He had just finished his homework when he heard the sound of the door opening. He didn't have to wait long for Lester, who was lazily coming down the stairs. She had a habit of taking a two-hour nap in the evening. The boy smiled when he saw her tousled hair. Sometimes he thought that even he was more organized than she was. Adjusting her beige pajamas, she sat down opposite the Apostle.

  "Do you have a family?" At first, the question surprised him. He hadn't expected such a personal question. Probably the visit to Halverdo had prompted such reflections.

  "I did," he replied briefly. "They're dead." He realized that by revealing this, he had made a big mistake. In her eyes, he was an ancient being, and such a being could not have a real family. "I was reincarnated," he lied.

  "That's obvious." She nodded. He raised his eyebrows, not expecting such a response. "My family is dead too. We've always fought various monsters. We always won." She sighed. "Unfortunately, one day our luck ran out."

  "What do you mean?"

  "Demons." She replied. "It often happens that way. The inhabitants of worlds deal with internal threats, but when they come, they just..."

  "..." He didn't quite understand. Unfortunately, he couldn't ask questions, as they would surely betray his lack of competence. "That's what the Sphinxphere is for..." He understood why she had joined the organization. However he had the feeling that she didn't tell him full story.

  "That's right. At first, the 'Executors' dealt with it." The boy nodded. He remembered that the faction with the terrifying name had established the entire Sphinxphere. "Now, however, they are fighting the threat directly. That is why we must protect the defenseless worlds."

  The boy was silent for a moment. He understood why Lesteria had been so eager to live with him. They were both teenage orphans. He didn't know her well, but he noticed her loneliness. Contrary to appearances, they were quite different.

  "The car..." It wasn't beasts or demons, but a car accident. He decided to repay her with honesty. "My family died in an accident. Those two rooms upstairs aren't secret armories, but my parents' and younger sister's rooms. I haven't opened them since the funeral."

  "..." Only Lesteria noticed the tears in his eyes. She wasn't quite sure how to behave in such situations. "How can I put this... For a Destroyer of Worlds, you're very... human." The Apostle of Destruction hid his face in his hands.

  He sat on the carcass of a giant dragon. He couldn't even remember when he had killed it, but he knew it hadn't been a difficult task. The blood on his hands was definitely not his. The beast was one of the "primordial" ones, and the length of its wing alone was about five hundred meters. Despite its size, the carcass seemed tiny in the wasteland. Dry earth stretched endlessly. As if he had appeared out of nowhere. The young man whistled in admiration at the sight of the gentleman triumphantly sitting on the beast's corpse. He didn't have time to say anything, because a thin blade was already resting on his neck. He raised his hands theatrically.

  "A god of pure blood... What is someone like that doing here?" The powerful creature was much taller than the newcomer. Despite this, the aura emanating from the carefree man was overwhelming.

  "That's my question." He rolled his eyes. His tone seemed light and cheerful.

  It was as if the blade hanging around his neck didn't bother him in the slightest. Noticing this, the grim warrior lowered his weapon. "This is my territory. Thanks for killing the dragon, but I'd rather you didn't hang around here." The man wasn't listening to the newcomer at all.

  He knew there would be no second chance. He approached and looked him straight in the eyes. One was the embodiment of madness, the other of sadness and helplessness. Even without knowing each other, they respected each other.

  "Are you capable of killing me?" The newcomer's eyes widened. After a moment, however, his expression changed dramatically. A smile appeared on his face. A dangerous smile. He narrowed his eyes as he adjusted his bangs.

  "We're more alike than I thought." He clenched his fist.

  He stared at the ceiling. He often had strange dreams, but this was the first time it was something so "Edgy." He sighed deeply. He definitely preferred dreaming about saving the world. Hearing triumphant cheers. But you can't choose your dreams. Looking up, he saw Lesteria. She was sitting at the table watching the morning show on TV. For a moment, he forgot that he was sleeping in the living room. It was probably the TV that woke him up. He sat up in bed, realizing he wasn't wearing a shirt. He quickly covered himself with the blanket again.

  He instantly understood that his privacy was not what it used to be.

  "Good morning." Lesteria didn't answer because the program had captivated her like nothing else before.

  "It's 6:00 a.m... What could be so interesting...?" He stretched.

  "Good morning!" She replied only now. "The warehouse is about to open. Michael and Doris were haggling over it. In the end, Michael got it for 500... And now we'll find out if he'll break even. Or maybe even make a profit!"

  "Of course he'll make money." He hurriedly put on his shirt. "It's all set up."

  "No... Impossible!" She opened her eyes wide. He felt like a parent revealing the truth about Santa Claus to their child.

  "You can't believe everything." He realized how ironic what he was saying was. If she hadn't been so gullible, they probably would never have met. His status as the Destroyer of Worlds feeds on gullibility.

  He watched TV for a while, but something told him to go outside. The sun was just rising, and classes wouldn't start for another three hours. Despite this, he decided to stretch his legs. As usual, he visited his favorite candy store.

  "How much are these jelly beans?" He pointed to the oblong sweets resting behind the counter.

  If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

  "For you, maybe... $1,000 each?" Albert smiled maliciously. The Apostle told him about the Sphinxphere gold payment card.

  "Sure... I'll be sure to mention that to my friend at the tax office." He replied sarcastically. Although he had had the opportunity to meet the official, he would not call Connor a friend. He slowly searched his wallet for change, as he didn't want to use the organization's money.

  "Where's the kid?" He lazily kept the conversation going.

  "He's playing with the other two." Albert didn't take his eyes off the newspaper.

  "Two?" He didn't hide his surprise. He wondered if Emily, who was known here by the nickname "Speeding Lightning," had returned to play with the boys. The shopkeeper, as if reading his mind, replied.

  "A new kid showed up this morning."

  "Oh, really?" He didn't even pretend to be excited. Children make friends as quickly as they break them. Finally, he dug out three coins and threw them on the counter.

  "He's strange. Bear fur, old-school shirt..." He handed him a bag with two jelly beans.

  "Probably some cosplayer." He grabbed the package. "Thanks, I'm off to school." He waved goodbye as he left the premises. Albert just nodded and went back to reading. He didn't enjoy it for long, though, because the Apostle appeared at the door again.

  "Is that kid..." He was struggling to catch his breath. "Redhead? Muscular?"

  "Yes, redhead... Now that you mention it, he did have pretty good muscles. Maybe the son of some bodybuilder... Do you know him?"

  "Are you kidding me! What is he doing here!?" He didn't understand. The sparring match wasn't supposed to take place, and his father was supposed to spend his birthday with his son. In an act of desperation, he began to tell Albert the whole story. When he finished, the man burst out laughing.

  "You've really messed up!" Seeing the sullen expression on his interlocutor's face, he asked, "You really don't understand why he's here?"

  "..."

  "The father didn't want to put the fight before his son." He smiled. "And the son didn't want to put his birthday before his father's entertainment. That's why..."

  "He took him with him..." Apostle finished his sentence.

  "And they're both happy." The shopkeeper just watched as his regular customer leaned against the wall in despair. "A so-called compromise."

  "W... What am I supposed to do now?!" he exclaimed.

  "I have until noon... I have to think of something quickly."

  "Maybe you should pretend to be sick?" He suggested.

  "In their eyes, I'm a superhuman." He sighed. He considered it. Under stress, he began to devour the jelly beans he had bought earlier. For a good five minutes, they brainstormed ideas. The Apostle suddenly grimaced.

  He had come up with something, but it was quite risky.

  "Please! You have to help me!" He bowed low. Albert covered his face with his hands, knowing that nothing good would come of it. "Do you have any colored paper and tissue paper?"

  The Apostle sat in the classroom, calmly looking at his signet ring. The sorcerer, Asterlay, said that the artifact possessed true magic. He narrowed his eyes, trying to see the small streams of lava lazily flowing over the dark jewelry. Perhaps if something went wrong, it would save him. It was a poor consolation, but he decided to wear it today.

  "I have good news!" Lesteria ran up to his desk. "Halverdo did come to..."

  "I know," he replied calmly. "I sensed his aura this morning." Hearing this, her eyes lit up. Finally, she would see her mentor fight. She already had her notebook ready to get the most out of the event. The Apostle smiled mysteriously, then rose from his chair. It would be noon in twenty minutes. They had to get to the park as soon as possible. To the boy's surprise, Lois joined them on the way.

  "Did someone invite you?" he asked him. Walking side by side, they looked like a group of friends returning from school.

  "I'm also part of Sphinxphere." The bespectacled boy seemed intrigued by the prospect of seeing a real fight. "You seem confident," he remarked.

  "Of course I am." He snapped his fingers. "I am the most powerful."

  They arrived at the sparring site on time. There was no one there but those interested. Apparently, Lesteria had the entire police force in her pocket, and blocking off the streets leading to the park was not the biggest problem. He stood in a small camping area. Like a statue of Hercules, he aroused the admiration of everyone present. Seeing his opponent, he smiled slightly. Three children stood at a relatively safe distance. Halverdo's son, Halvarsen, along with two local boys he had recently met, nicknamed Ethereal Avenger and Indestructible Bull. They were all dressed in unusual clothing, which made them look like a group of novice superheroes. Lesteria and Lois moved away from them, as the duel was about to begin.

  It was noon, and the warriors stood facing each other. The Apostle pretended to be calm, but he knew that one mistake would shatter the facade. The legend of Sphinxphere No. 1 would become nothing more than an embarrassing memory. That is, if he survived the confrontation.

  "Begin, Apostle." Halverdo decided to start defensively. The boy smiled, knowing that this was the best possible situation.

  "You're brave." For now, he had to play for time.

  He's late... He scanned the area impatiently.

  "I am not worthy of these words..." Halverdo bowed. "You may begin."

  "I've already started." The Apostle pointed at his opponent. "I'm finding your weak points..."

  That should buy me some time. He didn't notice that his opponent had gone on the offensive. Halverdo had no intention of giving him time to analyze his weaknesses. He launched a quick charge.

  "Stop!" He struggled to suppress a high-pitched squeal. "I wouldn't advise doing that..." He bravely kept his voice calm. "Attacking me is not a wise move."

  "If you did, the fight would already be over." He displayed his skill as a storyteller.

  Where the hell is he!?

  The Apostle of Destruction panicked like never before. Encountering the hero's fist did not bode well. As if hearing his prayers, he emerged from the nearby bushes. A tall man dressed in an eccentric outfit. It was as if a musketeer's attire had met the style of a clown. Colorful pieces of paper adorned him from head to toe, and his head was topped with a hat decorated with a plume of tissue paper in every color imaginable. His face was covered with a carelessly made carnival mask.

  "What kind of madman is this...?" Halverdo seemed concerned. So did Lesteria, who had already grabbed her weapon. The newcomer took careless steps, as if some energy was dictating his pace. In fact, the impostor did not want to ruin his hastily put together costume. Lois ruined the tense situation. The usually calm and rational boy struggled to suppress a fit of laughter. Apostle was not surprised in the least. He himself had trouble maintaining his attention. The shopkeeper, Albert, looked comical.

  "So we meet again, Apostle..." - The man sounded surprisingly good. He managed to create the perfect hoarse voice. His role as a madman came to life before their eyes. "Oh. An unfamiliar face... e." He bowed awkwardly, as if his body were a rusty mechanism. His stuttering was actually due to a lack of practice in the role, but it suited the eccentric villain perfectly. Albert glanced at his son. He was relieved to see that the boy did not recognize him. However, he had a slightly different problem. "Allow me to introduce myself... I am..." He froze.

  They both forgot the name of newly created fictional villian.

  Damn it! ...Think of something!

  The Apostle grimaced as if trying to convey it telepathically. When the silence became unbearable, they both decided to save the situation.

  "Leonardo!" It was the only thing Albert could think of.

  "Gelverios!" Apostole shouted at the "mysterious stranger." He grabbed his face, realizing that they had shouted two different names at the same time.

  "Huh? What's your name?" Halverdo asked, confused.

  "Le... Leonardo Gelverios...?" The masked Albert shrugged.

  You're asking me? Fortunately, everyone present seemed to believe in the imaginary identity.

  "I am the leader of a secret orga... Organization known as... 'The Flock'!"

  "The Flock," Lesteria raised her revolvers. "That's what you were talking about before..."

  She took the bait. He knew he could count on her.

  "That's right..." He turned up his acting skills as much as he could. "Leonardo is really dangerous." He decided to use the name the man had given himself.