Chapter 1.3: Hell on Earth

Flames, smoke, rubble…

Silence was the only witness to that disaster.

Screams that seemed to tear through the wind rose from within the debris.

In the middle of the enormous crater left behind by that explosion lay Eden’s unconscious body.

Covered in wounds, blood, and a trauma far beyond the physical—one he had yet to understand.

The only survivors of that disaster screamed desperately, not because they wished to be saved, but because they wanted their suffering to end once and for all.

With every passing second, the fire consumed what little remained of them; their bones were laid bare as skin and muscle burned away.

That place was hell on earth…

Even with his vision blurred and his thoughts in disarray, Eden muttered:

—W-what… what happened…?!

In the distance, he heard a familiar voice whisper:

—… E-Eden… run…

Little by little, Eden’s sight began to return.

But perhaps… that was not a good thing.

His eyes widened at the sight before him.

Humans torn apart and disfigured.

Twisted steel.

And right in front of him, Akino lay impaled by a metal bar.

—P-Professor… —he stammered, his voice filled with fear.

But before he could say another word, something caught his attention.

Slowly, footsteps that seemed to crack the ground beneath them drew closer.

—Well now… Humans are far more resilient than I thought —muttered a man with a raspy voice, laughing under his breath.

—Run… —was the last thing Akino managed to say.

Before a second unknown man approached calmly and, without a trace of mercy, crushed the trainer’s head.

…

Eden’s gaze filled with a horror he had never felt before as his trainer’s blood splattered across his face.

It felt like a nightmare he couldn’t wake up from…

But the moment he lifted his eyes, he understood.

This was no damn nightmare.

His gaze met those familiar purple eyes.

Eyes that did not look at him with hatred or a thirst for revenge.

They looked at him with pity.

—You… You’re the one from before —he stammered, his voice trembling—. Who the hell are you? Why did you do all this?

The man merely looked away and, turning to his companion, asked:

—Is anyone else still standing?

—Yes… But they’re not important. It’s only a matter of time before they die from their wounds.

—I told you an explosion would be a nuisance.

—But wasn’t it fun? —asked the gigantic man with a twisted smile.

—You disgust me.

. . .

Eden’s eyes filled with immeasurable frustration and, consumed by rage, he shouted:

—Answer me, you bastards!

The twisted gaze of that gigantic man froze his body in an instant.

—Shut your mouth, you filthy brat —he said with contempt—. If you speak again, I’ll slit your throat and make a scarf out of your guts.

—Enough —intervened the man with purple eyes—. We can’t lay a finger on him. You’ve already caused enough of a commotion.

—You’re such a killjoy, Kai —he muttered in annoyance—. It was just a little game. Nothing more.

At those words, spoken with such disdain, the fire inside Eden ignited from the rage he felt.

—“A game”? —he murmured, laughing bitterly.

—Don’t screw with me! Are you kidding me?! You killed people! People who mattered to me! —he spat, his eyes filled with hatred.

—And you call that a game?! Don’t screw with me, you damn bastard!

The man gripped his knife tightly.

But before he could take a single step, Kai stopped him and muttered:

—Don’t even think about doing something stupid, Ryu.

—Move aside, bastard. I’m going to teach that brat a lesson —he said, a crooked smile on his face, his veins bulging with fury.

—You know very well that if you take one more step, I’ll kill you without hesitation —Kai warned, looking Ryu firmly in the eyes.

—Tch!

Clearly irritated, Ryu put his knife away once more and began to walk away from that place.

—What’s wrong, big guy?! Are you scared?! —Eden shouted, laughing nervously—. You’d better run back to your mother, bastard!

At those words, a strange and powerful energy burst from Ryu’s body.

An aura as dark as the abyss and heavier than a mountain.

Within it flowed the screams of tormented souls.

—Ryu, stop!

—I’ll kill that damn brat!

The knife he carried began to extend in harmony with his terrifying aura, while his eyes reflected nothing but hatred.

Seeing this, Kai tightened his grip around the hilt of his katana.

But before anyone could move, a familiar voice rang out with authority.

—Eden… I told you that you needed to mind your manners —said an aged yet powerful voice with calm authority.

—But I suppose I can’t ask too much of you. After all, you were raised by an idiot like me —Gen admitted, shrugging his shoulders.

—Grandpa…

“When did he appear? —Kai wondered, shaken—. I didn’t sense his presence until he spoke…”

That old man shone with an aura as glorious as it was wild.

His eyes were sharp, like those of a beast, and at his waist he carried a sword that seemed to burn hotter than hell itself.

—Who the hell is this guy? —Ryu asked with a laugh—. He looks fun.

—Grandpa, run! These guys are seriously dangerous!

—Hey, hey, Eden. Do you really have that little faith in your grandfather?

—This isn’t the time for jokes, you old geezer! These bastards killed so many people without hesitation!

—I don’t want anything to happen to you…! So please, run… —he stammered, holding back his tears.

—Geezer, you’d better listen to your grandson —Ryu added, laughing mockingly—. This has nothing to do with you. So get lost.

…

At those words, Gen’s face showed no emotion.

There was no fury.

No rage.

It was the gaze of a shepherd looking with pity upon a lost little lamb.

—Ryu… Don’t do anything stupid.

—That man is dangerous.

But ignoring Kai’s warning, Ryu charged toward his prey, shouting with excitement.

However, in the blink of an eye, Ryu stared in disbelief as a river of blood flowed across the ground.

Unable to understand how to react, he turned his gaze toward the source of that blood…

Only to find that his hand was no longer there.

Kai’s face became a mixture of excitement and terror as he saw the disturbing smile of that old man, who held his companion’s severed hand like a trophy.

—No way… —Eden murmured in shock.

—The only one allowed to hit my grandson is me —Gen declared, looking back at his enemies over his shoulder—. So if you bastards want to lay a finger on him, you’ll have to deal with me first.

At that very instant, the sky began to tremble, as if becoming a witness to the legendary duel that would mark the beginning.