Present Day**
—So, that's my story, guys. As you can see, I'm now searching for Elvina. After traveling through all the major countries of this world, I still haven't found her. Now, I think she might be in Eltvia.
—That's sad… But why didn't you kill the sergeant? He betrayed you! Killed your dog, killed your friend! — Edmus shouted indignantly.
—He's a fool, lost in his own arrogance. But that doesn't make him a corpse in my eyes, — Weich said, walking up to Edmus and placing a hand on his shoulder.
—No! That's wrong! Anyone who kills or does something like that deserves to die! Trash should be destroyed! — Grolf couldn't calm down, as if his past actions were now haunting him from within.
—But people aren't trash… If you had killed my father, would you call that justice? You'd just be satisfying your own desire for superiority and fake righteousness, — Fira said, standing in front of Edmus and staring into his eyes.
—Your father is an exception! He's just a broken man!
—There are a lot of broken people in the world. That doesn't mean you get to judge them, — Fira snapped irritably.
Edmus shrugged off the teacher's hand and, gritting his teeth, headed to his room. A bottle of wine was already waiting there. He poured himself a glass, crafted earlier by Guko, and downed one after another, growing more pensive with each sip.
*"Was everything I did really wrong?.. Why!? Where did I go wrong? I tried so hard to be fair. Someone who tries—or succeeds—in ruining my life should pay… But Master… He never killed anyone. Why? Is that how it's supposed to be? They take everything dear from me, never apologize—and demand I spare their lives? That's not right…"*
Staring at the ceiling, barely noticeable tears rolled down Edmus' face. Lying on the worn-out bed, he didn't understand what was happening. Everything he had built over the years—his hatred for the government, his love for freedom—had been trampled in a single day. With these thoughts, he fell asleep.
When he woke up, he climbed onto the ship where everyone was already gathered. Weich was teaching Guko unarmed magic—though the boy wasn't making much progress yet.
—Hey, guys! You didn't forget about me, did you? — a voice called from the stern.
—No. We're just preparing for the fight, — Weich replied before descending below deck with the rest of the crew.
They followed Hyde. Along the way, he told them about the abilities of the four brothers. One of them wielded earth—one of the most common elements. His name was Kut. The second, though not advanced in magic, was the best in close combat. His name was Ereb. The third possessed the most powerful ability—gravity. This was Shesha, the most fearsome and strongest of the brothers. The last, Savitar, controlled heat capable of engulfing an entire location.
When they reached the site, they saw something resembling an arena—a massive stadium packed with people. Exchanging surprised glances, they stepped inside, following Hyde. All four brothers were already there. One of them stepped forward and announced:
—Here they are… On our island, title fights are one-on-one. If it's a team, the battles go in order. To keep the residents from complaining, you'll have to fight the same way. And, of course, I'll be fighting instead of Fira. Otherwise, it just wouldn't be fair! — Hyde declared loudly from the stands.
—We don't care. We'll handle them with the right approach, — Weich said, observing the brothers.
After half an hour of watching, he figured out their strengths and weaknesses, then called Hyde, Edmus, and Guko over.
—Alright, Hyde, the close-combat fighter is yours. Lava is perfect against him.
—H-how…? Did you figure that out?
—You've been around long enough. Trust me, I can sense these things. Guko, you're up against the earth user. Let's see what's stronger—earth or metal.
—Got it, Weich.
—Edmus, you'll fight the one who controls heat. If you coat yourself in acid, his power won't affect you much. And I'll take on Shesha—the strongest.
They exchanged glances, and Hyde went to submit their challenge for the island's ownership. It was a rare but official rule made up by the current rulers: *"Want to live? Live by my rules. Don't like it? Win and take power."*
The moment the challenge was issued, the commentator's eyes lit up. Without hesitation, he roared:
—LADIES AND GENTLEMEN! WE HAVE A FIGHT FOR CONTROL OF THE ISLAND!
The brothers, seated on the opposite stands, smirked arrogantly as they looked at the four. After receiving the list, they signed without hesitation, accepting the challenge. Shesha glanced at each of his brothers:
—We don't care what order we crush these brats in, right?
—Of course, brother. They don't stand a chance. Though… that old man… He seems strong. Even I can feel it. But the kids around him… Their elements are dangerous. Without experience, they're no match for us, — Kut said, hanging upside down.
—AND THE FIRST BOUT! KUT—MASTER OF EARTH, GOD OF EARTHQUAKES! VERSUS HYDE!
Descending from his stand, Hyde saw his old tormentor—a tall, muscular man in his thirties with a thick black beard. Kut locked eyes with him and sneered:
—Why are you here, weakling? You know you can't win. It's pointless. Just surrender.
—Start the fight. Save the talk, — Hyde replied curtly.
Weich looked slightly surprised. Fira noticed:
—What's wrong, Master?
—They signed our papers, but they switched fighters. Ereb was supposed to go first, but they sent Kut instead.
—Why aren't the officials stopping this?
—Probably too big of an event. But honestly, it's fine. Kut's a good match for Hyde.
Kut had already begun merging with the arena, its floor entirely made of earth. Hyde transformed the ground around him into lava.
*"This should stop any surprise attacks. I'll use the chains too—gives me an advantage up close."*
Kut emerged as a massive earth golem. His face was human-like, but the rest of his body was pure earth. He swung down to crush Hyde, but the boy leaped out of the way, yanking one of the chains from his chest and wrapping it around the golem's arm. The earth crumbled. Hyde landed on its shoulder, looped the chain around its neck—and the head fell off. Seconds later, the whole body collapsed.
Hyde reformed the lava beneath his feet. Kut resurfaced in his normal form.
—You've gotten stronger… Not by much, but stronger. What are those chains? — he demanded.
Hyde stayed silent, fully focused.
—Master, what's that in his hands? — Fira asked.
—They're called Chains of Hades, — Weich answered.
—Why Hades? — Edmus asked curiously.
—Hades is the realm of the dead. The chains drain the enemy's energy and strengthen the wielder. They're extremely rare. A simple islander wouldn't have access to them. By the way, with these, Hyde could've crushed you, Edmus.
—I see what you mean…
—Hyde's already won. He just needs to lure Kut into a trap, — Weich remarked calmly.
—What? But how!? — Guko still didn't get it.
Kut triggered an earthquake. Hyde didn't move.
—Why the hell aren't you moving!? — Kut roared—then realized Hyde's feet were fused with the lava.
Kut formed a massive earthen cage around Hyde, crushing it tighter and tighter, as if trying to flatten the boy under the weight of stone. But to his shock, Hyde melted it in seconds. Without a hint of exhaustion, he broke free and slowly advanced toward Kut.
Every step radiated hatred. The ground beneath him burned away—only lava remained. Step by step, he turned the arena into a blazing field. That's what this fight was: not a battle, but a controlled, devastating revenge.
They clashed in close combat. Without considering elemental advantages, the fight seemed even. Strikes, dodges, grapples—everything was fast-paced. But after thirty seconds of relentless exchange, Hyde stepped back and smirked.
—Guess I got lucky facing the dumbest of you. You have zero logic or strategy. You just charge like a rabid dog. And for that, you'll pay.
Kut opened his mouth to retort—but lava walls erupted around him, sealing him inside. He struggled, trying to break free, but the walls closed in with crushing force. His scream was enough to silence the arena. It wasn't a warrior's cry—it was the wail of a wounded child.
—He surrenders! Drop the walls! — Shesha shouted, intervening. Using gravity, he forced the lava apart. Hyde released his control without protest.
As he walked away, he glanced at the mangled Kut, who collapsed at his feet. Silence hung in the air.
—You were always a nobody. A sadistic brute who loves hurting people. You're not human.
—Shut up! You only won by luck! — Kut spat—then noticed his arm was gone, completely melted.
He was carried off to the infirmary. The arena began repairing itself, a process that took about an hour. Hyde returned to his allies—with a faint smile. But Weich's gaze was cold—neither approval nor condemnation.
—You had no choice but to melt him, — Weich said. —But answer me this: if you had a choice, would you have spared him?
—Yes. I don't want to kill. But punishment? That's different. I'm not happy about his suffering… I just settled the score.
—Fair enough.
Fira suddenly hugged Hyde—tight, friendly. But he gently pushed her away, deadpan:
—Sorry… but there's one problem. I'm gay.
—YOU'RE GAY!? SERIOUSLY!? — she yelped, jumping back. —It was a friendly hug, idiot!
—Heh… Whatever you say, — Hyde smirked.
—Hey… — Edmus cut in, slightly wary. —That thing where you trusted me so fast… that wasn't because you, uh…?
—Who knows, who knows, — Hyde grinned slyly.
The team laughed. Even Weich allowed a small smile. They returned to the stands—just as Shesha approached. He ignored everyone but Weich.
—Old man. That was clever. I'll admit it.
—What are you talking about? — Weich genuinely didn't follow.
—Don't play dumb. You expect me to believe Hyde planned all that alone? Without your help? Don't insult me.
—I've known him for a few days. You think I'm so good I taught him all that in that time? He beat your brother with his mind. He turned the arena to lava, lured Kut into close combat, then trapped him. He knew Kut wouldn't dodge. All he had to do was close the jaws.
Shesha's eyes flicked to Hyde. Suspicion flashed, but he said nothing.
—Either way, old man. The last fight is you and me. Get one of your brats ready. My brother will crush anyone.
As Shesha left, Weich turned to Guko.
—You're next. Try not to overuse negative energy—you're not fully in control yet.
—Understood, — Guko replied calmly, his expression unreadable.
The three fighters stepped onto the stage. Hyde, watching from the stands, smiled at first—then froze. He recognized one of them: Ereb, the most ruthless brother, a close-combat master rumored to punch straight through bodies.
Shesha, standing near Weich, muttered to Savitar:
—We need to win this. I don't want to rely on a tiebreaker.
—In seven years, we've never lost a single fight. And now some nobodies show up? Let's see how this goes.
—AND THE SECOND BOUT BEGINS! — the commentator roared. —GUKO VERSUS EREB—THE STRONGEST MELEE FIGHTER IN THE ISLAND'S HISTORY!
No words were wasted. The fight started instantly.
Ereb lunged, his speed and precision unmatched. His strike hit the Raevlyx shield dead-on. Guko barely blocked it, but the force still sent him skidding back ten meters.
*"Damn… His punches are insane… What do I do?"*
Ereb gave no time to think. He shattered the shield like glass. Guko tried reinforcing it, but Ereb found an opening—an uppercut sent him flying into the wall.
Ereb moved for the killing blow—but at the last second, Guko twisted midair, barely dodging. He landed hard, activating his strongest defense: silver armor covered in blade-like spikes.
—Damn… Thought I was dead… — he wheezed.
—You should be, — Ereb said coldly.
—He's right, — Weich muttered, eyes locked on the fight.
—What do you mean? — Edmus asked nervously.
—I've never seen Guko move that fast. Ereb's so quick the ground cracks under him. Yet Guko dodged midair… That's either insane luck or… something else. I don't get it.
—Maybe he predicted the attack, — Edmus whispered.
The fight raged on. Guko turned to face Ereb—no fear left. He was about to use what Weich had taught him in one night: refined negative energy control. He fused two elements into one.
The spikes on his armor shifted—becoming flexible, stretching like whips, their color fading from silver to ash-gray.
Guko advanced, attacking from range, forcing Ereb back step by step. But even cornered, Ereb wasn't done. His body was still a weapon, and Guko's technique, while versatile, couldn't match his speed.
Finally, Ereb was pinned. Guko grinned.
—Phoenix Feathers!
The spikes rained down—one after another. Ereb took hits to the stomach, the leg—and froze.
Guko panted. Victory was close… Then his energy vanished. His armor dissolved. He collapsed.
Ereb limped forward, face twisted in pain—but his eyes showed surprise, not rage.
—If not for your damn control… you'd have killed me, kid.
—I know… Should've tried harder, — Guko smiled weakly.
Weich leaped down, lifting him effortlessly.
—He yields! — he called out, carrying Guko away. He laid him near Fira, then placed his hands on the boy's chest, channeling energy.
—Will he be okay? — Edmus asked, voice shaking.
—Yes. Come with me. I'll brief you for your fight, — Weich said shortly.
They stepped aside. Weich pulled something out—and Edmus' eyes widened.
—Is that… THEM?! But how? When did you—?
—Handy, right? — Weich smirked. —But one condition. No maiming. We don't kill.
—What?
—You saw it. They respect strength. Ereb could've killed Guko, but he didn't. You won't touch Savatar—their brother.
—Of course! Of course, Weich! — Edmus nodded quickly, adrenaline still surging.