4 This seems like déjà vu already.

Nemesis stepped out of the [Void Gate], gazing directly at his destination. [Vanquished Town]. It was only a few minutes away.

"There it is... [Vanquished Town], a town forsaken by most demons..only still around due to the sole fact of that damn.."

"You okay Nemesis? I know you hold a massive amount of hatred for it, but still, you've got to admit that that brothel is the livelihood of the demons living there."

"Yeah..and if it weren't for that brothel, most of the demons would starve and be forced to resort to cannibalism. Maybe they would die of dehydration first. I'm unsure, but a battle would surely ensue. A fight for resources."

"And yet you're planning on condemning hundreds of millions to death, the number could reach the billions."

"At the cost of saving millions instead"

"I know what you mean, I even understand why you want to do it so much. Just... are you mentally prepared to face the blood of possibly billions on your hands? Their deaths were indirectly caused by you."

"Jeez, you really are keeping to your word on caring more. No need to worry, after all, I'm already experienced with the blood of billions and their deaths being 'directly' caused by me."

"...Honestly, no longer sure if that's a good thing or not on how casual you sound when saying that out loud."

"It doesn't matter. I'll put a stop to it! Those fools behind this project have their death timers ticking... I'm enjoying this."

A small, smug smile grew on Nemesis' face. He had already memorized the look that would be on their faces when he confronted the ones behind the [Invoked Project]. The smile though quickly got replaced with an emotionless one mere moments later.

'Return back to reality Nemesis. Reality, not fiction. Stop daydreaming and hurry up! Time is ticking!'

Nemesis brought himself back to reality, awaking from his miniature daydream. He began to run as fast as his little legs could carry him....for only a few short minutes as he felt tired.

'I swear, never will I ever again skip leg day after this. If I'm going to run like this, leg day is a must...seriously. Back to back, with an hour between each run. Note to self, enhance your stamina.'

He sheepishly thought to himself as he quickly grew breathless. He would certainly need to increase his poor stamina.

————

Goran couldn't help but laugh at the sight he saw. A little kid, no taller than a meter, was trying his best to run towards him, or more accurately was staggering his way towards the old, rusted gates to [Vanquished town]. It was a surprise to him that the kid didn't heel over and die or at least fall over, face first.

'Oh great, a brat ran off trying to show off then got afraid, now is returning with his tail stuck between his legs. If it weren't for the Spites I would've left ages ago. I hate this crap job.'

"Hey, look at his attire. It looks new, clean. Definitely doesn't seem to be from here. Probably some rich kid who thought life would've been better by himself, what an idiot. How much do you think we can extort out of him?"

Goran could practically tell, judging by his guarding partner Orfis' voice, he was dreaming of all the Spites he would be able to extort. He couldn't deny the fact that he was also curious about how much they'd be able to get. The standard entrance fee was 4 Copper Spites, yet he could tell Ofris was going to try his best to get at minimum a Silver Spite. He couldn't lie, even he was tempted at the thought, so they both decided to walk forward to meet the boy in a 'kind gesture', although more accurately it was to get further away from the gates.

The young lad soon stood before the two, wheezing and panting while hunched over with his hands on his knees to balance himself. After a full minute, he seemed to have finally caught his breath and tried his best to stand up straight. Goran noticed immediately his two differing eye colours, something he had never seen before, but more importantly, he noticed the unique insignia on his right breast pocket.

'Could he be someone sent from them? But if so, why send a kid...? Wait!? That insignia ain't theirs, which family is he from then..? Hmm, I wonder if I were to steal from him, the family behind him couldn't possibly find me out, right? Yeah, I'm just one out of hundreds, I'll be able to rob him and flee to the next town. I'd be safe...alright kid, let's see how much you have.'

Goran's mentality changed, his greed was taking over his mind. He was losing all fear of the possible consequences which would occur for pissing off a prestigious family. He turned his head to face his partner Ofris and could read the greed emanating off of his face. He didn't even try to hide it. Ofris rotated his head sideways to look at Goran and they both gave a knowing smirk and nod. They then turned to face the kid, surprising him with their [Half Rank-12 Demonic Trainee] aura, which would definitely be able to hinder such a small kid like this one from fleeing.

"Kid, hand over everything you own. Do it and we won't harm you, just give us everything."

"Do it or else we'll kill you!"

They two giants towered over the kid, who was over two times smaller than them. The kid lowered his head and put his hands inside his pockets, which they presumed he was going to take out his Spites to give them. After all, all noble scum couldn't care about other people and only cared about one thing, self-preservation.

"Damn mutts, learn how to brush your filthy teeth. This is why I hate beast men, always are savage beasts..."

The two with their sensitive hearing heard the kid murmur his racist comments. Goran got pissed off at the comment and felt his wrath within him multiply. He gripped the kid's neck and lifted him up, putting pressure in his neck grab, feeling his soft, weak skin. The kid took his hands out of his pockets immediately and tried his best to use them to pull himself out of Goran's grasp but to no avail.

"Take back that comment kid, if you do so, maybe we'll be lenient with you because you're a kid. You've got to learn, brat! The world isn't your personal playground, everything you do will have consequences and not everyone will like what you say. Take back the comment, now! Also tell us, what family you're from. I bet they'd pay a good ransom fee for your safety, if you don't, the two of us shall kill you."

"...esis."

"What? Speak up damn brat, I can't hear you. Tell me what you said, now!"

"I'm not named Brat, you filthy mongrels. The name is Nemesis."

Nemesis stated in a louder yet still strained voice. At the word mongrel, Goran and Ofris couldn't take it anymore. Goran exerted more force in choking Nemesis. He heard Nemesis' wheezing and suffocating as he saw him flailing his arms and legs around, attempting to hit him. Using his free hand he grabbed onto one of his flailing legs but was soon kicked in the face. It didn't hurt him at all, but it annoyed him.

"Argh! That's it, time for some punishment!"

He felt his rage grow as he seethed in anger. Ofris who was still angered at the name 'filthy mongrel', didn't wish to miss out on the fun and so roughly grabbed an arm and leg of Nemesis. The two mutually and silently agreed to injure Nemesis as much as practically possible. The two wouldn't kill him, after all, the insignia on his suit showed that he was from a prestigious family that would pay handsomely for his freedom, and if he weren't they'd pay them for bringing in someone who dared to wear their family emblem. It was a win-win scenario.

They used all their might to crush the limbs they had gotten a hold of, excluding the neck, and stared directly at Nemesis' face, awaiting the squirming expression he would have and the pleading for mercy he'd resort to when they broke his bones. A series of loud, sickening, crunching noises could be heard as Nemesis' bones were shattered, though strangely Nemesis himself showed little reaction to the pain his body was enduring, the two even saw a small smile creep up on his face as if mocking them.

"What the fuck!? Scream you bastard, beg for mercy! Do something already!"

Goran was getting more frustrated with each passing second, the uncertainty he felt quickly faded as his anger overwhelmed it. He felt like a ticking time bomb. If this brat were to say one more thing he would explode in a fit of rage and then he wouldn't be able to hold back. He saw in the corner of his eye that Ofris looked deranged, with a look on his face he had never seen before. His expression was filled with only anger, wrath.

"What a pity you two unreasonable curs not only have the breath of a mongrel but also have the intellect similar to one as well. Why don't you two just-."

Goran felt something within him snap as he exerted as much force as he could possibly force his body to use, the deafening crunch had signified that they had killed him.

He heaved heavy breaths, he still felt mad, greedy and envious. Envious that those damn whores in the brothel within the town had such lavish lifestyles compared to them. He was losing his reasoning.

His vision blacked out as he lost all the strength in his body for a few seconds, at the same time he heard the sounds of something landing on the ground and a quick 'swoosh' noise. His vision returned fast enough to see Nemesis, on his only good leg, in a sort of crouched position turning in a spin while getting further away from them. He also heard the sound of his bones crunching and cracking. He couldn't help but stare, not at Nemesis but the thing above his left hand.

There seemed to be an incorporeal blade attached to the top of his left hand. It was around a meter long and was similar in shape to a very long isosceles triangle. The phantom blade then blurred and within a few moments, faded away as if it had never existed in this realm.

"Beg. Beg for your life. Maybe I'll decide to be merciful and let you live. It all depends on how good you are at licking my shoes, begging for enslavement, to be treated like trash. If I'm pleased with your results you'll live."

"What the hell are you on about brat! I'm going to kill you now, you worthless piece of shit!"

Ofris screamed then immediately ran towards Nemesis, Goran was about to run along with Ofris and teach the kid a lesson but something inside him told him not to go. To stay still and wait. Some primal instinct which feared death begged him to stay. He wasn't sure if he made the right choice, but decided to just watch...

Goran had made the correct choice as he saw that when Ofris had moved only a few steps away from his previous location, he halted immobile. Goran horrifically witnessed several weird black portals surround the motionless Ofris and a black chain shoot out of each portal wrapping themselves around his neck, waist, arms and legs. Goran stood stationary, fear held him in place. He tried his best not to move, even holding his breath, in terror at the thought that that would happen to him if he were to try to flee or attack Nemesis.

"Pathetic. I gave you a chance to live...well, doesn't matter. Since I'm so kind and forgiving, I'll help you two achieve your dreams... becoming [Rank-12 Demonic Trainees]. You'll soon be liberated!"

Nemesis spoke, trying his best to incite hope within the two. What he didn't know what that when he had said the last line, he unknowingly held a devious glint in his eyes. Goran could only tremble in horror as he caught a glimpse into Nemesis' eyes as he felt his dread reach its peak. The cruel glint he had was similar to what a vicious, cunning predator would give to a clueless prey which had unknowingly stepped into its trap.