**The 4 Internal Forces: Soul, Mana, Corporeal, and Essential**
The energy that governs existence is not limited to just the body or the mind. There are four fundamental forces within every being:
**Soul Force:** A unique energy, coming from the spirit, manifested differently for each individual. Most humans are unaware of its potential, but those who can access it are seen as witches and sorcerers.
**Mana Force:** An extension of the Soul Force, but less intense. It can be taught and passed on, allowing beings to share spiritual abilities with each other.
**Corporeal Force:** The most used by humans, derived from physical training and strengthening of the soul. Individuals with little spiritual energy develop an ectomorphic body, while those with great mana become endomorphic. Between the two extremes are the mesomorphs, who master this force completely, being able to deliver powerful blows without causing unnecessary destruction.
**Essential Force:** A hidden energy, awakened only in crucial moments. When released, it boosts all other forces to their maximum, resulting in an absolute transformation.
On Earth, few knew of these forces. They never significantly altered the lives of ordinary humans. However... what if beings beyond comprehension invaded the planet?
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A young man with long white hair, yellow eyes, and torn clothes woke up.
His head was throbbing, his body was weak, and his vision was blurry. The biting cold of the rocky floor made it clear he was in an unknown place.
He tried to stand up, but his legs faltered. He strained his mind to remember something—anything—but his memory was a blur.
Boy — "Where... am I?"
With great effort, he crawled through the damp, dark cave, feeling his way along the walls until he found a path.
Boy — "I was... in that place... and those guys brought me here... What the hell. I should stop talking to myself and just find the exit."
After minutes of wandering in the darkness, he finally spotted a sliver of light.
Boy — "Finally!"
The boy finds himself at the edge of a precipice, gazing out at a devastated world, with its houses destroyed and no signs of life.
A bit further away, a small, lifeless town can be seen.
Boy — "Damn... what happened here?"
??? — "It's not that hard to explain."
The boy got chills. His body froze instantly.
He turned slowly and saw.
Two colossal creatures, about three meters tall, with grotesque skin and hungry eyes, were watching him.
Boy — "My God, haha… what the FUCK is that?!"
Demon 1 - "We ate the whole region, except for that damned little town."
Demon 2 — "Man, I haven't eaten anything for days... they killed all the easy prey in the area," — said one of the demons, snapping his fingers.
Demon 1 — "We can share this human," — suggested the other.
Demon 2— "No way! You already ate yesterday, you glutton!"
While they argued, the boy took the chance to run. But he barely took three steps before one of the demons vanished from his sight and reappeared floating above him.
Demon 1 - "You're not going anywhere."
His heart raced.
Suddenly, everything around him slowed down. A bluish tint took over the environment, and the demon attacking him seemed to be moving as if stuck in time.
The boy's eyes widened.
Boy — "T-that's too much information at once!"
Seizing the opportunity, he tried to run again, but his body couldn't take it. His vision darkened, and he fell to his knees.
The bluish color disappeared.
Demon 1 — "What?! You teleported?!" — the demon shouted, confused.
The boy barely had time to understand what had happened before the creature lunged.
The final blow was about to land.
The Boy thinks — "Jesus, someone save me...."
And then, a blur cut through the air.
In an instant, the demon's head was severed. The head took a few seconds to fall to the ground.
The boy blinked.
Before him stood an imposing figure, in shining golden armor, holding a sword stained with black blood.
Boy — "J-JESUS?!" — The boy stammered.
The man laughed.
Angel — "Haha, no, kid. But I am his messenger."
Without hesitation, he plunged his sword into the demon's heart, which disintegrated into dust.
The second monster's eyes widened.
Demon 2 — "Shit... I didn't know there were angels around here! Was it you who killed my allies?!"
The warrior didn't answer. In the blink of an eye, he charged, tearing the demon to pieces. He held its heart, squeezed hard, and made it explode into a dark mist.
Angel — "Remorseless demons… don't deserve to live."
The boy remained motionless, trying to absorb what had just happened. His gaze met that of the strange warrior.
The silence lasted a few seconds until the man finally spoke:
Angel — "What's your name, young man?"
The boy hesitated. A sudden headache made him shudder. His name…
Boy — "Well, a voice in my head tells me to say Icarus. My name is Icarus? Yeah, my name is Icarus."
Angel — "Icarus, is it? My name is Michael, I am an archangel, and we were looking for you."
Icarus — "Looking for me? And... 'we' who?"
Michael made a gesture, and two figures emerged from the shadows.
The first was a tall, muscular man, covered in scars. His black hair had an undercut on the right side, and his armor was made of leather and metal mesh. His gaze was fierce.
Michael — "This is Zariel, son of the god of war. A bit hard-headed, but don't mind what he says."
Zariel — "What's up, asshole?" — Zariel grumbled, crossing his arms.
Next to him, a bearded, absurdly muscular man, wearing Greek robes, observed everything with a defiant look.
Michael — "And this is Socrates, the great philosopher."
Socrates - "Pleasure to meet you, young m—"
Icarus — "HOLY SHIT, HOLD ON" — Icarus interrupted — "What happened to the planet?! I just almost got killed by demons, I used some crazy power, an angel saved me, and now there's a GOD and the FREAKING SOCRATES in front of me?! At least explain what happened to the planet and WHY you came for me."
Michael - "The world... in ruins..."
In the universe, all religions, mythologies, and folk legends coexist, gaining power from human belief, with Earth as the common origin.
The creator gods (like Jehovah, Izanami, Izanagi, and Chaos) signed a peace treaty to avoid tyranny and direct contact with humans.
However, a mysterious evil force — possibly someone with superior "narrative power" — broke the dimensional barriers, imprisoning the great gods in cocoons.
Gods opposed to the treaty rebelled, killed rivals, and divided Earth into apocalyptic domains; Brazil, for example, fell under Zeus.
Michael - "My team's goal is to defeat each of these gods, gather allies, and strengthen ourselves enough to restore peace to the universe, and you, for some reason, have my Lord God's interest."
Icarus — "What? Why me??"
Michael — "I can still talk to God through prayer. He told me you are the chosen one to save the whole world, Icarus! Do you want to come with us?"
Icarus — "Hell no."
Michael is taken aback by Icarus's dry and direct answer.
Michael — "B-but why??"
Icarus — "I lived 18 long years of my life lying in a bed in.." — Strong headaches suddenly — "a bad place, and I could barely eat, and you think that I, without any kind of experience, could face GODS?! No, I want to enjoy my last moments of life, eat and run as much as I can, I'm not into this 'chosen one' talk, so my answer is no."
Michael — "I see... then I'll take you to the human village, we are protecting that place and..." - Michael is interrupted.
Zariel — "For fuck's sake Michael, you gave up that easily? You're such a fool..." — Zariel advances on Icarus and says - "You lived your whole life as a piece of shit, and now you're going to refuse your chance to have an adventure? Understand, you won't last 1 week on this planet, we're giving you the opportunity to live longer and live well, and by the way, I saw by your gooner face, you want to die - he gets closer to you - Like an eternal virgin?"
Icarus — "Virgin?!"
Zariel — "You won't find anyone in that town, and well... on our team, there's a very young girl who looks about 18, your age, I'd say. She hasn't fit in with us, she feels lonely, you don't want to be with a pretty girl? You little shit."
Icarus's gaze is intense, his eyes tremble, as if he's about to go crazy.
Icarus - "So God is kidding with my face, huh? hehe... this can't be real, I don't even know who I am or why I'm here." - Icarus says in his thoughts.
Icarus - "I have no choice, do I?" - Icarus sighs heavily and puts his hand on his face.
Icarus laughs and starts walking forward aimlessly.
Icarus — "This is a lot to take in, but alright, I accept, let's save the UNIVERSE, damn it!"
Socrates — "Our path is the other way, kid."
The group arrived in front of a large house, set apart from the town, but still with a nice view of it. The place had a rustic and cozy style, with polished wooden walls and large windows that let in the golden evening light. On the porch, a few rocking chairs indicated that this house was not just a refuge, but a home.
Icarus observed the building with a curious look.
Before Michael could finish his sentence, Icarus, driven by curiosity, entered the house. The living room was spacious and well-lit by a lit fireplace, the smell of burning wood mixed with that of freshly brewed tea. But none of that caught his attention as much as the colossal figure sitting on the sofa.
Yellow eyes shone in the dim light, contrasting with beige skin. Short horns protruded from his forehead, and his overly muscular body almost sank the sofa under his weight. His expression carried a severe, but not aggressive, air.
Icarus — "W-who is this guy...?" — he asked, feeling a chill down his spine.
Michael — "Ah, this one?" — Michael smiled sideways. — "Haha, this is Azazel."
Icarus — "Azazel?! But... what about that whole 'demons don't deserve to live' speech?!"
Michael — "Azazel and I had a very long conversation. He feels deeply remorseful for his sins and isn't seeking redemption. I felt I should forgive him."
The demon stood up slowly, his shadow projecting onto the wall. He looked at Icarus and gave a small smile, somewhat disconcerting, but sincere.
Azazel — "Pleasure to meet you, kid. I know I don't look very friendly, but I tried to take on a less scary form."
Icarus — "What? No, it's not that... It's just that I'm not used to non-human beings, you know? I hope we can be friends."
Icarus extended his hand, trying to seem friendly. Azazel looked at his own giant hand and snorted.
Azazel — "I don't think that would be a good idea..."
Icarus — "Yeah... you're right."
Before the silence could drag on, the sound of hurried footsteps echoed from the hallway, followed by an animated voice.
??? — "You're already here? Did you find who you were looking for?"
Icarus turned and froze upon seeing a girl who seemed straight out of a dream. She had a charming gothic look, wore a collar and leather bracelets, a sheer skirt that revealed black shorts underneath, fishnets, and heavy boots. Her blonde hair fell in soft waves, and her purple eyes shone like amethysts.
Icarus — "Wow..."
He straightened his posture, trying to seem chivalrous.
Icarus — "Pleasure to meet you, fair lady. My name is Icarus, and yours...?"
The girl blinked a few times, surprised by the formal approach. Then, she chuckled softly, visibly embarrassed.
??? — "Uuh... I'm Miyuki. Thanks for calling me 'lady', I love being seen as young. But you don't have to talk like that to me, I'm pretty easy-going."
Icarus — "Young? Aren't you 18 years old?"
Miyuki hesitated, averting her gaze.
Miyuki — "Hm... Actually, I'm... 118 years old."
Icarus's eyes visibly showed confusion, but among all his neurons, he thought of the perfect response.
Icarus — "118? With that face that looks 30?!"
Miyuki — "Stop! You're embarrassing me!"
Before the flirting could continue, an irritated voice cut through the moment.
Zariel — "Enough of this bullshit, this isn't a date."
The group went to the living room and settled in. The conversation flowed naturally, each telling a bit about themselves.
Michael — "I don't remember my life before becoming an angel. Mortals lose their memories when they ascend, but I feel immense gratitude towards God. I took an oath to fight for Him."
Miyuki — "I was a medium when I was human. Since I was little, I saw spirits, and everyone thought I was crazy. I ended up being sent to an asylum... I hated that place."
Icarus — "But couldn't you prove to anyone that it was real?"
Miyuki — "Oh, my dear, if anyone said they saw spirits, they were labeled either crazy or a witch."
Icarus — "What about you, Zariel?"
Zariel — "I don't need to say anything. I'm just here to protect my master."
Socrates — "Don't call me master, Zariel. A wise man has no servants."
Icarus and Miyuki exchange confused looks.
Michael — "Leave him. Let's change the subject. Azazel, why don't you tell us a bit about yourself?"
Azazel crossed his arms and took a deep breath, as if gathering words that weighed more than he'd like to admit.
Azazel — "Prince of Hell. Sin of Wrath."
His deep voice resonated through the room, and the firelight cast shadows around his time-worn face.
Azazel — "I committed sins that didn't deserve forgiveness. I did irreparable things. But time taught me to reflect on that... and, even if heaven has no place for me, I want to ensure others have a chance."
Icarus felt somewhat uncomfortable with the seriousness of his origin.
Icarus — "Wow... deep."
Socrates gave a slight smile before speaking.
Socrates — "I, on the other hand, don't have much to say. I was just a man who sought knowledge and questioned the world's certainties. My reward? Poisoned in Athens. I was rejected by the Olympian gods... but Odin accepted me into Valhalla."
Icarus frowned.
Icarus — "So you're dead?"
Azazel and Michael stared at him, visibly confused by the question.
Icarus — "Huh, it's right. Sorry, I forgot."
Miyuki smiled from the corner, approaching Icarus. Gently, she took his hand and looked him in the eyes.
Miyuki — "You haven't said anything about yourself yet. Tell me a bit more."
Icarus felt his face heat up, averting his gaze.
Icarus — "I... don't remember very well."
A shadow of uncertainty crossed his face. He clenched his fists and tried to pull memories from his hazy mind.
Icarus — "My mother... I don't know if she was dead or alive. And I... lived my whole life in a white, noisy place."
Michael — "A hospital?"
A sharp pain shot through his head like a blade. He staggered slightly, holding onto the table.
Icarus — "Y-yeah! A hospital... but I don't remember why. And one day, out of nowhere, I woke up in that cave."
The silence in the room was broken by a loud grumble.
Icarus — "Err... Who here cooks?" — Says Icarus, trying to change the subject.
Everyone turned at the same time to Zariel, who looked visibly embarrassed.
Zariel — "You're all pieces of shit... OK! I'll go make this DAMN lunch already!"
Sometime later, Icarus looked at the plate in front of him with an expression of pure distaste. Grilled chicken breast, brown rice, and broccoli.
Icarus — "Broccoli?"
Zariel — "You'll eat what I cook. You need to get strong."
Icarus — "Alright, but at least give me something to drink. Juice, water, whatever."
Zariel — "That's bad for your health."
Zariel rolled his eyes and picked up a glass. The dark red liquid reflected the firelight, dense and vibrant.
Icarus — "…What is that?"
Zariel — "My blood. You're going to drink it."
Icarus's eyes widened.
Icarus — "WHAT THE?! HOW DID YOU GET THAT?!"
Zariel used his nails and, without hesitation, cut his own wrist, letting the blood pour into the glass.
Zariel — "Duh. I cut myself."
Icarus took a step back, frightened.
Icarus — "THAT'S NOT NORMAL! WHY DO I NEED TO DRINK THAT?!"
Zariel — "Your body needs to get used to divine blood."
Icarus — "THAT DOESN'T EVEN MAKE SENSE!"
Miyuki let out an amused laugh and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear.
Miyuki — "It's alright, Icarus."
She struck a charming pose and winked.
Miyuki — "If you manage to drink it, I'll give you a special present~"
Icarus's brain processed the phrase for a second before he simply grabbed the glass and downed it all in one go.
Icarus — "I CAN ALREADY FEEL THE DIVINE BLOOD IN MY VEINS!"
Zariel — "THAT'S NOT HOW IT WORKS, YOU DIPSHIT!"
Miyuki laughed and took an orange scarf from her pocket. She handed it to Icarus delicately.
Miyuki — "I sewed it myself. I hope you like it."
Icarus looked at the handkerchief for a moment before smiling and tying it around his neck.
Icarus — "I love it, Miyuki. I'll wear it forever."
Zariel — "Simp."
Icarus — "SHUT UP!"
Then, suddenly, he felt a wave of nausea.
Icarus — "Urgh... I... think downing a whole glass of blood wasn't a good idea..."
Michael — "Take the chance to rest, Icarus. Eat everything and relax your head."
Icarus walks to the room where he will sleep, but is abruptly interrupted by Zariel.
Zariel — "Your all happy face irritates me."
Icarus — "Kinda living a dream. You said yourself, I'm on an adventure."
Zariel — "I said that because it was my duty. I don't care about a mortal like you. Besides, Miyuki would be happy like that with anyone who found her pretty."
Icarus laughs and stares at Zariel with a provocative look.
Icarus — "But the lucky one with her now is me. I'm not going to waste this opportunity."
Zariel grumbles and walks away.
Zariel — "15:00, we're going to train. You won't have time to be full of yourself, virgin."
Icarus, lying in his bed, raises his arm high, trying to remember what his body was like.
Icarus - "Am I... still human? What was I like before waking up in that cave? I'm trying to deceive myself, nothing is okay, all I have left is: to keep up appearances."
Outside, Michael sets up various tests for Icarus, Miyuki, and Zariel. The training begins with an exhausting marathon, followed by resistance to extreme temperatures and lifting colossal rocks.
Scenes show Icarus having to do numerous push-ups, having to punch a tree until it breaks, which he failed to do, and after that, Miyuki and Zariel decide to fight.
Meanwhile, Icarus and Michael talk.
Icarus — "I'm... exhausted... I can't do any more..."
Michael — "Then let's do something lighter. Come with me."
Michael puts Icarus on his back and starts flying.
Icarus — "Whoa, whoa! Easy there, man! This is really cool but really scary!"
Michael laughs and starts talking — "I saw you teleported back there in that cave, how did you do that?"
Icarus — "Me? Well, it's not a teleport, I think," — Icarus says quietly while trying to explain the situation — "I ended up in a blue version of the world, and the monster seemed to be in slow motion."
Michael is shocked.
Michael — "You were in the world of the..." — Michael chose not to say — "Let's try to access that place again, okay?"
Michael guides Icarus to a mighty waterfall, where the water plummets with brutal force.
Icarus — "Meditate? What will I gain from that?"
Michael — "You still don't know how to control your soul. You need to understand it, feel it. Channel it to your hands."
Icarus concentrates.
Icarus - "Was something supposed to happen?"
Michael - "You concentrated for 3 seconds, don't be impatient."
Icarus - "And now?"
Michael - "You concentrated for only 10 seconds now, CONCENTRATE!"
Little by little, he feels something awaken within him, as if his soul were burning in the form of pure energy. However, before he can shape it, the force becomes uncontrollable. Suddenly, a white flame envelops him completely. His silhouette disappears amid the intense light, and his screams echo through the forest.
Michael — "Icarus! That's too much energy! Control it! Channel it!"
Icarus grits his teeth, fighting the explosion of power. Gradually, he manages to direct the energy to his fists, forming a vibrant aura around him.
Icarus — "That wasn't light at all..."
Michael - "I told you to concentrate, you're too impatient!"
Icarus takes a deep breath, still feeling the electricity in his body. With his intuition on edge, he advances towards a giant rock and throws a punch. The stone shatters into a thousand pieces.
Icarus — "Damn! That's so COOL!"
Excited, he starts testing his strength, firing bursts of energy and punching everything around him. The ground shakes with the impact.
Michael — "Hey, hey, hey! Stop that!" — He shouts desperately.
Icarus — "Ugh, let me have fun, this is like an anime."
Michael — "Look, you've already discovered the key to controlling your powers; all that's left is soul absorption and teleporting to another dimension."
Icarus — "Soul absorption? Can I try that?"
Michael — "Well, I don't have any souls with me at the moment, so we'll leave that for the next day."
Icarus and Michael return to where the others were and find Miyuki and Zariel in intense combat.
Zariel hurls rocks at Miyuki with monstrous strength, but a ghostly figure appears beside her and destroys the projectiles with powerful punches.
Miyuki draws her Glock and envelops it in a magical glow. Each shot resonates like thunder, and the bullets advance with devastating force. Zariel, however, dodges with brutal agility and, in a moment of pure demonstration of strength, repels one of the bullets with his bare hand.
Then, he charges at Miyuki.
She draws her katana, envelops it in magic, and the close-quarters combat begins. Quick strikes cut through the air as blade and fist clash violently.
Miyuki — "Hanpatsu!" (Repel!)
An explosion of energy pushes Zariel away.
Zariel — "Bitch... I hate these Chinese spells of yours."
Miyuki — "They're Japanese..." — She rolls her eyes, annoyed.
Zariel quickly recovers and charges at her, delivering a devastating punch. The spirit beside Miyuki tries to block the blow, but Zariel lets out a deafening roar, dissipating the entity into the air. Without protection, Miyuki is hit and thrown against a mountain, leaving a crack in the rock.
Icarus says, frightened — "Miyuki! Are you okay?!"
Miyuki — "Don't worry. He was holding back, at least he didn't lose like last time, haha."
Zariel approaches, grumbling.
Zariel — "I hate this arsenal of weapons and these idiotic spells of yours. And I'm never touching that thing again."
Miyuki — "Hey! Fred was my boyfriend, like... 50 years ago. Don't call him a 'thing'."
Icarus, observing the spiritual entity, feels something pulse inside him. He remembers what Michael said: Soul Absorption. Without thinking much, he follows his intuition and tries to suck in the spirit.
Icarus felt something cold run down his throat as the spectral energy entered his body. Suddenly, a vision: Fred, on a battlefield, laughing next to Miyuki. Then, a betrayal. A mortal duel. Pain. Oblivion.
Icarus opened his eyes, feeling the power pulsing in his muscles, but also a strange sensation—as if there was something inside him that wasn't completely his.
Miyuki — "FRED!"
Icarus — "AH! Sorry!"
Miyuki sighs and shrugs.
Miyuki — "It's fine... He was an asshole. Always wanted to say that."
Michael observes the phenomenon, and his eyes widen upon seeing Icarus.
Michael — "W-what happened?!"
Somehow, Icarus is now more muscular, as if his body structure had been instantly strengthened.
Azazel appears, observing the scene with a curious smile.
Azazel — "Apparently, by absorbing the soul, he acquired its attributes."
Icarus examines himself and notices his body is stronger.
Icarus — "I'm in shape? That's so AWESOME!"
Miyuki starts drooling.
Miyuki — "Such a young person with a body like that..."
Zariel — "You're a pervert! You don't even know him well."
Michael claps his hands.
Michael — "Hey, attention! The training isn't over yet! Congratulations, Icarus, but we still have a lot to do. Now... run to that other mountain!"
Icarus — "Ah man, for fuck's sake..."
**END OF CHAPTER 1**