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  Chapter 34: The Fall of the Priest**

  The air was heavy with the promise of more rain, but the ground was already soaked, transformed into a swamp of mud and debris. Dare was kneeling, his energy depleted, his body paralyzed by electrical currents that pulsed from the earth, an invisible prison forged by Gotier's fury. The *El Diablo* attack had been useless, and Gotier, miraculously, had healed, his robust and imposing form hovering over the agent of Kugutsu Island.

  "Shit!!!!" Dare's scream was muffled by the crackling energy that enveloped him. He tried to think, to plan, to accelerate his blood, but time was running out with each slow, deliberate step of Gotier.

  Gotier's voice, once gentle and pious, was now a guttural, almost unintelligible growl, a grotesque fusion with Don'yoku's voice. The aura of sanctity had been replaced by an oppressive feeling of death and anger, which made the ground tremble and the energy around Dare intensify, tearing him apart from the inside.

  *Clack! Clack! CLAAAACK!* The sound was not of footsteps, but of Dare's skull being crushed by Gotier's hands. Pulverized flesh, breaking bones, a wet and repulsive sound that mixed with the dripping of the rain. Dare was subdued so quickly that his last thought was as trivial as his death. Gotier smiled, a weak, satisfied smile. To be in control, to be the heavy hand of judgment, the power of choice. Slowly, Don'yoku was transforming the mind of the wise and gentle priest into a monster of morbid pleasures. The dark priestly robes and the silver cross on his chest were stained scarlet. Dare lay kneeling, his head mutilated, while the rain washed the blood into the muddy puddles. A lightning bolt cut through the sky, the thunder awakened. The priest was slowly falling.

  ***

  **Two Years Ago**

  Gotier stared at his reflection in the mirror, his face contorted in disgust and revulsion. The small wooden room was lit only by flickering candles. A simple bed, a round mirror, and the darkness that seemed to nestle in the corners. His hands trembled uncontrollably.

  "What have I done..." he whispered to the distorted image. "What do I do... why!?"

  Tears streamed down his face, mixing with the cold sweat.

  "Let me die!" He approached the fogged mirror. His neck was marked with reddish wounds, a trail of failed attempts. "Bastard! Answer me, why won't you let me die?"

  A faint, subtle laugh echoed in his mind, but for Gotier, it carried a terrible meaning. *HHHHHAAAWWWWWWWHHHH...* A laugh that delighted in prolonging suffering. Gotier fell to the floor, crying.

  "You want to torture me, I know... I deserve it... even if I die, I won't go to the same place they went. And in the end, I'll be alone..."

  ***

  **The City of Oblivion**

  Years had passed since the deaths of Lili and Mila, and Gotier's escape. He dragged himself through a nameless city, a labyrinth of dark alleys and filthy streets, where hopelessness was the currency. The city, a reflection of his own soul, was a purgatory of lost souls. On every corner, life unfolded in its cruelest form, and Gotier, the priest who once sought redemption, was now just an observer, a complacent spectator.

  He walked through the streets, the smell of sewage and rot permeating the air. An elderly man was being beaten and robbed by a group of hungry youths. Gotier stopped, watched the scene, and a dry, humorless smile appeared on his lips. "*Another one who learns the lesson...*," he thought, and moved on, the sound of breaking bones and screams of pain echoing in his mind, but causing no disturbance.

  At night, the routine was the same. The bar, a haven of smoke and cheap alcohol, was his first destination. He would sit in a dark corner, a bottle of whiskey in hand, watching the pathetic figures trying to drown their sorrows. A woman, visibly drugged, was dragged out by a burly man. She screamed, but no one intervened. Gotier laughed, a hoarse sound lost in the murmur of the bar. "*Their freedom... is the same as mine.*"

  Then, the brothels. Places where flesh was cheap and dignity, a distant memory. He sought ephemeral pleasure, the feeling of control over another body, a futile attempt to fill the void. But not even the momentary ecstasy could silence Don'yoku's voice, whispering in his mind, mocking his weakness, reminding him of his losses. He saw the women, their empty eyes, their used bodies, and felt a strange familiarity. "*Dolls... we are all dolls.*"

  Drugs came next, a desperate attempt to numb the pain, to silence Don'yoku's laughter. But with each dose, each injection, the pain only increased, the mind became clearer to the horror of his existence. He saw children on the streets, dirty, hungry, some being abused by men who looked like shadows. He watched them, and a bitter laugh escaped his throat. "*What is innocence in this world? A cruel joke.*"

  He tried to drown himself, to hang himself, to cut himself. But Don'yoku was always there, a sadistic guardian, preventing him from finding the peace of death. With each frustrated attempt, Don'yoku's laughter grew louder, more pleasurable. "*You want to torture me, I know... I deserve it...*," Gotier repeated, the words becoming a mantra of his own damnation. Don'yoku fed on his suffering, becoming stronger with each tear, each muffled scream.

  ***

  **Present Day**

  Gotier held his cross, the cold metal in his palm, as he tried to maintain control of his power. His breathing was deep and controlled, a conscious effort to silence the cacophony in his mind. He remembered the Lunar City, a three-day journey from Neversand, the last place Mr. Kitty had been seen. Vengeance. It was the only thing keeping him afloat, the only flame still burning in his devastated heart.

  Years of hunting, of relentless pursuit, could not be lost now.

  "No!" he roared, his voice regaining its original strength, the energy normalizing in his body. Don'yoku would not defeat him. Not now. Not when vengeance was so close. He would not give Don'yoku the pleasure of seeing him succumb completely. Pain was fuel, suffering, a promise. And the promise of vengeance was the only one he could still keep.

  The Price of Truth**

  #### **Part I: The Dance of Blade and Shadow**

  The air in Neversand was a damp lament, saturated with the smell of smoke, wet earth, and the nauseating sweetness of blood. The rain, an incessant curtain, washed the streets, but not the stain of destruction. Collapsed houses, craters that swallowed entire blocks, and the inert bodies of Skull mercenaries scattered like broken dolls, all contributed to the apocalyptic landscape. Atop a less damaged house, Minamino watched the chaos with a slow, macabre smile. The uneven terrain, the reduced visibility from the rain—it was all a perfect stage for his macabre symphony.

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  "Uneven terrain, good, I can use the debris, the rain to my advantage, it's a perfect environment for me." The smile formed slowly on Minamino's lips, his scarlet eyes dancing with a cold satisfaction. Everything was perfect for him.

  Down below, oblivious to the shadow watching them, Zeke pointed at a map, his voice full of a confidence the situation barely justified.

  "Zack is here," he indicated, his finger tracing an imaginary route. "Soken and Kaien are handling the situation at the ports. Neversand has the upper hand. The war has changed, the Leper King is losing the game." A fragile optimism, built on the quicksand of hope.

  "I feel that Gotier's energy has diminished, it seems he won," Zeke added, his voice a little more relaxed. Akari smiled, a brief glimpse of relief amidst the tension.

  "Everything happening so fast, the Island attacking us and the Leper King, but in the end we're winn—" Her sentence was abruptly cut short.

  *Clack!* The sound was dry, brutal. Akari saw Zeke get kicked in the neck, right in front of her. The impact was so strong it seemed to have broken, a terrifying sound of cracking bones that echoed in her mind. Zeke flew a thousand meters, his body colliding violently with houses and debris, a trail of destruction in his path. Minamino, in a quick reaction, spun in the air beside Akari, delivering a blow with his left leg toward her head.

  Akari instinctively used her swapping ability, and Minamino hit a log, pulverizing it into pieces. She reappeared far away, near a destroyed house, but the relief was fleeting. A thunderous roar made the metals vibrate and the ground tremble, a lightning bolt lit up the sky. Minamino reappeared right above, at a speed Akari had never seen, delivering a free-fall punch toward her head. No time to breathe, to think...

  Akari leaped forward, rolling, dodging the blow. But Minamino, with supernatural agility, was already by her side, delivering a powerful kick to her ribs. *Clack!* Minamino's eyes widened when he saw his kick being stopped. A hand of blue energy protected Akari, who retreated, panting.

  "Interesting," an ironic smile formed on Minamino's face. Akari, far from the enemy, fixed her gaze on him and took a deep breath.

  — *Thank you, father... I could barely stand.* — Zyon, her Kugutsu, had protected Akari. Zyon was special, different from the others, free, his actions were not controlled or forced, and that made him so terrifying.

  — *He is fast, strong, and has excellent control of his aura* — Zyon began to communicate mentally with Akari. — *Don't summon me yet, first analyze the environment and the enemy's style, so I can create a strategy and surprise him.*

  — *Right!* — Akari replied, her mind beginning to process the situation.

  Minamino watched Akari carefully, intrigued by the energy around her. "*What the hell is this. She has two collapsing energies.*" He frowned. "*I've never seen this, could it be...*" Before Minamino could finish the thought, Akari threw a piece of wood at him. "*She thinks I'm an idiot, she's going to swap with the wood*," Minamino thought, laughing at the situation. Then, Akari threw her sword at him.

  "You son of a bitch!" Minamino shouted, surprise replacing his mockery.

  Minamino went on high alert, breaking the wood into eight pieces in the air. Immediately after, the sword came. "*Here she comes...*," Minamino thought, with a smile of fascination for Akari's ability. The sword came fast, but it was a distraction. Minamino didn't notice, but the broken pieces of wood became the swapping points, and Akari swapped her body for them, dancing around Minamino. He tried to deliver quick punches and kicks, but it was useless. Akari, with agility and precision, caught her sword in the air and cut Minamino's chest, throwing him to the ground. He bounced, and Akari kicked him into the air, sending him crashing into the destroyed houses.

  — *GOOD GIRL!!* — Zyon celebrated.

  — *He may be fast, but I am unpredictable* — Akari replied with confidence.

  #### **Part II: The Ring and the Revelation**

  "A PLEASURE TO MEET YOU, AKARI KANEHARA." A soft voice echoed across the battlefield. Akari froze. "*He knows who I am, he must have studied everything about me.*" Akari already anticipated the worst.

  "Your father is a great leader, respected throughout the island, respected for his surname, respected for existing." Akari tried to locate Minamino's voice, but the sound field emanated from everywhere.

  "Kané liked to play chess, he was terrible at it, in fact, I always beat him." Akari was surprised to learn that this guy knew her father. "My old man loved to spend hours losing at that game, it must be because it was the only form of control over his choices. He could lose and laugh that nothing would happen." Akari's face hardened, her eyes fixed with anger.

  "The king couldn't control him in that damn chess game!" Akari's voice carried the weight of anger and exhaustion when talking about her father.

  "Listen, Akari, I know who your father is, he trained and saved my clan," Minamino replied with a soft voice, but filled with peace and sadness.

  "Liar!" Akari shouted.

  "It's true... I can prove it, can we talk?" Minamino replied, trying to get closer to Akari.

  "No!" Akari replied, afraid.

  "I have his ring, it has the symbol of the silver tree of the Alkali clan, your mother's and father's names are engraved on it. It's ruby red and adorned with gold. Beautiful, by the way."

  "You think I'm an idiot!" Akari shouted. "You killed him, cleaned his body and his belongings. I'm not falling for th—" Before Akari could continue, Minamino appeared on his knees, his head bowed and his hands raised above his head, showing the ring in the palm of his hand. Minamino was completely vulnerable, exposed.

  Akari was startled. She did not expect such a quick appearance, nor a surrender from the fight. Her enemy had given up fighting; he really wanted to talk. Akari approached with her guard up, observing every detail of Minamino's face, body, and clothes. He had flowing silver hair, red eyes, and skin as white as snow. His clothing had the symbol of a simple knife, and Akari soon realized he was from the Silver clan.

  Akari took her father's ring and slowly backed away.

  "You're from the Silver clan... how could you...?" Akari was surprised.

  "I am one of the few survivors, Akari, your father saved our clan and me. I am following his hidden plan, the king will fall, we had a meeting of several clans and it was decided to kill the king." Akari pointed her finger and laughed at Minamino's words. That was absurd, irony, or a joke.

  "What the fuck are you talking about... who the fuck are you? Did you use some kind of drug?" Akari took a deep breath. "The king never falls, do you really think he's going to fall now?"

  "Yes, he will, for one simple reason, Akari," he replied, raising his head and looking intensely into Akari's eyes. A strong desire and brightness emanated from his eyes.

  "What?" Akari asked, doubtful.

  "Yuzuki murdered his entire clan, the currency of control, power, and exchange was demolished, there is, Akari, no force for the king to raise. And you know what's worse?" Minamino gave a slight smile.

  Akari knew about Yuzuki's information, but she didn't imagine it would create so much political chaos.

  "What?" Akari asked, afraid of the answer, feeling a shiver down her spine and a pain in her chest.

  "Yuzuki planned this..."

  "Yuzuki was a victim, he can't know the future. You're just talking nonsense," Akari replied with a mocking tone.

  "Deep down you know... Yuzuki killed his own people as a ritualistic break, did he tell you what it was like to spend 10 years in a cell?"

  "No," Akari replied, with a cold and uncomfortable look at the situation.

  "I was the one who freed Yuzuki, I passed on information about Faust, the days of the ritual, and the clan's vulnerabilities." A malicious smile escaped Minamino's lips, knowing he had control of the situation.

  Akari heard so much information, but she couldn't connect one to the other until an epiphany came to her mind. Akari looked at Minamino, frightened.

  "My father helped Yuzuki????" Akari's eyes met Minamino's, and his nod was enough to erase Akari's mocking and ironic expression.

  "But why?" Akari went crazy, looking at the ground, trying to focus on the information and remember something from the past.

  "Kané was close to the king, he was the leader of the squad that stopped Yuzuki's plans, he organized, protected, and performed rituals for the king. Your father, Akari, always had doubts and hated the whole situation, but for convenience and ease he accepted and did not question until he arrested Yuzuki." Akari didn't know her father was important, but not that he was connected to Yuzuki. Besides, Akari's father was always against the ritual and made it clear that Akari would not need to split her soul to create a Kugutsu. That continued to gnaw at Akari's mind.

  "How?" Akari asked in a low voice of acceptance and remorse, realizing that Yuzuki might be lying and that maybe Zeke also knew about her father and was also lying to her.

  "Kané arrested Yuzuki, it was just an unhappy work routine, just another one who didn't follow the king and should be killed, but... every story always has a but..." Minamino said with a low laugh, which gradually increased, it was soft and ironic.

  "He saw Yuzuki's papers, the plan he drew up to escape the island, obtain the Book of Faust, the escape routes, the island's weak points, the guards' schedule, boats and sea routes, as well as Yuzuki's audacious plan: he would kill his entire clan to divide the island's opinions. In the end, Akari, Yuzuki was always this monster, he would exterminate his clan anyway." Akari felt the shock in her body. This information changed the entire course of her knowledge about Yuzuki. Now all the pieces fit together, everything made sense, and even worse: Yuzuki did not kill his clan for revenge for the death of his younger brother; in fact, he would kill his clan anyway to escape with his younger brother.

  Akari was in shock. She sat on a piece of fallen wall, and Minamino also sat down. Akari wanted to know everything, every detail about her father and Kugutsu Island.