Chapter 1: Opening ceremony

  It finally came, the day to e bae again.A young man arrived upon a do a stormy ruthless night.He was unbelievably pale with grayish short hair, slim and quite short, but walked with a fident stride.Dressed in a long white b coat a tad too long for him, bck gloves, and bck boots, but with a bright yellow tie upon his neck, and carried a big metal briefcase on his right arm.Here it is, the of vilied all through the free world, the capital of his empire, the isnd that began the so-called new world.

  “Is Franca”

  A single broken signpost weled him into the streets, crowded streets, even uhe heavy rain and the pitch-bight sky. The pale young man walked forward the people around him seeing his arrival with disdain, ead every single one of them a rare sight, from a young man wearing a metal mask with sharp cws ing from his hands to a young woman turning on a light with single spark from her fingers.People say that these are straimes indeed, but here it all looks so very normal.As he walked among the crowds they tinued on their way uhe heavy rain and the pale young man arrived in front of a huge marble statue uhe entrao a street full of stores and homes, a rough and dirty street, so uhe magnifit statue.The statue of a masked man in a military uniform wearing a tri hat raised his hand to the sky weling the new arrivals to the isnd. It was a very dramatic statue of a man who never showed his face, one who had o.“This is truly the Capital of Salvatore′s Empire a statue is a proper way to wele us to the ter of his new world.”The young mao his way walking into the crowded streets minding not to bump into anyone or any trouble even if by sheer luck, he finally arrived at his destination. Upon a crossroad, there was a huge restaurant for Indian cuisine and i he hoped to finally reuh an old and beloved friend.

  The young man crossed, aer into an expensive and wide restaurant and quickly noticed there were guards stationed on each staircase along with a gate, it seemed that only a handful of people was allowed into the sed floor while the rest of the mob simply stayed below to buy their food from small post along the walls almost like a market, the real restaurant was safely kept above it, but the young man wasn′t ed at all and just walked amongst the crowd and into a wide empty space at the ter were the crowds were thinner.A dim light fell from above, where the rain dripped onto a false ceiling and plenty of guests ehe view from the safety of their seats upon the sed floor, enjoying their evening in the safest ossible.As the young man lowered his sight he was suddenly stopped by a hooded figure that had sneaked just behind him and grabbed him by the shoulder. He tensed without any hint of an expression and the stranger leaned closer to his ear, as he opened his mouth revealing a sharp string of teeth that in no way resembled a human and a putrid smell that made the pale youngster recoil.“?Irvin Maximillian, yes?”“Dino do you ever your teeth.”“Hahaha.”The young Irvin Maxilliam turned around to stare at a much taller man who quickly stepped back with excitement, the other young man was tall an wore a far too long and bulky green winter coat with a hoodie, adorned with a pair of inked yellow lizard eyes, and a red guitar with a handle shaped like the head of a triceratops, he stretched his arms almost ready for a hug but her of them got any closer to the other.“Look at ya′ hasn’t ged not even by an inch.” His monstrous smile was radiant, even when most of his face was pletely obscured by the bck messy hair under his hood.“Let's get our dihen, Mr. Saurus.”“What’s with the tone, man? We are friends right, it’s just Dino.”Dals “Dino” Saurus how strange …he doesn′t seem to have ged at all in anything but his physic, good for us both I suppose.The two of them walked to a er outside of the ter of the market, but her of them went to buy any food in its pce they simply hid upon the calmest shadow they could find before the two of them finally spoke.“Huh, so you really are alive then, I still couldn′t believe it, but there ya are, same ol′ Irvin pale as ever.”“Yes I′m quite gd to not be dead, as well.”Dino leaned on one of the pilrs at the ter of the room, no longer smiling as he flicked his hair bangs.“Is there any truth to the rumors that…”Dino stared at him with his small getting duller.“Yes, my mother tried to kill me, but once more she failed so o dwell on that my friend.”“That sucks man, but then why the hell are you here now?” Dino crossed his arms seemingly holding back his anger, Irvin grabbed his yellow ie te it slightly, his expression remaining cold an unmoving amidst the heavy exge.“She won′t try again pointlessly, even once she finds out I′m still among the living there are unusual circumstanow, either way I had to e back.” Dino groa his answer but just shrugged .“Guess you couldn′t call me or anything before, holy I had no idea what to expeing here like your damer told me to do, but there ya′ are even when I went to the damn funeral and whatever!”“I’m very sorry Dino.”Almost dying was hardly something I wanted either, but I uand having to live a lie is hardly an easy task; I know that by heart.“Hahaha, whatever I knew ya′weren′t gonna crock that easy, and ya ain′t dumb enough to e to this isnd without a pn… right? ??Right?!”“Well as I mentioned I came to enlist into the school, there would be no point in hiding my identity any kind of lie like that would be caught in an instant.”“?We gonna be cssmates then?”“Yes, we are fellow future supervilins in training.”Super vilins that’s the term the people of the United nation called those with superhuman abilities who refused to follow the rules, and so the Salvatore empire took the term with pride, here they train to unleash hell upon the United Nations, or if they dare, at the very empire.It still sounds like mere nonseo me, but the title of vilins fits me just fihe hell, I know you don′t rethink things but have gone mad now? This is Is Frand you believe ya′ gonna make it alive in here while being such a wimp, I knew ya′ man and if you ′t fight for your life in this pce you ain′t gonna keep it.”“I know murder between students isly illegal around here, he less I never make a move I don′t believe I pull off, Dino my hands aren′t that empty.” Irvin raised his briefcase for a moment and walked towards the ter of the restaurant.“I thought of this day since my death and I have a pn worthy of this isnd….”“?Watch it!”Dino rushed behind him and dragged Irvin back from the back of his colr with a violent force raising him from the ground and throwing him to the ground along with his briefcase. A man fell from above and onto the floor, followed by a broken stone ledge that crashed into his chest with that heavy sound the entire restaurant seemed to break into an uproar and the armed guards raised their ons towards the man who no longer reacted uhat weight.“You almost died already e on!” Dino seemed uned with the se and just a him as he stood at Irvin′s side.“That I… did not see ing.”Another crash was heard and Irvin crawled back when another person fell from the sed floor, a man nded on his feet in front of the downed man. The guards aimed their guns at him but no one moved.“o worry, I′ll pay the damages as always.” There was a sudden outburst of g and the loud cheering of the crowd from above. He was tall and heavy to look at, but not bulky at all, like a walking pilr he stood with bck long hair that reached the middle of his back.Irvin slowly got up staring at the tall back of that man as he turo stare back at them unimpressively. His skin with dark brown, he had clear green eyes and a handsome face even with his body built like a brick, his sharp, but his expression was cold and he seemed to pierce Irvin his eyes for a moment his long eyebrows ing together in a furious frown, till he turned down his sight to the man in front of him.“Seems like someoried his luck against the immortal prince again, talk about bad luck.” The crowd didn’t sound scary at all if anything few people moved from their chairs.The man wore a white suit with a blue ribbon passing from his shoulder and to his hip along with pants and bal shoes, but no matter how formal he dressed everything but his handsome face looked only barely tained.

  “ing to the VIP area to ruin mines and everyone’s meal? Don’t have any manners sir?” The tall man in white stepped on the fallen man′s head roughly and began to crush it with all of his weight,.“?I′m tired of having an evening spoiled by all you weak rude fools, the people of this isnd truly have no manners!” His victim no longer reacted, it would have been a miracle for him to even be alive by this point, thought the man in white was rough his demeanor remained calm almost serene as he stepped again on his face with all of his strength.“I hope you had the fight you wished for.” He simply said as he stepped from his bloodied fad began to walk away.“?Does this happen often Dino?” Irvin have remained hidden behind one of the pilrs of the restaurant along with Dino as security began to evacuate the restaurant.“Well, that guy is Naga Kocchar, a very lonely guy who had gained a reputation for being uable, since he is not part of any group on the isnd, some knuckleheads always think they beat him up a famous, it’s almost a rite for the udents here or something′” Irvin raised his gloved hand to his tie and walked pasta Dino towards the tall man in white.“?What are you doing?” Dino stopped him by grabbing his hand.

  “If it’s a rite it's only proper if I try as well, I have much to prove and I rather not have people thinking I′m weak enough for them to take advantage of either.”“?No way, you are just that weak!” Irvi himself free and just looked back at his friend whose sharp teeth were clear due to his worry.“Watch my back, but don’t intervene, I take care of myself now Dino, at least I have a forty pert ce.”“…It’s your funeral man.” Dino stepped bato the shadows behind the pilr of the restaurant as Irvin stepped into its ter where the tall man in white stood, still he remained close by.“Excuse me Mr. Kochhar.” He turned back his greearing sharply at the much shorter man in the white coat.“Yes, I apologize if I disturbed your meal, this man came at me, and it tends to happen.”“I′m Irvin Maximilliam and unfortunately I came to fight you too.”“?Maximilliam?” Naga raised his right eyebrow, looking only mildly annoyed.“Yes, but don′t think much of it I came alone, sider this a simple duel to test myself.“Nonsense, but there is never any reasoning with you people. Wouldn’t you mind if we fought outside? We have bothered the restaurant more than enough.”“That would be just perfee.” Without showing aion Naga Kochhar walked towards the exit the entire crowd along with the armed guard stepped out of his way immediately, Irvin followed him along with a huge crowd of people who preferred to abandon their meal than to fail to see whatever this fight might bring.The rai p outside the restaurant but her of them seemed to care anymore.They stood noposite sides of the street, people crowding from within the restaurarand its many windows, they weren′t just cheering they were insulting and mog both melessly.

  “I had hoped it wouldn′t be poio discuss this with you, are you here just for that moronic game of ing after my life too? ?Is it just arrogance or what?” Naga Kochhar stood at the entrance of the restaurant g his fists, the vein popping on his forehead showed the anger his calm voice tried to hide.“Believe me, I don′t wish for a fight either, but I o prove I belong to this isnd as well and this is the perfect ce.”This is indeed nonsense and terribly risky, but if I ot hahis man I would be far over my head for what is yet to e…Dino is quite right, pnning only get you so far.“Fine! I’ll give you exactly what you want… the people of this isnd truly y on sense unless you beat it into them!”In a single leap forward Naga crossed the street with his fist raised, his eyes the only thing Irvin saw before he reached him a him a straight hit towards his chest, the crowd could barely see it amidst the heavy rain but the young man was lifted by the impact of the strike and threw backward into a mppost with a deafening bang.“Hmmm.” Naga lowered his guard a both of his hands at his sides, the rain had made his bck straight hair begin to cover his face, but he just flicked it aside and stared at Irvin′s body in silence.“Ah…that was too…close…too close… to close!” Irvin screamed while coughing so heavily he could barely string his words together, but he didn′t stop talking loudly as he began to get up with his briefcase over his chest.“?You blocked it in time with that thing? Naga raised a single eyebrow as he raised both of his hands in front of himself with both palms opened. “Since you at least had some etiquette I will five you just once.”

  “Haha…I’m really out of my league in here.” The water crashed on Irvin′s face,, his coat and clothes turning heavier as he barely mao stood up while barely keeping himself together.?The immortal prince? ? I really just die pointlessly here without even been able to even start my own pn? ?Why did I do this again?He finally stood up straight again, the much taller man in white was fixed in a bat posture awaiting an answer his eyes staring at Irving with utter disdain, but he still held back his fists.“No wonder everyone e after you Mr. Nagar It is not wise to show mer this isnd, we have to leave that behind…” That’s right I have to embrace the madhey live in or I won′t reach them at the end…and I did not e unprepared either. This is his moment, his time to finally shine.”“?Hahaha…Dantes fly away now!” Irvin raised his briefcase in front of his fad it opened on his own and began to break from its size and reshaped itself in an instant, the silver briefcase unraveled itself like a jigsaw puzzle taking on a new form, Naga raised his eyebrow unsure of what his eyes were seeing, but immediately jumped back with his arms still raised as the briefcase flew out of Irvin’s hand straight towards him.

  It flew, its shape turning itself anew into a bird, a hawk of shinning steel, along with the sound of an engine carrying its wings forward, only slightly bigger than a hawk but the red lights it had for eyes aimed straight at Naga and the metal beast flew forward with its sharp cws. Naga blocked its strike with both of his arms, his white suite was ripped and blood sprouted from within, but he quickly hit it back with his open palm and the beast of steel flew back to evade it.“?Hahaha see, this is the result of all my years of research, my Dantes!” The iron bird flew around them both keeping its eyes on his pray, the tall man reposed himself barely g about his wounds, auro his fighting posture without saying a word.“?As expected from a citizen of this isnd you aren′t even phased by him at all, haha let me test if all my work and thinking is a match for yours fists!” Irvin was ughing to himself as he saw his creation soar through the skies, not g about the rain that crashed heavily upon his face.“Yes, will see if you are truly immortal, that is what all those gathering around us truly wish to see.” Irvin’s voice grew quieter and his outburst turned into a tired sigh, the crowd though busted iement at his words, but Naga Kochhar simply groaned annoyed.“Nivehen.” The bird of steel desded in an ard Naga dodged to the side, its wing seemed to have cut his shoulder, but he quickly turo the side right where the steel bird desded again aood his ground with an open palm and awaited its strike, his right palm moved fury and elegand quickly crashed to the iron birds head from below, sending it flying back even with all the momentum it carried.

  “You really are o this isnd; you have my dolences but not my pity.” Naga turned again and crossed through the rain reag Irvin on an instant, his much staller frame eclipsing as his green eyes looked down at him, not with anger but the tent one could only show to a foolish child. Irvin ched his teeth a cold sweat falling down his face.I guess at the end I have to use all that I have even if just to survive this man, damn it.His open palm broke the distaween them and as he did Naga Kochar saw a bright purple glow behind the sunshades Irvin Maxilliam wore even on the middle of the night, that glow made him hesitate unlike himself, and in that instant, Irvin dodged bad the bird came betweewo of them.All will be fine, but Mr. Naga Kochhar would have to die here and now, he left me no choice.The strange meical beast blocked his palm with its chest ao the ground, Irvin raised his hand from his pocket and pressed a button on a troller, Naga ighe flying mae and aimed to punch Irvin straight into his face, the smaller man barely dodged by an inch with clumsiness, almost falling to the ground afterward.Naga stared at his fad saw it again, a flickering purple light from behind his thick dark sungsses, his fist trembled and he quickly sent arike with his open palm that he barely mao dodge by croug below him.

  I see it, he feels so slow now, but I won′t st much longer...Its time.Behind them the fallen bird of steel cracked open from its chest and its shape began to shift and turn, a blue light shinned form within it, almost like a heart at the very ter of a moving vortex of steel. His beast recreated itself around its core, leaving behind the guise of a steel hawk and quickly its wing turned into a long pair of cws, and six lourned from its side a walk upon the ground now.

  e fast Dantes, before his fists finally kill me.Irvin′s right eye glowed with a purple light and Naga′s whole body felt a terrible chill, he could not uand why, but he could feel it, the man in front of him had to be killed at any cost, but his fist where evaded again a he could not feel any skill on his enemies movements, not orace of sharp reflexes or even any fighting skill, all of it, simply unnatural.Behind him the meical creature had reshaped its core into the shape of a scorpion his red eyes marking its target back, before finally striking Irvin with his fist Naga stopped and spun his upper body to turn bad see the scorpion jumping towards him, he use the moment and hit back at it with his open palm.I saw it, you are dead Mr. Inmortal. Irvin ughed even now that he was pletely out of breath almost close to falling over even if he had yet to be touched, but his maddening ugh and joy screamed fidence, he had no fear as he saw the mae and the immortal prince crash.

  “?Eh… nanomaes? ?How did that kid get his hands on those?”High above on the roof of the restaurant, a figure looked down at the fight and the crowd uhe rain. They wore a long white military leather coat with bck boots and gloves. They arranged a bck cap on their head, with a golden medal in its ter in the shape of a dog’s head.“Yo, I hought I′ll be seeing you here.”Dino appeared behind them with his guitar over his shoulder, the figure turo greet him by raising a hand zily, pared to him they were very small barely reag his chest.“? It's been a while Helga, you remember me?”Dino waved at her with his guitar, the woman in the white coat barely reag, she ale and with short messy bck hair under her cap, one her eyes was hidden behind ach with a sshed opening on its ter, her eye looked tired and her mouth barely moved as she sighed quietly.“?What could you want with me ′t you see I′m w Dino?”“Really? Captain Helga Wright of the hellhounds came all the way here to stop a street brawl, that doesn′t sound like you at all.”“Ehh… ′t do anything about it they were orders from the student cil, apparently they want Mr. Kochhar to speak with them, so I t quite let him die for now” She scratched the back of her neck while stretg her head to the side, her eyes leaning over to the end of the rooftop.“Sorry I ′t let you interrupt them, so why don′t ya′ sit this o, doubt the cil would whihat much at you.” Helga walked to the very ledge of the rooftop without b to look at him again, her hands in her pockets as the rain washed over her.

  “?Why would you care? Unless…I see, so that boy down there is him, he really wasn′t dead, but the way things are going he will be.”“If so that’s his luck, but I′m not letting you get on the way.”“?We haven′t seen each other for so long and you want to fight? I suppose it’s good you moved on, holy, that would make both of our lives easier, but I′ll be a huge pain for me ter if I let anything happen to that prince guy, so…”“?I said I′m not letting you go down there!”Dino grabbed her by the shoulder, his hand slowly ging as thick scales began to grow around his knuckles and through his palm, she didn′t react much merely looking back at him with her tired gray eye.“Dino, you know what happens if you threaten a Hellhound.” Dino ughed his long sharp teeth opening as let his long to.“e on now, I′m an old friend, at least ya′ hear me out now.”“Dino… we were never friends.”

  She took her other hand from her pocket and in a fsh reached for his face, her arm wasn′t long enough to reach him, but her bck glove broke and a long bde came from below her hand. Dino jumped back stopping it with the back of his guitar that had its ter cracked but not pierced by the sharp long bde.“What a drag.” She growled before sshing again at him f the tall man to step back.She wasn′t very qui her feet, but her small frame forced Dino to jump back her every strike resounded with an unbelievable weight as his guitar of cold steel broke piece by piece from her every strike. She showed little care about him still paying attention to the fighting below and Dino took the ce to swing his guitar like araight to her head, but she simply blocked it with a single arm and they both heard the resounding sound of metal crashing with metal, even with all of his strength her small frame remained unmovable.“Hmm I guess the years didn′t do much for you Dino.”

  She moved the guitar out of the way with only a cut upon her white sleeve, a very deep ohat showed a shinial underh, she rushed forward with her bde straight at his heart and he swung at the same time with his heavy steel guitar, both their ons crashed but she kicked him on his stomach with no fear on her eyes when his on reached her head.Dino was thrown back from her devastating blow spitting blood as he recoiled on the ground from the impact; Helga Wright remained on her feet and slowly cracked her neck bato pce without having to move an inch back.

  “You are better of stopping pying with that toy; otherwise you will just die without gaining a sed for that boy.”“?Hahaja…Man, it’s just like when we were kids haha!” The agony was clear in his voice but he forced himself to stand up as blood feel from bellow his messy bangs of hair.“No its not, I could never hurt you back then, but that is over now. My job is to hurt people after all.” She took her gloved hand from where the guitar had strike, around her eye patch her skin had begun to pale off showing a meical structure underh it. A small binocur came out from the opened sleeve on the eye patch ter and pointed with a red mark straight at his chest.“Don′t be zy now…you know, ya′ one of the lucky few I show myself for real to.” Dino grabbed a small remote that hanged from his ned pressed it, he had simply choose a song for his auricur that began to sing a calm piano tune, almost like a cssical piece but not one anyone would have heard of before.“Hey Helga fet about them and hang out with me insi..addd….” His speech began to break down when his mouth reaped itself apart from its sides, opening wider along with blood and showing a long line of sharp deadly teeth, scales were sprouting rapidly all through his skin and his posture started to hunch reat… I’ll have to kill you quick; I hope it was worth something to you at least.” With a loud sigh, she walked forward and took the glove on her right hand off, her arm was meical in shape, but it disied into a whirlwind of gray wind and began to reshape itself slowly inter drical shape.“?How far do you want to take this Dino?”

  “?All the way…rarrrrg!” His face transformed pletely into that of a ivorous raptor, uo talk anymore he growled viciously. From her eye patch looking vines began to spread slowly c half of her face, her tired expression turned sad for a moment before she jumped forward her arm already transformed into an immeeel gau, Dino ran forward with great speed and evaded her punch his leg had turned into a beast′s as well and her long cw mao cut her sides, but she merely turned bad send her huge fist forward and Dino ran straight ahead his teeth opened with iion of biting down at her neck. His pair of yellow eyes looked straight at the red light that came from her face, as the two of them came closer their bodies began to leave behind any guise of being human.

  There was a csh from high above but Irvin could not pay it any attention.?I see it! Irvin was utterly delighted as he stared at Naga rushing towards him with his fist raised. He was moving unbelievable slow, at least to Irvin′s eyes and so his fist failed to hit him on the face, as Irvin slowly bent out of the way. All of his strength and all of his skills... Irvin evaded another one of his fists and the kick that followed. At the speed in which he saw the attae, everyone could. I make it all into nothing. Naga had puhe meical scorpion with a single move out their way and had rushed towards Irvin again, his expression and movements now very desperate.I make it all mine. He turned back to see Naga reach him with his ferocious fist, but it was stopped as he felt something pierce him from the back, making his strike waver aing Irvin ran away as he ughed with joy.“?Its do’s done!”

  Naga was sweating as he stretched his hand bad graved a huge metal needle that had pierced his back, he removed it by ford stared back at the fallen meical scorpion that was now missing his tail, his fear quickly turned into anger as veins became clear in his furious scowl.“You may have no problem with a scorpion′s poison, but this is a special mix of mine..” Any moment now I′ll see it, my absolute iable victory, it has to happen.“It’s always the same…” Naga raised the scorpion’s tail up and threw it with force against the steel scorpion pierg it right on its ht, he threw with a forot unlike a real bullet and theurned around and began walking towards Irvin, his eyes were closed and his face rexed but his anger was clear on his steps“?Nonsense you shouldn′t be able to even walk!” Irvin walked backward raising his hands to stand uselessly betweewo of them.“?Brother couldn′t kill me!” His fist reached forward in an instant and Irvin barely moved from it as it crashed into the restaurant's wall at its side, his arrogant ugh had been silenced and whatever colors his face had banished from the sheer closeness of that blow.

  “?Just die already!” Irvin saw it, his meical panion jumped from behind the pence’s back with his long cws opened. Naga did a quick turn hitting the creature with his open palm, the steel cw reached for his neck, but his other hand stopped it just in time.“?Her poison, couldn′t kill me!” He broke the scorpion's head with a blow his other was bleeding from the pressure but he still freed himself and for the first time screamed as he threw the meical beast away, its open carcass revealing a shining core underh, Irvin moved away from him in vain as the prince reached him with his long arm again in an instant.No I’m not fast enough, I ′t evade it, I ′t.

  “?I will not die!” Naga screamed and grabbed him by the shoulder threw him to the ground and raised his fists above Irvin to pummel him down, pure anger upon his green eyes, but he ceased to move and stood there in that position, Irvin′s sungsses had fallen and both stare at each other at the same time. Naga stopped his eyes quivering with fear as he looked at the fallen tiny man below him or rather the sinning glow that his shades had hidden.

  “You ot be allowed to live.” Irvin′s fearful expression ged in that instant, as he made a small and cruel smile.“Sorry but your time is finally up.” Irvin looked up to his fad saw the tall man grew paler as he fell down to the floor with a rough thump allowing the rain to crash over Irvin again, he ughed weakly underh it.I still saw your end, Mr. Immortal, the poison still got you.“?Huh? Their party has ended already?” Over the rooftop Captain Helga Wright stared at the se below looking disappointed, but not much else. “Dunno why you stood for that kid, but he won out at the end, lucky you.” She turned back to see a green viohat was once Dino bleeding red blood upon the floor his yellow eyes staring right at her, but its body no longer moved. Helga′s arm was now a gigantice-like mae with its tip tainted in blood her eye now a yellow traption as well with metal veins spreading from it and towards the rest of her face. “You should leave and go back to being a nice kid; Dino the vilin stuff doesn′t fit you.”

  Dino suddenly jumped at her with his huge maw open, she stood there pletely stiff. The greeile passed her by an ind jumped down the roof very close to her head. Helga closed her eye and walked away quietly, her arm reverting baore human-like shape. “Guess if the president annoys me about I’ll just say I saw nothing. Time to drop them the body of Naga and screw off”With her other normal meical hand, she fixed her cap and walked away.Dino reached the ground just in front of his friend.

  “About time Dino.” The meical scorpion began to reshape itself around the core at its ter till it took the form of a briefcase again. Irvin poi it and Dino uood in an instant and grabbed him with both arms like a bride and ran off before the crowd reached them grabbing the briefcase with one hand before banishing into the streets as fast as he could Incredible fast, he speed through the crowd and quickly took a turn to vanish into ay alleyway, the already exhausted Irvin couldn′t see his fader the hood.Dino carried him all the way to a lonely backyard to drop him among the trashs, but there was a ceiling above them to shield them from the rain. Irvin got up and began to take and began to take a banana peel from his shoulders, he was now full of garbage. “You seem angry Dino. ?What′s the problem?” Dino crouched over in the middle of the alley, still bleeding. “The hound′s captain was about to interrupt ya′. You don′t know how lucky you are.” Irvin fixed his gsses and tie with an unnerving calm.“?The white hounds, those were the school’s student guards right?”“The very same, the best student that will join Salvatore′s armies someday or some arbage and the captain of that lot was about to step in.” Dino grabbed his hand trying his best hide his fader his hood, Irvin could see the green scales that covered his hand notain, wasn′t she…”“Yep, my old bodyguard when I was a kid…heh what a poor joke.”“Strange, but never mind that. ?What happeo your body, you resemble a lizard of sorts.” Dino disregarded the question with his palm. “It’s just what my dad did to it; he mixed me up with some modified dinosaur DNA and shit. His usual nonsense, holy he was already runnis when I was a child back then.”“How curious you eveo be regeing, I′ll be ied to run a test or two, I never quite imagined his experiments could succeed, we o better uand you dition to...” Irvin got close to toug his green-cwed hand, but Dino threw him back with a kick. “?No more tests ever!” In an instant, he grabbed Irvin by his ned raised him against the wall as if he weighted nothing. Irvin fell into the garbage agaiayed there quietly looking at his friend, whose face was starting to turn human again; His yellow eyes were those of a beast, a very frightened one. Irvihed slowly as he lowered his sight to the ground.

  “I’m sorry, it might have been a bad habit my mother left me, but I uand.”“Like hell you fug could.” This time the young man stayed sited there among the dirt without being able to answer him again. “Whatever.” Dino stared at the wall behind him to stop looking at his friend.Irvin posed his hair aood up again quietly. “At least that way most weaklings won′t attack me, it’s the only thing I hope for. I’m still a weakling as you say, but my friend Dantes here did his part.” Irvin raised his briefcase proudly. I could only pretend otherwise for a short moment and my luck almost ended back there, but my gamble was won.“What is that toy?”“Oh Dantes, It’s a hive of nanomaes, it take on a couple of forms, but it’s not really that effective, not if pared to the body of your old friend Helga, but it makes me proud all the same.”“?Ya really did that thing yourself?”“Most of it, yes.”“Hate those nano things, anyway here is another bad thing about your “pn” the student eeded Naga for something. And now that you killed him they will know of you too.“I will deal with that in time for now may we tihe tour? Dino got up looking his himself in every way, but his smile of sharp monstrous teeth. “Let′s not waste time then, the opening ceremony begins at the m and if you don′t dry yourself, you might not even make it, man.”Irvin ed his hands and ed his coat. “Splendid, lead on then.” Dino didn′t move and just grabbed him by his ie raising him up with a single hand. “?What is this truly about? I don′t believe ya, the st thing you will be doing is io study, you hate Salvatore ?Am I right?”

  “I will speak to you about it, but if I know you′re truly on my side to the end.” Dino dropped him back to the ground. “I′m supposed to just trust you; you left me alone back there ya′ know, this long seven years. ?Why was it? I read your card, but you didn′t say why you preteo be dead for so long. ?What was y “pn” that made you disappear?” Irvin stares at the ground to ignore his yellow eyes. “I didn’t leave, I was thrown away.” “?Really now? ?You the son of a great general in Salvatore’s army? I don′t buy it.” Irvin walked straight in front of him, they both looked right at ead Irvin didn′t take his sungsses off, and that made Dino growl.

  “Because I′m defective and that was all it took for her.” There were hints of actual feeling in Irvin′s voice, the first he had shown since his arrival.Dino seemed to calm down and just turo walk towards the alley with a shrug, Irvin ran after him very anxious. “You are at my side now and you told me back then that we had to look for each other Dino.” Dino didn′t stop walking as Irvin spoke. “Dunno man, give me some time I′ll answer ya′ tomorrow.” Irvin followed him in silence. You will do what I need you to do…. That′s the burden of the “friendship” you put on us both back then. Otherwise,e my pns will never e true. And they must, they have to. I hem to…or else…I don′t really know. Dino, I ′t e up with a pn without you on it I just ′t…. They both walked outside the alley, a great distanow between them.