Upon seeing the arch at the entrance, the red guardian swallows hard, hoping never to return to this place, yet fate has brought him back. He knows what might await him, yet he remains steadfast in his conviction to fulfill his duty.

Venturing into the outskirts of the kingdom's capital, the truck travels along the cobbled path amidst narrow streets and intact architecture dating back to ancient times, bustling with market stalls crowded with pedestrians.

After a short period of time, the guardians' transport halts at a designated stop station, marking the boundaries for motor vehicles heading towards the highborn areas of the city, where there is no vehicular traffic except for navigation through the canals that separate the islands comprising Phoenix, a fully pedestrian city.

Transportation is via ferryboats, allowing navigation through the water channels coming from the ocean. These maritime routes form a vast network akin to streets branching off from the canals, where numerous vessels, large and small, including the well-known gondolas, ply their trade.

As they are dropped off by the truck at the city entrance, the boys with their luggage in hand board a gondola to traverse the canals amidst buildings made of baked blocks, featuring elegant architecture with wooden foundations. Most houses have balconies from which people can observe the procession of boats sailing on the greenish, shimmering waters.

Alicia marvels at the cityscape and seizes the opportunity to barrage the driver with questions about the streets, their histories, and the upcoming festivities of the capital, although the man answers the questions uncomfortably, glancing sideways as Lance writhes in the back of the boat, ensnared by crimson chains fashioned by Drake.

"Cursed traitors! After all we've been through together, they force me to embark on this hellish journey! I knew I couldn't trust a red tin can and a lunatic with dyed hair. I swear by the hands of the traveler, they will pay for this!" Lance exclaims, highly agitated. Drake's gloved hand rests on his shoulder.

"Calm down, asshole..." Drake says, bored. "And here I thought I was being a wimp for disliking motorcycles."

Lance has a fear of the ocean and would rather leap over buildings than board a gondola. A request not honored by his friends, who ended up coercing him in a rough manner, considering the location of the royal palace.

"Please don't let go of me... I think I'm going to fall... I'm getting... I'm going to be sick... I think I'll soon see the light... the traveler is calling me!" Lance dramatizes.

"If you want, I can remove your mask and end your suffering," Drake suggests, on the brink of losing patience.

"I'd rather drown in my own vomit then!"

"Dear... could you tell your friend to calm down? He's making me nervous," the driver requests.

"Allow me," the girl says solemnly, turning to her companions with a stern expression, emanating an abominable aura that leaves Drake and Lance paralyzed and silent. "Lance, could you stop acting like a wimp and grow a pair? Or do I have to rip them off and shove them in your mouth to shut you up?"

"Yes, miss!" the two guardians exclaim simultaneously in response to the threat.

The wolf guardians' gondola reaches an area where the narrow paths widen, leading to a large circular body of water navigated by sailboats. In the center of this area stands a colossal rock, atop which rises a prominent palace, protected by platinum walls connected by colossal towers that seem to touch the sky.

Near the vicinity of the gigantic monolith are the docks, and as the wolf guardians' gondola is about to reach solid ground, they are intercepted by a second ship manned by a group of four individuals.

Unlike the local attire and Aryan features of the second boat's helmsman, the three individuals stand out for their picturesque clothing and physical features that betray them as foreigners, leading the wolf order guardians to deduce that these individuals are the guardians of the steel eagle clan, who would join the crusade.

The second group of monster hunters consists of a man and two women. The first of the group, near the stern of the ship, is a young man with a very muscular and toned build, standing at a height of six feet three inches. He has a light tan complexion like sand; his eyes are emerald green, with features reminiscent of the people from the wandering isles, referred to as savages among the creeds.

His platinum hair is tousled, reaching his nape; the bangs fall over his forehead, tied back by a red band with two hanging folds at the back of his head. He sports a well-groomed goatee without a mustache, a small nose, and a jovial gaze.

He wears a black quilted gambeson with golden details, studded with leaf-green scale alloy, resistant to bullet impacts, belonging to some beast; the garment has an open skirt with a red interior, leaving the legs free, and dark pants, secured by a tactical belt from which hangs a one-handed axe sheathed and a groin protector.

His right arm has no sleeve, exposing the herculean arm with defined musculature, bearing a tattoo of a red sun on the shoulder. He wears two black gloves, a golden pauldron on the left arm, and two matching plates on combat boots, brown in color. On his back, he carries a quiver stocked with black arrows, fastened by a golden clasp on the chest with the symbol of the steel eagles.

The young man with platinum hair flashes a jovial smile, displaying his white teeth, including fangs, as he raises his bare arm to wave from a distance to the group of wolves, exaggerating to catch their attention.

Seated in the gondola near the driver is a girl with violet hair, who jovially converses with the gondolier, while the third guardian, cloaked in a hood, sits stoically at the back of the boat.

Once on solid ground, the six guardians gather at the docks, with railings connected by chains, adjacent to the white sands of the beach. In the middle stands a stoic white lighthouse, vigilant to signal readiness to the sentinels armed with rifles, who patrol the bulwark functioning as a defensive wall. The colossal structure surrounds the rock upon which the phoenix palace stands.

The man from the eagle group takes the initiative, displaying the pendant marked with the symbol of the broken sword. Alicia follows suit, thus concluding the wordless introduction. Both groups mutually identify each other as guardians.

 

"Hello, my name is Tonatiuh Bannek... it's a pleasure to meet you," the young man with platinum hair introduces himself jovially. "I hope that when we finish this contract, we can all go out for a drink together," he adds with a hearty laugh, extending the invitation.

The girl in the coat emerges from the cover of her burly companion, standing by his side.

"My name is María Cruz. I hope we get along well and carry out the mission efficiently and without errors," the young woman bows, lowering her head as a sign of respect. Her voice is soft and harmonious, like the breeze of spring.

María is the opposite of the other individual, standing at about five feet three inches, quite short in comparison. She has abundant dark violet hair, with two long braids behind, and after passing the coat's hood through a hole specifically created for the comfort of her hair. The bangs cover half of her forehead, with a long lilac strand protruding on the right side. On the left side of her head, she wears a silver wand-shaped brooch with a blue gem with gray edges. Her hair is arranged in a way that hides her ears from plain view.

Her eyes are violet like her hair. She has a fair complexion, bearing a beauty that hardly seems real, as her face is the vivid reflection of youthful innocence. She wears an open dark coat with short sleeves, detailed with the clan symbol at the tips. Her slender figure has wide hips and a prominent bust, clad in a tight-fitting black outfit adorned with several small purple crystals distributed throughout the body. The shirt is lightly armored, tied with a tactical belt from which hangs a skirt with platinum edges, reaching mid-thigh, where she carries bags tied with straps on her legs. A pair of matching boots, with armor plates. She wears black gloves, resistant to blows and cuts. Due to her eccentric attire, the guardians identify María as a sorceress.

"Oh, how lovely you are!" exclaimed Alicia in wide-eyed excitement, her cheeks flushed, her eyes shining like stars fixed on the young sorceress. "My name is Alicia Wilson, but my friends call me Alice. What color is your dye? It's exactly my type," she said with a mischievous expression, winking suggestively, causing the other guardians to blush.

"I-I don't dye it, it's just how it turned out from consuming elixirs," Maria replied, her face flushing as she understood the hidden meaning behind Alicia's compliments. "I'm sorry... but I'm not interested in that kind of thing," she said softly and somewhat embarrassed.

"I'm sorry, I got a little carried away," Alicia said with a laugh, raising her arms in apology.

"Don't worry, she's not always like this with everyone," Lance said, bowing.

"Don't worry, it's not a big deal," the sorceress replied with a pleasant smile.

"Relax! Ha, ha, ha!" Tonatiuh intervened with a loud laugh, embracing the sorceress by the shoulder. "She's not just a delicate princess. When she gets comfortable with you all, you won't..." Before he could finish his sentence, he was cut off by a groan of pain as Maria stomped on his foot, still maintaining her innocent smile as she looked at the wolf guardians.

"Don't make me look bad in front of our new companions, and stand up straight! You'll get a hunchback," Maria added, turning to the dark-haired one with an authoritative voice and a furrowed brow.

"A walking tough guy type with ease of socializing, and a girl who starts out shy and polite and then turns into a beast... these guys sure are weird," Drake raised an eyebrow, a sly smile forming as he chuckled to himself and a drop of sweat trickled down his forehead.

"Sheila, come and introduce yourself... don't be shy," Maria called out to her hooded companion hidden in Tonatiuh's cover.

"By the way, what about that ring you have there? Is it new?" Tonatiuh asked, his attention drawn to the bluish jewel that stood out among all the purple crystals, entwined on the sorceress's ring finger, as the glove had spaces for that kind of jewelry.

"Yes, it's a ring that creates an illusion," she explained. "I can transform into anyone I've seen, for a limited time."

As Tonatiuh and Maria conversed, Sheila approached the wolf guardians, specifically in front of Drake. Sensing the intentions of the hooded girl, the crimson warrior felt puzzled as a sense of foreboding crept over him.

"You... you're the one they call the crimson guardian... Drake Requiem, right?" the girl asked, raising her head to look at him from beneath her eyes, with an air of imperious disdain.

"So you're already famous with the ladies, huh?" Lance teased, nudging Drake's arm. "I told you my advice would pay off."

"Don't start, please... it's tough enough coming to this place," Drake retorted sharply to his companion, then turned his attention back to Sheila, adding cordially, "Yes... that's me; it's nice to meet you and your companions."

"I've heard about you," Sheila said, removing her hood to reveal her face. "My name is Sheila Aldiban."

The girl's skin was completely out of the ordinary, more accurately, inhuman. It was salmon pink in color. Her long hair was a fiery red, held in place by a black hairpin, forming a bun; two scarlet strands hung on either side of her head, and a fringe covered her forehead. Her eyes were yellow and reptilian, capable of chilling blood. Her ears were long and pointed, like an elf's. She had a slender and athletic build, standing at five feet and five inches tall, with a feminine figure and wide hips.

Her torso was protected by a black lightweight breastplate, with two small shoulder pads and a choker around her neck. Under the armor, she wore a dark blue padded gambeson, with a skirt open at the legs, and a leather belt. She wore matching woolen pants. She had platinum-armored boots, which included knee pads, and on the tips of her toes were three small metal spikes, resembling claws. She wore two bracers covered in scales, housing a vambrace on each arm, with her hands exposed.

"An inhuman..." Drake whispered, clearly surprised. Several ideas about the girl's race crossed his mind. He theorized she could be an altered being, like Alice, or a hybrid of human and some demon.

"I've heard that you're one of the young guardians with the most potential in the Night Wolves," the dragon girl continued, "along with the deadliest assassin and the blue-eyed gunslinger. I have a question for you."

"That's me, darling. I'm Lance Fudo. Pleasure to meet you," Lance introduced himself solemnly. "And I also do birthday parties and bachelorettes. The blue-eyed one also joins us," Lance said, referring to Alice.

"In reality, I'm not that rough," Drake scratched his head, smiling with satisfaction, trying to show a modest attitude. "There are many stronger than me."

"I've also heard that you're the son of Clayton Requiem, the renowned gunslinger, and comrade of Rhaizack, the god of war," Sheila added. "Isn't that right?"

All the guardians fell silent, their eyes fixed on the crimson warrior, who closed his eyes with a serene expression tinged with a certain sorrow.

"Yes, Clayton is my father... and Rhaiz is my master," Drake replied.

"If all that's true, I'd like to know..." Sheila spoke without giving importance to what the guardian had said, adding a blunt question, "why did you become so weak?"

"Excuse me?"

"Yes. In this past year, there's been a downturn in your missions; you either arrived almost dead or needed help," Sheila's words dripped with disdain, her gaze cold and focused solely on the crimson warrior. "Besides, you don't look as strong as they say; I thought you were a giant. The only impressive thing is your armor."

"What gives you the right to...?"

Feeling Drake's growing annoyance, the two wolf guardians intervened in the heated conversation before it escalated further. Lance stepped between them, and Alice took Drake by the arm to prevent him from making any rash moves.

Maria and Tonatiuh did the same with Sheila. Both groups avoided a conflict within their team, or at least delayed it. After that incident, the group of guardians resumed their walk as they entered the wall, where they were greeted by the sentries.

After confirming their identities through their medallions, the gates were opened, and they were taken by truck along a spiral path up the rock. Upon reaching the top, they entered through a series of archways until they reached the grand gate of the fortress, which opened to reveal soldiers clad in armor, all in a row saluting them with rifles in hand, allowing them to pass through the elegant corridors with red and gold carpets and pillars supporting balconies where castle staff walked.

During the truck ride, Drake activated his helmet and positioned himself at the back of the group. Lance walked beside him and quickly noticed his friend's downtrodden attitude.

"You're still worried, aren't you?" Lance asked. "I don't quite understand why they selected you for this contract, knowing your past with Lazarus. But hey!" He hugged his friend by the shoulder. "There was an agreement between both countries, so I don't see why you should worry."

"They know I'm here, Lance..." Drake whispered. Though his face was covered with the helmet, he feared being recognized, and he feared being sent to be executed by the nobility, although it couldn't be possible given the deals between Trisary and Lazarus.

"This time things will be different, what happened years ago won't repeat itself," Lance said solemnly, looking his friend in the eye.

"Why do you say that?"

"This time we're all here," the dark warrior affirmed, with a serious and determined expression. "Do you plan to tell Alice?"

"I don't know... I wouldn't want to worry her," Drake said, engulfed in doubt.

At the front of the group, Alicia noticed that the guards were looking at her disdainfully.

"I guess I shouldn't have come in my armor..." she muttered to herself.

"I don't think you're the only one causing the Templars to make those faces of repulsion," unexpectedly, Maria responded to the guardian's statement, catching the attention of the pistol-wielding guardian. "If you look closely, we all come from different backgrounds. Tonatiuh is a wanderer from the lands of the sun, Drake is a cursed warrior, Lance is a dark assassin, you come from Free Thought... I," she paused for a moment, hesitant, but then continued with a sad smile, "I'm a half-elf."

This revelation left the blue-eyed guardian pale, even the other members of the group had mixed feelings due to the nature of the campaign they were about to undertake.

"Maria... if you want, we can..."

"Don't worry... I feel relieved to be with all of you, we're in the same boat; we must support each other and stay united against any adversity," she replied quickly, not wanting to dwell on the uncomfortable topic. The twin-braided lady remained with a small smile, which seemed somewhat forced. "I'm a professional, and I have the protection of the broken sword... and of our dear princess, Sheila."

"Our princess is going to take care of us!" Tonatiuh added, holding back a laugh.

"I've told you not to call me that!" Sheila exclaimed, incensed, her cheeks flushing, and then she pulled her hood back up.

Amid the laughter of the eagle guardians, the scarlet girl growled in annoyance and focused her attention ahead. She reached for the choker of her breastplate, adjusting it to feel more comfortable, feeling burdened by the armor she wore out of obligation. But deep down, Alicia understood what Maria meant by "in the same boat"; to most Templars, they could be considered pariahs and would only be used as cannon fodder.

Art:

 Beckyart 

Bloodingmoon

Bakart

Pupilu