Inside the forest, located at the boundary of the capital of the kingdom of Satirica, the silhouette of the capital of the kingdom could be seen. A certain silhouette of a person was standing on top of a tree, looking at the peaceful scenery of the kingdom with hatred in his eyes.
His face was hidden in the hood of his brown robe, but the overwhelming anger could be seen in his hands as he crushed the skin of the tree so easily.
"The kingdom of Satirica... the last place where the legendary mage Zero had seen after defeating the demon lord." His voice uttered a mix of disgust and thirst for retribution. "Zero, you killed my two brothers, so I will make sure you pay for it."
In an instant, the area around him was engulfed by black smoke, corroding everything it touched. The mysterious man flew out to the sky, rushing to the location of the kingdom.
"If you won't come out for me to get my revenge, then I'll just destroy things that have value to you," he said with a sinister tone. "Let's start in the very kingdom where Mikaela lives."
***
Killian came out of the bathroom, rubbing his wet hair. He was wearing nothing but the towel wrapped around his waist. As he wondered his eyes around the room, his eyes caught the two people sitting on the bed.
"What are you two whispering about?" Killian asked.
"Nothing," Finel answered, and she nodded to Ilya sitting next to her.
"Yeah, nothing." Ilya nodded with a mischievous smile on her face.
It happened so fast that Killian just woke up one day and found out that Ilya and Finel were getting along. All he knew was that Finel was the first one to approach Ilya, who had a positive attitude about it. And here he was, with the both of them in the same room.
"Anyway..." Finel stood up, and her hand automatically rubbed on Killian's abs. "We should prepare now, so we have more time for our date."
"Triple date," Ilya added as she wrapped her arms around Killian's arms.
"Yeah, yeah," Killian replied as he patted their heads.
Without noticing it, the towel on Killian's waists dropped on the floor, getting the attention of the two girls on the potent wood in front of them.
"On a second thought, I don't mind staying here and doing something more... enjoyable," Finel said, her eyes focused on Killian's weapon.
"Hold yourself together! You are easy to sway!" Ilya jokingly said, shaking Finel's shoulders.
Killian chuckled at the two. "You girls," he said while shaking his head. He put his pants on.
Killian, Finel, and Ilya went on the date; they walked around the capital, looked around the beautiful views, and relaxed in the park. The three of them got along, with Finel and Ilya happily sharing with him rather than competing with each other. There was no conflict, just fun—just the smiles of all the participants while enjoying their time together.
They made their last stop at a certain restaurant where the view of the sunset could be seen. Their white table was outside, with cakes and teas in front of them, watching the beautiful scenery happening in the background.
With a smile on his face, Killian watched as the sky turned orange, indicating the end of the day.
On the other hand, Finel and Ilya meaningfully looked at each other, watching the genuine harmony in Killian's face.
"You really love sunsets, huh?" Ilya commented, looking into Killian's eyes.
Killian nodded. "It just reminds me of something..."
"Doing this is fun. How I wish we could do this regularly," Finel said.
"I also hope so," Ilya added.
Killian remained silent for a few seconds, thinking of something. Then he slowly nodded as he finally decided. "I think it would be fair if I told you two about this now."
Finel and Ilya's attention darted to Killian, who was looking at them with seriousness in his eyes.
Killian swallowed. "I'll be leaving soon."
Ilya and Finel had a synchronized reaction; for a brief moment, both of them showed sadness in their eyes, but it was immediately replaced with understanding. In the end, both of them nodded and smiled.
"I mean, you actually told me about it since the beginning. I knew it would come. It was just a matter of time," Ilya said.
"When are you planning to leave?" Finel asked.
"In a few days, I just need to take care of a few things first," Killian answered. "If everything goes well..." His words were interrupted when he felt something.
Killian's eyes darted to the black cloud from far away, approaching the kingdom at a terrifying speed. At first glance, it looked like an ordinary storm cloud, but Killian felt its destructive capabilities and the malevolent being inside of it.
"Corrosion Cloud," Killian whispered upon recognizing the skill that was used by the incoming enemy.
"Killian? Is there a problem?" Ilya asked, concern in her eyes.
Ilya's question was immediately answered when the roaring screams of people echoed throughout the place and the massive black cloud became larger and more noticeable. The sirens rang, and the evacuation started as the knights all around the capital began their move.
"Finel," Killian called as he stood up.
"I'm on it," Finel said, helping Ilya stand up. "Let's go, Ilya."
The massive cloud formed a humanoid titan; its massive image could be seen in the entire kingdom. A terrifying sight that could only happen in one's imagination. The mouth of the cloud titan opened and released a roar that could be heard all over the place.
"Zero!!!" The ground-shaking roar revealed its purpose, and in one decisive landing, it destroyed anything it touched upon impact.
In an instant, the black cloud engulfed everything, and all the infrastructure was corroded into nothingness.
"What kind of power is that?" Finel could only ask upon witnessing such a feat.
"I don't know, but that thing looks like very bad news. Let's get out of here," Killian said, starting to walk away.
"Show yourself, Zero! Or this kingdom will turn to ashes and will be wiped out in history!" The titan roared. "Your end will now be in my hands—The Dark Star of Heralds! I, Miguel Edelman!"