A husky voice cut through the buzzing in my ears, wrenching me violently from the darkness of unconsciousness:

  "Wake up, you bastard... You started this."

  I struggled to open my eyes. My vision was blurry, and the smell of dust and blood filled my nostrils. I found myself bound, a heavy sword with a cold, unfamiliar blade clutched in my right hand. I tried to move, but my limbs froze; sharp spears surrounded me on all sides, their points aimed at my throat like the fangs of a beast ready to strike. Any wrong move meant death.

  The voice yelled again, laced with hatred: "Finally, the devil is awake."

  I blinked in confusion, my throat dry as a desert: "Devil? What do you mean?"

  Someone laughed mockingly from behind the spears: "Pretending ignorance now? That black, horn-shaped tattoo under your left collarbone... It's the seal. You are no ordinary demon; you are the Heir of the First Demon."

  I screamed sharply, my heart pounding wildly: "What are you saying?! I am not a demon! I am a human like you! A human!"

  The man pointed at the surrounding spears and said with deadly calm: "Then, touch one of those spears. They are the 'Spears of Blood,' which form a barrier that burns demons and drains their cursed power. But humans... they are unharmed."

  ?? Scene Two: The Test of Blood and Honor

  Without thinking, driven by the urge to prove my innocence, I extended my trembling hand and touched the blade of the nearest spear.

  "Agh!" A muffled cry escaped me. A searing heat ran through my left shoulder, as if fire were consuming my flesh and bone. I snatched my hand back immediately, sweat pouring profusely from my forehead.

  "See?" the voice said with clear malice. "Do you refuse to believe it? Are you finally discovering your truth, boy?"

  I bit my lip until blood ran, clinging to my humanity: "No... this is not a joke... I am human!"

  With an insistence fueled by desperation, I grabbed the first spear with both hands. The pain was awful; the smell of my burning skin stung my nose. Then I grabbed the second, and the pain intensified until I screamed, but I didn't stop. To the astonishment of the heroes standing around me, I collected the spears one after another, panting with agony, my eyes watering and my body convulsing:

  "I am Andre son of Leon... grandson of Mark... my father and grandfather were humans who defended this land with their blood. II indeed has magic power, but I will not dishonor them, no matter the cost!"

  ??? Scene Three: Pride in the Face of Death

  The voice of Tatsuka, one of the heroes, cut me off with an arrogant tone as he stepped forward: "You say you won't dishonor them? The devil's tattoo on your neck has already done that. If you want to keep what little dignity they have left... then die while being proud of your family, kid."

  Shinji intervened, trying to calm him: "Stop, Tatsuka, don't be rash."

  But Tatsuka had made up his mind, his eyes gleaming with a desire to kill: "Leave me alone, Shinji. I am angry at those who utter words they don't respect, and who want to escape a predicament with lies. You told me to stop? You want to kill me and then say I don't deserve to live? Your mistake is not my concern."

  He looked at me with a terrifying smile and said: "Kid, I'm starting to like you. Fine, I will hide my weapon and attack you with my bare hands. But be careful what you wish for; my strength surpasses yours by light-years."

  He turned to his companions: "What do you say, guys? He has decided how he wants to die."

  They nodded in agreement, and he raised his hand and shouted: "Wind Barrier!"

  Suddenly, a stormy wall surrounded us, isolating us from the outside world.

  ?? Scene Four: The Illusory Hell

  "Thank you, Wind Master. Now, let's begin."

  Tatsuka said it, and in a fraction of a second, he vanished from my sight.

  Before I could realize what was happening, I felt an absolute silence... I had lost my hearing! Then he disappeared again, and I felt a sharp, sickening pain in my left eye; he had gouged it out!

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  He took a step back and reappeared in front of me, speaking with a coldness I couldn't hear but read on his lips: "Come on, demon, don't tell me you can't hear or see? Renew yourself."

  I couldn't hear or see well, with blood covering half my face, but I pushed through and grabbed a spear with my left hand, hurling it at him with all my rage and despair: "I won't rest until I pay you back tenfold!"

  Tatsuka laughed and easily dodged the spear: "Good throw, but weak. A throw should be like this."

  He shot an arrow that pierced my right foot, nailing it to the ground. I fell, helpless. He showed no mercy. He grabbed a spear and began plunging it into my hands, my feet, every inch of my body.

  As my consciousness faded in a pool of blood, I heard a deep, sarcastic voice echoing inside my head... the Demon's voice:

  Demon: "You are this weak? What a pity... it seems I'll have to wait a few more centuries to find another partner."

  I replied to him in my imagination as I gasped for breath: "It seems so... you cursed demon."

  Demon (with surprise): "I see hell in your eyes, and you want to go there?"

  Andre: "I don't want to... but my death will be the salvation of my suffering."

  Demon: "Foolish human... going there is hell itself. You refuse to use me? Is it because your heart is kind?"

  Andre: "No... but I am weak, I cannot bear the slightest torment."

  The Demon laughed with a terrifying sound: "Idiot... your torment hasn't even begun."

  ? Scene Five: The Return and the Confusion

  I gasped sharply and woke up. I touched my body in astonishment... no blood, no wounds, and my eye was intact! I stood before the heroes, trembling.

  "What? But I was dead just a moment ago!"

  Tatsuka spoke, wiping his sweat, his hostile tone slightly softened: "That is Tatsuka's power. My ability can create what is called the 'Illusory Zone.' No matter what happens inside it, everything returns to normal once it vanishes. However... if you had transformed into a demon inside the illusion, the second ability would have actually killed you."

  Silence reigned, then Shinji said: "It is best not to know the details, kid. But the question remains: If you are not a demon, how were you able to draw the sword?"

  I said in a shaky voice: "I don't know... that sword was talking to me before I came here."

  The heroes exchanged worried glances. "Talking to you?" said Achilles with his usual bulk. "Then there is a missing link. We will need to monitor you, and to do that, you must be a ipart ofone of the teams. I suggest he be in my team."

  Tatsuka quickly interrupted: "No, I want him. If that boy turns into a demon, I will deal with him."

  I said with bitter sarcasm: "I'm right here among you, don't you want to take my opinion at least?"

  They ignored me, and one of them suggested: "Since this is a difficult decision and the first time we've faced such a situation, how about we go to the leader of the Seven Knights, Alexander?"

  Everyone agreed: "Let's go."

  Meanwhile, from a distant corner, Charl was watching what happened, whispering to himself with worry mixed with anger: "Andre... what is happening to you? Please don't do anything that will make them hurt you, because I will kill them if they try to harm you."

  ?? Scene Six: The Burned Palace and the Knights' Leader

  The heroes headed towards the Leader's headquarters. I expected a magnificent palace befitting the Knights' Leader, but we stopped in front of a burned palace, its walls blackened as if it had witnessed a fierce war.

  We entered to find the Leader, Alexander, an elderly man with overwhelming prestige, sitting humbly on the floor talking to a group of children, like a gentle grandfather rather than the kingdom's mightiest warrior.

  A girl named Maya asked him curiously: "Sir Alexander, how did you become the Knights' Leader? Is it because you are the oldest?"

  Alexander laughed heartily: "What? So not because I'm the strongest? Of course I am the strongest, my little one."

  Maya said with childish defiance: "Really? I want to see!"

  He smiled and pulled out a simple piece of paper: "Alright, let's look at this paper. Can you put your power between these lines to make it glow?"

  The girl tried, frowning: "Eeh... No, my power is weak."

  Alexander said gently: "Look... it's amazing, the paper glows a lot with me. This is because I didn't use my power violently; I guided it to its place and only let it take a tiny amount. Try it... puts power in your hand, and let the paper do the rest."

  The girl did as he said, and suddenly the paper glowed with a warm light.

  "Ah! Look, it glowed! I succeeded!"

  "Well done, Maya."

  The moment was interrupted by the voice of one of his guards: "Sir Alexander... the Knights are here to meet you."

  Alexander rose, transforming from the gentle grandfather to the majestic Leader: "Ah, the Knights. I will go and see the Fire Hero."

  The children shouted excitedly and ran toward the heroes, ignoring the Leader.

  Alexander muttered jokingly: "After all that, you love the heroes more than me? I guess I shouldn't have spoken so loudly... It's okay, my heart can handle it."

  ? Scene Seven: The Clock Starts Moving

  One of the accompanying soldiers whispered to me: "Boy, be respectful in front of the Leader. If you try anything, I will take you out."

  I looked around the burned palace and said in a low voice: "I expected the Leader to live in a luxurious palace, but to reside in a place like this..."

  The soldier replied: "The one who burned the palace was Leader Alexander himself."

  My eyes widened in shock: "What? And why?"

  "He says it is for the future. We don't understand, but we know he sees things we don't. He has another power besides physical strength; we hope he won't have to use it."

  We entered the hall, and the soldiers shouted: "Welcome, Magic Knights!"

  Tatsuka stood beside me and hissed sharply: "Hey, you... bow!"

  When I hesitated for a second, Tatsuka kicked my injured leg, and I fell on my face, groaning in pain before the Leader.

  Alexander said in a calm, deep voice: "You are still the same, Tatsuka... If he doesn't want to bow, it's fine. Leave him be."

  Alexander raised his head and asked: "So, who is that boy?"

  Shinji stepped forward: "Sir, there is something we need to tell you about him."

  Alexander approached me, his piercing eyes scrutinizing my face, then his gaze suddenly settled on the black tattoo on my neck. His expression froze for a moment, and he whispered in a voice only I could hear, voice vo

  ice carrying an omen of doom:

  "So that's it... that clock has started to move."