Anthony advanced impulsively towards Gael, completely ignoring Miguel's words and his plea to give the boy a chance. Silva's face was pressed against the floor, completely vulnerable to the imminent attack. Meanwhile, Eduardo smiled, aware that he was about to eliminate Rick's tormentor and get rid of another problem.

On the way towards Silva, Anthony's right hand began to transform into ice, gaining size and grandeur with each passing moment. The boy, with closed eyes, awaited the impact that would lead him to certain death. Just as Anthony was about to strike, Gael's words echoed from his mouth:

"Speak the name of who?"

At that moment, Anthony realized he had rushed. It was too late to stop his attack, but the boy's words triggered long-forgotten memories, erased fragments from his mind. However, there was no time to reverse the movement of his punch, which was rapidly approaching. That's when he heard Gael's inaudible scream:

"?????!!!"

A wall of fire rose from one side of the room to the other at a surprising speed. The flames engulfed Anthony's hand, protected by ice, preventing its immediate pulverization. However, Gael's burning power quickly melted the icy shell.

The momentum of the fire wall not only liquefied Anthony's ice hand but also propelled him backward as if he had been hit by a powerful punch. About to fall violently onto the table, a bushy branch appeared out of nowhere, cushioning Eduardo's launch.

Miguel, using his powers, triggered a chain reaction. In an instant, the other six individuals standing around the table moved at an absurd speed toward Gael. Each of them skillfully manipulated the elements, just as the boy had done: water, ice, earth, wind, lightning, and a small branch taking the form of a sword.

While Gael remained paralyzed on the floor, he noticed the imminent approach of the others, ready to counter any reaction Silva might manifest if he launched himself again at someone in that room.

"No more conflicts in this room. Retreat to your places, Kelvin, Daniel, and Kira,"

Miguel stated with undaunted serenity, even after averting an imminent disaster.

"You too, Dave, Roberto, and Lucas, step back now!"

This last remark came from a man seated at the table, who had remained silent until then. His long, black hair flowed with a singular grace, and his scarlet eyes shone like blood-red rubies. His pale skin emitted a mysterious fascination, and a delicate fringe slid smoothly from his hair to cover part of his face. On his forehead rested a pair of aviator glasses, currently raised to his forehead.

After Miguel's order, he approached Gael with a fluidity that cut through the air. For a brief moment, the boy's breath, still lying with his face on the floor, hesitated, and then the wall of fire dissipated, disappearing like a fleeting illusion.

As Miguel executed his move, Gael felt his cheek detach from the rough ground, unable to comprehend what had transpired in that room and how he had created a wall of fire in front of the brute about to strike him down.

"Rise, son of man,"

Miguel said, extending his hand to the boy.

"I apologize for the abrupt approach, but we have much to discuss. I am João Miguel. You must have been tremendously asso..."

"Wow!!! I'm Ace!!!"

Miguel stared at Gael with a perplexed expression, not understanding the essence of the words spoken by the young man. However, he realized that if there was any trace of fear previously present in the boy, it had been dissipated by the overflowing excitement.

At the table, one of the individuals who had remained seated laughed at Gael's assertion. He was an elderly man, probably the oldest in the group. His white hair cascaded, surpassing his shoulders, and a scar adorned his right eye, a witness to a burn from the past. His tan skin and half-closed eyes denoted an oriental heritage transcending time.

"What's so funny, Karumo?"

Miguel asked, perplexed.

"He's comparing himself to an anime and manga character,"

Karumo replied, still laughing at the situation.

Miguel continued to look at Gael, unable to understand the reason for such excitement in comparing himself to a fictional character.

"Hmm,"

murmured the one trying to lead the meeting.

"I don't understand how this is related to the son of man, but we need to get back to the matter at hand."

Miguel was a man focused on his goals, precise in his words, always seeking balance in all situations.

"Please, take a seat in the empty chair, son of man,"

he indicated, pointing to the chair at the end of the table, for Gael to settle in.

As he walked towards his seat, the boy watched Anthony struggling to free himself from the bushes that surrounded him, the result of the powerful impact of the fire wall that had appeared in the room.

Gael was so absorbed in his excitement that he even forgot to examine what was carved on the chair where he was going to sit. As soon as he took his seat and Anthony finished cleaning up, Miguel initiated the dialogue with a direct question:

"So, do you confirm that an individual with the described characteristics pierced your abdomen with a sword?"

Without beating around the bush, without prolonging the introductions of the other members of the table, Miguel went straight to the heart of the matter. Faced with the dry approach of the young man in front of him, not out of rudeness but due to his objectivity, Gael saw all his excitement fade away. He had turned into something similar to Ace, the central character of the current One Piece saga he was following. The boy hesitated for a moment but ended up confirming:

"Yes, I confirm!"

Gael declared, conveying the long-awaited confirmation.

"Rick is dead, and this son of man was chosen to take his place, hence the tattoo on your arm and the powerful manifestation of fire."

Miguel pronounced the verdict, validating Gael's words.

"Wait, are you saying that a zombie with a sword pierced my stomach, killing me, and now I can control fire?"

Gael questioned.

"It's more complicated than that,"

intervened a person in the room who, until then, had spoken only once.

"And who are you?"

Gael asked the young man who had just spoken.

"I apologize for the lack of manners,"

replied the man who had instructed the boys to move away from the boy while he was down.

"My name is Vand Xavier, and, by the way Miguel conducts the meeting, I believe it is my responsibility to explain the great confusion you've gotten into. As Miguel mentioned, you were chosen to replace Rick in his guardian position, and that's why you're here."

Vand explained, revealing how Gael had come to that place.

"When the lifeless body pierced your belly with the sword, it transferred to you the ancestral powers it possessed."

"But why was I chosen?"

Gael asked Vand.

"Honestly, we don't know

 the answer,"

Vand asserted.

"While Anthony was testing you in his mind, I pondered that when we die, our bodies possibly enter a dormant state until we find someone compatible with our powers, and perhaps that is your case. But when it comes to Rick, things tend to be even more complicated."

"So, this explains why only I could see the body of this Rick dead on the pole. But after all, who are you guys?"

Gael asked, starting to realize that the hole he had gotten himself into was much deeper than he imagined.

Vand smiled at this question. He could barely remember the last time he had answered that question. Centuries? No, perhaps even millennia since the last time he discussed this issue. So, he smiled.

"We are the Guardians, those who keep the worlds in their proper places. We are the representatives of these locations."

Vand replied to Gael, taking the opportunity to plant another seed of curiosity in the boy's mind.

"Worlds?" the boy asked, falling right into the trap that Vand had prepared to continue the explanation.

"Yes, worlds. So you believed that in a universe as vast as this, humans would be the only inhabitants?"

Vand asked, with a sarcastic smile on his face.

"A question worthy of a son of man,"

said Miguel, showing that he knew the human nature well.

"But why have we never discovered this before?"

Gael asked, realizing that everything he believed in was about to be shaken.

"Well, that's one of the functions of the Guardians: to prevent these worlds from colliding again, triggering a new war. But that's a story for another time. Each of us here protects one of these worlds. The problem is that the Earth always ends up being the stage for these wars, so you don't know of our existence."

Vand explained to Gael about the existence of multiple universes.

Vand, among the Guardians, was considered the most intelligent. Some even claimed that, among all the universes, Xavier could be the sharpest. This question, however, remained open, generating various discussions about who would be the most insightful: the Guardian or Ginko, the eccentric scientist. For now, let's leave this debate unanswered.

"In addition to the human world, there are six more dimensions that the Guardians protect: Elysium, Asgard, Duat, Takaamahara, Eternal Youth, and Dilmum. These realms coexist simultaneously, and our function is to ensure that they never intersect."

Vand explained to Gael, highlighting the magnificence of these places.

"Now that the newcomer is up to date, why did you summon us here, Miguel?"

Asked the only knight who had remained silent until then.

The young man had an impressive stature, reaching six feet five inches in height. His body emitted a commanding presence. His black hair had bluish tones and was straight, falling to the level of his eyes. However, at that moment, it was tied in a bun due to the green beret he wore. His eyes drew attention with their vibrant blue hue, and on his face was some kind of bandage, apparently not representing a significant injury.

"As you could observe on Sandor's face,"

Miguel pointed, referring to the knight.

"They started to move. Beings that have been dormant for millennia, with no sign of any rebellion, have awakened. Everything indicates that they have some connection with everything that is happening in this room now."

Miguel said, introducing the answer to the guardian's question.

"I summoned you here, Sandor Wahn, because I suspect that the shadows are acting, and the age of darkness is about to begin."