In the depths of a coastal city of the Kingdom of Gaia, a vast dungeon stretched out. This prison was popularly called the Dark Hole, and inside it there was one particularly special prisoner.
A young demon walked calmly through the cells. The keys at his belt swung rhythmically, announcing his presence to all the prisoners.
But it was not lunchtime yet, so many of them glanced at one another, curious about the unexpected visit.
Maybe someone was getting released today?
The young guard whistled softly and carried two long daggers strapped to his waist. He continued walking until he reached the most remote cell of the entire prison.
When he finally arrived, he stopped in front of the occupant.
Inside there was… a shrimp?
Or something very close to that.
It was a man with the body of a shrimp — the infamous Pistol Shrimp, of the Sea Race — sitting cross-legged, completely calm.
He was neither chained nor tied. In fact, he was quite free within the space of the cell.
The guard turned the key.
"Hey, man," he said casually. "You're finally getting out today! You can go by yourself, you already know the way."
He opened the cell and stood there waiting.
The Pistol Shrimp stood up and left silently, without causing any commotion.
When the Sea Race had attacked Gaia, he was defeated and captured by Jino Britz. Most of the invaders had been killed, but he remained alive because he had some value.
In the end, he made a deal with the Beast God.
During his time imprisoned, he cooperated with the Kingdom of Gaia's scientists while they researched the phenomenon of Sonoluminescence. The agreement was that he would be freed once considerable progress had been made.
And in recent days, indeed there had been. The research advanced to the point where they no longer needed his assistance.
So, as promised, he was released.
He left the Dark Hole walking alone, climbed the stairs and reached the exit. Outside, someone was waiting for him.
It was the Commander of the Iron Legion, Taes.
Taes stood with his arms crossed, looking directly at the ex-prisoner.
"This is my last try. You really don't want to join the Legion?" he asked.
The Pistol Shrimp looked toward the sea that stretched into the distance, as far as the eye could see. Then he answered in his hoarse voice:
"I appreciate the offer, but I have a debt to Balord. Even if he is no longer the ruler of the Sea Races, that doesn't matter, my debt is only to him."
Taes sighed.
"I give up then. Just remember the agreement you made, kill anyone who appears in the Ringus Sea in the name of Hitogami. If you break that agreement, we will not be as lenient with the Sea Race as last time."
The Pistol Shrimp nodded seriously. He knew he was powerful, but he also knew that Gaia's top elites still outmatched him by a wide margin.
Besides, as he had already promised, he would definitely fulfill what had been agreed.
Taes whistled to call Freki, his enormous Ebony Wolf. As soon as Freki arrived, Taes leaped onto him and shot back toward the city.
Left alone on the coast, the Pistol Shrimp looked around for a moment, watching the sun rising on the sea horizon.
Then, without hesitation, he leaped into the deep waters, finally returning home.
---
In the Great Forest, in a small and cozy treehouse, a young blonde teenager was training her fencing strikes. From the style of the movements, it seemed she was practicing techniques of the North God Style.
She, however, was clearly not very good at it. The strikes came out a little misaligned, and it was evident she was trying to execute intermediate techniques she had not yet mastered.
Meanwhile, inside the house, two women — both very similar to the young woman outside — were talking.
"You're going to marry Taes Dedoldia?!"
Zenith almost spat the tea she was drinking.
Therese Latreia covered her ears with an expression of discomfort.
"Huh… yes. No need to shout…"
Zenith kept staring at her sister, completely perplexed.
For a few seconds she even thought she was in front of someone else.
Had someone replaced Therese? Had she been kidnapped? Was she in danger? Or was this some kind of code asking for help?
Zenith narrowed her eyes, suspicious, while her sister averted her gaze, avoiding eye contact.
"So… does that mean you're being coerced? Do you want me to ask Aisha for help?"
"No! I am not being coerced…"
Zenith didn't look convinced in the least.
She stared at Therese for several seconds, until the sister finally sighed, impatient.
"Come on! Is it so hard to believe that I found a husband?!"
"He's already married!" Zenith retorted.
"And what's the problem? Your husband Paul also had two women!"
Therese realized too late that she had touched a sensitive point and fell silent.
But Zenith was too shocked to be hurt.
"I… can't believe it. How did this happen?! You were a faithful follower of Milis! A templar knight!"
Therese only turned her face, visibly uninterested in reopening religious discussions.
"It just happened…"
Zenith took a deep breath.
All she knew was that her sister had joined the Iron Legion two years ago.
They talked occasionally, and Zenith knew Therese's mentality had changed a bit since Milis's fall, but… she hadn't imagined it would be this much.
"Taes Dedoldia, huh… where did you two meet?"
Therese explained:
"When I joined the Iron Legion, I did very well. I already had leadership experience, so he ended up noticing me. I rose through the ranks until I became his direct subordinate."
"And how did that lead you to marry him? Doesn't he already have a child with Lisa?"
Therese's expression turned bitter.
"Yes, he does… Well… we got very close while working together, and I… kind of fell in love with him. Lisa is pregnant again, so he went a while without… doing that… and I seduced him."
Zenith's jaw dropped.
Where had her pure and devout sister gone?
Since when was she the kind of woman who seduced a married man?
And someone of the Beast Race? For the former Therese, that would have been unthinkable.
She even had prejudices against non-human races.
Ignoring her sister's shock, Therese continued:
"Haaaah… I was drunk, and he was too. I just… let myself be carried away by the moment. I didn't intend to marry him, but he said he would take responsibility."
She stirred her drink with her finger.
"Personally, I didn't resist much when he said that… Lisa seemed a bit irritated with him."
Zenith finally snapped out of her daze.
"My God… you really are a slutty woman!"
"Who's a slutty woman?!" Therese blushed. "You were the one who fell in love with the first womanizer you found!"
And so the two began to argue, fight and exchange accusations.
After a while, Norn entered the house, sweaty from training.
The two women were still mid-argument when she simply said, without stopping:
"Congratulations on the wedding, aunt."
And continued on her way to the bedroom.
Therese and Zenith looked at her, surprised. Then they stopped fighting and sat down.
"Haaaah… well, actually, this could be something good in the end…" Zenith said. "You'll be the second wife, so try to get along with Lisa."
Therese seemed resigned.
"Hehe… who would have thought I would be a second wife one day. House Latreia really fell, didn't it?"
Zenith smiled bitterly.
Therese added:
"Also, Norn seemed pretty unconcerned. I thought she'd react more aggressively."
"She has changed a lot over the past years," Zenith replied. "Aisha influenced her a lot… and living in the Great Forest also changed our perspectives. But I think that's a good thing."
The two continued talking.
The initial shock passed, and little by little the subject turned into a lively conversation about the wedding.
After a few hours, Therese stood up.
"Taes wants to have a dinner, just family, to get to know each other better. I hope you can go, since I don't know if inviting mother is a good idea…"
"Of course, we'll be there!" Zenith confirmed promptly.
---
While the world moved constantly, changing without stopping, in the heart of the Demon Continent there existed a small and resilient village belonging to the Telamonian Tribe.
There lived the Telamonian demons — beings with wheat-colored hair and small horns on their foreheads.
On the outskirts of the village, brandishing a scimitar, stood a boy of about ten years old.
He also had short horns like the other Telamonian, but his hair had a caramel shade. He was only half-demon on his mother's side; his father was human.
Despite his young age, his movements were incredibly sharp.
His skill with the sword would be enough to surprise even a veteran warrior. A hidden talent, growing silently in the depths of the Demon Continent.
Beside him, watching attentively, was his mother, Vidette.
"Ajax, that's enough."
The boy stopped immediately and looked at her expectantly, his eyes shining… waiting to receive praise.
But instead, he heard:
"You can still improve a lot. You won't be able to kill that man if you keep getting stronger so slowly."
Disappointment clearly passed across the boy's face. He had trained hard — yet he was reprimanded.
Even so, he always kept the hope of receiving words of praise and encouragement, even if they rarely came.
He knew his mother cared for him, but there was something as important to her as maternal love: vengeance.
"I'm sorry, mother… I'll train more. I'll look for Uncle Jasie—"
"No."
Vidette interrupted him before he could finish. The woman breathed deeply, approaching him with hesitant steps.
"Son… I have already taught you all the magic I know, and the Telamonian Village cannot increase your strength any further…"
The boy's heart tightened. He knew something was coming, something he didn't want to hear.
"I will send you to train at the Sword Sanctuary."
Ajax's determination crumbled inside.
---
Vidette Telamonian possessed an ambition, a hatred impossible to contain in her heart.
She wanted to kill the Beast God.
She wanted to avenge the deaths of Larax and Hector. To avenge everything that had been taken from her.
But she was only a mage. What could she do against the Beast God and his armies?
Fortunately, she had her son. She trained him to achieve her dream for her. And she poured into him all her bitterness and hope.
Over time, to her surprise, Ajax proved to be a genius — both with the sword and with magic.
This also happened because she applied Rudeus Greyrat's theories, that mana is more easily moldable during childhood.
She truly created a little monster. And, little by little, she came to believe that maybe Ajax could one day defeat Rygar.
But whenever a spark of confidence arose, news came to crush it.
Rygar becoming one of the Seven Great Powers.
Rygar wiping Milshion off the map.
Rygar killing a Divinity of the Sea Race.
Even if her son was talented, how could he defeat the Apocalypse Beast?
Desperation led Vidette to pressure him more and more.
Perhaps she would not have done it if he hadn't shown so much talent. But now that she knew there was a chance, how could she not try?
She loved him deeply — but Ajax was also her only chance for vengeance.
Ajax obviously did not want to leave, he liked the village and the life he lived there.
But she knew he needed to do it.
He also couldn't train at the Combat Temple, because it was governed by the Beast God. And he couldn't go to Fort Necross, because Atoferatofe was now subordinate to Rygar.
Only the Sword Sanctuary remained, on the other side of the world.
Tears began to stream down the boy's face.
Vidette intended to let him go alone…
But, upon seeing her son's sad face, her heart wavered.
She came closer, stroked his head, and said in a soft voice:
"Don't worry, son. Mommy will go with you… We will cross the world together."
Ajax finally found some comfort in her words. Although sad to leave the village, his mother was more important than anything.
He inhaled deeply, wiped his tears and affirmed with renewed strength:
"Don't worry, mother! I will become very strong! I will avenge father!"
Vidette smiled sincerely upon hearing that.
After a few days of preparation, mother and son left the Telamonian Tribe, beginning their long journey toward the Sword Sanctuary.
-----
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