Spirit and body become one.

A miraculous phenomenon, the manifestation of a person’s inner strength.

Such union grants an extraordinary power, one that knows no bounds: the Spirit Mode.

In order to quickly awaken the Spirit Mode, Lied together with Zaccharias joined a cluster of dead people seeking reincarnation by passing Mictlan’s trials.

With the help of the red cloaked figure who was waiting for him in his soul, Lied overcame the first trial.

9th Underworld Level, Upper Block, Administrative Floors

The news that Lied and his peers made it through the trial quickly reached the God of Death’s office. Mictlan did not seem to care as he focused on his paperwork.

“Aren’t you too laid-back? What if the runaway is among them?” the skeleton Golgotha asked.

“That’s impossible” the Shinigami turned to his assistant for a moment.

“You really trust security. Well, it’s not necessarily a bad thing.”

 

…

 

Lied had an unprecedented dream wherein two children fought each other at the top of a large tree. Lied watched as a mere bystander floating in the air.

“Where am I?” Lied wondered.

That is when time froze there, blood-red drops began to fall from the sky tainted by a bright shade of red.

“Rain? No, this is…”

Lied noticed the red hooded standing behind him and faced him. Meanwhile, the world inside his dream faded away along with the cloaked man.

 

…

 

The hero of the ten thousand knives trial woke up and saw firstly Zaccharias at his side. The remaining spirits gathered around Lied on the spot.

“We were all worried, especially Luna” Hector smirked.

“Shut up!” Luna blushed.

Lied sat on the ground looking serious and thoughtful despite the warm welcome.

“What’s wrong?” the talking crow asked him.

“Do you remember Martyr, one of the Illuminatus members that I mentioned? He’s connected to Nachash” Lied sent a telepathic message to Zaccharias.

“How so?” Zaccharias answered.

“I can’t say, but I’m absolutely sure of it.”

“I see…”

Lied turned off telepathy. The boy wore a determined look while standing up.

“I can feel Martyr somewhere in Mictlan. I have to awaken the Spirit Mode, find him… and defeat him!” he thought.

Since they were also connected to each other, Lied could sense his presence.

“You should rest” Eduardus tried to talk him out of moving.

“I am fine. There probably aren’t many trials left. Come if you want” Lied said.

Zaccharias did not say a word as he took off and stood atop his student’s shoulder.

“Lied” Luna called him “I just wanted to say… thanks.”

The girl was better and different than before, as though Lied had undid the lock on her heart.

“Thank me later. And let me make one thing clear: I am not doing this for you guys” the lad gave a cold reply and kept walking.

“There are people like him, who fight solely for their own reasons, but still save people through the solitary journey” Eduardus appeared next to Luna.

“A hero by accident, huh?” Luna smiled gratefully.

 

…

 

4th Underworld Level, Second trial floor

They entered the penultimate trial’s chamber. What awaited them within the room was a long crimson river.

“It seems like this is going to be one bizarre trial” Eduardus said.

“Be careful” Zaccharias warned Lied beforehand.

Lied nodded and put his foot in the water. The young man confirmed that the thick, red liquid was, in fact, blood. He remembered the crimson rain of his dream before plunging headfirst into the blood.

 

…

 

Lied held his breath under the surface of the water as he used Sensitivity to detect dozens of predators targeting him. The teenager rolled his eyes tracking their high-speed movements, yet he sunk into the dim and dark depths.

 

…

 

The aztecs looked forward to the return of the human.

“He’s getting attacked about fifty meters deep” Zaccharias informed them using Visibility.

“N-No way…” Liana could not believe it.

“That idiot! After all the talk…” Luna said.

“Don’t worry. Here he comes” Zaccharias said.

A mighty splash was heard throughout the chamber as three mammals were sent flying, their bodies floated lifeless on the bloody river.

“…Jaguars?” Eduardus identified the animals.

These felines of the Pantherinae subfamily generally had yellow fur with black spots where Lied was from, but on account of the unusual habitat they had red fur and white spots.

New jaguars emerged from the river. Last but not least, Lied popped up. The blood was up to his knees, his face was wet, and his shirt was full of blood.

“Domestication. So that’s the second trial” Lied clenched his fists.

Lied’s current SSL: 16%

[END OF CHAPTER]