brother is a sensitive topic" Sota told her.

"I can see that now... So, how are you feeling?" She asked Taka.

"I think I'm pretty fine. I have a bunch of bruises here and there, but I feel like less bones are broken. I think I can start training right away! Argh!" He tried to stand up quickly but his whole body ached as he did so.

"Hey, wait a second! Hours ago you were totally smashed… My medicine and skill may be good, but you were beyond the point an instant healing spell would cure you completely"

"Dammit… What did you do to me?"

"I used a mid-class healing spell to cure your exterior wounds and I made a medicinal herbs potion to fix your broken bones. That's still in process though… I think it will take about two more days"

"Well, it's better than nothing…"

"What do you mean by it's better than nothing, at least say thank you the next time!" She got upset and hit him in the head.

"Ouch! How will I get out of this state if my nurse keeps wounding me?!" He teased her.

"If the patient was more considerate that wouldn't be a problem!" She crossed her arms and Taka noticed that she had a well-sized chest.

"M-Maybe…" He blushed a little and looked away.

"Don't maybe me. And what's with you all of a sudden? Look me in the eyes when I'm talking to you! I'm your superior, even Sota addresses me as San, so you better learn who's in charge!" The way she scolded him made Taka think.

"Is this how a mother scolds her children?" He stared at her for a moment and concluded: "No, she is more like a big sister, isn't she? Although not even Amuro used to scold me like this"

"I'm sure he gets it Sakura-san. We should let him rest now" Sota tried to calm her down.

"Humph. You better understand every single word Tsugaru, or else..."

"I get it, Sakura-san!" He waved his hands in sign of "no more war".

"Fine. See you later you two. I'll go back to the house" She said as she left the tent.

A while after she left, Taka decided to ask his partner:

"Hey, Senpai, you look like the proud type. How come you address a girl of our age as San?"

"I laughed at her the first time I met her because she asked me to do that…"

"Oh, oh, let me guess... Naoki-sama broke the shit out of you!" He could imagine the girl crying, pretending to have been bothered by Sota, making her father angry with the blonde.

"No... Not at all. He didn't care actually" He shook his head.

"Huh?" Taka was completely dumbfounded.

"It was HER who broke the shit outta me. She challenged me to a duel and I accepted... I don't even think of doing it now" He said dead serious.

"I can't believe you"

"I'm serious, buddy. If you fool around with her you'll see what I'm talking about"

"What is her power? Does she have an Angelus or something?"

"I believe she has, but when I fought with her, she used Adam's Murmur alone"

"Why do you think she has another power though?"

"That... I think it's better if you see it for yourself. You see, we aren't so far from the place where we had our battle, so we could take a stroll" He proposed. "You think you can stand now?"

"Slowly, yeah" He started getting up.

"Let's go then"

They walked for about 45 minutes through the mountain's forest until Sota stopped.

"Here we are" He said as they stood in a place that looked as peaceful as ever. Cicadas and birds were heard in the surroundings.

"What are you saying? It's impossible that it's here!"

"Look there" He pointed at the ground. There was a line of dirt, as if somebody had filled a hole.

"Don't tell me this is…"

"It is"

"No way!" Taka couldn't believe his eyes.

"That was the hole we left yesterday"

"I can't believe this. What kind of power...?"

"I don't know. Makise-sama always asks her to clean up after training, but she always does it when I'm not looking. And believe me, I've tried to catch her in the act... to no avail. It's really frustrating" He frowned.

"How powerful was her Adam's Murmur?"

"Devastating. She destroyed me, to say the least... and she uses the same technique of Makise-sama"

"You mean…"

"「Maximizer」, or 「MAX」 in short. The most complete and efficient way of using Adam's Murmur"

"But that technique is of the most advanced level! Makise-sama has spent his life perfecting it. He was called a genius for creating it when he was in his early 20's, even though it's rumored that he started developing it as a teenager"

"Well, you know what they say: like father, like son. Or in this case, daughter. Any way you look at it the result is the same. She is leagues above us. Basically she has been training with him her whole life. It's to be expected"

"What was her 「MAX」 like?"

"Level 3: Green aura"

"Oh, I can't wait for him to teach me..."

"Well, good luck with that. I've only managed to get to Level 1, but my use of Adam's Murmur has another objective. I feel more comfortable developing my own style. 「New Year」 is proof of that. Instead of powering my whole body, I charge each hit with a sparkling energy. My defense may be almost zero, but you know what they say: the best defense is a good offense"

"I think that's pretty cool. I really appreciate what you're telling me, I've learned a lot in such a short time…"

"Shut up… Geez you're giving me a headache" Sota made a face of disgust.

"You like acting cool, don't you? But I'm sure you're more sensitive than you pretend to be…"

"Now you've done it!" He punched Taka in the shoulder.

"Ouch! Man, I'm still healing my wounds!"

"You asked for it… Now, let's go back. You still have to rest so you can train. I plan on going back tomorrow"

"Then I'll be back tomorrow too"

"Your wounds are more serious Taka, don't make me laugh"

"Wanna bet?"

"Not really. You could come to train even if you were completely broken, I'm sure, that's the kind of idiot you are" He said as he remembered the way he stood up after receiving so much damage the day before.

"Yeah, whatever" Taka thought as he laughed.

They started going back to the training grounds as the sun shined bright in the distance.

...

Meanwhile...

Inside a somber castle, in a mysterious foggy island…

"Master, the weaklings were captured, just like you predicted" Happily said a tall and well endowed green haired young woman with golden eyes. She wore a long and tight black dress that gave her both a somber yet elegant aura.

Despite her face being most utterly beautiful, a scar in the shape of an X, just above her nose, showed that she had been marked by this violent conflict.

"I told you, Mei. The Inquisition is as predictable as ever. Those two were of no use to me, nor to Obscura. But I knew that an encounter with them would trigger his inner power…" Answered XIV from a throne of skulls. His wild white hair covering one of his eyes, as well as the trace of a scar that was strangely reminiscent of the young woman's.

"You're amazing, Master! Benzaiten has also informed me that his performance at the Colosseum was a success. Shall I order the other two to move now or...?" Mei was blushing a little.

"No, not yet. He must've just started his training. Let's wait a bit for him to get stronger"

"Understood. I'm so happy to hear that everything is going just like you planned. You never stop to amuse me…" She praised as she filled a glass of wine.

"Thank you, Mei. Your support is always appreciated" He told her as he received the glass.

"I'm not worthy of such words, Master…" She looked away, her blush becoming more intense as her lower lip shivered, asking him to feast upon it and the rest of her mouth.

"You're worthy of that and much more. You and I are the ones who left our idle lives behind for the sake of this rotten world…" He calmly took a sip of the wine and then, out of nowhere, pulled her by the wrist.

"Eh?" She didn't expect that sudden move, but that was perfect. She loved how unpredictable he could be. "~Mnhh~" Mei moaned as her mouth was swallowed by his, receiving a bit of the wine that was inside it.

"That's why we're going to change it, right?" He softly caressed her cheek.

"Of course... Of course, Master..." She agreed as a drop of wine and saliva dripped from her lush slightly pink lips, all while he caressed her wild green hair, making her feel both aroused and relaxed as he took her in his arms. "Just like you saved me... We'll save the world, even if it doesn't deserve it"

"That's right. Step by step, all roads lead home. Birth to death, thy shall be done" He drank another sip of his wine as Mei rested on his embrace, snuggling with him.

His dark purple iris shined in the dark room, defying the very existence of the Vatican from his dark throne.