In a small room, wooden floors, worktables with small flasks and some books, as well as sheets with drawings of magic circles, fill the place. But what truly draws attention is a young teenager: Ash. He, naked, is attached to a wooden table that is tilted. While he remains silent, sweating with fear, he looks at the subject who stands before him. This one has a mask and dark goggles; only his dark wavy hair stands out. He wears a leather apron and, in his hands, prepares a small knife. He looks at Ash and says:

  —Calm down, after this there is nothing in the world that will make you feel a greater pain than the one you will have shortly, hahaha —he laughs maliciously.

  He begins to approach Ash slowly.

  —Wait! There must be another way, a suit, an armor, whatever —Ash shouts in despair.

  The subject stops, crosses his arms and thinks. Then he says:

  —Oh, surely there is, but I do not feel like doing it. Besides, this way you save on laundry, and I love making you suffer.

  Unable to stop him, the knife begins to sink into Ash’s chest and…

  Ash wakes up. He looks toward the window and then gets up, goes to the window and opens the curtains. He is in a hotel room. Naked, he goes to the bathroom, washes his face, returns to the room and begins to get dressed. On the bed, the sheets move, and from them emerges a beautiful redheaded young lady, who asks:

  —Are you leaving already?

  —Yes, I have work to do. I had a good time, I left you something there for the taxi.

  The young lady says to him:

  —What a shame, I thought we could “extend the stay.”

  —No —he answers from the doorway, and Ash leaves.

  Already outside the hotel, he takes flight and goes away.

  At the command center, outside the complex, Agnar, seated on a bench, is looking at his phone. At that moment Dante arrives:

  —Well, here I am. Tell me, is it as you had always imagined?

  —If I’m honest, you’re missing a few scars, more muscle, and metallic music in the background.

  —Your expectations really are high. That’s why you don’t get married, right?

  —I’m married to my work!

  Ash arrives from the sky and lands beside them:

  —Well, the three of us are together again. What are we going to do today? A duel to the death with knives, a duel with pistols or are we going to eat something?

  —The pastimes of your era are dreadful. I was going to consult you, since the next prisoner will be released, I was thinking you could give a quick old-school seminar to the whole group —Agnar proposed to him.

  —A seminar? A class?

  —More like something such as an intense three-day course.

  —Ah, a lecture.

  —Well, yes and no, but I see you understand, so let’s not waste any more time.

  —Do I have to go? —asked Dante.

  —Yes, after all it is “our” work. And you will be my assistant, besides the fact that you are the only one who has survived me in this era —said Ash.

  —What does that mean? —asked Agnar.

  —I would explain it to you, but I think you already imagine it quite well —said Dante.

  —I think I know enough. Let’s go in —said Agnar.

  Already inside, the trio heads toward a conference room.

  —Good morning everyone —Agnar says to the group that was waiting for them, which is made up of eleven members, among whom are Aghat and Feng.

  They all stand up and greet Agnar. Then he lets them sit back down and the meeting begins:

  —Well, as you all already know, there have been significant changes in the operation plan. You were meant to face the two. However, we will change that and the one who will go to the front first will be the one.

  —And Dante —Ash added.

  —No, Dante will not go. I forbid it —said Agnar decisively.

  With amusement in his voice, Ash says:

  —Hahaha, you don’t decide that.

  —Yes, I do.

  —No.

  —Yes.

  —No.

  Everyone moves their heads from one man to the other.

  —Yes.

  —No.

  —Enough, this is not negotiable.

  —That is true, so he will go.

  —He is not ready, and he needs to train.

  —Oh, believe me, he is quite prepared. Isn’t that right, Dante? —(turning his head toward him).

  —I’m tied hand and foot. I will have to obey him… for now.

  Agnar says:

  —But you could die, and it is very likely to happen.

  Ash calms him:

  —Relax, he will not die, not while I am here.

  Ash looks at Dante, and he, winking, signals him to play along.

  Dante, reluctantly:

  —Yes, I will not die, so you can be calm.

  Agnar says doubtfully but wanting to trust him:

  —Mmm… all right. I will trust you, but not you —(he says to Ash).

  —Relax. In the worst case, we will escape, and then your boys will be able to enter into action, already knowing what they can expect.

  —Well, yes. And since you mention it, that is the reason for this meeting. As our information about the individuals is quite scarce, I have thought that you need to acquire some experience. So, for the rest of the days, until we have to face the second, I will let him instruct you on how to fight people from his era.

  Agnar moves aside so that Ash can take the place.

  —Let’s see, first of all, it will be better if we go to some training field.

  Agnar asks:

  —Can’t you work here?

  —If you want improvements, I need to know what you had prepared for the second. And I am not one who measures the weak very well.

  Everyone frowns.

  Agnar warns him:

  —You know you have to stay alive, at least until you face the second.

  —I do not feel in danger, and if we go to the field, I will prove it to you —said Ash confidently.

  —Well, it is your idea, and if you are wrong, I will not have much to worry about.

  A while later, everyone is at the training field of Agnar’s team.

  Ash is walking around the place. He looks at the terrain: it is a field of dry and dusty earth that spans a couple of hundred meters, and it is enclosed by a thick wall of trees. All the others are in a group, watching how the subject walks around.

  Agnar asks:

  —Are you going to take long?

  Ash turns around and answers him:

  —Be patient. I think you should already know that in any battle one must always inspect the terrain, right?

  Agnar says to the group:

  —Very well, everyone get ready. You, Dante, come with me.

  All of them, already equipped with their weapons and suits, separate and take their positions. Ash walks toward them and stops at a considerable distance:

  This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.

  —Well, let’s see how you work. Remember, you must do it to kill.

  As soon as he finishes speaking, they all begin to attack. The formation could be said to be of the delta type, formed by five multifaceted mages, two support mages (who are Aghat and Feng), one defensive mage, one electromancer, one soldier with superhuman strength ability and one psychic. The formation has Berke as its spearhead. He has the strength ability; his role is to take care of the enemy if he tries to reach close combat and to keep him away from the others. Aghat and Feng specialize in strengthening and protection spells: one is in the center of the formation, while the second is positioned in the rear. Aura, the electromancer, is positioned to the right of the formation; her job is only to affect the target, at minimum to paralyze him, and in the best case, to fry him. Xiu will use defensive magic. He has the best capacity to generate barriers and is very skilled at deflecting any type of magic. He is Berke’s shield, so he is positioned at his back. An important piece is Murat, he is a psychic and the leader of the group. His main role is to protect the team from any mental attack that may occur; he also fulfills the role of means of communication. Thanks to him, the team is connected telepathically and they do not need to speak or shout among themselves, in addition to saving the weight of any communication equipment, and everyone can be aware of any event that occurs. A safe position is at the vanguard of the first support. To finish, Erdem, Hong, Jaina, Zahit and Zhenshin are all multifaceted mages. They are positioned behind Berke and will be in charge of exploiting all the enemy’s weaknesses. They all occupy the weak points of the formation.

  Already having learned from the previous encounter, knowing that Ash can generate a magnetic field, they use Icor bullets. Ash is hit by the bullets. With his arms raised he protects his head. The bullets, despite hitting the target, cause no damage.

  —What the hell? Nothing happened to him —Berke mentions within the psychic link with his companions.

  Ash looks at the bullets on the ground and exclaims:

  —Wow, you really came well prepared.

  Agnar comments to Dante while they watch from a safe area:

  —The suit he is wearing is like an armor.

  —It must be enchanted equipment, and a very good one —exclaims Dante.

  As for the team, they surround Ash, while he remains calm and composed. He observes each one’s weapons: Berke carries a shotgun and on his back he has a halberd; the multifaceted mages carry assault rifles and two others with submachine guns, and all of them carry short swords; Murat uses a marksman rifle and only has a bayonet as backup; Aghat and Feng only use scepters; Xiu has a shield and spear; Aura uses shield and spear.

  Already knowing what is necessary about his opponents, Ash draws his weapons, aims at Murat with his shotgun, but before he can fire, Murat manages to strike his weapon with a clean shot. Berke takes advantage of the opening and lunges with his halberd. Launching a cut from Ash’s right side, he manages to land the blow right on his chest. Ash is thrown several meters across the field. Without delay, the team follows him without giving him respite, and this time they attempt various offensive spells. Enhanced by Aghat and Feng, the multifaceted mages use ice and water magic. Ice stakes and high-pressure jets of water are bombarded at Ash.

  Agnar, seeing the whole spectacle, can only smile with pride, while Dante shows no interest.

  To finish the wave of magic, Aura, who had been preparing her attack while the others suppressed Ash, uses the water that remained. Aura unleashes a great electrical discharge and then everything turns to light. The water is evaporated, and all of them, still alert, wait to confirm the result of their attack. In that moment, they begin to notice a light within all the vapor. In an instant, an enormous tornado of fire forms around where Ash is and separates him from his adversaries. They all step back and retake their positions.

  —He will attack now, so stay alert —Aghat communicates.

  From within the tornado, a great lightning bolt emerges and strikes Jaina. Then another connects to Zhenshin. These two fall incapacitated to the ground, and Feng directs his attention to them. He moves and begins to use recovery magic. However, instantly, an explosion occurs within the tornado and, like a fireball, Ash is launched out of it. At full speed, having been propelled, he manages to grab Murat by the head with his hand and discharges an electric current directly into him. Ash throws him aside and Murat falls completely knocked out.

  Agnar’s smile fades, and Dante now pays a little more attention to the combat.

  Now unable to communicate comfortably, Berke shouts to the others:

  —Don’t stop, fire!

  Ash begins to run around them. He dodges and protects himself from the bullets with his arms, but one manages to graze his chin. When they have to change the magazine, Ash takes advantage of that moment to approach the group. Berke steps into his path, but Ash jumps over him, propelling himself with fire, and manages to slip into the middle of the formation. He aims his shotgun at the ground and launches a burst of fire at the floor, which spreads across the entire surface. Aghat and Feng protect everyone by enchanting them with magic that covers their bodies with a barrier. Ash, without delay, moves swiftly toward Feng and, in the brief moment in which he grabs him and throws him at Aghat, he says:

  —Hello, do you remember me?

  —How could I not —Feng replies.

  The support mages are pushed far enough away from the team. And, by the time the flames cease, everyone prepares with their bladed weapons and launches themselves to attack Ash. Berke is the first to clash steel against him. He manages to push him a few meters, where Hong and Erdem are waiting. They manage to strike Ash, but they do not cause a single scratch. Then they attempt to cut off his head, but Ash dodges by crouching and lands two elbows into the mages’ stomachs, sending them backward. Berke does not take long to return and resume his duel, and he manages to monopolize Ash’s attention. The others, who have not been taken out of combat, prepare a spell together. Feng and Aghat recover and help to enhance the attack. Aura goes with Berke and positions herself behind Ash. She approaches with her guard raised and charges with the shield in front and the spear firm. Ash notices and tries to escape his position, but Berke hooks his halberd onto Ash’s leg and leaves him immobilized. In response, Ash takes flight, and Berke remains hanging from him.

  —NOW! —Xiu shouts to him.

  Berke lets go. Next, the group launches its attack. A great mass of pure white energy manages to strike Ash. Seeing that he could not dodge it, he brings his hands together, chants a spell and expels a great amount of fire and electricity. These great masses of energy compress into a sphere the size of a head and it is launched into the heart of the enemy attack. Then it explodes and the shockwave of the explosion reaches everyone, including Agnar and Dante. They remain open-mouthed at the great amount of magic they are seeing dissipate. The team, now without a single trace of morale, loses all desire to continue and only stands there staring in astonishment at the immutable being who flies before them without shedding a single drop of sweat.

  Ash, seeing that they no longer wish to continue, then lands and begins to tell them:

  —Well, you were not bad, it is just that you did not know the size of the problem, and your greatest flaw is the lack of power, but it is not necessary to fulfill that aspect.

  —You are a monster —Agnar mentions to him while he approaches walking with Dante.

  —In my era, it is called being strong.

  Berke asked:

  —I do not understand. How is it that you can store such an amount of mana? And how have you not died after being touched by Icor?

  Ash responded:

  —I would explain it, but we did not come for that. I will comment on your situation. Your training and organization are enviable, but you have never been prepared to fight at this level. That is because today everyone focuses on maintaining peace, and it is not strange that the armies of today stand out in defenses and in combined combat. In my era one lived under a policy of conquest: take, devastate and advance, in order to keep the pace… which is strange that you, being Mongols, do not master. It was more efficient to maintain fewer individuals, and to keep a large part of the army in defense, since the whole world was at war and anyone could attack you overnight. From there the strongest people began to emerge; an individual who equaled one hundred soldiers was much better to attack a specific point than to defend a border from an invasion. Well, but then everyone realized that, if you want to stop a titan, it is easier with another titan.

  Xiu commented:

  —Do you mean that we will return to the old tactics?

  —Yes.

  Feng said:

  —But in the end, wouldn’t we be useless?

  —Do not be discouraged. What I mentioned to you was a reality at the beginning of the war. The truth is, before that no one wanted to fight, but after a certain event everyone was let off the leash, and it was then that the world found itself in a new scenario. It had been a long time since there had been a real war, and few had lived by that time who had experience in combat. Now what I am going to tell you is from the time when the appropriate tactics to fight according to the evolution of the conflict had already been developed. You see, it is not that people today are weaker than those of the past, but that no one has the need to be more powerful. Lately I have informed myself about the current state of the world, and I see that the armies of most of the world have been reduced to half of what they were in my era relatively, and likewise the demand for people with great power capacity. In my era, everyone was involved in the conflict, so sooner or later they ended up understanding their own potential.

  —Is that how it happened to you?

  —Not at all. My circumstances were very special. Now I will tell you: it is not impossible for you to defeat me, but you have focused on attacking me in the area in which I surpass you by far. I have fought with people with much more power than me, and I have also fought in a team, so I can tell you that, with the correct approach, it is entirely possible that you can eliminate the targets. Up to the moment when you began to attack me with enormous magic, that was the moment when you lost your advantage. You had given me more trouble with the weapons and bullets that I could not stop with my power, than by trying to electrocute me, an electromancer far superior to the one you have. The big one was not bad at all. I must say that he was the one who gave me the most trouble, however, I was not going seriously. If I had wanted to, I would have roasted you all.

  —I am sure that Feng and I or Xiu could have done something.

  —No. I already saw your faces in front of my power. You would never have been prepared against me, but now you already understand how things are. So the next days you will spend learning new tactics and we will begin to do exercises that will help you to be able to withstand great amounts of power.

  —Will Dante be with us? —Aghat asked.

  —Dante will have another type of work. He has a very special approach when fighting, so no. You will not have to worry anyway; when the second arrives, the two of us will take care of him one way or another.

  —I hope so.

  During the following days, Ash was training the team. Berke was challenging him with fencing, while at the same time attacking him with magic. He focused on improving his sense of danger, on knowing when he had to take distance and when it was the moment to attack. With Murat, Ash praised him for his way of fighting; however, he criticized his sense of comfort in his position, since when he was neutralized, the team was greatly weakened. So he began to attack him, but instead of fighting back, Murat had to learn to maintain distance from his enemy.

  With all the multifaceted mages, Erdem, Hong, Jaina, Zahit and Zhenshin, he instructed them that they should use more enchantments on their weapons rather than using attack spells, and concentrate their shots on causing difficulties to their enemies, such as shooting at the eyes, cutting important muscles or tendons, instead of going for certain death. As for Aura, as her colleague, he pointed out that it is better to enhance her own body and weapons in order to achieve damage, since lightning attacks at a distance are very easy to evade or resist at what is a very high level. And lastly, Feng, Aghat and Xiu were getting used to Ash’s attacks with magic. He overwhelmed them with a great quantity of high-power spells so that they would practice neutralizing them.

  Agnar, learning from this, did not take long to apply all these lessons to the other teams, and he also began to share this knowledge with the other human nations.

  As for me, Ash began to attack me only with his sword. He has already killed me about twenty times, but I have learned to keep up with him. Supposedly he attacks me as the second would, but he says not to get too used to it, that, according to him, there are abilities he cannot simulate. And as time passed, the day had arrived.

  Soon the second would arrive. The place where he would appear would be in the province of Khuurai Gazar, a mountainous, infertile place, where the ground is only rock and nothing grows there. I would say that it is even grayer than my view of life. The only thing someone could look for there would be precious metals or some valuable mineral.

  Fortunately, the day turned out to be a pleasant one. There are beautiful white clouds sailing across the blue sky, and the sun shines with great strength. I see the birds flying in formation and, on the other side, in the distance, I make out a dragon.

  From behind me a sound arises. It is somewhat irritating, small crunches and food being chewed. It is Ash, eating some cookies, sitting on top of a rock and observing the landscape. He finishes his food, and then takes his new cellphone out of his pocket. He looks at the time and stands up from his seat, puts his device away and then stretches his arms and exclaims to me:

  —It is almost time. Are you prepared?