Vlad's body became a statue of red pumice under everyone's wide eyes.

The poisonous rays had completed their task.

Nothing would bring Vlad back.

Helial felt the urgent need to yell at Iblis and Alexander, to beg them to bring him back to life, to turn back time, to do anything as long as Vlad was still there with them. But his lips remained sealed.

The pale red statue had a tenuous, empty look. But the most disturbing thing was a terribly inept and happy smile on his face. It was not the smile of a hero, the hero he had dreamed of being when he was still a naïve and hopeful child.

Helial felt a flame of rage mounting in his chest. Very calmly, he inhaled deeply and looked at the Assassin: "No, all the gifts you gave me were very welcome."

After one last merciless glance, the boy burned half of his Mana and, with a single sharp blow, cut the Assassin in two. Detaching a pair of Runes from his body, Flame of the Qilin wrapped the shadow body and reduced it to dust.

Another insignificant death in exchange for an insignificant death.

Helial wouldn't have dedicated another word, another drop of sweat or one last simple thought to that man.

He didn't deserve any of that.

Now all that remained was to face Comodo.

"You, " said Helial, furiously, "you are just a coward who continues to be a coward. What used to be hatred of you now is contempt. You were also unable to honor an opponent who burned his vitality to defeat you, a person worthy of respect even from an enemy. Slimy bastard! You're nothing more."

Curse of the Demon absorbed the Qilin Flames that had left his body shortly before and returned them in the form of Runes to his skin. Helial had passed them through the sword to facilitate the use of Mana.

The skill he was using was very stressful for his body. The Second Layer, Pasta with butter, was able to help him make his Skills more efficient, so as to receive less backfire for their use.

Comodo wiped his mouth from a rivulet of blood as he watched, smugly, the statue of Vlad dissolve in the wind.

He threw one last green ray at it. it did not matter that Vlad was already dead, because, seeing the body of the half Goblin shatter, Comodo felt an ecstatic feeling difficult to describe.

Vlad's body shattered and became ash, dispersing through the empty streets of Orma, the city that had welcomed and raised him.

It seemed that Comodo had no respect for Vlad's death, let alone that of his betrothed Francesca. The only reason he had gone to Berserk was because he had lost his ticket to the throne of Orma, but now that he had awakened the Hydra's power and got rid of the monster, maintaining its Inheritance, he knew he still had some hope. His indifference was revolting.

Helial was about to vomit in front of the happy expression of Aure's son. The disgust and resentment he felt from the bottom of his soul outweighed any other feeling.

Skill Activated:

Perception

Helial had suspected him before, but now he was certain: although the Assassin was strong, Helial had exploited the fact that he had underestimated him and had killed him with one blow only after inflicting only a few wounds. Comodo showed a much higher and much more pure amount of Mana than the Assassin.

This meant comodo was much stronger and more dangerous than the man in black had been.

Still, Helial let slip a smile as he walked slowly in the direction of the Goblin.

Comodo snapped out of his ecstatic trance and stared at the mocking smile on Helial's face.

Skill Activated:

Poison Ray

SPLASH

A green flash that seemed to consist of liquid poison impacted Helial's chest, under everybody's astonished eyes! The young human had not moved half an inch and had continued to look at Comodo with contempt.

The ray stopped and Helial's skin became slightly purple, much to Comodo's satisfaction.

Still, what the Goblin saw a few seconds later left him speechless.

Helial had returned to his completely rosy color and the white Runes on his body shone even brighter than before!

Comfortable, until then, had been intoxicated by his own power, but now suddenly felt a big squeeze in his stomach. It looked like a metal hand was stroking his flesh before tearing it apart.

Skill Activated:

Poison Ray

Skill Activated:

Poison Ray

Skill Activated:

Poison Ray

Skill Activated:

Poison Ray

Skill Activated:

Poison Ray

Skill Activated:

Poison Ray

Skill Activated:

Poison Ray

Comodo began to gasp slightly because of the great consumption of Mana.

Helial took several steps back, staggering, but nothing else. He was like an indestructible titanic colossus.

The last ray approached with greater speed than the others, but Helial grabbed it with his bare hands and broke it, generating a fountain of green sparks.

"Damn it," Comodo swore in a low voice, as a strange feeling of envy and horror mingled inside his heart.

Why didn't the Poison Rays have any effect? He had not perceived any major change in the flow of Mana around Helial, how could he have survived a direct hit? It was still Mana imbued with the Hydra's Legacy.

It didn't make sense... Unless Helial's Ability directly affected the inside of his body-

"Not only are you a retarded asshole," Helial said, "but you also believe that this Mana that now seems under your control is the ultimate weapon. You're no longer in Berserk for some reason, but do you really think you're the strongest just because you've conquered a Mana you didn't deserve, and you haven't passed any tests?

"This Mana was inside your body and now, having activated it for some strange reason and escaped its control, are you suddenly so proud of yourself?"

A power you haven't conquered isn't yours."

Comodo resumed his proud upright position, that of the past, what made him the descendant of the Sect of the Worthy. But he had lost all the usual calm, indispensable to fight and win during clashes.

"What do you know, you, how much I had to suffer, what incredible torture I suffered because of that fool of your brother? You will be the first to receive the punishment I have in store for him, then I will go to him and skin him alive!"

Helial shook his head slowly. "Pathetic. You're not able to defeat me, and you already think you can even get close to Hades without someone making you disappear like dust in the wind? If you think living in Orma stopped me from searching information about him, you're wrong. I've gathered enough information to give me a very vague idea of the circle of powers that surrounds Hades. With this scant information, I can assure you that without a hundred Immortals on your side, it will be impossible to defeat him. And you become so pround because of a simple Skill like this."

A series of white Runes passed over the palm of his hand and turned into a white flame. The tongues of fire burned with unprecedented violence.

"Flame of the Qilin is the natural enemy of Abilities like yours. The Mana of Life inside it is one of the purest and can dissolve whatever poison you have in store for me. And now, you still think you can beat Hades, who's a lot stronger than me at the moment? No, it's impossible. I will take his life as soon as I meet him again."

...

Inside Helial's Soul

"Do you know that what he said is not entirely true?" said Alexander, eating his dear caramelized popcorn and keeping them away from Bucefalo, who watched them with a ravenous gaze.

"No. Mana's purity principles are no use to a little boy. The formulas that allow to understand the functioning of purity, in relation to antiquity of the Mana Path... No, it's too complicated to give him knowledge like that before Immortality."

Bucefalo sneezed and looked resentful at Alexander, who was eating as much as possible without giving him not even a single pop-corn.

"Hydra Mana is much older than that of Life and Destruction. Comodo's current attacks are certainly not capable of killing the Shithead, but the power he possesses is much larger and purer than what he is exercising. Helial is in danger of losing, as he is underestimating it."

Alexander nodded and continued to eat as if nothing had happened.

Bucefalo, on the other hand, not being in control of Time and Destiny, could not grasp well what the Devil and his King were saying to each other, so he kept pointing at the popcorn, waiting to be able to fill his stomach.