If love existed, there wouldn't be much fawly in this world. We'd all live in harmony as one nation with one leader. But since man decided to unsheathe their swords and women their cat, here we are now. Hence, I say-if love existed, I wouldn't be in this traffic.

  A man thought to himself as he puffed smoke, staring at the blurred window, which was momentarily cleared by the wipers. The tick-tick of rubber against glass almost sounded like a heartbeat.

  But then again... we'd still be

  He finally reached the traffic lane only to be stopped by a red light. His teeth clenched. He felt like cutting through them all, just to be free, but he swallowed the intrusive thought.

  That's when he saw her.

  A child in a white nightdress, standing in the rain, clutching a one-eyed teddy bear. She stared right at him. Was she looking for her mother? A chill ran down his spine as he saw that she was smiling.

  He rubbed his eyes. When he opened them, the glass was painted red.

  ...A bunch of ants.

  He gazed through the window again, and the girl was walking past burning bodies. The wipers squealed, but he felt no rain anymore-only heat, as if the car itself were inside the fire. He gripped the steering wheel and knuckles white.

  His phone was dead when he tried the hero agency. No help. Outside, a man walked, engulfed in flames, his footprints burning yet never going out.

  The man didn't want to die in his new BMW 3 Series. He felt like he was inside a movie as horns bled into screams outside. He could here the anempathetic music playing in his head.

  He fixed his tie, sweat slick against his throat, and prayed for the first time in his life before opening the door. The rain hit like glass.

  People hung on black rods like meat on sticks. Corpses still burned, and others were scattered in pieces.

  And then-voices. Laughter. He turned.

  A group of beings sat in the fire, sharing sake like it was nothing. Their glasses clinked; the sound overlapped with the screech of wipers still going behind him.

  He ran. Just as he reached the other lane, darkness swallowed him. The traffic light turned green.

  "Why didn't you let me take the last piece?" a voice asked, tinged with sadness.

  The man engulfed in flames laughed.

  "I thought male ants weren't an appetizer, Jack the Reaper." She stared at Jack, who raised his glass, the scar Zoro had given him still carved across his chest.

  "Cheers!" my squad shouted as glasses clashed in the biggest bar in the city.

  This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.

  "So you really jumped off a bridge after giving up on life... only to end up here after choosing the warrior's path instead of a blissful one?" Olivia twirled her finger around her glass, her tone teasing. "I've heard of people getting two choices, but never thought I'd meet one."

  "It happened to those from Ecardwark they are shifted in a remote world with either new memories or none then depending on their trate they may have such choices ," Blaze added with a slap to my back that made me wince. "Your story's wild, kid. Tell us more."

  Humans can hide many things, but not the emotions that burn in their eyes. I searched their faces for envy, doubt, or bitterness... but found none.

  My fingers tightened around my beer glass until it cracked. I hope ... they don't leave me cold after giving me this warmth.

  "Sorry guys for ignoring all of you lately I ju-"

  "No need for apologies Blaze can be quite mean but he cares a lot ",Luna said .

  Blaze shrugged.

  "Hey Olivia, we could have some tea or something sometime to make up for ditching you back there", I tried to be polite.

  They went silent gazing at me.

  Olivia was red . Was she angry ？

  "Did I say something wrong ".

  "Not at all there was no need but I'd be glad to",Olivia waved her hands.

  The main door opened and everyone went silent. We looked back to see Lucen and his new squad coming through.

  I didn't feel like drinking anymore.

  "Woahhh, the super-cool squad, ranked number one!" Olivia rolled her eyes as she exaggerated a cheer.

  Melissa leaned in with a smirk. "I thought you had eyes for Lucen."

  "Please. I'm more into quiet, mysterious guys," Olivia said-and her eyes landed squarely on me.

  "They're walking towards us," Blaze whispered.

  "Kael is making us famous "

  People took out the cameras.

  "Angel Heroes is it ? Nice to meet you squad Kael ".

  "I didn't think you'd pay attention to ant ", I continued glancing at my beer .

  "Would an ant defeat the monster you defeated back there ? Would it kill 5000 demons ?"

  "He looks nothing like the legend says ", one if his squad members stared at me with curiosity in his eyes.

  "What do you want ?"

  "You've gotten cold , I came to thank you for early if it wasn't for your heroic effort I'd be dead ".

  "I see"

  "I hope to see you in the System Fallout Heroes competition."

  "Maybe if i live long enoughto see it ."

  "You look more depressed than when we first met ."

  I smiled at my own reflection in the beer ," If this void swallows me, would you mind bringing freeing me child of light ?"

  He laughed half hearted as he departed .

  "You're the one who found favour in the goddess of light even in that darkness you still have light in you "

  And just like that, he was gone.

  Noise rushed back into the bar, ten times louder. Phones flashed.

  "This'll be on the front page tomorrow," Blaze groaned.

  Back in the demonic banquet...

  "What brought you to that kid? I heard you couldn't kill him. And you're supposed to be the so-called goddess of destruction.", Jack muttered .

  She hugged her doll, sticking her tongue out. "You meanie. I won't tell."

  I caught sight of a figure in a black hood slipping through the chaos, hands quick, stealing valuables while the crowd was distracted.

  Unlike them, I wasn't asleep. No-I couldn't afford to let my guard down, not unless I wanted another five thousand monsters crawling out for me.

  Her expression shifted, sly and sharp. "His fundamental chess piece of mine..." She twirled, tilting her head.

  The figure drew closer. From her hands, her swiftness, I could tell-female. She reached, light as a shadow.

  I grabbed her wrist before she took my wallet. She froze, trembling.

  A second later, she cut her sleeve with a dagger and fled, leaving the fabric in my grip.

  "He's my knight," the doll-girl whispered.

  Without a word, I followed.

  "Hey, Kael-don't just...!"

  Melissa giggled as the waitress carried the long bill . "I heard this is how people skip out on their tabs nowadays."

  Jack poured another sake. "You've had your share of toys. Let me see if this one breaks."

  Damn-she was fast. I pushed through the mob. A truck nearly clipped me as I broke free, but she vanished into the corner of a building.

  "You break all your toys," she muttered. "You broke Zoro. You broke his wife... the one who became Kael's katana."

  Jack dropped his sake.

  She slipped into a gate, then sealed it of , panting.

  "I shouldn't have tried to mug that guy," she whispered. "He looked like a big shot. But I got tempted."

  "Well, look where those temptations dragged you."

  Her blood ran cold when my hand pressed down on her shoulder. She dropped my wallet.

  "I chose to break them," Jack's voice crawled , low and cold. "But this one's far too interesting to break."

  Before I could breathe, children swarmed us like ants.

  "Sis Tana! You're back! Did you bring a new teddy?" One girl in a nightdress beamed.

  A sharp pain lanced my skull. My heart clawed at my ribs. Instinctively, I drew my katana. For a second-I thought she was the girl I met before fighting 5000 demons.

  "We sin sometimes without knowing," a calm voice rose through the haze. A priest stood ahead, oddly familiar.

  "Emotions pull the strings, yes... but all runs on choice. And humans -" His eyes burned into me. "-humans often fall prey to the wrong ones. Don't you agree, young warrior?"

  I froze. My blade trembled.

  Note: Thus, the greatest arc in my novel begins . Get a box of tissues, lock your room, and enjoy the pain