The slimy monster roared, launching a massive blue mass of viscous goo toward Luís.
However, the slime stopped midair, colliding against something invisible before slowly dripping to the ground.
Ruby stared in shock.
— He... he blocked the attack without moving... it's like there's an invisible barrier around him... — she thought.
Luís raised his gaze, his tone calm and mocking:
— How about becoming a snack for my little friend?
He paused, then extended his hand upward.
— Neo Jutsu: False Reality — Dimensional Maw!
Above the monster, the air distorted. A dark rift opened in the ceiling, spreading wide like an endless mouth.
From within it, a colossal creature — a black worm with glowing purple eyes — emerged and devoured the monster whole in a single gulp.
Moments later, it retreated back into the rift, which vanished without a trace.
Ruby, still trapped, froze in terror.
Then, a weak voice broke the silence:
— Help... her... please...
Luís turned toward the sound and found a man lying on the ground, bleeding and barely alive.
— What happened here? — Luís asked, kneeling beside him.
The man coughed blood before speaking:
— A being named Ray... unleashed one of the Sacred Beasts... and a dragon. They destroyed everything. Ray fought the scientist who ruled this place and his experiments... the result... is what you see before you.
— What about the Sentinels? The King? — Luís pressed.
— Here... in this ninja kingdom... we're all weak... we have only one Sentinel of Light... she must be fighting Ray... beyond that door... the rest... are already gone... — the man whispered, then let out his final breath.
Luís closed his eyes for a moment, then stood and faced the great door ahead.
A sound made him glance to the side — Ruby had broken free from the slime, but she was coughing blood.
— Let's keep going, Luís... — she said weakly.
— Better not, Ruby. That slime wounded you from the inside. — he replied, serious.
Ruby simply gave him a thumbs-up before collapsing to the floor, gasping for air.
Luís opened the door, revealing a dark underground corridor.
---
Upon exiting the tunnel, he was greeted by a crimson explosion.
An intense battle raged before him.
Ray was there, clashing with a woman covered in wounds — the Sentinel of Light of that kingdom.
— So that's Ray... — Luís muttered. — But she's too injured... if this continues, she'll die...
---
Meanwhile, elsewhere in the ruined city, Kevin watched as the horned man leapt down from a building, landing firmly on the ground.
The enemy tore the horns from his own head, fusing them together into a black sword with a living eye pulsating at its center.
— What a strange sword... — Kevin thought. — It has a real eye in it...
— Stay here, girl. — he said to the child. — I promised we'd leave together.
But the girl trembled too much to answer, tears streaming down her face.
Kevin raised his green blade. His eyes shone — the irises turned silver, split vertically by a glowing red line.
The clash began.
Their swords collided at such blinding speed that only sparks and flashes could be seen slicing through the air.
Kevin leapt back, his left arm wounded. His opponent, however, was already bleeding from multiple deep cuts.
The silence shattered with a twisted laugh.
— This is your end, boy. You didn't even notice when I left my curse on you.
Kevin looked down. His shirt was torn, his body covered in cuts.
On the right side of his chest, a black mark shaped like an eye pulsed faintly.
— But... when...? — he thought, alarmed.
— Your fate is sealed, kid. — the man sneered.
Kevin tightened his grip on the sword.
— If I were you, I wouldn't do anything stupid. — the man mocked. — If I die, you die too. But if you die... I live. Convenient, isn't it?
Kevin clenched his teeth, fury rising.
— Neo Jutsu: Radius Drilling! — shouted his foe.
His sword gleamed with yellow lightning and shot forward at blinding speed.
Kevin instinctively raised a green barrier before him.
The impact unleashed a deafening explosion, a flash that swallowed everything.
---
When the light faded, Kevin found himself sitting on a wooden bench by a tranquil lake.
Beside him, Master Cyrus gazed at the water's reflection.
— Do you know why you can't cast enchantments, Kevin? — the master asked.
— No, sir... — the boy replied.
Cyrus sighed deeply.
— Long ago, a man was born with two opposing essences — demonic and celestial. He trained until he fused them, creating something new — the Healer Essence. But when it was born, that essence lost its connection to the natural elements. That's why its wielders can't use enchantments.
Kevin frowned.
— So... to cast an enchantment, I need to fuse my essence with a natural element... but I can't do that?
— Exactly. — said Cyrus. — But remember, boy: the Healer Essence is shaped by your imagination. Never stop imagining!
Everything began to blur — a white light engulfed his vision.
---
— Hey, you there! — shouted a child.
Young Kevin turned, curious.
— What is it? Wanna play ball?
— No, I wanna see if you can fight! — the boy said excitedly, tossing him a small sword.
Kevin caught it, but the instant he touched the blade, blue sparks burst from his hands, repelling the weapon.
Startled, he dropped it.
— Ow... — he muttered, holding his mouth.
A nearby girl laughed.
— Didn't you know, João? He's got the Healer Essence! He's so weak he can't even hold a sword or use enchantments!
The children laughed and mocked him:
— "You're weak!"
— "Shame of the Dinark clan!"
— "You shouldn't even try to be a warrior!"
— "How could someone like you be a Dinark?"
The voices echoed, mixing in Kevin's mind — growing louder as he grew older.
In an open field, among teenagers training with blades, his master called out:
— Kevin Dinark! Step forward.
Kevin walked toward him, feeling the stares and whispers around him:
— "That's him? The Dinark kid?"
— "Yeah, but he's the weakest one."
Once they were alone, the master spoke coldly:
— Starting tomorrow... don't come back here.
— What...? Why, sir? — Kevin asked, confused.
— You can't wield a weapon, you can't cast spells. You're only good at healing. — the man said, turning away. — Accept reality. Become a simple healer.
Kevin stood frozen, alone, the weight of those words echoing inside him.
A flash tore across the sky.
For a moment, everything turned white.
— Oops... — Kevin whispered.
Blood poured from his mouth, nose, and chest.
His green sword began to dissolve, turning into wind.
Before him, his rival stood tall, a cruel grin on his face.
— I didn't even hear your incantation for that barrier. — he sneered. — Too bad... it wasn't enough to stop my strike.
He pulled the blade from Kevin's chest.
The boy's body hit the ground, heavy, blood soaking the earth.
— Where's the girl? — growled the man, wiping his sword. — That traitor won't escape punishment.
When he lifted his gaze, he saw her — cornered against a wall, trembling.
— Scared, huh, Maria? — he said, stepping closer. — You should've thought about that before betraying your creator. Death is your only way out.
Maria staggered back, tears streaming down her dirty face.
"I have to run... please... not now..." — she thought desperately.
Suddenly, a laugh echoed.
— Of course... of course! — The voice was familiar. — Giving up was never an option... just like you always said, father.
Kevin's eyes shot open, glowing bright green.
— The people who make me happy are my stars... and I became someone else's star. This is my time to shine! — he shouted, laughing madly.
The man stepped back in shock.
— What... what is this? That kid... he was dead! How... how is he floating?!
Kevin's body rose slowly, rotating backward until he hovered high in the sky, suspended like a living star.
— Lend me your power, my dear friend Melissa! — he cried. — It's our time to shine!
A crack opened on his forehead, splitting into a mouth.
From it, a feminine voice replied:
— Of course... we're the stars of the show!
Kevin dove from the sky.
The impact roared — a dense cloud of dust engulfed everything.
— That guy's insane... — the rival muttered, coughing.
When the dust cleared, Kevin stood there — firm, alive, eyes cold and steady.
— Impossible! — the man screamed. — I pierced his heart! I left my curse on him! How is he still... alive?!
Kevin smiled, gazing at the sky.
— Dear sister... I've returned. Wait for me.
He lowered his right hand to the ground.
Cracks spread like wounds, and from them, green chains emerged, wrapping around his enemy's legs.
— Tsk... I've spent nearly all my essence. — the man muttered. — Guess I've got one last move...
He smirked, spreading his arms.
— Neo Jutsu: Ultimate Bomber!
His body glowed yellow, shattering the chains.
With a leap, he lunged at Kevin — and as Kevin's green sword pierced through him, he exploded.
A burst of yellow light consumed the field.
When the glare faded, only Kevin remained standing.
His right arm was gone.
— Idiot... blew himself up trying to take me with him. — he said with a smirk.
On his shoulder, a green glow appeared — blood, nerves, and bone began regenerating, forming a new arm.
— Good as new. — he smiled. — Time to head back.
Melissa's voice echoed from his forehead:
— Wait... check on the girl.
— Right... — Kevin sighed. — I almost forgot.
Running through the wreckage, he muttered:
— Searching like this is annoying... better activate the Hagan.
Kevin's irises turned silver, a green line cutting through the pupils.
He scanned the horizon.
— Found her, Melissa. She's running straight ahead.
— How'd you find her? — Melissa asked.
— The Hagan lets me see people's essence... I could spot hers from here.
— Makes sense... — said the voice. — Good luck, Kevin.
The mouth vanished, leaving his forehead clear.
Kevin took flight, slicing through the wind until he caught up with the girl.
— Hey, girl! — he shouted.
Seeing him approach, Maria ran faster, terrified.
— Wait! I just want to talk! — Kevin called out.
"No... he's going to kill me... just like the others..." — Maria thought, panicking.
Suddenly, she slammed into something invisible. When she looked up, Kevin was standing before her, smiling.
— Got you. — he said coldly.
The light in his eyes shone bright — a sharp contrast to the fear in hers.