Kahn looked down at Poison.
The two stood several yards apart, both breathing heavily.
The training grounds had become nearly unrecognizable. Scorched earth intertwined with frozen stone, while poisonous craters sat beside rivers of crimson blood.
For a brief moment…
Neither moved.
Then Kahn laughed.
A deep, booming laugh that echoed across the courtyard.
"Good."
He slowly lifted his blade once more.
"You've finally stopped fighting like an assassin."
Poison frowned.
"…Isn't that what I am?"
"No."
Kahn shook his head.
"An assassin knows when to strike."
He pointed his blade toward Poison.
"You…"
"…put your entire soul into every attack."
Poison remained silent.
"It is admirable."
Kahn nodded.
"It is also foolish."
Heat began radiating from one side of Kahn's body.
Frost consumed the other.
"You possess two powers."
He gestured toward Poison's left hand, where venom dripped from his fingertips.
Then toward the crimson blood circling his right arm.
"So do I."
The obsidian coating spread across Kahn's skin once again.
One arm burned with unbearable heat.
The other exhaled freezing mist.
"Fire."
"Ice."
He smiled.
"Neither makes me strong."
His voice deepened.
"The balance between them does."
Poison looked at his own hands.
Poison.
Blood.
Life.
Death.
Serket's words echoed inside him.
A contract isn't power.
It is memory.
Kahn lowered his stance.
"Balance is true power."
A pause.
"Balance is true respect."
The giant pointed directly at Poison.
"You have two sides of yourself."
"…combine them, boy."
The recruits held their breath.
Kahn's eyes narrowed.
"I won't hold back anymore."
The temperature exploded.
Half the arena ignited into flames.
The opposite half disappeared beneath layers of crystal ice.
He smiled.
"And neither shall you."
Poison slowly closed his eyes.
He inhaled once.
Then opened them.
The green aura of poison flowed into the crimson aura of blood.
Instead of fighting one another…
They intertwined.
Like veins.
Like arteries.
Life and venom.
Protection and death.
One heartbeat.
Poison smiled.
"I understand."
He vanished.
BOOM!!
The ground shattered beneath his feet.
This time…
He wasn't faster.
He was smoother.
His blood whip lashed outward.
At the same instant poisonous tendrils erupted beneath the earth.
Kahn blocked the whip.
The poison wrapped around his blade.
He twisted.
The obsidian armor resisted.
Kahn countered with a freezing wave.
Poison shattered it using a concentrated Bloodshot.
The crimson projectile tore through the ice before exploding against Kahn's chest.
The warlord slid backward.
"…Excellent."
He swung.
A wall of fire.
Poison split it with his blood.
Another strike.
Ice spears erupted from beneath him.
Poison danced between them.
Every exchange became more fluid.
Blood.
Poison.
Heat.
Cold.
They no longer relied on one ability.
They flowed naturally between every technique.
General Saijew quietly smiled.
"He's learning."
Asam nodded.
"No…"
"He already learned."
"This is instinct."
The recruits watched in complete silence.
Ren whispered,
"…They're enjoying this."
Magnolia grinned.
"They're having fun."
Even the Pharaoh watched with unusual interest.
Neither warrior noticed.
The battle reached its peak.
Kahn planted his blade into the earth.
The sky darkened.
Every ounce of heat within the battlefield rushed toward him.
Every fragment of cold followed.
The air screamed.
Poison answered.
Dense blood gathered around both arms.
Venom flooded into the crimson mass until the two became inseparable.
The ground cracked beneath him.
Neither looked afraid.
Kahn spoke first.
"End it."
Poison nodded.
"Let's."
They moved simultaneously.
Kahn swung.
A colossal beam erupted from his blade.
Half blinding white heat.
Half absolute zero.
It split the earth apart.
Poison thrust both hands forward.
Blood and poison spiraled together into an enormous crimson-green torrent.
The atmosphere itself warped.
The recruits' eyes widened.
General Saijew's expression changed instantly.
"No!"
Asam took a step forward.
"KAHN!"
"DON'T!"
Neither heard them.
The two attacks raced toward each other.
The collision would happen directly in front of them.
The explosion…
Would kill both.
The Pharaoh's eyes narrowed.
"…Interesting."
General Saijew disappeared.
CRACK!!
He appeared between them.
Both arms extended.
His left hand caught Poison's attack.
His right caught Kahn's.
The impact exploded.
The ground beneath him vanished.
His boots sank nearly knee-deep into solid stone.
His left arm immediately became coated in dense blood and corrosive poison.
The venom hissed violently against his skin.
His right arm burned black.
Frost simultaneously consumed it.
Steam exploded from his shoulder as unbearable heat and impossible cold attacked him together.
Veins bulged across his neck.
His muscles trembled.
For the first time…
The recruits saw General Saijew strain.
"…Move!"
He roared.
His artifact ignited.
A massive golden portal tore open directly above them.
The sky itself split.
With one final push…
General Saijew redirected both attacks upward.
The two beams shot through the portal.
Seconds later…
The heavens erupted.
A breathtaking explosion bloomed high above Egypt.
Crimson.
Emerald.
Orange.
Blue.
Clouds scattered for miles.
The entire sky resembled a divine flower blooming over the desert.
Every recruit stared upward.
Speechless.
Silence.
Then…
THUD.
Poison landed flat on his back.
Across from him…
THUD.
Kahn landed the same way.
The two stared into the colorful sky.
For several seconds…
Nothing.
Then Kahn laughed.
Poison joined him.
Soon both of them were laughing so hard neither could breathe.
Asam marched across the ruined battlefield.
Without warning…
She smacked Kahn across the back of his head.
"You idiot."
Kahn rubbed his head.
"…Ow."
"You nearly killed yourself."
"And him."
She pointed toward Poison.
"And destroyed half the palace."
Kahn shrugged.
"It worked out."
"It almost didn't!"
Arya couldn't help laughing.
"I've never seen Commander Asam this mad."
Kahn quietly looked away.
"…She's scarier than Nero."
"I heard that."
"…I know."
The recruits burst into laughter.
Even General Saijew chuckled despite the condition of his arms.
Magnolia walked over to Poison and offered him a hand.
Poison accepted it.
"You've gotten stronger."
Poison smiled.
"So have you."
Magnolia crossed his arms.
"I've been thinking."
Ren wandered over.
"So have I."
Kibo landed beside them.
"…This sounds dangerous already."
Magnolia grinned.
"What if the four of us train together?"
He pointed toward each of them.
"You."
"Me."
"Ren."
"Kibo."
"We've all awakened."
He clenched his fist.
"If we keep pushing each other…"
"…we'll master our awakenings faster than training alone."
Poison's eyes lit up.
"I like that."
Ren smirked.
"…You'll lose."
Kibo laughed.
"I was hoping you'd say that."
A slow clap echoed across the battlefield.
Everyone turned.
The Pharaoh descended from a golden portal.
His robes drifted gently in the breeze as he surveyed the destroyed arena.
His gaze lingered on Poison.
Then Magnolia.
Ren.
Kibo.
A faint smile appeared.
"That…"
He stepped forward.
"…is an excellent idea."
The four recruits instinctively straightened.
The Pharaoh folded his hands behind his back.
"From this day forward…"
"You four will train together."
He looked toward the remaining recruits.
Matthew.
Luna.
Emma.
Amelia.
Sous.
Sofia.
Valentina.
Abraham.
Then finally toward Arya.
"And while they sharpen their power…"
His voice grew quieter.
"…the rest of you will undertake a different lesson."
Curiosity spread across every face.
The Pharaoh slowly turned toward the city beyond the palace walls, where thousands of ordinary Egyptians lived, laughed, mourned, worked, and dreamed beneath the same sun.
"When warriors forget why they fight…"
"…their strength becomes meaningless."
He looked back at the children.
"So while those four learn how to wield their gifts…"
"…the other eight of you…"
"…will discover what it is you truly fight for."
General Saijew watched the Pharaoh carefully.
The words were wise.
The lesson was necessary.
Yet somewhere deep within him…
A faint feeling refused to disappear.
He couldn't explain it.
He simply watched in silence as the Pharaoh smiled at the children.
For just a heartbeat, Saijew wondered whether they were being taught…
…or being guided exactly where someone wanted them to go.
The dawn over Jerusalem did not bring peace.
It brought marching boots.
Thousands of them.
The valley outside the city trembled beneath disciplined ranks as two women stood before the gathered army.
Silver hair drifted with the desert wind.
Matching violet eyes overlooked nearly ten thousand soldiers.
Though identical in appearance, their presence could not have been more different.
Nema stepped forward first.
Calm.
Measured.
Every movement deliberate.
Jema rested her sword across one shoulder, already smiling at the thought of battle.
"Our objective has not changed."
Silence answered her.
"Greece believes Egypt is its greatest enemy."
She slowly drew her blade.
"We will remind them they are mistaken."
Jema laughed.
"And if they don't understand…"
She pointed her sword toward the distant Greek borders.
"We'll carve the lesson into them."
A roar erupted from the army.
The twin captains turned together.
Nema raised one hand.
Immediately, the army split into two enormous formations.
Squad A.
Squad B.
Perfectly synchronized.
Standing behind the sisters were the commanders of Jerusalem.
General Gideon.
The First Fang.
Nearly seven feet tall, his crimson eye watched the horizon while Judgment rested across one shoulder. He did not celebrate.
He merely waited.
A soldier.
Nothing more.
Nothing less.
Beside him stood Miriam.
White robes flowed around her ankles as though untouched by gravity itself.
She quietly hummed.
Nearby soldiers unconsciously straightened their posture.
No one wanted that melody directed toward them.
Then…
Ezekiel appeared.
Not walked.
Appeared.
One moment there was empty space.
The next…
He stood there.
Hands behind his back.
Expression empty.
Even Gideon never looked directly at him for long.
Cassian rolled his shoulders before grinning.
The massive werewolf cracked his neck.
"Been too long since I've stretched my legs."
Salome slowly spun one crimson blade between elegant fingers.
"Try not to break everything before I get there."
An elderly man adjusted the enormous bronze bell chained across his back.
Tobias.
The Bell Keeper.
His tired eyes overlooked the army.
"…Today will be loud."
No one answered.
No one ever answered Tobias.
Finally…
General Gideon stepped forward.
He lifted Judgment.
The valley became silent.
"We march."
No speeches.
No promises.
No hatred.
Only purpose.
Thousands of soldiers surged forward.
The descendants of Goliath charged alongside them.
They possessed no contracts.
No divine blessings.
No monstrous transformations.
Only generations of inherited strength.
Broad shoulders.
Dense muscles.
Powerful legs.
Their ancestors had once shared blood with the giant Goliath himself.
Their bodies remembered.
Their spirits endured.
Jerusalem marched.
…
Hundreds of miles away…
The alarms throughout Greece exploded.
Bronze horns echoed across the capital.
Soldiers flooded onto walls.
Messengers sprinted through marble corridors.
Within moments…
The throne room doors burst open.
A commander fell to one knee.
Commander:
"Your Majesty!"
Emperor Nero slowly opened his eyes.
"What is it?"
"Jerusalem."
"They've begun their assault."
Silence.
Then…
Nero stood.
His expression never changed.
"So."
"It begins."
The enormous chamber doors opened once more.
Alexander entered first.
His single molten eye already burning with anticipation.
Baron followed behind.
Fully healed.
His hatred for Magnolia had not diminished.
Valerie and Calix arrived together.
Nero looked between them.
"They've finally moved."
He walked toward the massive map occupying the center of the room.
"They are not attacking merely to conquer."
"They're searching."
His finger rested upon the estate where rescued children remained hidden.
"They will attempt to recover every child they can."
His gaze shifted toward Valerie and Calix.
"You two."
"Remain here."
"Protect the children."
Valerie nodded immediately.
"We won't fail."
Calix bowed.
"They will not reach them."
Nero turned.
"Alexander."
The warrior stepped forward.
"Take the front lines."
Alexander smiled.
"It'll be done."
"Baron."
Baron crossed one fist over his chest.
"Hold the eastern advance."
"I understand."
Nero looked at them one final time.
"Dismissed."
Without another word…
Alexander disappeared.
…
Minutes later…
He arrived atop the western battlements.
Waiting there was a tall man with short blue hair.
He slouched lazily against the stone wall.
Until Alexander arrived.
Cyclone.
Contractor of Hermes.
Stage Four.
Despite his relaxed posture, every muscle across his lean frame appeared carved from marble.
Light red eyes glanced sideways.
"Took long enough."
Alexander folded his arms.
"Jerusalem."
Cyclone sighed.
"So much for my day off."
He pushed himself upright.
The lazy demeanor vanished.
His body seemed lighter.
Faster.
As though gravity itself no longer held complete authority over him.
Footsteps echoed.
A woman approached from behind.
Hazel eyes.
Brown hair.
Perfect posture.
Helena.
Contractor of Aphrodite.
Stage Three.
Unlike Cyclone, she carried herself with effortless confidence.
She adjusted one leather glove.
"So…"
"We're finally fighting again."
Alexander nodded.
"Stay close."
Helena smiled.
"I planned to."
The three disappeared together.
…
Elsewhere…
Baron walked through quiet streets toward a familiar estate.
The front gate slowly opened.
A young woman stepped outside.
Short.
Blonde.
Purple lion-like eyes.
Chloe.
Contractor of Athena.
Stage Four.
She carried no weapon.
Only a spear resting against one shoulder.
Behind her emerged several young students.
Future warriors.
Future philosophers.
Future soldiers.
Chloe looked at Baron.
"You need help."
Baron scoffed.
"I don't."
She smiled faintly.
"You came anyway."
Baron looked away.
"…The emperor ordered it."
She walked past him.
"I'm sure he did."
Her students quickly gathered behind her.
One asked nervously,
"Teacher…"
"Are we truly fighting?"
Chloe answered without hesitation.
"We're protecting people."
"Never confuse that with enjoying war."
Baron glanced toward the battlefield.
"…Let's move."
…
Far above…
Emperor Nero watched from the palace balcony.
Beside him stood only the twins.
Neither spoke.
They simply observed.
Waiting.
Watching.
Calculating.
…
Back in Egypt…
The training grounds echoed with steel.
Dust rose beneath countless footsteps.
The Pharaoh overlooked every recruit.
His gaze settled upon Poison…
Magnolia…
Ren…
Kibo.
"You four."
He pointed toward the center arena.
"Continue mastering your awakenings."
"The rest."
His eyes shifted.
"Your instructors await."
General Saijew stepped toward Sous and Emma.
"I'll take these two."
Kahn folded massive arms.
"Valentina."
"Amelia."
"With me."
Asam twirled one dagger.
"Matthew."
"Sofia."
"We'll begin."
Arya spun her spear once.
"Luna."
"Abraham."
"You're mine."
The recruits separated.
Before leaving…
The Pharaoh spoke once more.
"When this training concludes…"
"We will reorganize."
Every recruit looked toward him.
"There will be two captains."
"They will stand as equals."
"No rank above the other."
"The remaining recruits will divide between them."
He smiled.
"The battlefield favors structure."
The training began immediately.
…
At the center arena…
Magnolia cracked his neck.
Ren quietly stretched.
Kibo flexed newly formed wings.
Poison rolled fresh blood across his fingertips.
Nobody moved.
Nobody wanted to strike first.
Then…
Poison laughed.
"Kibo."
"Remember our first fight?"
Kibo smiled.
"You beat me."
"Barely."
"You couldn't even touch me."
Poison shrugged.
"I still won."
Kibo chuckled.
"Different story now."
Nearby…
Magnolia looked toward Ren.
"You remember ours?"
Ren answered without looking at him.
"I remember."
"You lost."
Magnolia smiled.
"I know."
A brief silence followed.
Ren's eyes drifted toward the faint golden mark resting beneath Magnolia's collar.
Ra.
The Sun God.
His jaw tightened.
Just slightly.
So slightly no one else noticed.
Except himself.
'Why him…?'
The thought appeared.
Then disappeared.
Ren clenched one fist.
"No."
Not again.
Seth's words echoed within him.
Do better than I did.
Ren exhaled.
His envy remained.
But this time…
He chose not to feed it.
Magnolia looked toward him.
"Ready?"
Ren nodded.
"…Ready."
Four awakened contractors exploded toward one another.
Across the training grounds…
Across Greece…
Across Jerusalem…
Three nations prepared for wars that would soon collide into one.
And somewhere beyond them all…
Fate quietly waited for someone to make the first irreversible mistake.