章 19: you are weak...
I sprinted towards the shopping center, leaping across the rooftops of the surrounding buildings. Black smoke billowed into the sky, signaling trouble. As I entered the mall, I activated my demonic vision, causing the colors of the world to shift to black and white. People fled in panic from the shopping center, their faces etched with fear. I scanned the area and sensed a strong energy emanating from the second floor. Alex, Austin... where are they?
With a powerful leap, I propelled myself upwards, landing gracefully on the second floor. My eyes immediately fell upon a black-haired boy—Haiser, Kaila's friend—wielding a strange sword with runes that were peculiar. He was engaged in a fierce battle with a hooded figure, who wielded a large black scythe pulsating with dark energy—dark element.
In the distance, I spotted Castian Goldheart wielding a sword made of light, locked in battle with a strange, shirtless, bald man who exuded a powerful aura—an Aura user, no doubt.
"Oh, are you new? Are you the party clown?" A voice behind me caused me to whirl around. I found myself face to face with a long-haired man, his dark locks contrasting with his brown eyes. He wore a strange black tunic that covered most of his body. "Ohh... you're a partner of those two, right?" A sinister smile stretched across his face, filling me with unease.
"You're on that sniper's team, right?" I replied, my voice cold as ice.
"Oh, you know him? He's a cautious one, but that's what bothers me. I prefer to handle things directly and effectively," the man said, his smile widening.
His gaze fixed on me. "You're a companion of those two, aren't you? They were certainly entertaining, especially that boy. He looked young, maybe 15 or 16 years old..."
"Oh, yeah, look at this," the man continued, raising his arm. I noticed a severed finger in his palm, blood slowly dripping from the gruesome remnant. My eyes narrowed, ignoring his taunting words as I focused solely on the severed digit. Anger built within me as I stared at the finger.
Lifting my gaze to the ceiling, I exhaled slowly. "I hate..."
"Ohh... are you going to defend your friends now?" The man's voice grated on my nerves. I smiled, my expression cold. "That finger belongs to my friend, you walking piece of shit..."
In a blur of motion, I closed the distance between us, my leg snapping forward in a swift kick that connected with his head. "--Wh—" His sentence was cut short as his head slammed into the ground, the force of the blow rendering him silent.
The surrounding chaos seemed to freeze—the screams, the footsteps, the clash of weapons—as if time itself had stopped. The air turned cold, and I exhaled slowly, scanning the area. The bald Aura user and the hooded figure were nearby, but my attention was focused on the man in the robe. I approached him and grabbed his closed hand, prying it open. I took out the finger and closed my palm around it, hoping it could be reattached...
I rolled up my left sleeve, revealing my sculpted and defined arm, veins visible beneath the taut muscle. "Hey, you big idiots," I called out, a mocking smile playing on my lips. "Come on, I'll make you shit yourselves with just one hand. I'll even give you an advantage."
Through my demonic vision, I detected three additional energies, which I believed belonged to the girls.
Suddenly, I heard a noise behind me. I turned to see the robed man staggering to his feet, his hand reaching up to touch his face. One of his eyes was shattered, hanging from its socket as blood poured down his face.
"You... fucking son of a bitch—" He began to curse, but my kick cut him off, sending his body flying across the room to crash into the floor below. "Shut up," I growled. "I'll kill you later. But first, I need to take out the trash." My voice dripped with annoyance.
My gaze shifted, and I spotted an imposing figure—a man even taller than me. He stood there with a wild smile on his face. A few meters behind him, Haiser, Kaila's friend, was kneeling on the ground, clutching his sword to steady himself. I noticed the black eye and blood trickling from his mouth.
"Hey, shithead, get lost. NOW," I snapped, my eyes narrowing.
the baldy clenched his fists, black energy swirling around them, tinged with white.
"So, you're the wild guy on the villain team, huh?" I inquired, my smile growing. I assessed his energy signature, estimating him to be at the upper end of Rank B. Impressive, but not enough.
I watched as his fist came hurtling towards my face, a blur of motion. But I was faster. Since arriving in this world, I had encountered individuals with immense strength, forcing me to push my own abilities to the limit. They were strong, incredibly strong. "You're not one of them," I said coldly, easily grabbing his fist in my hand. The concrete beneath our feet sagged and cracked under the strain.
The man's eyes widened in surprise as I effortlessly restrained him. "When I gained power, I became strong," I said, my voice calm. "So... do you want to see how someone strong fights?" My smile was cruel as I tightened my grip on his fist and drove my knee into his stomach. The force of the blow caused him to grunt and crumple to the ground, the concrete shattering beneath his kneeling form.
I locked eyes with the man I had just defeated and said, "You are strong compared to others. To them, you are a monster, an invincible force, a mountain they aspire to climb. They see you as the ultimate challenge, the villain they dream of defeating. But to me... you are weak."
I delivered a swift knee to his face, causing him to stumble backward. Mana coursed through my body, and I channeled it into my fist, wanting to test out a new technique I had devised back at the hotel.
My fist glowed with a blue aura, the Mana enveloping it like a warm flame. I inhaled deeply, then unleashed my fist toward his face. Just centimeters away from impact, I infused my attack with demonic energy, my fist now cloaked in a dark crimson aura.
"Black Flash," I muttered casually as my fist connected with his face, slamming him into the ground. The impact was so powerful that the ground split open, huge cracks forming and the air itself seemed to tear, as if a massive tornado had touched down in the mall.
I retracted my fist and surveyed the aftermath. His face was shattered, his head having literally exploded like a balloon. I looked down at my blood-soaked hand and sighed.
Suddenly, the sound of the wind was cut off, and I ducked just in time to avoid the scythe-wielding hooded figure. He moved with incredible speed, but my senses heightened, and I saw his attack in slow motion. I dodged, my eyes narrowing as I noticed the strange symbols etched on the scythe. I clenched my left fist, anger building within me.
I unleashed a concentrated blow to the hooded figure's chest, tearing through the air and causing the ground to sink into a small crater. Don't destroy too much, I reminded myself. Concentrate the blow...
The figure went flying and crashed into the ceiling.
I leaped towards the ceiling, channeling Mana into a powerful kick. In a flash, I appeared before the hooded figure, who gritted his teeth in determination. He swung his scythe at me, but I easily dodged the attack and countered with a kick to his chest.
The force of my kick sent him reeling, and he gasped, spitting out a mouthful of blood. The ceiling cracked under the impact, and the air itself seemed to explode with the force of our clash. The hooded figure continued to vomit blood as he fell to the floor of the shopping center.
I approached him, standing over his prone form on the second floor. "Hey, ready to go to the other world?" I asked, a smirk playing at the corners of my mouth.
"Son of a bitch... Abigail..." the man on the floor muttered through gritted teeth. Suddenly, I felt a strange sensation and turned to see something unexpected. The man's shadow seemed to take on a life of its own, forming into a physical shadow in the shape of a woman.
In the blink of an eye, the shadow woman appeared before me, her kick aimed at my face. I easily dodged the attack and countered with a fist to her chest. "Goodbye, miss. One Inch Fist..." I smiled as I pushed forward with force, sending her flying backward. The ground beneath her feet caved in from the impact, and a shockwave shattered the air, causing further cracks in the floor. The shadow woman disintegrated into pieces, her form melting away.
I sighed, watching the remnants of the shadow dissipate. Turning back to the man in the hood, I saw him panting, his eyes wide with fear. "No... no, no, no... Abigail!! NOOO!" he screamed.
I summoned Ebony and pointed the gun at his head. "Hey, buddy, it's just business, nothing personal... well, maybe a little personal." I pulled the trigger, the bullet infused with demonic energy, and his head shattered into pieces. These assholes had hurt my friends, and I would not forgive them...
a noise behind me drew my attention. Two girls went flying, crashing into a nearby store and creating a cloud of dust. My focus shifted to a mature woman with sleek black hair, dressed in a tight black suit. Her body resembled Candy's, but hers was honed for combat. She had Kaila in her grasp, her hand tight around the girl's neck.
Acting on instinct, I disappeared in a flash of speed and kicked the woman's face, freeing Kaila from her grasp. I took Kaila in my arms and turned to face the woman. She was a mature woman, and she had crashed hard into the wall, blood flowing from an open wound on her face.
Kaila stirred in my arms, slowly opening her eyes. I sighed and appeared next to Haiser, gently lowering Kaila to the ground.
"Protect her," I instructed Haiser, my voice cold. "I'll handle other things."
Haiser, his eye now blackened, stuttered, "Y-you're..."
"If you talk, I'll leave you in a vegetative state," I warned, my voice like ice. "I'm not kidding... If you breathe a word about me to anyone, I'll make your life a living hell. Understand? I'm in a bad mood right now..." I saw him tremble, and I sighed.
But my moment of calm was interrupted by a strong energy behind me. I turned to find Castian, his golden eyes fixed on me. "Get out of my way, idiot gentleman..." I said, my tone impatient.
Castian stared at me, his expression cold. "You..." he began, his voice like a whisper.
I ignored Castian and focused my attention on the black-haired woman.
I appeared before the black-haired woman, a cold smile on my face. As her wounds began to heal rapidly, she looked at me and asked, "So... are they dead...?"
"Of course," I replied, my voice devoid of emotion. "To be honest, I didn't intend to be this cruel, but they hurt my friend, so... hold on if you can." My tone was indifferent as I clenched my legs and appeared next to her. With a swift left hook, I punched her in the gut, causing her to vomit blood and fly backward. I followed up with a kick to her face, slamming her into the ground with my foot. "Come on... is that all? I thought you were supposed to be strong," I taunted.
She growled, and the Mana in the surrounding area began to fluctuate wildly. Sensing her intentions, I jumped away just as she was enveloped in flames. She was a fire magician... interesting.
"Hey, want to see a trick?" I asked, a smile playing at the corners of my mouth. But before I could demonstrate my own elemental powers, Castian intervened, striking the woman with his sword of light. The sword seemed to inflict some damage, but the woman was far from defeated. As she rose, the temperature of the room began to rise rapidly.
I observed Castian as he summoned dozens of floating swords made of light, a technique that reminded me of Vergil. Hmm... I wonder if I could do something similar... Thanks, little blonde. You've given me another great idea.
The woman screamed and unleashed a barrage of dense, powerful fireballs toward us. I easily dodged the attack, and Castian seemed to do the same. Sighing in annoyance, I decided to end this quickly.
With a burst of speed, I dashed behind her and wrapped my fist in pure demonic energy. "Goodbye, cutie." My punch connected with her face, and I slammed her into the ground with such force that the floor cracked beneath her. The fire that had surrounded her extinguished, and she lay there, convulsing. I sighed and stomped on her head, her blood soaking my shoe. No mercy... these bastards don't deserve to live.
"She was mine..." I heard a cold voice behind me. Turning, I saw Castian staring at me with icy eyes. I smiled and said, "Shut up..."
Suddenly, I sensed a significant surge of Mana nearby.
"Castian!!" Haiser's desperate cry echoed throughout the place. With a burst of speed, I rushed to his side, my eyes widening at the sight before us. There, floating in the air, was a figure clad in a black robe, surrounded by crackling lightning bolts that writhed like angry snakes.
"Oh, Palpatine, is that you?" I mocked.
The man glared at me and shouted, "YOU!!! YOU SON OF A BITCH!! I WILL KILL YOU, I WILL SLIT YOUR THROAT OPEN!! DAMN PIECE OF SHIT-" I appeared before him in an instant, my smile never wavering. "Hey, want to try my axe?"
I raised my leg, infusing it with Mana that took the shape of a massive sword. "Nosferatu Axe," I said casually. As my kick came dangerously close to his head, my leg transformed into a crimson blade. "Ax of Sin."
"No-"
My kick connected with his body, and I spun in the air, my axe slicing him cleanly in half. I landed on the ground of the first floor and sighed. "Well, that was entertaining."
The bisected body fell beside me, and I casually stepped over the blood that pooled on the floor. Finally, this annoyance was over.
Now, it's time to find those two idiots, I thought, glancing at the amputated finger on my hand. I clenched my teeth.
I closed my eyes, heightening my senses to the maximum. I felt the Mana and heard faint voices.
"Help..."
"Mommy..."
"What the hell did I just see...?" a girl's voice rang out, but I ignored it.
I focused on finding other voices, quickly.
"Okay, dude, that idiot will be here soon," I heard Alex's voice. I opened my eyes and surrounded my body with demonic energy. With a blur of speed, I disappeared, rushing through the shopping center. Within seconds, I reached a bathroom.
I entered the men's bathroom and found Alex holding a small bottle containing a blood-red liquid. Austin was sitting against the wall, looking pale. I quickly approached them and exclaimed, "Guys! What the hell happened!?"
"Wait a moment," Alex said.
I noticed that Austin's hand was missing, leaving behind a bleeding stump from which blood flowed relentlessly.
"Calm down and listen to my voice, idiot. This will make you as good as new," Alex said as he applied the substance from the bottle to Austin's wound. The red liquid, resembling water, soaked the bleeding stump. Austin bit his other hand and let out a suffocating scream, his voice filled with pain. "SHITTTT!! FUCKK!!", I watched as his hand began to regenerate—bone, nerves, arteries, veins, muscles, and skin—all restoring themselves.
Once the process was complete, Austin fainted. "What the hell happened here?" I asked quietly.
"They attacked us, the shopping center... It happened so suddenly," Alex explained with a serious tone. "They just appeared out of thin air. I managed to kill one, but I had to protect Austin. I was careless. A guy in a tunic showed up and destroyed Austin's hand. Another guy also attacked us, but luckily, I was able to kill him. He was probably B-Rank, maybe even close to A."
I turned and noticed the destroyed bathroom wall behind me. I had been so focused on Alex and Austin that I hadn't paid attention to it before. I smiled at the sight of the massive cracks in the wall. Impaled on the wall was a man with a large sword.
"Guys, let's get out of here," I said with a sigh. "If we stay, things could get even more problematic if teachers from Cristaia Academy show up."
"Yeah... I want to go back to the hotel," Alex agreed.
--
"Damn... my head hurts," Austin groaned, lying on his bed and staring at the ceiling. I sighed and said, "Hey, at least you're alive. Next time... get stronger, asshole."
"Yeah, yeah, I know. Sucks having my damn hand cut off," Austin replied, looking at his new hand.
We had managed to escape the mall before the academy teachers arrived, and I knew there would likely be more chaos at the event the next day. "Well, there will probably be more trouble tomorrow. You should sit this one out and provide me and Alex with information. That way, you won't get hurt or worse..." I suggested as I got out of bed.
"Yeah, that sounds like a plan," Austin agreed, still staring at the ceiling.
I sighed and turned to Alex, who was watching TV. A news report caught my attention—the reporter was standing in front of the damaged shopping center.
"As far as we know, those responsible for this tragic incident are part of some criminal or terrorist organization," the reporter explained. "High-ranking adventurers are doing their utmost to apprehend the perpetrators."
I winced, thinking about the extent of the damage I had caused. A large portion of the shopping center was riddled with cracks, and I noticed a deep cut in one section. I hadn't fully controlled the power of the Nosferatu Axe...
{You have successfully created a new skill that combines mana and demonic energy:
Nosferatu Axe: Binds Mana and wraps around your leg to execute a vertical attack that slices through everything in its path.
ax of sin: Use the "Axe of Nosferatu" and, for a split second, infuse demonic energy to execute the "Axe of Sin". This combination results in an exponential increase in cutting and destructive power, capable of delivering an immensely powerful and destructive blow while also allowing you to adjust the level of destruction at will.}
I smiled at the information displayed before me. "Hey! At least we're alive!" I exclaimed.
Alex smiled back and said, "Yeah, hey, do you want pizza?"
"Of course! Bring on the food!" I replied with a grin. I hoped that tomorrow wouldn't bring even worse troubles...
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