After a long journey... Hana would reach the city, after running several kilometers fleeing in terror... once she entered the city, she would stumble due to the exhaustion of running for so long, because of this, she could no longer stand, so she had to crawl along the walls of the houses little by little... however, she would remember that Tochi was in danger, taking the decision to call Hikari's attention in a different way.
"My legs... I'm so exhausted, I can't stand... if only I could warn Hikari somehow... there is an option, but... I've never liked to use "Magic Glory", this always draws the attention of talented fighters from other realms, who would be able to kill for a warrior of high magical level... but, I have no other choice"
Hana would take a breath and kneel on the ground and put her hands on her chest, as if she was praying... suddenly she would be wrapped in a green veil, emitting a very incandescent glow and a very vigorous aura of power, in addition, she would also generate strong torrents of wind... calling the attention of the surrounding citizens, achieving her goal, calling the attention of Hikari and Mizuki... even Yoru who was far away from her, could feel that magical energy...
-Hana? -Hikari wondered...
"Why did it start emanating so much magical energy? How strange, it was here inside the city, maybe... It's calling for help!" the blonde would run out to help her friend without saying anything.
-Hikari, wait! -Mizuki would exclaim
The angel, in a hurry, would go to the place where Hana had exposed herself... when he arrived, he would notice a crowd of people, who wondered: "how could she have so much magical power?" even asked themselves the question, if she was an elemental... humans, despite not using any technique to detect magical energy, can easily perceive the power of the elementals... observing Hana on the ground exhausted, until Mizuki and Hikari arrived to help her...
-Hana... Are you all right? -Hikari asked agitated.
"What happened to her...she's all scratched up!...also...some of her hair is missing What's going on here?"
-Mizuki Healing!
-Hikari... go help Tochi..." said Hana in exhaustion.
"This is all my fault, I shouldn't have trusted myself like that... if this happened to Hana what could be happening to Tochi, damn it!" he would hit the ground.
-That guy... he looks too strong for Tochi to face alone!
-What are you talking about Hana? -Hikari asked.
-It's too dangerous!... You have to go help Tochi immediately! I'm afraid... I'm too afraid that something bad will happen to him! -said Hana trembling.
"I have no choice...I'll have to take care of it personally...this...is a situation I couldn't imagine."
-Mizuki, take Hana to the palace...
-What do you plan to do, Hikari! -asked Mizuki.
-I'll go help Tochi, take care of her while Im gone.
-But...
-I don't have time," said Hikari before hurrying off into the forest.
after a few minutes... upon arriving at the scene of the fight, he would find total chaos, which would leave him shocked and nervous about what could have happened to his partner.
"What happened here... there are traces of fire magic everywhere... analyzing the picture a bit... the fire mage, he has a very high magic level, could it be the guy Hana mentioned... during all the time I knew Hinotama, he never showed any indication of using fire magic... but still... it's something strange."
Hikari would begin to look for Tochi, using an ability that allows her to see magical traces... after a few minutes she would manage to find Tochi's body... which was mutilated on the ground, Hikari would quickly approach to see how she was very worried...
-Tochi, Tochi! -Hikari exclaimed worriedly as she moved Tochi from side to side.
"He still has a pulse, it's just a little faint... what a relief..."
Hikari would notice the wound on her back, which would worry her even more... but at that precise moment, she would feel the residue of a magic that she did not know, raising the big question, what kind of magic she was facing.
"What kind of magic is this? I've never felt anything like it before."
-Hikari..." said Tochi in a very low voice.
-Tochi, don't worry, I'll get you out of here.
-Don't confront him... that guy is hiding something... I don't know if it was... speed, but, he did something really strange," said Tochi before being unconscious again.
"He's hiding something...what do I do now? I have to take him to be healed right away."
A few hours later, Tochi had already been taken by Hikari to the palace... he was resting after being cured by Mizuki... a while later, Hana was explaining what happened in the forest, still fearful, while she was drinking some tea...
-The guy who appeared is allied with Hinotama, I tried to convince him, but he believed more in Hinotama, besides... he said something that we cannot overlook: "I know perfectly well what angels are like".
-Did he really say that? -Hikari asked.
-That's right...
"What does he know what angels are like? Obviously humans know the basics about angels... but what knows us perfectly?... The only thing I can think of, is that is a fallen angel just as old as Zechariah, even a corrupt angel that I never noticed, in a way... I'm kind of curious to know him."
-Due to the chaos I found in the forest, he must be very strong, adding that he also knows how to use fire magic.
-Fire magic? He didn't use magic at all. On the contrary, he showed tremendous physical strength... you see... he kicked down a tree... just remembering it makes me tremble.
"He knocked down a tree with a single kick, then that means he's Hinotama the fire mage, with that level of magic he could really cause a lot of trouble. Still there's something I don't understand... if Hana says that at no time did Hinotama's partner use magic what was that strange magical energy I felt in Tochi's wound?"
-Are you sure I never used magic at any time? -Hikari asked.
-Of course I am!
-Then how do you explain that he has so much strength! A human can't have so much strength, as you say....
"How could a human have so much strength? Evidently there must be a trick behind it all, if you want a very powerful attack, the best way is to raise your strength with some spell."
-Hikari is right Hana, how can he be so strong without using any spells? If I remember correctly, besides some magicians, the gods are the ones who possess such enormous strength.
-I'm afraid Hikari... I'm afraid of what might happen. -Hana said trembling. -With the little she showed... she's a dangerous person.
"I'll have to handle it on my own, maybe I'll train a bit, I haven't fought for a long time... although I have a much better plan... I could try to convince him myself, the problem is how I can do it, something that seems to be impossible due to what Hana told me".
-Do you know his name? -Hikari asked.
-I never mention it
-I could recruit him, he would be very useful to us.
-Are you crazy Hikari! She doesn't mean well! -Hana exclaimed. -Besides... I forgot to say it... he just wants to hunt you, he wants to finish you off. That's why I ended up like this, completely wounded, all for defending you..." said Hana while she started to shed tears, and then she left.
"Hana is too soft, but... Why do I feel so guilty?" sighs in anguish "Likewise, I would like to have a person that strong, elemental or not, I will convince him to join my royal guard... before that, I will take care of Hinotama's traitor... I'm coming for you you bastard."
The next day, Hinotama would find himself waking up in the middle of the forest, he would be stunned, because he remembered perfectly what Tochi did to make him unconscious, getting up dizzy and confused...
"What happened...oh, right, that bastard Tochi knocked me unconscious, hell how did I put being humiliated like that?" he would look around "Where am I, besides where is that asshole?"
-So the filth decided to wake up," said Yoru while reading a book in a tree.
-I advise you to watch your words," Yoru would close the book and look coldly at Hinotama.
-Do you think you're in the right position to tell me that?
"this guy... every second that passes makes me want to murder him. If it weren't for that murderous aura that transmits fear to me... I'd crush him right now... I don't see Hana anywhere, which means he could have escaped, that would be a pitiful thing for a person like him."
-Where is Hana? I seem to remember you went after her," Hinotama asked.
-Unfortunately he escaped, he was a good source of information. I am also using other methods that may be more effective. -Yoru replied after getting down from the tree.
-It's kind of humiliating that he escaped, don't you think?
"Did Hana really manage to escape? I didn't expect this, how pitiful, such power and a poor distracted girl escaped."
-Humiliating? -Yoru would approach Hinotama and grab him by the neck lifting him up, "I thought you could handle an ordinary human, you don't deserve to be a demon with such a demeaning level," Yoru releases Hinotama and then would take a few steps back, "The current generation of demons disappointed me. They are like newborn children.
-Current? What's your problem?! -Hinotama said angrily after trying to stab Yoru. The latter would easily dodge his attack by dodging to the side, putting his foot so that Hinotama would stumble and fall.
-Are you still trying? You look like a rookie attacking without any sense "Demon"," said Yoru, while Hinotama stood up.
"Fighting this guy is a waste of time, I'll take it easy for the time being" Yoru's stomach would growl, causing him to sigh and start walking.
-How annoying...
"A few hours ago I ate a whole wolf why am I hungry again? Luckily I have the sea right next to me, after all that was the main goal."
-Where do you think you are going? -Hinotama asked.
-Why don't you follow me and stop talking? Hearing your voice is stressful," replied Yoru.
"It's already been a day since I faced one of Hikari's guardians, it's hard for me to admit it, but he was very strong, that control over earth magic, it was abysmal, I've never seen an ordinary magician with such a level, this makes me suspect many things about him... but... more suspicious of this guy How can he possess so much strength without using any magical ability?"
-Hey, I'm serious. Where are we going?
-We're heading to the coast, I'm kind of hungry so I'll catch some fish.
-Why don't you just hunt in the woods?
-I tried, but I didn't find anything good.
"Just remembering it makes me mad as hell What kind of forest doesn't have at least one measly rabbit? And to think I was stranded for over a week wandering around everywhere... What the hell is wrong with you Yoru? That's not you!" Yoru would grab his face because he was frustrated "I'm also to blame for not having a map... if only the geography of this country hadn't changed so much in the past few years, I wouldn't have gone through this"
"What's wrong with this jerk?.... Come to think of it, I still don't know his name, but, I highly doubt he'll give it to me. I'll try anyway."
-Hey, it's kind of strange that you know my name, but I don't know yours. -Hinotama said.
-Why do we need to know?
-Why do you hide your name so much? What are you hiding?
-I consider it unnecessary, you can address me in a different way....
"If you hide your name like that, you'll make me start to get even more suspicious, maybe it has the name of a very old angel or demon, no, if that were the case Hana would have recognized it instantly... Ha, what am I thinking? Hana wouldn't notice something like that."
-Yoru Kurayami... that's my name. -Yoru said and then stared at Hinotama.
"K-k-K-Kurayami?... Is he a member of the Kurayami family!!!? The best warriors have that last name, I get it, that explains everything, I've been messing with a monster all this time..."
-Well, why did you want to know?
-I was just a little curious.
-Then keep walking and don't bother me anymore.
While Hinotama and Yoru were on their way to the coast... Hikari was training, practicing different magical abilities... these were of a very pure light, all this while being observed by Mizuki... after a while of training, she would approach to talk to Mizuki.
-It's rare to see you training," said Mizuki.
-I have to do it, we don't know what that guy might be hiding," Hikari answered after taking a light dagger in her hand.
-The light magic is very fast, it was hard for me to follow you with my eyes in some movements.
-I know, but it's very exhausting, I may have unlimited magical energy, but my physical condition is terrible.
All that tranquility would disappear... when unexpectedly... Hana would approach running very agitated...
-Hikari!... Something's wrong with Tochi!
Arriving on the scene, he would see Tochi lying on the ground suffering, with black marks spreading all over his body in the form of roots....
-A curse! -Hikari exclaimed, "By holy orders, free this soul from the curse that haunts it
Hikari would surround Tochi with a light in order to remove the curse, but the moment she did so... the curse repelled Hikari's spell, causing her to be thrown backwards due to the force of the curse.
-But what... What kind of curse is that? -Hikari wondered.
-Resist Tochi! -said Hana...
"This is bad... This is very bad!"