"This, my dear comrade, is the perfect opportunity to prove your worth."

"Are you talking about a drinking contest?" I say confused.

"Drinking contests have their charm, but I mean something more exciting." Amator points towards the center of the bar, where stones delimit a circle.

Amator drags me with him and makes his presence known. Everyone greets Amator with joy.

"Is this boy Aleifr's new favorite?" the girl says, doing flips as she reaches me and hugs me.

I blush as I feel her body pressed against mine. Then she goes to Lilu and does the same. Her discomfort is even greater than mine.

"I brought him to prove his bravery in the circle."

” He doesn't have to prove anything to me. Thanks to him I can spend my days without seeing that witche’s face ever again."

My heart sinks as I realize she is talking about Aurora. I do my best to maintain my smile.

"I was thinking Enlil would be perfect to teach him a thing or two, but it seems you knocked him out," says Amator, shaking his head.

"Maybe fighting isn't my specialty. But I think I can compensate with my flexibility," she says, extending her cheek-to-cheek smile.

Amator takes me to the circle in the center of the building, and all the Lobos Rojos gather around or watch expectantly from the tables.

Rie positions herself in the center and stretches. I can't help but wonder about how I got to this point. A part of me wants to leave, but my lack of knowledge about the Grand Chamber and the people inside it makes me doubt if that would be wise.

I barely manage to dodge Rie's kick which comes at great speed. She raises her eyebrows in surprise.

"What are you thinking, cute bunny!"

Rie directs a spinning kick almost in the same breath without cutting the flow of the fight, due to her incredible flexibility. I manage to avoid her attacks, but the way she changes her attacks in mid-air without losing momentum affects my muscle memory.

"What the hell are you doing? Hit her back!" shouts one of the wolves.

I make a small diagonal jump and manage to create an opening. But the moment I think about hitting her, my mark starts to burn and stops me. Rie takes advantage and starts a series of combined kicks until she manages to knock me down, restrains me with her legs, and starts strangling me. I feel the blood accumulating in my head.

I try to use my strength to free myself, but my mark limits my movement, and with no way to break free, my consciousness dissipates. As a last resort, I try to touch outside the circle's limits. When I succeed, Rie sets me free.

The wolves howl and celebrate Rie's victory. However, when I lift my gaze, I notice the disdainful and disappointed looks from some of the wolves.

Those looks remind me of the gazes that the people of the city of Krystal. Her eyes filled with judgment making my chest and shoulders tighten. Overwhelmed, I leave the building.

At the frame of the entrance, I look at my hands, and they don't stop trembling. The image of Aurora and my fist piercing her torso invades me. My heart feels heavy. A part of me wants to convince itself that everything was her fault.

"Damn it, I don't know what to think anymore."

While I'm thinking, a scream is heard. It seems to come from one of the alleys next to the bar. When I look towards the alley, I can see one of the men's golden tattoos above a woman in ragged clothes.

Other Dorados surround him as guards, making sure no one intervenes. The Dorado restrains her movement, and the girl tries to break free.

"Help!" the girl screams.

I look around, but the people in the square turn a deaf ear and ignore the incident as if it were something normal. Some even stay and watch, smiling amid laughter. I want to go in and stop it, but immediately I stop; I fear that my mark will prevent me from defending myself.

If this were the city of Krystal, the knights would have already intervened. But in this place, there is no one to fill that role. I find myself again caught in an endless spiral of thoughts. Overwhelmed, I'm about to leave and ignore what's happening. However, I realize that the man is the blonde-shaved man with golden earrings, who attacked me and Emru.

I remember how she gave her life to save me despite that I was a total stranger just like my brother would have done.

"I am pathetic."

Rage wraps around me, and I feel my right arm heating up again and emitting steam. The marks on my arms glow with that red color. However, this time, I don't let anger consume me. I can't allow it.

I approach the Dorados, and they point their swords at me.

"Under the name of the Krystallos knights and the code of the high Quarz, I, Altair Ren Helios, order you to stop."

If the Krystallos knights don't exist in this place, I'll become one in this place full of violence and anger.

The man with blonde shaved hair darkens and sharpens his gaze. 

Don't forget to add the story to your library! 

❤️Follow me on Instagram for Illustrations.

❤️Read ahead, 4K illustrations, and support me on my Patreon.