บท 4: A Show Of Power

"Ambush!"

Liliana shout alerted her guards and Krisna. Without thinking too much, the guards picked up their weapons and ran toward Liliana to protect her. Meanwhile, Krisna approached Adam and stood beside him.

For the first time, Liliana and her guards saw how strong Adam and Krisna were. Even though the battle has not started, the aura that emanated from their body already showed how strong Adam and Krisna. But one thing that makes Liliana worried is that Adam didn't seem to bring any weapon with him, the same with Krisna. Without weapons, how were they going to fight?

But being strong, Adam and Krisna doesn't really care if they have weapons or not. Krisna, being a a former tiger beast, not only can change himself, but also change parts of his body. Thus he changed both of his arms into that of a tiger. His white fur with gold stripes makes Liliana and her guards wonders what kind of Demi-Human is Krisna.

Meanwhile Adam, just stood there silently beside Krisna. Without weapons, he can already destroy a continent with ease, his own body is his weapon. But what happen if Adam wield a weapons? His might may surpass the Gods.

It's an overkill for Adam to use his weapons to kill the bandits.

But that doesn't matter anymore to Adam. The bandits destroyed a sweet moment between him and Liliana. That is an unforgivable sins that they have commited! And for that, death is the punishment!

A spear slowly materialised in Adam's right hand. The spear is completely black like an obsidian with red engraving in it's handle and blades. Adam's aura changed once again, the aura of that of an Emperor shrouded Adam's body. It's color are golden with a tinge of white in it. Everyone that seen or felt it had an impulse to bow down to Adam right now.

Liliana are of course with the sudden change of Adam. The gentle Adam before is gone and now changed into an Emperor. Even though Adam's face is still disguised, Liliana still thinks that Adam looked abnormally cool and handsome. Her face blushed unknowingly.

All of Adam's Emperor aura dissipated. Now, without seeing the change in Adam before, no one would've thought that he's someone powerful.

The bandits that are charging towards Adam and his groups stopped ten metres from them. One of the bandit that have a bigger bodies than the other and wielded an enormous axe stepped forward with arrogance showed clearly in his face.

This bandit groups are known as Black Tooth. They're renowned by a lot of people because they dared to rob the noble families. Their strength cannot be underestimated either. Each one of them is strong enough to contend againts a low-ranked nobles from Natesta Kingdom. Especially the leader of Black Tooth called Theda, he's a Demi-Human of the lion descendant. The mane around his head and his robust body already give it away.

"Look what we have here, a group of noble families caravan, looks like we're going to be rich overnight boys!"

Black Tooth bandits outnumbered them. There are only around twenty five people of Liliana's guards. So supposedly, this should be an easy job for them.

"Are you people blind!? Do you know what you're dealing with?! How dare you try to rob us!"

"Ha! Who do you think you are? Don't think because you're from the Nara Empire that you can stop us! You will all die here!" Theda then scanned the enemies in front if him. When he saw Liliana, he almost dropped his jaw because how beautiful Liliana is.

People from the Nara Empire rarely see the full face of Liliana. She always wear a veil to cover her face. But today is an exception, Liliana didn't expect to meet Adam and she didn't bring her veil outside, so Liliana's full face are reveled to Adam.

If it's Adam that stared at her face, then she would be happy to let Adam see her face for as long as he wants. But she would never let someone like Theda to see her face. It's an insult for her to be stared by some lowly bandits.

"If you're willing to give that women to us, then we will let you all go, we promise to take care of her in our base."

Hearing this, Theda and his minions laughed. How dare this bandit say that to the Empress of Nara! He's courting death!

"Enough."

A man suddenly appeared in front of Liliana, blocking her from being stared by the bandits in front of them. Of course, this man is Adam, who else should it be? There's no way he will stand by watching Liliana being stared by those filthy bandits. He almost charged immediately after hearing what Theda says after seeing Liliana's face.

"Oh? A human? Are you trying to be a hero? Give it up, kid. Go away before this daddy kills you."

"All talk no bite." Replied Adam.

"You! Fine! Trying to be a hero? Let's see how's your face going to be when i violate that woman of yours in front of you!"

Theda suddenly charged towards Adam. With a single step, he already covered two metres, it doesn't takes to long before Theda arrived before Adam.

Theda swinged his axe towards Adam's body. With how big this axe and how strong Theda is, just one strike are enough to rip normal people bodies into two. But he chose to fight the wrong man, he chose to fight Adam, someone who already reached the apex of cultivation on Earth. This axe swing of Theda seemed so slow in the eyes of Adam.

But Liliana doesn't know this. Adam's aura from before is strong, but she doesn't really know how strong Adam is. She's worried that Adam can't dodge or block Theda attack. But when she saw that Adam doesn't move at all when Theda attacked, she wanted to shout so Adam could dodge and then she would cast a spell to attack Theda.

But before she could do that, she saw Adam effortlessly blocked Theda attack with a single finger. Everyone who saw this is dumbfounded by this scene except for Krisna that are watching calmly.

"Is this all you have?"

For the first time in Theda's life—he felt fear—he can't understand how a person that have smaller body than him can block that attack of his. Slowly, he started to back off, Adam's aura are slowly showed themselves to Theda.

What Theda saw right now are no longer a weak and frail human man—but the Grim Reaper itself. Everyone felt it, compared to the noble aura that Adam emanated before, this one contained aura of death. Just looking at it are already making them tremble in their place. Liliana and her guards can still hold their grounds with some difficulty, the same with Krisna. But for the Black Tooth bandits? It's a living hell for them.

Some of the weaker bandits already fainted from the pressure. Most of them are having a hard time breathing. They wanted to run, but They knew Adam wouldn't let them to do it. The moment that they tried to run, Adam probably going to kill them.

"Let me show you what a true attack is."

Adam slashed towards Theda and his minions. The attack are to fast that they didn't Adam moving at all. But when they saw three people heads flying after three second, they realised that Adam already finished his attack. His moves are too fast for anyone to see. It was so fast that people never really saw Adam moved.

Another five people died, followed by three people until all of the bandits of Black Tooth died except for Theda. Right now, Theda really regretted attacking this caravan. Just a single slash of his spear already wiped out all of Black Tooth members except him. What kind BS is this!?

"Who are you!?"

Adam didn't answer Theda question. Instead, he stared at him, a trace of Adam's power slipped through Theda's mind. Right after Adam's power has gotten inside Theda's mind, it started to wreak havoc. Using his power, Adam showed Theda all the emotions of people that he has killed and ravaged, he made Theda feel their pain and intensified it. Adam will not kill Theda right off the bat, he will torture him slowly until he's turned insane, then Adam will kill him.

Meanwhile, Theda felt that time passed really slow, it feels like a thousand years has passed. The pain, anguish, and suffering that the people he has tortured and kill before—he felt them all now—as if he's the one that's being tortured. He screamed inside his mind, but no sound came out, he can only feel hopeless and slowly, but surely, Theda going insane.

Liliana that watched the whole ordeal with a cold sweat running through her back. The way that Adam tortured with his enemies is not something to taken lightly. But never once that Liliana saw Adam frowning or making any other expression, only indifference showed in his face.

Adam noticed that Liliana staring at him. So he turned to Liliana and walked to her. Seeing this, Liliana panicked a little inside, but she still tried to stay calm outside. When Adam is near enough, he suddenly held Liliana hand, a protective barrier erected around Adam and Liliana. Isolating them from the outside world where the people outside can't see or hear what's happening inside.

"After seeing all that, are you scared of me?"

Liliana reminded Adam of a woman in his past. That woman always supported him before he was strong right now. She always listened to Adam's nonsense with a smile on her face. She doesn't have the prettiest face among the woman he has met, but that smile of hers will always be remembered by Adam. But at that time, Adam doesn't realize the feeling that the woman have for him.

When the time Adam realized her feeling to him—it's already too late. Adam saw it himself, she was killed right in front of him, he's not strong enough at that time to protect her. His enemies found her and set out to kill her. In a fit of rage, Adam killed the assassin, but it was too late, she's already at her last breath.

Adam still remembered holding her frail body that was slowly getting weaker every second. He cried and begged the God to save her. But they didn't answer. Seeing this, the woman didn't get mad at Adam, she still smiled even though she knows that she will never met Adam again. She said something to Adam, but he can't remember it, perhaps because he doesn't want to remember. He still blamed himself for what happened back then.

At that moment, Adam swore to kill all his enemies and slaughter the Gods for not listening to his prayer. And he did, all his enemies lay lifeless before him, the Gods are subdued and Adam sre feared by them. But he knew the woman will not came back to life.

"Adam, i don't know who exactly or what exactly you are, you saved my life and I'm grateful for that. If you think I'm scared at you then you're wrong. No matter who you are, i will always love you."

Liliana smiled and hugged Adam. She knew that Adam mental state are not really good right now. So she taken the initiatives to hug Adam. Adam smiled, he hugged Liliana back and just stayed like that for a while. The barrier that isolated them started to dissapear slowly. Everyone now can see The Empress hugging a man.

"No matter what, i will always be at your side, Adam." Whispered Liliana softly, while also patting Adam in the back. "I love you."