章 19: I command you!
The clash between Ethan and Lian shook the very foundations of the mansion. Waves of magical energy pulsed outward, shattering windows and cracking walls.
Lian's transformed state was truly terrifying to behold. His body seemed to flicker between human and something... other. Shadows clung to him like a second skin, and his eyes burned with an otherworldly light.
"You're stronger than I anticipated," Lian said, his voice a distorted growl. "But it won't be enough. This ends now!"
He raised his hands, and the shadows around him coalesced into razor-sharp tendrils. They lashed out at Ethan with blinding speed.
Ethan's eyes narrowed in concentration. He could feel his magic circuits humming with power, ready to respond to his will. Time seemed to slow as he focused, analyzing the attack pattern.
At the last possible moment, Ethan moved. He twisted and weaved between the shadow tendrils with inhuman grace, his body flowing like water. Each movement was precise, calculated, pushing his reflexes to their absolute limit.
Lian's eyes widened in disbelief. "Impossible..."
But Ethan wasn't done. As he dodged the last tendril, he gathered energy in his palm. With a shout, he released it in a blinding flash of light.
Lian screamed as the light seared through his shadow armor. He staggered back, momentarily vulnerable.
Ethan seized the opportunity. He charged forward, his fist glowing with concentrated magical energy. The punch connected squarely with Lian's jaw, sending him flying through several walls.
For a moment, silence fell. Ethan stood still, catching his breath. Had that done it?
A chilling laugh answered his unspoken question. Lian emerged from the rubble, his body regenerating before Ethan's eyes.
"Not bad, not bad at all," Lian said, cracking his neck. "But I'm afraid you'll have to do better than that to defeat me."
Ethan gritted his teeth. He could feel his body starting to strain under the continuous use of high-level magic. But he couldn't give up. Alpha was counting on him.
As if sensing his thoughts, Lian's grin widened. "Worried about your little pet? Don't be. She'll make an excellent test subject for our experiments. Who knows? Maybe we'll even let you watch."
Something snapped inside Ethan at those words. A dam broke, and power unlike anything he had felt before surged through his body. His magic circuits blazed with energy, pushing far beyond their normal limits.
Ethan's eyes began to glow an intense, blood-red.
Lian's smug expression faltered. For the first time, a flicker of fear crossed his face.
"What... what are you?" he whispered.
Ethan's voice, when he spoke, resonated with authority and power. "I Ethan Alphard, command you... kneel to me subject."
The words seemed to carry a tangible force. Lian's body jerked, fighting against an invisible pressure.
His knees buckled, forcing him to the ground.
"Impossible," Lian gasped, struggling against the compulsion. "No one has this kind of power!"
But Ethan wasn't listening. His mind was focused entirely on pushing his ability to its limit. He could feel his body straining, threatening to tear itself apart under the stress.
But he didn't care. All that mattered was finding Alpha.
"You clearly haven't met me," Ethan continued, his voice echoing with otherworldly power, "tell me where Alpha is."
Lian's face contorted as he fought against the command. Sweat beaded on his brow, veins bulging in his neck from the effort. But in the end, it was futile.
"Basement... lowest level," he choked out. "Behind the sealed door."
Ethan nodded, satisfaction gleaming in his glowing eyes. "Now kill yourself."
Lian's eyes rolled back in his head as he snapped his neck with his own hand, and he collapsed to the ground.
With his opponent dealt with, Ethan turned his attention to his surroundings. He could sense other presences in the mansion, guards and researchers scrambling to respond to the chaos.
A cold smile touched his lips. They would regret getting in his way.
Ethan moved through the mansion like a force of nature. Guards fell before him, crumpling under the weight of his commands. Researchers found themselves compelled to free their demonic test subjects, looks of horror on their faces as they realized what they were doing.
As he descended deeper into the mansion's depths, Ethan encountered more resistance. Elite guards with enchanted weapons. Mages with powerful defensive spells. Even a few transformed beings like Lian.
But none of it mattered. Ethan's power continued to grow, his body adapting and evolving to channel more and more magical energy. Each battle pushed him further, unlocking new depths to his abilities.
He commanded elemental forces to do his bidding, summoning fire and lightning with a thought. He bent space itself, teleporting short distances to confuse and outmaneuver his opponents. And always, always, his voice carried that irresistible command.
"I command you to stand down."
"I command you to tell me everything you
know."
"I command you to turn on your allies."
One by one, his enemies fell. Those who weren't defeated outright found themselves compelled to aid Ethan in his quest, their wills subsumed by his overwhelming power.
Finally, Ethan reached the lowest level of the basement. Before him stood the sealed door Lian had mentioned, pulsing with powerful wards.
Ethan placed his hand on the door, feeling the complex web of spells that protected it. In his current state, unraveling them was child's play. The wards shattered like glass under his touch.
The door swung open, revealing a dark chamber beyond. And there, strapped to a table in the center of the room, was Alpha.
"Master!" she cried out, her eyes lighting up with joy and relief.
Ethan rushed to her side, quickly undoing her restraints. "Are you alright? Did they hurt you?"
Alpha shook her head, nuzzling into Ethan's chest as soon as she was free. "Alpha is okay now that Master is here."
Ethan allowed himself a moment of relief, holding Alpha close.
But he knew they weren't out of danger yet. He could sense more enemies approaching, drawn by the commotion of his battles.
"We need to leave," he said, helping Alpha to her feet. "Can you walk?"
Alpha nodded determinedly. "Alpha will follow Master anywhere."
As they made their way back through the mansion, Ethan continued to use his enhanced abilities to clear their path.
Walls of fire to block pursuers. Spatial distortions to confuse and misdirect. And always, always, that compelling voice.
"I command you to forget you ever saw us."
"I command you to protect our escape."
"I command you to sleep and remember this only as a dream."
By the time they emerged from the mansion, the night was giving way to the first light of dawn. The town beyond was in chaos, demons running free and humans cowering in their homes.
Ethan looked back at the partially destroyed mansion, his eyes still glowing with that eerie red light. Part of him wanted to go back, to tear the place apart until he uncovered all its secrets. To find out who was really behind this operation, and make them pay.
But as he felt Alpha leaning against him, exhausted but safe, he knew that would have to wait. They needed to get somewhere safe, to recover and plan their next move.
As they made their way out of the town, Ethan could feel his enhanced power beginning to fade.
His body ached, pushed far beyond its normal limits. But a small smile played on his lips.
He had discovered depths to his abilities he never knew existed. And next time, he would be even stronger.
"Where will we go now, Master?" Alpha asked, looking up at him with trust in her eyes.
Ethan gazed at the horizon, where the rising sun painted the sky in brilliant hues of orange and gold. "Wherever we need to," he said softly. "But first, we rest and recover. And then..."
His eyes flashed red one last time, with blood dripping from them.
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