Egologia stood frozen in place the entire time, his piercing eyes locked in awe, his heartbeat thundering so loudly in his chest he could almost hear it.
'That man! The Lord... he's a mountain of maga!'
Thoughts stormed through his mind like a tempest. 'War! So.. Ridiculous monsters and that arrogant king who dared to put me under the scrutiny of a cursed crowd! Damn... this is my chance to return the favor twofold! My great pride, my unyielding ego... this is my opportunity!'
Valeras cast a glance around.
"Oright!! these two... and who else?"
Garoma's voice rose sharply from above as he pointed:
"My lord, that one over there..."
Everyone followed the direction of his finger. There... trapped under piles of rubble, was the cat-boy.
The Lord stared at him for a moment before saying in a quiet yet penetrating voice:
"He's in a pitiful state.... Ensure these three receive the best care available. We'll bring the most skilled healers... this won't just be an army, but a unified, interdependent force."
Garoma, Claude, and Ash replied in unison, their resolve unshakable:
"Understood, my lord! It shall be done!" ...
***
The royal forces surged southward—the capital wasn't far, and securing it was imperative. In contrast, the nine guard castles descended into chaos, wholly unprepared for such a sudden crisis. The news struck them like a slap, shattering their routines, breaking their protocols, and leaving them floundering in disorganized, near-random reactions.
As for their leaders? They were no better... in fact, they were worse. Men notorious for laziness, stupidity, and cruelty, utterly incompetent for the coming war. They were like heavy shadows trailed by their filthy reputations wherever they went.
This was no surprise—they were exactly like Garoma, for example.
But Claude? No. He wasn't one of them. Neither negligent nor dull-minded, he was a clear exception in a sea of chaos—different, and worthy of respect.
When Egologia and Claude returned to the fortress, they weren't alone. A new companion accompanied them... one Egologia couldn't stand. He seethed inwardly the entire journey, muttering vile thoughts in his mind:
'I want to drag him with bloodied threads, hang him between heaven and earth... then hammer his balls with a crimson mallet until he screams like a madman...' Such things.
That companion... was Zora, who had chosen Claude.
The cat-boy had chosen Ash. The decision seemed odd but not arbitrary. That cunning boy hid more than just physical prowess—he carried a secret behind his blazing eyes.
Garoma? He was left with the wreckage of his castle, for chaos and collapse were his greatest allies.
Egologia, weighed down by his battle wounds, was taken to the medical hall, where the air hung thick with the scent of herbs and healing salves.
At the center of the hall stood a woman of happy presence, draped in a pristine white robe.
This was Gouzette, a specialist in healing maga—a rare technique that accelerated tissue regeneration, soothed spiritual convulsions, and revitalized a warrior's life force.
She studied him intently. "My God, you were here three days ago."
"Oh, you fought in the trials battels, didn't you..."
"Oof!"
But before he could respond, a familiar voice echoed in his ears:
"Oh, you're finally here... damn you, three days and you didn't visit! I felt my soul being drained in front of you—the least you could do is check on me!"
Egologia slowly lifted his eyes to find Dagar—one of those he'd drained of energy earlier—standing in the corner.
Egologia glared at him coldly before replying in a low, sharp tone:
"Punishment for your mistake, nothing more...."
Dagar: "Hah?! You're as strange as ever..."
But before he could add another word, Dagar suddenly lunged forward, grabbed his wrist, and violently yanked him out of the hall.
Egologia, despite his weakness, didn't resist—but he was stunned by Dagar's abrupt action.
'What does this vile, wretched fool want!?' he fumed inwardly, refusing to engage with someone so meaningless.
In a hushed but serious whisper, Dagar stared at him intently:
'Finally... you survived using your abilities. Good...'
Egologia froze for a moment, his features tensing. His fingers twitched briefly before he clenched his fist tightly, muttering to himself:
'Abilities... Could it be...? What nonsense is this fool spewing suddenly?!! This idiot?!'
"Tell me, when will you show me the fire element?" Dagar whispered in the same subdued tone.
Egologia's eyes widened slightly as he thought:
'Fire element?!... Fire..?!?'
A strange tightness gripped his chest. 'Is it possible the body I inhabit once possessed fire maga abilities?'
If true, this meant there was something he hadn't yet uncovered—something that could change somethings...
"Oh, that? Yeah you'll see it in the war!"
"War?"
"The War of Hatred has officially begun. The royal army will participate."
"Impossible, the amphibians? Are they that dangerous? I almost died laughing the last time we repelled their raids... And when I heard that mere weak amphibians had captured you, I couldn't believe it."
"Ah, the thing... you know, yeah! fire, my tricks..."
"Oh, of course, Egologia! The man who fled his kingdom and has lived here since childhood. I truly sympathized with your story when I heard some people talking about it, and your volunteering in that battle was bold."
Oh, and now I'm officially a volunteer and will really help with that, ....."
"...?"
"Egologia, just say it."
"Dogar...."
"Dogar??!"
Then he muttered: 'Damn, what's this weasel's name?' Then he added:
"Well, now I'm in. You know, I'll continue my treatment. I passed the test, of course."
"Oh, of course you passed, Egologia. See you around."
"Yeah!!"
At his first glance, with his eyes lowered to the ground, Egologia felt as if his veins were shrinking and squeezing themselves violently. His body was on the verge of exploding from within.
He stiffened in place. Everything around him began to lose clarity.
"Sir...?" Gouzette's hesitant voice wasn't enough to snap him out of his state.
In his mind, thoughts raced madly:
'Fleeing my kingdom... living in this kingdom... this? Fire? Why would someone like him hide such an ability? And now... damn, the owner of this body... reminds me of something strange, something familiar... Damn, this is the first time I've felt this way!'
His body trembled from the deadly realization as a headache crept toward him like a dark entity emerging from nowhere.
"Sir... say something, even one word!"
Slowly, he raised his head.
His eyes...
They were like gateways to hell itself. The crimson in them wasn't just a color—it was an entity pulsing with malice, a creature writhing in hell, as if a demon were chained inside his skull, pounding violently on the walls of his mind, screaming, demanding to be let out.
His gaze was like...
Gouzette, who had never been one to fear men, found herself unconsciously taking a step back. Her heart pounded violently as she saw that horror manifest before her in human form.
"S... S... Sir?"
"Oh yes, my lady, I'm ready for treatment."
Gouzette sighed quickly, "Ah!! Oh... y-yes, of course." As if trying to process the heavy, charged atmosphere around her.
Then she continued, examining his tense features: "I heard you talking about the war. It seems you have fiery thoughts in your head. Is something wrong, sir?"
Egologia ignored her unconsciously, while his thoughts screamed inside him, tangled like poisoned spiderwebs:
'She Damn... that wretch... He that shit leader...'
The boiling in his chest! That raw, pure anger that needed no justification.
'Damn... the list is growing... I'll slaughter them all! Every last one of them.'
???
The treatment went smoothly and quickly. This wasn't surprising, as he had absorbed a bit of her energy during the prolonged touches, subtly speeding up the session. He was surprised by the amount of maga she possessed.
Yet, he couldn't deny her exceptional skill, despite her obvious naivety. She moved with astonishing fluidity, as if this power had been passed down through generations, explaining her incredible mastery.
Egologia watched her intently, trying to grasp her strange formations and summons. It was just an attempt for him, but he was a man who loved opportunities, and he wasn't about to waste one like this easily.