Bab 25: Chapter 25 - Incident in Al'Etra
Zio runs, runs, and runs. He didn't not think of anything but getting to the source of voice as fast as his legs can take him, even though his opponent is right on his tail.
" O-Oi! Wait! " Masatora shouts at Zio as he run to follow the worried young man.
Masatora sprints forward, quickly catching up to Zio. Just before he almost succeeded in grabbing Zio's shoulder, the young man tossed up his katana and smashing it with his sword. With a jolt of energy, the katana were flung back so far away deep into the forest.
" Wha-! Y-You! Tsk! " Masatora turn himself around and went to fetch his sword, leaving Zio alone.
Now that the trouble has gone, Zio run faster than he ever did all his life. Not only running, but he also pulled himself forward with his magic. He shaped his sheets of iron into a pair of ball and throwing one of them in front of him. Then, with one of his hand holding the other ball he pulls himself using the force of attraction between the balls.
Magnetic force manipulation is the truth of Zio's magic. A magic to create a magnetic pole on metal objects and exerting absolute control of their magnetic field at will.
He does this trick over and over again, and only stopping to prevent himself passing out due to mana exhaustion.
" Ana!! " Zio shouted as he arrived back on the place where he previously ran away from.
Outside the forest, a subjugation group of twenty knights were already standing before Zio, with the bandits already gathered around and tied to each other. Unfortunately, Bella is among them.
" Red eyes, buzz-cut hair, fierce look, a scar that stretch from his left eyebrow down unto the chin... He looks exactly as Julia described. "
A golden-eyed girl on a white stallion appeared before Zio. Her long hair is gracefully wafting in the wind, colored in bright bluish white. Her appearance alone makes it crystal clear that she is of a noble lineage and might still be on her teen.
" Then there's one more thing I need to test out. " The girl muttered to herself as she looked down on Zio, slightly smirking.
But Zio don't care at all. His eyes are glued to what the girl brings with her.
" Ana! " Zio screamed, calling out for his sister.
The girl is holding a rope which the ends is tied to the neck of two people, Ana and Stefany. She pulls them here and there, dragging them like slaves. Zio can see his sister in the verge of tears. Terrified and restless.
Unable to think clearly, Zio immediately run towards his sister.
" Ana...! Ana...! "
" Brother...! "
But of course, the knights are there to keep Zio off of their boss. They immediately stop him on his track and push him to the ground. Heartbroken, sad, and dolorous. Zio tried to contain his emotions that is growing uncontrollable by every second.
" Please! I'll do anything! Please don't hurt her! Please don't hurt my sister! "
' Why does it turned out to be like this? ', ' I should've stayed by her side. ' Regrets and remorse are overflowing in his mind. His heart ache so much, and tears are begin flowing from his eyes as he begged the girl to let his sister off the hook.
The girl gets off her horse and walk closer to Rein, dragging Ana and Stefany with him. She's closing the distance between them until they are at least only a hundred meitel apart.
" You will do everything? Then I want you to- "
" Brother! Run! Save yourself! " Ana shouted to the top of her lungs, telling her brother to leave her by herself and run away instead.
" Tsk! How dare you interrupting me! "
The girl flung her hand into a six-years old, slapping Ana until her nose bleeds. A grave mistake that no one should've ever done. Even more when the older brother is around.
Zio is terribly enraged. He succumbed to madness. Driven by his desire to protect his dear sister, his long-forgotten alter ego emerges from the deepest part of his subconsciousness. A phantom of his past, born from the most primal instinct to kill and survive.
His body is surging with magical power. Suddenly, the knights that were holding him down were screaming in pain. Their armors were crushed on its own, as if it was nothing but crumpled papers. Bloods are rushing down from their body, like a grape that is squeezed into wine.
Zio stood up and slowly walking towards the girl, passing through the knights. He separated their helm along with their head from their body as he walks, creating a fountain of blood from their disfigured corpses.
Terrified by the horror which she herself has unleashed; the girl is stuttering. Her body shakes, and she finally pissed herself. It was not just her, but also everyone that lives. He instilled fear inside Bella, Stefany, Ana... and even the tied-up bandits.
" W... W-Wait! I-I didn't mean to! "
The girl is scared to death by what she has seen. She clearly doesn't expect things to turn out this way. But it was too late, Zio is currently out of his sanity. Reasons won't work on him.
" W-Water magi-! "
*Slirt* The golden-eyed girl's necklace which is wrapped around her neck is powerfully twisted, choking her until she cannot breathe. Zio raised his hand, lifting the girl and pulled her towards him.
He then melded every metal around him; armors, swords, and even the spokes of the wagon's wheel. Turning it into a cross, and proceed to crucify the girl upon it. He pierced her hands and her feet with iron nails and embedded them through her flesh and bones until it stuck to the cross.
Bloods were spilled, dripping even faster than morning dews. Zio released her necklace, giving her a chance to breath. He didn't want her to pass out yet. For there is more to come.
He bashed the girl's face countless of times, until her face is all swollen and full of blood. Everyone that saw this closed their mouth, frightened. Some of them might have seen a lot of deaths. But such horrifying and cruel torture at this extent? They have never seen one.
" I told you, I will show no more mercy. "
Zio grabbed the girl's right arm and pull it forcefully until her elbow joint break and bent to the opposite direction than it should be. Tears and screams are flowing out of her as she helplessly took his torture.
" P-Please.. n-no... m-more... "
" No, don't cry. Tears was made for human. Tears is for those who love. But you... You have no love.
Therefore, I don't think you need an eye this pretty. "
Zio tear out the girl's left eye with his fingers, slowly and painfully. She struggled, but to no avail. Until finally the excruciating pain made her give up. She can't take no more as the pain and the blood loss is killing her. Her body is starting to limp as she is calmly waiting for her death.
" B-Brother... " Ana, filled with fear, slowly approached his brother.
*Clang*
" Stand back! Little missy! "
Masatora swiftly jump between Ana and Zio. He then let out a strong gush of wind, pushing Zio several meitels back.
" Well well... Pick someone on your size, will you? "
Masatora slashed the iron cross, releasing the pitiful girl from her ill-fate. He then glanced at Stefany, giving her a hint to tend to her wounds and get everyone out of there.
" Oof, so ruthless. That's quite a nasty hobby you got there. " Masatora chuckled a little before getting on his duelling stance.
" Come, boy. Let out all of your frustration on me. "
Zio threw the girl's eye ball on the ground and stepped on it. He then stretched out his hand forward, trying to pull Masatora's sword to his hand.
"...? "
" Give it up. It's useless. The same trick won't work twice. "
Now that Zio take a clear look on Masatora's katana, it faintly glows in white light and slightly flowing with wind on the surface of its steel.
" Your magic won't reach my katana. It will dissipate as soon as it touches my wind. "
Knowing that he can't disarm Masatora, Zio tried to hurl swords at him from every sides, but it doesn't do any better. The swords are either bounced by the wind or bounced by his steel-hard body.
After Masatora has shown his superior prowess, he attempted the same stance like he did before.
" Beware boy, it's fast.... even faster than before. "
Sensing danger. Zio, driven by his natural instinct, immediately recalled his irons and reshape it into a great shield. Walling himself from the coming blitz.
" Temple of Fujin; Third technique "
" Crescent Munechika "
With a single tap of his feet, Masatora dashed with thundering speed, heading straight to Zio. Yet, in the moment of collision, Masatora jumped high before kicking the air to propels himself down to his unprepared opponent.
Startled by the sudden change of the course of the attack, Zio was too late to react.
*Slash*
Like a crescent moon, Masatora slashed Zio from above, deeply cutting the young man from his right shoulder to his left hips. As soon as he landed, Masatora immediately knock the back side of Zio's neck with his hilt.
With his consciousness fading away, Zio can barely see anything anymore. Right before closing his eyes and surrendering to the eating darkness, he vaguely sees her sister running at him.
" A... na... "
Hadiah
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