The group walked outside, ready to witness a spectacle. Amelia and Gália stood by the entrance to the inn, while Red, Maria and Karla walked over to near a fountain in the town square. There was a large clear space around them, so they took postition, placing themselves a few metres apart from each other. Red drew his sword and aimed it at the girls. Karla whistled and Gália threw her a sword that seemed to come from nowhere. Adventurers and onlookers looked at them realizing what was about to happen,

“Aren’t they a bit young? This is going to be hard to watch!”the crowd muttered,

“Karla! You do understand the conditions to the loss of the duel, correct?” Red shouted at her,

“Of course, the same as usual" she replied,

Karla drew her sword and whispered something to Maria. Maria then backed up a little and started casting a healing spell, affecting Karla. She continued to heal Karla even though it wasn’t needed,

“So are your preparations complete?” Asked Red,

“Yes, so you may make the first move” Karla told him,

“As you wish",

Suddenly in a flash, Red came flying at the girls. In a single blink of the eye, Red was right next to Karla about to strike. She reacted accordingly, she raised her sword and blocked his attack, jumping backwards as she successfully blocked it. But Red didn’t give up, he kept at her and all Karla could do was block and evade. The match seemed one sided and a winner had already been declared , but Karla didn’t give up. As Red finished swinging his sword, Karla saw an opening and went for the strike,

“Got you!” Karla screamed,

“Do you? Vermelha!”,

Suddenly Karla’s attack came to a stop, before she noticed, his sword’s scabbard blocked her attack with full force. It then pushed her back with power, making her fly across the ground. Karla had bruises and scratches on her, but just as soon as they appeared, they were healed, thanks to Maria’s healing spell. Red looked at Maria, he aimed the tip of his sword and with a single movement, he threw his sword straight at her,

“Red!” Amelia screamed terrified,

But just before the sword was about to strike, Karla appeared into sight and clashed her sword with his changing its trajectory behind them. The sword had so much power behind it, as soon as the sword hit the stone ground, it dug itself into place,

“He’s really not holding back" Karla muttered with shock,

Maria started to show fear and regret but kept healing Karla at all moments,

“Well Red, you have no sword in hand, so I believe I win” Karla shouted at him with a grin,

“Not quite, the conditions we set up on our other duels were, you had to fully disarm the opponent”,

“Yea, and I have”,

“Are you sure?” Red asked giving his own grin,

Suddenly Karla looked at him with shock. Red straightened his arms out to his side and opened his palms. Suddenly two magic crests appeared in his hands, they were as black as the abyss,

“My magic is a weapon, is it not?”,

He then clapped his hands together, just before shouting,

“Uprising Moment!”,

Suddenly the ground before them shook violently, like an earthquake without notice. Black spears started emerging from the ground at speed and without warning and a trail of them were heading straight for the girls. Karla and Amelia froze in total terror. Out of nowhere however, Amelia appeared into sight, standing in front of the girls. She aimed her staff at Red and screamed,

“Ulterior Motive!”,

Suddenly Crystal spears came flying out of her staff at lightning speed , hitting every single spear that came towards the girls, blocking them in their path. Red looked at her with an angry look, he pointed his index finger at Amelia and another magic crest appeared , this time however, it was much bigger in size,

“Clash of Confusion”,

Suddenly the air shook with vibrations, the girls and every single onlooker were thrown to the grown, groaning with pain clutching their heads. Red suddenly stopped his move and everything went silent. He stood there with a menacing look. Every one around him slowly stood up in terror and looking at him with fear. The girls then stood up and started checking if each other was okay,

“Vermelha…” Red grunted,

Suddenly the sword came flying out from the ground and placed itself of its scabbard by Red’s side. Amelia looked at the girls to check if they were okay and seeing as they were, she looked towards Red,

“You could have killed them!” she creamed with a voice of absolute anger,

“But I didn’t” he replied calmly,

“They’re just kids! Don’t you know how to hold back!?” Amelia yelled at him while tears fell from her eyes,

“KARLA GET UP!” Red ordered,

Karla struggled, but using her sword as a prop, she was on her two feet. Amelia looked at her with amazement and worry,

“Amelia, Karla is training to travel with me, not to be cared for. Do you have any idea what she has suffered? What her life has been up until now? NO! No you don’t, none around us do. I care more about her than any man upon this land and I wouldn’t trade her for the world. But knowledge and experience is necessary for her to survive, and going easy on her and sheltering her for the rest of her life will teach her nothing!” Red explained with a look of anger “She was cursed at birth and when I found her on the side of that road on that rainy day, covered in bruises and a face of despair, I told myself, never, never would I ever let her know the pain of true loss. So I train her until she’s beaten, over, and over, and over again, so that one day, she may rise and stand, ready, to knock all others down!”,

“But at-" Amelia tried to speak,

“Amelia I think it’s kind of you to care about me, but, he’s right. I was left alone in a world where it’s kill or be killed. And you know something? Having Red train me has done me more good than anything else I’ve known. I know when he strikes at me, that I could end up dying. But you what? Seeing him proud of me is motivation enough for me to overcome all the hardships he can throw at me, even if he ends up killing me…” Karla started crying while explaining to Amelia “…I know, I know everything I’m going through is because he loves me. He wants to see me grow up, become a strong woman, get married, grow old raising a family that I can be proud of. And I know he’ll never change, I know that. But in my dying moments, of all the eyes I want to see, I want those blood red eyes looking down at me, with a look of a job well done, not the eyes of sympathy…”,

Amelia sat on the floor, crying, stunned. No words could emerge from her mouth,

“We live our lives in the deaths of others. There will come a day where I will lay my eternal rest. But until that moment comes, I will change Karla’s life for the better" Gália said aloud to Amelia “Those were the words Red said to me after taking Karla into his care”,

“Amelia. I am something I never wanted to be, have power I never wished for. But it’s because of who I am and what I’m capable of, that I do the things I do. I will see my world end before everyone’s world ends” Red said with sadness in his voice,

“What are you…?”,

“My wish to be able to close my eyes…” Red said looking to the sky as it rained from his eyes,