In the central district of the island called [Fumetsu], there were several bases of the [Black Corps], or rather, Goto's bases.
Some were secret, others open to the public.
However, among all of them, there were two that held greater importance than the others.
The first was the headquarters, which served as the logistical center for all the other main bases in the different districts.
The [Black Corps] headquarters was a huge, dark building, built to withstand the elements for thousands of years.
It was a symbol of the group's strength, resilience, a monument to remind the island's inhabitants that their protectors would never fall.
Internal and external defenses made the building impregnable. No one had ever managed to assault that place without dying. This was true even before Goto himself was born.
Even Veronica herself had no courage to do so. She was confident in her power to the point of arrogance, but she wasn't completely reckless.
The moment she would cross the boundaries of the HQ, she would be torn apart. She had no chance.
The headquarters was known to the public and occasionally open for guided tours. Nothing advertised itself better than a group of children entering the HQ.
The second base, more important than the entire island, was hidden 99.9% from the population. Deep underground.
Few knew of its existence. Even fewer knew where to find it. All of its members belonged to the highest ranks of the [Black and White Corps], or other vital institutions of [Fumetsu].
Therefore, the [New Dawn] did not know at all about the place codenamed [The Tomb].
What was the purpose of [The Tomb]?
It wasn't a symbol or a logistical hub like the HQ; it was something much more "useful."
It was there that, day after day, Goto's best subordinates designed, tested, and manufactured new weapons for their tyrant.
It was a place of terror; often, tests were conducted on human guinea pigs—poor homeless people taken from the streets or magicians kidnapped from who knows where.
Being sent to [The Tomb] was a death sentence. Almost every week, new live subjects were brought in for experiments.
Few had the luck of a quick and painless end.
Today, Goto himself had come here. To see with his own eyes the pinnacle of his scientists' projects.
He was rarely seen smiling like a child at the prospect of having his new personal weapon.
"So, is it finally ready?"
"It took us months to calibrate the oscilloscope because of its weight, and to choose the right metals for the external protections and the entire armor. Not to mention—"
"You still haven't answered me."
The scientist's rambling, which could have annoyed Goto's stepfather Hajime, was allowed to slide today. If they had succeeded in reaching their goal, he would let it go.
"...Uhm... I apologize, Goto-sama. On behalf of my entire staff, I am happy to report that the [Omega Killer] project has been completed successfully! You can come see it now!"
The glass mirror before which Goto and the scientist moved allowed him to see the [Omega Killer] for the first time.
His heart began to beat—due to a feeling he hadn't experienced in many years: excitement.
"When I reached the limits of the power I could acquire with this body, I thought it was the end... but with this weapon... this armor... not even a [Magus Omega] will be at my level! No one will be able to overthrow me from my throne and my island!"
There were few things that truly scared Goto to the point of losing sleep:
Losing his daughter.
Seeing everything he had conquered and built fall apart.
And the overwhelming power of the [Magus Omegas].
Only these three things could really make his knees tremble; therefore, now that he had something to compensate for his lack of power, he couldn't help but feel joy.
"Hahaha!"
For the first time in a long while, Mokuro Goto laughed with joy. Not knowing that he would have to use his new weapon much sooner than he expected.
************
Suffering was part of life.
Yet, no one liked to experience it.
Hajime had a special relationship with suffering. He didn't like feeling it, but if he could choose, he would rather be torn apart by Goto, as had happened in the past, than feel weak and useless, unable to save his mother or little sister from her stepfather.
The boy firmly believed that physical pain was better than emotional pain. In a way, he was right.
It's easier to heal a wounded body than a broken heart.
Right now, however, Hajime could confidently say that what he was experiencing was the worst thing he had ever endured in his short 17 years of life.
"AHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!! IT HURTS, DAMN IT!!!!!!"
Every cell in his body was screaming. Even when he was almost bursting due to his powers going out of control, he had never felt such pain.
It was hell. He couldn't think or do anything.
He could only lie there, on the cold floor, writhing like a worm.
While he shouted and twisted without purpose.
As time passed, his internal organs started to shutdown. His heart raced so fast that he wouldn't have been surprised if he had a heart attack or if it burst by force.
The anti-[magus] poison was doing its job. All too well.
The adolescent wouldn't have even three hours of life left if he continued like this.
Three hellish hours filled with tens of thousands of seconds of pure pain.
If he had a way, or the strength, he would have already taken his own life by now.
But Veronica had been prudent, removing every possible weapon from the room.
As Hajime thought about his teacher, he couldn't help but remember her last advice.
[Circulate your [mana].]
He did so. The 17-year-old used the little concentration he had to move his [mana] inside his body, guiding it toward his heart.
The result was immediate. His organ slowed down its rapid beating, leading to an immediate reduction of the pain in his chest.
"Fuck! I'm not dying here!"
Now that he understood the trick, the silver-haired boy redoubled his efforts to use his [mana] as never before.
"There... Ahhhhhhhhhhrghhhh!"
But a moment of distraction was enough for him to return to the starting point.
The hours passed while Hajime remained in that limbo of suffering. His mind and body pushed to their limits.
"Damn! Ah! Ah! Shit! Ahhhh!"
Sweating as if in a sauna, Hajime, Goto's stepson, tried to stay in the meditation position he had discovered to be ideal for circulating his [mana] throughout his being. Clenching his teeth, he fought to endure.
He was so focused that he didn't notice Veronica had returned.
She paused for at least 30 minutes, observing him.
In these 30 minutes, Hajime completely halted the poison, destroying it entirely with his circulating [mana] throughout his body. When he finished, he was in a sweat-drenched heap, breathing heavily.
"Congratulations, my pupil. Now you will be immune to almost all types of poison and resistant to the strongest ones. Come on! Let's go celebrate. I thought you'd be half-dead or in a coma when I came down here, but you're still pretty lively."
"Crazy witch! Did you want to kill me?! Go to hell! Why the hell did I come to you!?"
Veronica kept smiling at her pupil, then suddenly appeared in front of him with incredible speed and grabbed him by the throat, squeezing his airways with her fingers.
"Gahhah!"
"No, no, no, no, this simply won't do. I can't talk to you with such rudeness, Hajime-chan. As your Shishou, I expected respect... if I can't have that, I'll have your fear!"
Veronica continued to tighten her grip until Hajime was almost violet in the face. Only then did she let go, causing the boy to fall heavily to the ground, coughing and trying to breathe.
"I admit I went too far; I apologize, Hajime-chan. But you know, it's the first time I've had an apprentice, and my unorthodox training methods are a bit 'rough'. Next time, I promise, the lesson won't be so bad. Now get up and come upstairs for some water. I'm sure you're thirsty."
The [Omega Mage] didn't look back as she left the room, knowing very well that Hajime would soon follow her. After all, he had no real choice.