Chapter 44: 44;MERCY
The battlefield was silent, an eerie calm lingering in the air as Leo emerged from the swirling mist of dust and debris. His battered body stood tall, bruises painting his skin like war medals, his glowing blue eyes brighter than ever. The oppressive black aura around him pulsated, radiating an unnatural dread that seeped into the very ground.
The hunters' laughter abruptly ceased, replaced by wide eyes and trembling hands. D44's smirk faltered, the confidence draining from his face as Leo's presence struck them like a physical force.
Leo stood just a few feet behind them, his voice a low growl that echoed through the air. "Time to show you what real Mercadian levels look like."
In that moment, every hunter felt it—a deep, visceral fear that gripped their bones and paralyzed their bodies. They stood frozen, unable to move a muscle. The overwhelming aura weighed on them like a mountain pressing on their chests. Their breaths came in shallow gasps, each one a struggle against the suffocating energy emanating from Leo.
The ground beneath them began to darken, as though the shadows themselves were alive and converging. Tendrils of black energy spread outward, coating the battlefield in an otherworldly haze. The hunters tried to fight against the invisible force binding them, but their limbs refused to obey.
One of the hunters managed a strangled gasp, his voice trembling. "W-what is this…?"
Suddenly, screams pierced the air.
The hunters writhed in place as an unimaginable pain surged through their bodies. It started in their cores, a faint pressure building inside their skeletons. Then, with horrifying precision, their own bones began to shift.
Crack. A rib bent inward, piercing through one hunter's side. He screamed, his eyes wide with terror as blood spilled from the wound.
Snap. Another's arm twisted unnaturally, the bone curling inward and tearing through muscle.
One by one, their bodies contorted. The once-proud hunters were now grotesque shadows of themselves, their own skeletons turning against them. Some collapsed to the ground as their spines warped into spirals, their limbs bending backward until their forms became unrecognizable. Blood flowed freely from their eyes and mouths, pooling at their feet.
One hunter, barely able to choke out words between agonized screams, cried, "Make it stop! Please…!"
Leo stood amidst the carnage, his expression cold but not cruel. His blue eyes flickered as he took in the sight of the hunters' suffering. These were humans—the last remnants of what was once a proud species. No matter how much they hated him, no matter how much pain they had caused him, Leo could not bring himself to kill them.
He clenched his fists, his jaw tightening.
Suddenly at his command, the black aura pulsed outward, and the writhing bones within the hunters began to retreat. Slowly, the jagged spines and curled ribs retracted, sliding back into place. The hunters' screams subsided, replaced by weak groans as their mutilated forms returned to normal.
They fell one by one, unconscious but alive, their bloodstained bodies slumping to the ground. The battlefield was littered with their forms, broken but breathing.
Leo exhaled, his glowing eyes dimming slightly as he released the energy. His shoulders sagged under the weight of his own power, but he didn't let it show for long. He straightened, his gaze shifting to the one figure still standing: D44.
D44 was frozen in place, his eyes wide with terror. Beads of sweat rolled down his face, his breath coming in short, panicked gasps. The black aura still clung to him like a suffocating shroud, holding him in place as if it were a physical chain.
Leo began to walk forward, his steps slow and deliberate. Each footfall seemed to echo, the sound unnaturally loud in the oppressive silence. He passed the fallen hunters without sparing them a glance, his focus entirely on D44.
The closer he came, the more D44's panic grew. His body trembled uncontrollably, his mind racing for an escape that didn't exist.
When Leo finally stood before him, their eyes locked. D44 tried to speak, but no words came.
Leo tilted his head slightly, his voice calm but laced with an edge of menace. "This time was a mistake," he said. "Let it be a lesson."
D44 flinched, his fear escalating as Leo leaned closer.
Leo's voice dropped lower, his blue eyes glowing faintly. "Next time, I swear… you won't leave with your bones in your skin."
D44's pupils dilated, his chest heaving as he struggled to process the threat. Before he could respond, Leo moved with lightning speed. His fingers found the pressure point on D44's neck, pressing firmly but precisely.
D44's body stiffened, his eyes rolling back as consciousness fled. His form crumpled to the ground like a discarded puppet, joining the other hunters in the battlefield of silence.
Leo straightened, his glowing gaze scanning the horizon. His eyes landed on the cliff where the formling commander had been standing earlier. The spot was empty now, the commander nowhere to be seen.
Leo narrowed his eyes, his thoughts racing. "He must've smelled some blood," he murmured to himself.
He glanced down at the unconscious hunters lying around him, their bodies battered and broken. A sigh escaped his lips, faint but heavy with the weight of his decision.
"But first," he said, his voice resolute, "I should take care of this."
— New chapter is coming soon — Write a review
Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone