While Podbe was engaging Sir Larot in battle, Aiden attempted to open magical portals to trap him or make him fall into one of them. However, Larot dodged each portal with superhuman agility; the boy still lacked training.
"What if you try a door like the one you sent me with Urion?" the puppy suggested telepathically through the mental link he shared with Aiden.
Drake and Eduard took advantage of a moment of distraction from Larot, who was busy dealing with Podbe, to try and assist Adia. However, Larot moved as fast as lightning, blocking their advances and sending them back to the side of the canine with a precise motion.
"But how fast is he? He seems stronger than before," the children commented, impressed by the speed and skill of The Dark Knight.
"So it seems," Eduard replied as he got up from the ground, brushing the dust off his clothes with a frustrated gesture.
At that moment, Larot let out a cry of irritation. Thanks to his sudden mana recovery, Podbe was pressing him with more aggressive attacks. "Thank you, system, for once you helped me," the canine thought with relief.
"Yes," Reia confirmed within his mind. "You read it correctly: 'Recover all your mana in seconds' as a secret reward for defeating the controlled ones."
This advantage allowed Podbe to use his most powerful techniques again. First, he launched a Firehead, but Larot blocked it effortlessly with his sword. Then, he used his Ray Breath, followed by a precise Golden Claw Slash. Although it seemed impossible to penetrate The Dark Knight's defense, Podbe managed to accelerate his own speed with a strategic feint, striking Larot directly in the abdomen.
"I didn't know you had those tricks up your sleeve, Podbe," Aiden praised him, surprised by the canine's cunning.
The dog barked proudly from the battlefield, though he mentally responded: "I learned a few tricks during all this time we were apart."
The blow Larot received seemed to enrage him even further. His aura began to expand, darkening, and his anger became palpable throughout the entire area.
Meanwhile, Aragon observed his disciple from a distance. The silent demeanor and the growing darkness in Larot's aura deeply troubled him. At that moment, images from the past flooded his mind.
He remembered the day he met Zeus in that humble tavern. It was a modest place, filled with murmurs and muffled laughter, where he had been trying to drown his sorrows in alcohol after losing his wife and unborn child in an attack orchestrated by a rival family.
Zeus, seated across from him, looked at him with a mixture of compassion and determination. "How foolish you are to drink over a death and wish to die, drowning your sorrows and burying your abilities," he said calmly.
"And what do you know about this? Have you ever lost someone?" Aragon replied, visibly affected by both the liquor and the pain.
Zeus stared at him intently before responding: "Something similar. But she would surely have wanted you to move forward and demonstrate your full potential."
Aragon clenched his fists under the table. His wife had been murdered along with their unborn child in an attack orchestrated by the rival family. Though he lacked conclusive evidence, he had no doubts. They were long-time enemies, always locked in an endless war.
"I propose something to you," Zeus continued, leaning forward. "I can help you find out who did it. You already know who they are, but I can help ensure they pay for it. I have the means, and I can prove it was them."
"Why should I believe you? Their strength is impenetrable. Those who wield dark KI have been our enemies for years. I've faced some of them, but they have no honor; they always use tricks, and they wiped out nearly my entire clan."
"Then use their own tactics. Or at least let me help you."
"Why such an interest in helping me?" Aragon asked, suspicious.
"Because I've seen how you fight, and I'm recruiting the best to form a team that will bring a new order to the world... and then peace. I want to ensure that what happened to your wife never happens again. I want you sober, not drowning in alcohol. Has the warrior I once saw disappeared?"
With that, Zeus showed an old video of Aragon in his prime, fighting with a ferocity and skill that now seemed buried beneath years of pain and alcohol.
"That's the old me," Aragon remarked with a mix of nostalgia and bitterness. "I no longer practice my AURA style." Then, looking at Zeus sarcastically, he added, "But fine, let's say you will help me with this… I'll follow you for the rest of my life without questioning anything."
"Ha, ha, that sounds like a deal to me," Zeus replied with a calculated smile as he took the beer glass out of Aragon's hands. The latter, visibly drunk, mumbled something incomprehensible before collapsing onto the table.
When he woke up, he found himself in an unfamiliar room, dressed in his usual brown suit—the same one he used to wear when he was part of his clan. As he got up, he noticed the door slowly opening. It was Zeus, now wearing a fitted silver suit. Though he appeared slim, he radiated an imposing strength. A young woman named Lady entered behind him.
"Everything is ready, sir," she said, addressing Zeus with respect.
"Good, let's go after them," Zeus responded with determination.
Aragon and Zeus boarded a helicopter prepared to head into enemy territory, a hidden location in the arid zones of the Nevada desert. As the aircraft took off, Aragon asked, "Just the two of us?"
"The two of us will be enough," Zeus replied, staring directly into his eyes. "Or do you not feel capable of defeating the enemy and exacting your revenge?"
"Fine, I'll do it. Perhaps I won't return, and your deal will mean nothing," Aragon said coldly. But Zeus only let out a mocking laugh.
Upon arrival, they found themselves facing a majestic palace hidden among the desert dunes. "So here we are again, back home," Aragon muttered, clenching his fists as he gazed at the building. "Those bastards took over the place and built a fancy structure on the graves of my brothers. They'll pay dearly." His eyes began to turn red, reflecting his contained fury.
Zeus, for his part, maintained an enigmatic smile, as if hiding something more behind this expedition.
They jumped from the helicopter using special devices that slowed their descent, allowing them to land precisely without the need for parachutes.
"Thank you, Lady," Zeus said over the radio.
"Thank you, Mr. Zeus," she replied from the helicopter, though her voice betrayed a hint of nervousness. In reality, she was blushing at seeing him act with such confidence.
"Well, it's time to attack," Zeus announced, preparing to face the enemies.
Several men dressed in purple suits emerged from the palace. On their backs was a logo that read Bad-Ki, accompanied by a fist inside a circle. Ten of them approached quickly, wielding sharp swords.
"Fools," Zeus muttered as he placed a sort of band on his forehead. Instantly, his silver suit transformed into a full suit of armor, complete with a helmet. With precise movements, he grabbed several of the enemies by the neck, eliminating them within seconds.
On the other hand, Aragon used his AURA abilities to knock down those who approached him. Both fought side by side, facing endless waves of Bad-Ki enemies.
However, more armed men soon appeared, forcing Zeus and Aragon to take cover behind a column to avoid being hit by bullets.
"Those damn cheaters! Always playing dirty!" Aragon exclaimed, frustrated by the lack of honor among their enemies.
"This is getting too predictable and boring," Zeus commented indifferently. From his wrist, he activated some buttons, and suddenly, several armed robots emerged from the ground. They began firing bursts of bullets at the enemies, illuminating the battlefield with metallic flashes. Robots and enemies fell alike, creating controlled chaos.
"Sometimes you have to fight them on their own terms," Zeus remarked, enjoying the technological strategy as he watched Aragon frown, irritated by the use of androids in battle.
After defeating all the enemies, they advanced to the highest floor of the palace aboard a kind of robotic platform.
Upon entering, Aragon, the brown knight, swiftly took care of the Bad-Ki king's bodyguards with quick and precise movements. Finally, before him stood the leader of the enemy clan, who looked at him with disdain.
"I thought I had wiped you out along with your clan," the king said, his voice dripping with arrogance.
Both men lunged forward, their fists colliding with brutal force. "Damn you!" Aragon shouted, his voice resonating with anger. "You and your soldiers massacred my friends, my family, my wife, and my unborn child. You'll pay for it!"
"I've killed many and ordered the deaths of others... I don't remember all the faces," the king replied, pushing Aragon with the dark power of malignant Ki while Aragon countered with the power of his AURA. The two essences collided, creating a colossal shockwave that shook everything around them.
As they continued fighting, Zeus positioned himself in a corner, observing the scene with a calculating expression. The clashes of power were devastating, illuminating the room with intermittent flashes of energy. At one point, Aragon remembered his wife as he saw the king mock his pain. His AURA began to darken, adopting an intense red hue, darker than blood, corrupted by rage.
In a burst of fury, he managed to overpower the king, twisting his arms to deliver the final blow. However, just before he could do so, a vision stopped him. A beautiful woman appeared before him, radiating calmness and kindness. It was his wife.
"Aragon wasn't like this," she told him gently. "Don't let anger seduce you. You must learn to live without hatred; forgive. Don't become something you'll later regret."
Aragon, struck by the revelation, released the king, who collapsed in pain onto the floor. Taking a deep breath, he said, "I don't kill women, much less pregnant ones or children."
The king, gasping in pain, responded: "And then, if it wasn't me… who was it?"
Before he could finish the sentence, a bullet struck him directly in the head, killing him instantly. Zeus lowered his weapon calmly as he cleaned the barrel.
"Don't be soft on your enemies," Zeus said coldly, looking at Aragon.
Aragon was stunned, unable to process what had just happened. If it wasn't his enemies, then who had massacred his family? The uncertainty consumed him, leaving him with an emotional wound that would never heal.
"Well, I helped you settle your vendetta for your family," Zeus continued, slowly approaching. "Now fulfill your word and join me. You'll be one of my leaders, not just a soldier. Together, we'll bring peace to this world."
Aragon was a man of his word. He couldn't refuse after making a deal, even though the deal now tasted bitter. With a heavy sigh, he responded: "I accept, Mr. Zeus."
However, deep inside, he knew that this decision would change him forever. He left behind not only a ruined palace but also an unanswered question that would haunt him for the rest of his life: who truly murdered his family?