"It's time to wake up," Klaus said, shaking me.

It was eight in the morning. I got up, first placing my feet on the floor with my eyes half-open.

"Good morning," I yawned, rubbing my eyes. "It's strange that you're the one waking me up."

"I came to bring you good news," Klaus said, hands on his hips. "I've just found Aldous Rosenberg's whereabouts."

I jumped up from the couch where I had been sleeping.

"Really?" I asked, my eyes wide with surprise and optimism. "How did you manage that?"

"Well, one has his contacts," Klaus replied. "In this line of work, you get used to having your sources of information. Outsourcing spies is very useful for pinpointing your enemy's location. If I had caught the mercenaries who attacked the orphanage in time, I could have extracted the information without spending a penny."

I was about to ask when he had done all this, but then I remembered that during those three days, while I was solely focused on my physical and magical training, Klaus had the phone glued to his ear. My concentration meant I wasn't paying attention to what he was saying. Partly, it was for the best, as he wasn't the type who liked interference in his affairs.

Those three days were nothing but pain and sweat. It was akin to torture, but comparing it to Zouken would be an exaggeration. My poor physical condition made things worse. After just two push-ups, I was exhausted, but Klaus didn't relent. At the slightest sign of me giving up, he would shout for me to continue. He wasn't extremely cruel; I had asked him to be tough with me. I wanted to get strong as quickly as possible because I was tired of being weak. I didn't want to be a burden to anyone. But on the other hand, Klaus was also going too far with me. Besides his harshness, he often took jabs at my physique, particularly my chest, which was his favorite target, saying it was proof of my fatness. He stopped when I started stepping on his foot every time he did it. All of this meant that many times I ended the day sprawled on the floor like a discarded object, reminiscent of those infernal nights at the Matou mansion, but without crying.

Three days were enough to get to know Klaus thoroughly. Of all the people I had met, the one who came closest to him was Shinji. Obviously, it was an odious comparison, as at least Klaus was talented in magic and didn't treat people like dirt. I knew that despite his character, he would never lay a hand on me or touch me inappropriately. But the reason for my comparison was his womanizing nature.

It drove me crazy every time he talked about the women he had slept with, as if he had a fervent need to show his virility to me. But I made it clear that I had no intention of sleeping with him. He also promised, seeing how I was, that he wouldn't bring any more women into the house. I understood why many women were attracted to that type of man, but it was evident that achieving a stable life with them was probably null.

Despite the cold, I spent the whole day in sports gear matching my hair color. Klaus was amazed I could endure it in the cold. I jokingly said that sweat was my coat. What he didn't know was my past; like Constanze, I refused to talk to anyone about the worms. I was used to being in a cold, dark room, completely naked and chained, being violated by the most repulsive creatures imaginable. It didn't matter if it was one of the harshest winters in years; I had to endure because it was part of the "training," needing permission even to breathe.

As for magical training, it was more of the same. Real magic wasn't like what ordinary people might think. It wasn't about pulling rabbits out of hats and saying "abracadabra." It was something much more. It was organic, like a science in itself. It was the substance emanating from the Root itself. Since ancient times, magicians have yearned for and sought it in any way possible. For me, it was nothing more than a path leading to pain, despair, and madness. Everything was rotten from the foundations. Magic was so cruelly organic that it was part of human genetics, and the longer one used magic, the more powerful the mage and their family became, creating an almost unbreakable caste system. All those families still behaved like nobles to the point of discarding children just for wanting one heir, as happened to me. Moreover, depending on the family you were born into, you could only adapt to a specific type of magic. In my case, adaptation to the worms should have killed me, but it didn't. I had shown great strength, but over time, I thought it wasn't good because Zouken would keep exploiting me, so the best option was to end my life, but that strength kept me afloat. In short, magical training was nothing but sheer pain, and I knew it well. Seeking new magic was synonymous with flagellating your magic circuits. I didn't mind because I was already accustomed to life's many blows. In these days, I was learning attack magic to improve my defense. I also had Angra Mainyu, which would provide that "help," but I feared what could happen if that power got out of control.

Despite everything, Klaus was amazed by my persistence, no matter how clumsy it might seem. What might have initially appeared as a clumsy, useless person had turned me into someone with immense potential in his eyes. There was still much to do, but this was already an indication that if I continued on this path, I had a secure place.

"Well..." Klaus continued, "I just got the plans of the place via email." After printing them, he placed them on the table to show me. "Apparently, he lives in a bunker he's turned into some kind of laboratory. It's quite large, but its spatial division is rather simple. Although there's only one entrance guarded by two guards, the good thing is there's a ventilation duct connecting all the rooms, and we can sneak in. According to my intuition, the cells and the lab are in the underground part."

"Do you think the children will be in the cells?" I asked innocently.

"Maybe yes, maybe no. I can't confirm something I don't know."

"I see, but it would be important to know the location."

"It's in the Black Forest, near Freiburg im Breisgau. In other words, we'll have to cross into Germany."

"We'll?" I said, surprised.

"Yes, you're coming with me," Klaus answered firmly.

"But I'm not ready..."

"I know. But you need to gain experience as soon as possible. On the positive side, Aldous Rosenberg isn't known for his combat skills, so it'll be easy to kill him."

"K-Kill him, me?" I stammered.

"Are you aware of how harsh the world you've just entered is? Don't you want to give the bastard we're hunting his due? Aren't you interested in saving the children?" Those words left me speechless because I knew he was right.

"Yes..." I tried to answer.

"Then I'll give you a simple task as I've said." He pulled out a strange gun and a dagger from his pocket. "In this gun, a Thompson Contender, there's a special bullet called 'Origin,' which will strip him of any magical ability and kill him slowly. I'll also give you this dagger as an alternative. Above all, I recommend doing it as discreetly as possible."

"Yes, but could you explain the plan to me? All I see are loose ideas without any connection."

"Of course."

And so he did. He explained in detail what we were going to do. It was quite straightforward. Knowing the guard was low, Klaus said, "Who in their right mind would enter a hellhole like this that looks like it's from a horror movie?" which made me laugh. The idea was simple: Klaus would deal with all the guards while I snuck through the ventilation duct to free the children and kill Rosenberg.

I was surprised that despite there being ten men guarding the area, Klaus was ready to face them all. I was skeptical that he would succeed, but according to his own words, this was nothing compared to other situations he had been in. He even claimed to have once faced twenty people and killed them all. However, knowing him, it was hard to believe. Though Klaus would take on most of the work, it was for the best. I was not ready for close combat. Someone might think I was weak just because I was a woman. Surprisingly, Klaus wasn't that type of person; he had hope that with training, I could become strong and have defensive capabilities.

It was night. We got ready, dressing and arming ourselves. When we were prepared, we immediately headed to the car for a journey that would take about two hours. It was a road trip where Klaus initially kept telling his war stories. But once we crossed the border, the conversation changed drastically. From telling trivial anecdotes, he started talking about the job we were about to do. It wasn't anything new; he just made sure I remembered every detail so the plan wouldn't fail.

We arrived in Freiburg im Breisgau. The city was completely lit up. I felt like visiting it, but it wasn't the time for tourism. We passed the city to enter strange roads that were scary at night. For many, this place was like a fairytale; for me, it seemed like hell itself. When we passed it, Klaus decided to park the car in a clearing.

"We have half an hour to go," Klaus affirmed. "But I'll park here because if I left it close, it would raise suspicions. So we'll have to approach stealthily, but being as short as you are, I'm sure you won't have any trouble."

Crouched and walking slowly for half an hour, as he had said, we stopped among some bushes where we hid.

"We're here," Klaus whispered.

I peeked through one of the holes, seeing two large men with assault rifles each at the bunker door. On the left was the slot leading to the ventilation duct. The information was accurate.

"I still can't believe you can take them on," I said incredulously.

"Wait and see," Klaus replied with a smile.

"Of course, Senpai..." I accidentally used that word I hadn't used in years, covering my mouth with my hands out of embarrassment.

"I'd ask you nicely not to call me that again. It doesn't displease me, knowing you're Japanese and say these things, but as a Westerner, I find it distasteful. It's the kind of fetish a virgin otaku would have. Sorry for being crude, but that's how I feel."

I nodded.

"Well, time to get to work," Klaus got serious again. "Without leaving the bushes, I'll go right, and you go left. When I engage the guards, you slip into the duct immediately, understood?"

I nodded again.

Klaus signaled, and we each went to our positions.

We couldn't attack on the move because one false step would ruin everything. For a few minutes, the guards remained fixed, looking into the night's horizon, though it was obscured by winter mist. Unlike Klaus, who was full of determination because it was his job, I felt like I didn't know how to react. On one hand, I was motivated by revenge and the need to save the children, but on the other, my body wasn't prepared for combat. I could take hits, but that didn't mean I was more than a damsel in distress at heart.

Fortunately, they turned their backs to chat. Klaus appeared suddenly like a bat in a cave, grabbing one guard by the neck while kicking the other in the face, leaving him dazed against the wall. It was my moment. I ran to the duct's opening as if it were a hundred-meter dash. I reached the duct and removed the grate immediately. At first, I was afraid it wouldn't open easily, but it did. Without hesitation, I quickly slipped in like a mouse fleeing to its burrow.

Due to the narrow space, I had to crawl. Through one of the duct's holes, I saw Klaus entering through the main door. As he descended the stairs, alarm shouts of intruders could be heard. When he reached the last step, a man suddenly appeared from his left, but without flinching, Klaus stabbed him in the jugular, splattering blood on the wall. With this, Klaus proved he wasn't lying about his skills.

I continued crawling through the duct while the sounds of gunfire, punches, and shouts intensified. Knowing the layout by heart, I managed to reach the room I was looking for, the cells. I opened the corresponding grate and carefully exited the hole. When I came out, I held onto the edge of the hole to gauge the drop so I wouldn't hurt myself. There was a meter and a half between my feet and the ground. When my body stopped swaying, I let go, and my fall was clean.

I began looking around, feeling no sign of life. Not even the slightest noise if you didn't count the dripping water. I turned on the flashlight to see if there were any children. The result was negative. I was starting to get scared. I clenched my left hand into a fist and pressed it against my chest in concern.

"Purple Arrow, this is Grey Arrow," I said, activating the walkie-talkie with my right hand. "No human presence in the cells."

"Here Grey Arrow, received," said Klaus. "Leave the cell area and head to the lab. I'll meet you there when I'm done with all the guards. I have five left."

"Received."

I left the cell area through the back door. When I opened it, I realized there was a stone staircase leading down. I grabbed the gun to shoot if I encountered Aldous Rosenberg. When I descended, I found the laboratory.

At first glance, it looked like a scene from a horror or generic sci-fi movie. A completely dark room, with no apparent windows, lit only by large cylindrical tubes containing a strange colored liquid and a series of bizarre creatures inside. As I approached to see what they were exactly, I confirmed this was the manifestation of Aldous Rosenberg's magic, therianthropy. I observed children in embryonic positions turned into various animal hybrids: rabbits, pigs, birds... Their forms were so grotesque they were hard to stomach until I saw a child transformed into a dog, lying on the floor with its broken capsule, dripping yellow substance into its eyes. The worst part was recognizing it as one of the children from the orphanage. I covered my mouth with my hands to suppress my urge to vomit.

I continued walking, seeing more and more familiar faces. Fear and disbelief grew stronger in me. I wanted to believe this was a nightmare from which I needed to wake up immediately. I refused to accept that these innocent souls with such miserable lives would end like this.

I reached the back. There was a man sitting with his back to me at a table against the wall. He moved his arms as if using utensils and then chewed, indicating he was eating. I knew this was the man I had to kill.

"Hands up!" I shouted, aiming the gun at his head.

"Well," said the man, standing up and turning around. "I knew I, Aldous Rosenberg, was sought by many, but I never thought the first to hunt me down would be such a pretty young woman with the look of an innocent girl," laughed the bald man with sparse grey hair and beard, a large nose, and blue eyes behind round glasses.

"TELL ME THE CHILDREN ARE OKAY!"

"Which children? Oh, right! You mean those I kidnapped on Christmas Eve... Now that I remember, your appearance matches the descriptions my men gave when they raided the orphanage... Purple hair, short, pink ribbon in your hair, busty... According to them, you turned into something inexplicable like a black witch and killed five of mine, trying to protect your friend. You almost ruined our plan, but then you vanished, and we left you to your fate. And now you come here seeking vengeance? Don't make me laugh, please."

Now I understood what had happened that night. After making a pact with Angra Mainyu, I unleashed all its power willingly, distinguishing friend from foe. The inexplicable part was why I didn't remember anything. Perhaps because the amount of magic released had altered my entire body, including my mind.

"You haven't answered my question," I scolded while still aiming at him.

"Well... Technically, you didn't ask, but I'll answer," Aldous stretched the gum. "You probably saw all those tubes; they're the bodies of children I've fused with animal genes through magic. With this, I create familiars for all sorts of uses and sell them on the black market."

"Don't tell me that..."

"What? That I've turned all the children from your orphanage into those monstrosities behind you? It's a fact, even if you want to deny it."

I tried to hold back tears, though it was difficult.

"YOU'RE A MONSTER!" I roared.

"Me, a monster?" he asked sarcastically. "The monsters are what I've created," he laughed. "You know? Since we're in a place associated with fairytales, remember the story of Pinocchio? When the protagonist went with his friend to the Land of Toys, they turned into donkeys and were taken to a circus. That's how I define my work, condemning the miserable lives of children who contribute nothing to society, giving them utility, even if just for the amusement of high-class magicians."

"Utility!?"

"Yes, for example, the children I turn into foxes are used in fox hunting as an alternative."

"You think that's a good use!? Using a child for something worse than livestock!?"

"Who said this process is about that? Rather, I'd say it's about forging them into something virtuous."

"Virtuous, you say? You think exactly like the magician who ruined my life."

"Look, girl. I've just met you; I know nothing of your past. Unlike other magicians, I dedicate myself to creating life, so to speak. I choose children because adults are less effective for these experiments. Plus, thanks to me, they gain immortality because I remove any obstacle to it."

"What the hell are you talking about!?"

"You see, I remove their organs and replace them with magical energy. Therefore, they're like batteries, adding more charge for a longer life."

My mind went into shock. I couldn't imagine the mere fact of a child's body being gutted. I didn't even bother to ask if they were conscious during this.

"Seems like the cat's got your tongue," Aldous mocked me. "I'll tell you one more detail. Want to know what I was eating before you arrived? Well, the liver of the dog-child I took out of his capsule. The experiment was defective, so I decided to sacrifice him."

My nausea became stronger. I needed to vomit but couldn't because my stomach was empty.

"Come on, don't be like that," Aldous said coldly. "Food is scarce here, and there's nothing to eat. We can't go anywhere to buy because we're under surveillance. So, cannibalism is the only option. It's not that horrible; you get used to it. Interestingly, human flesh is like other meats; the young always taste better."

"I'M GOING TO KILL YOU!" I screamed without restraint.

"Go ahead, shoot. Though I doubt you'll hit me; your hand is shaking."

I did, instinctively closing my eyes. When I opened them to my unpleasant surprise, I had completely missed.

"Told you," Aldous gloated. "Now, your end, girl," he said, grabbing my right hand with the gun as I fell to the ground. "I wonder what I'll do with you. With that young body, there's much room for imagination. Right now, I feel like the wolf when he ate Little Red Riding Hood. The good thing is, there's no woodcutter in sight."

Fortunately, he overlooked the other side where I had the knife hidden. I pulled it out and stabbed him in the hip.

"AHH! You bitch!" he screamed, letting go of me in pain and retreating. "You asked for it!"

The problem was the stab wasn't deep enough, so he recovered and tried to strangle me.

《Why did Klaus assign me this mission!? Damn it! I'm useless!》" I thought, feeling as though I was about to die as Aldous tightened his grip on my neck.

But then, I remembered. To save myself, I had to invoke Angra Mainyu. And so I did, breaking the hand that was choking me with a surge of magical energy.

"Ah! You bitch!" Aldous screamed, writhing in pain as he bled profusely. "How could I forget that secret of yours they mentioned!?"

I didn't care what he said about me; now I was the one in control. So I took advantage and ripped off one of his legs with another magical pulse.

"WHAT THE FUCK IS THIS!?" Aldous screamed, falling to the ground in agony.

When I saw he was wearing black and red bands, I used them to stab his torso like nails into a wall, driven by my rage.

My objective was achieved. I had killed Aldous Rosenberg.

Once I confirmed he had no vital signs, I moved away from the crime scene and leaned against one of the tubes to rest because using Angra Mainyu had severely exhausted me. After that, I returned to normal.

"Sakura, are you okay?" Klaus asked, appearing with some blood on his face and surveying the scene. "Congratulations, you did it."

"Thank you..." I managed to say between gasps.

"I'm surprised by this enormous pool of blood you've left. Can you tell me what happened to his arm and leg? I didn't know you liked stabbing."

"They got caught in one of these machines," I lied.

"It's hard to believe, but if you witnessed it, I'll accept it. What about the children?"

"T-They've turned into... what you're seeing here..." I had to swallow to get the words out.

"I'm sorry," Klaus said, putting his hand to his face. "The best we can do is burn this place down and leave everything in the past. We'll take the body in a bag since it's one of the job's requirements. I've already taken care of all the guards, so we can work in peace."

I nodded in agreement.

When we collected Rosenberg's body in a bag, we put it in the trunk. I asked Klaus if I could stay in the car because I was tired. He gave me permission. While I got in, he took out several gasoline canisters.

After an hour of waiting, I began to see the huge flames rising from the forest through the rearview mirror. In the distance, Klaus was returning to conclude the job.

On the way back, we were completely silent. It was the antithesis of the trip there. While Klaus focused on driving, I kept my eyes half-closed, trying to sleep to contain my emotions.

But when we got home, I sat on the sofa and started crying uncontrollably.

"I'm sorry," said Klaus, hugging me, trying to calm my sobs. "I didn't know it was too late. This mission was too much for you, yet you did well. But I want you to get used to how cruel this world can be."

I nodded.

When Klaus let go of me, I leaned back on the sofa and fell asleep.

At that moment, I remembered what day it was, December 28th, the Day of the Holy Innocents. That day commemorates the death of many newborns by King Herod to prevent the rise of Jesus, the Messiah. Coincidentally, the children I knew had fallen into misfortune due to the ambition of a psychopathic man. It was a stupid analogy, but it was both curious and sad to me.

The next day, I woke up around eleven in the morning. Klaus was sitting in the dining room with a look of anticipation.

"Good morning," he greeted.

"You look like you want to tell me something," I said.

"Yes. I bring more good news. Your friend Constanze has just woken up."

"I'm glad..." I said, feeling both happy and worried. "But she can't know about this."

"I know. I'll take care of it."