Could I have done better? The same question kept appearing in Momotaro's mind. Once again the negative thoughts held him captive, tied to the image of the two members they lost that afternoon.

Momo knew the instant he accepted Stefan's offer that they'll be surrounded by danger, you can't be safe fighting against an army of demons. He even took the necessary precautions to protect his family. His parents and grandmother lived in the next village, a safe place, but he feared that demons could locate them through him. The young man clung to the only solution he could find and that's how Renjiro became Momotaro.

It's been several months since he took a new identity, everyone inside the Protectors meet him as Momotaro, the only one who knew the truth was Stefan. He was lucky enough to be a new inhabitant the moment the nightmare began, which allowed him to pretend to be someone else without arousing suspicion.

Stella said to him once that when people lose something they cherish, they gain another thing in return, that's the way life rewards you. Maybe she was right because after Momo gave up his family he won a new one: the Protectors.

Every time a member of the resistance died, it devastated him. So there he was, again, laying on his backyard lawn mourning the deaths of Jensen and Phillip. Titan, his best friend, stood beside him trying to cheer him up with his adorable Pit Bull face. If it weren't for the dog's presence,  the boy would have given up a long time before. They were a team and they always worked together.

"It's time to go," said Momotaro, the words were more to himself than to his companion.

The young man led the way dragging his feet. His pace was slower than usual, a simple walk to the black car turned into a procession. Silence consumed the trip, the only noise was the thoughts that surrounded Momo's mind.

A screech ran through the main entrance of the headquarters as both of them arrived.

"How's the cutest Chuchu?" The owner of the scream asked while she petted the Pit Bull. Titan returned her favor by licking her entire face.

"He truly loves you, he only reacts that way with you and Lorcan."

"That's because he's a smart dog and he knows we are the best," Flora answered, still playing with Titan. "También te amo, hermoso."

"Where are you running to?"

"Just looking for Clio, you know, a girl thing."

"What exactly is a girl thing? Activities don't have a gender, I'm disappointed about you." The false dramatic tone in his voice was obvious, Momo was letting Flora know that he discovered her lie.

"Nos re vimos," the girl screamed and started running away, her long blond hair jumping like crazy. Momo couldn't help but laugh at Flora's attitude.

After their encounter with Flora, they were forced to speed up to be on time at the reunion point. Sometimes it's possible for the member to be a little late but that day Lorcan was Momotaro's partner and he was always on time.

A few steps were left when Titan raced in the direction of the one that waited for them. Lorcan spread his arms and prepared himself for the impact. Soon he was rammed by the sweet beast.

"Did you get bigger?" asked Lorcan, eyeing the dog, his questions answered by a loud bark. "Are you here for the watch? I thought Jensen was my partner today."

At the mention of the name Momotaro's face changed, his expression turned gloomy, his eyes lost their brightness. For a moment he gave himself the opportunity to rest in the arms of oblivion, but everything crumbled down once those words were spoken.

"We got attacked today, Jensen and Phillip are dead."

There it was again, the uncomfortable silence that followed every time the death of a member was announced, and that's how they remain until they reach the location.

During the first hours of their duty, the boys were consumed by the deepest part of their minds. Lorcan tried to accept the news, while Momotaro drowned in his guilt.

They were in charge of the north post. The location was new, a demon attack forced them to move to a different place. A simple cabin next to an immense vivarium, isolated from the rest of the village. Both buildings belonged to Clio's aunt. All the places they used were donated by people they knew, after all the Protectors weren't a wealthy organization.

Hidden behind a line of trees, its walls made of wood, and big windows that allowed them to see the exterior perfectly, the little cabin was even better than they imagined.

"Tell me something about your day," Momotaro asked, tired of the influence the silence had on his mind.

Lorcan seemed to understand the reason behind his request and tried to find a topic to distract his friend.

"I saw Agatha and Demir in the library today."

"Did you finally make a move with your massive crush?"

"I don't have a massive crush."

"Of course, you don't, that's the reason why you spend hours talking about how beautiful, smart, and compassionate Agatha is." Titan's barks interrupted Momotaro.

"Really Titan? You too?"

"I don't think he's agreeing with me. I can see a silhouette coming at us, actually five of them."

In a state of alert, the trio waited for the unknown shadows to come closer. Momo took his knives out of his jacket pockets and Lorcan used his power to materialize a crossbow.

"Why don't you get out, little Protectors? We know you're there," A voice talked to them from the outside.

The young men looked at each other and, after a single nod, they opened one of the windows and shot their weapons at the demons, one of their enemies got hit by the projectiles, vanishing at that moment.

Mist took over the place making it difficult for the humans to see. The sound of the door indicated the arrival of the demons. A scream pierced the air seconds after.

"Fucking dog."

Titan managed to sneak behind one of the monsters and bit him on his left thigh preventing him from moving. Momotaro used the opportunity his friend was giving him and sliced the demon's throat.

A strong force slammed him against the wall. Pain traveled through his right arm, he had been stabbed. Red eyes looked down at him, he still couldn't get used to the unusual color of the demon's gaze. Their menacing appearance was completed by their big height, not smaller than two meters, and their sharp teeth.

For a second time, Titan bit their enemy giving Momo the chance to kick the demon to the ground and stabbed his heart before he sent a message through his tattoo.

Momotaro and Titan followed the sound of a clash of metal. The pain caused by his wound made every step harder to take. Lorcan defeated the third demon. The last one was still hidden, thanks to the mist, his own creation.

To take his last chance, that's what the demon tried to do. Sliding with ease, he aimed toward Lorcan, his chosen prey. Momo's enhanced hearing picked up the steps of the predator and he got in the way of his friend. A clear sound of cracking and a painful scream alerted Lorcan.

Momotaro froze for a second and that was enough for the demon to bring him down. The agony didn't allow him to move his arms. He tried to defend himself using his legs, an effort that wasn't enough.

The help came in the form of his friends, Lorcan managed to hit the demon on his back, and Titan bit one of his legs. The monster lost his hold on Momo, he had his focus on a different target.

They fought without seeing. Momotaro, the one that could move easier between the three, was at the same time the one with serious wounds. A devastating scenario loomed over the trio, one wrong move could end their lives.

New footsteps came closer, Momo wielded his knife despite the stinging pain that took over his body. The sounds got louder, he could hear them near the door.

A team led by Gellert burst into the room, the injured young man let out the breath he was holding and dropped the knife. At the same time a portal materialized in front of Momotaro.

Bertram, Gellert's son,  came from the portal he created.

"Come on, they can take care of the demons."

Moving with the last strength they had inside their bodies the trio passed through the portal, the headquarters' infirmary was waiting on the other side.

"What the hell happened to you?" Genevieve asked Momotaro running to help him.

The doctor did everything she could to heal the boys. After she finished, Lorcan ended up with some bandages on his leg and chest, while Momotaro was even worse.

"A month's rest, don't you dare try to come back early to your duties, I'll talk with Stefan about this," ordered Genevieve.

"A whole month. What about the training? I'm sure I can teach even with this cast."

"Your right arm has a deep wound and your left arm is broken, I'm not letting you work."

"I can't understand how they found us, we just moved. In the last two weeks, they have attacked all our watch locations. It's like they had our information."

"If you're implying what I'm thinking, then stop it right now. Stefan trusts every member completely and you should too, or you'll have serious problems with him," The woman warned him.

"Stefan trusts too much."

"And you trust no one."

Momotaro was discharged from the infirmary after swearing he would take some rest. His opinion about the traitor grew stronger, he planned to find the one who betrayed them and they'll regret it.

Titan is finally here ❤️, he's inspired by my puppy (his name is also Titan). Hope you like him, and the chapter!