Theodore wiped the blood from his hands with a cloth, his expression one of mild annoyance.
The two Fantasians lay lifeless at his feet, their bodies broken and battered.
He had tried to extract information from them, but they had remained stubbornly silent, even in the face of his cruelty.
Elizabeth stepped forward, her arms crossed as she regarded Theodore with a cool, calculating gaze.
"You're wasting time," she said, her voice calm but laced with disapproval. "They weren't going to talk. You should've just killed them quickly."
Theodore smirked, tossing the bloodied cloth aside. "Now where's the fun in that? Besides, it's not every day I get to play with live toys."
Lenny chuckled darkly, leaning against a tree with his arms folded. "You've got a twisted sense of fun, Theo. But hey, who am I to judge?"
Theodore's smirk widened as he turned his attention to the distant explosion, the sound still echoing faintly through the forest. His eyes gleamed with interest. "Now that… that sounds like something worth investigating."
"Do you want to head over there?" she asked, nodding toward the direction of the explosion. Her voice was calm, but there was a hint of curiosity in her tone.
Theodore turned his gaze toward the distant plume of smoke, a faint smirk playing on his lips.
"Of course. It sounds like a rather interesting individual has made an appearance after all. I wouldn't want to miss the fun."
Lenny raised an eyebrow. "You think Nathan's the one fighting said individual?"
Theodore's smirk widened. "Who else? He's always been drawn to trouble. And if he's there, then it's only a matter of time before things get… entertaining."
Elizabeth glanced at him, her expression unreadable. "You're not worried about him?"
Theodore laughed, a cold, hollow sound. "Worried? About Nathan? Please. He's strong, I'll give him that, but he's still just a peasant. A mongrel. He'll never be able to surpass me."
As he turned to leave, Aaron and Lisa emerged from the shadows, their faces pale and their movements hesitant.
They had been silent observers until now, too afraid to speak or intervene. Aaron, a lanky boy with messy brown hair, cleared his throat nervously.
"Uh… Theodore? What should we do?" he asked, his voice trembling.
Theodore glanced at him, his expression one of mild annoyance. "Stay here. Clean up this mess. And if any more Fantasians show up, deal with them. Or don't. I don't really care."
Lisa, a petite girl with short black hair, nodded quickly, though her hands were shaking. "Y-yes sir."
Theodore didn't bother responding. He simply turned and walked away, Lenny and Elizabeth falling into step behind him.
Aaron and Lisa exchanged a glance, their fear evident, but they said nothing. They knew better than to question Theodore.
**********
"You two sure are persistent, I'll give you that," Hindel said, his voice calm and mocking.
Nathan spat out a mouthful of blood, his wings flaring as he steadied himself. "You talk too much for a mere lesser."
Hindel's smirk faltered for a moment, his eyes narrowing. "A lesser? You dare call me that?"
Nathan grinned, though it was more of a grimace. "Yeah, I do. You're strong, sure, but you're still just an insignificant tool.
A tool easily killed by us and replaced by those filth you call leaders. That's why you're still just a lesser.
Afterall If you were any stronger they wouldn't send you here on an obvious suicide mission."
Hindel's expression darkened, and he lunged forward, his spear a blur of motion.
Nathan barely managed to block the strike with his katana, the force of the impact sending him skidding backward.
Natasha then immediately fired a volley of energy blasts, forcing Hindel to divert his attention. He deflected the shots with ease, his movements fluid and precise.
Hindel shifted his stance, his spear glowing with a brilliant light.
With a sweeping motion, he unleashed a wave of light magic, the energy radiating outward in a blinding burst.
Nathan and Natasha were thrown backward by the shockwave as their bodies slammed into the ground with bone-jarring force.
Nathan groaned, his vision swimming as he struggled to push himself up.
Natasha got up on her feet as she aimed her rifle at Hindel. Though her hands were shaking from exhaustion.
Hindel walked toward them, his spear resting casually on his shoulder.
"Once again I'll say it. This is the end," he said, his voice calm but final.
Just as he raised his spear to deliver the final blow however, a figure appeared in a blur of motion, intercepting the strike with a longsword.
The clash of metal rang out, and Hindel was forced to step back, his expression one of mild surprise.
"You're not killing any of them today," Lucas said, his voice steady as he stood between Hindel and Natasha.
Before Hindel could react, Patrick appeared, his warhammer slamming into Hindel's side with enough force to send him crashing into a nearby tree.
The impact shook the ground, but Hindel simply stood, brushing off the attack as if it were nothing.
"Is that all you've got?" Hindel asked, his tone mocking.
Before he could move, lightning struck him from two directions—one from the front, where Marcus stood, his hand crackling with energy, and the other from the sky, a bolt of pure electricity that hit Hindel with pinpoint accuracy.
The resulting explosion created a small crater, destroying the trees around them, but when the dust settled, Hindel was still standing barely injured as a green glow surrounded him.
His expression however was one of annoyance.
Alicia stepped forward, her arms crossed over her chest as she clicked her tongue. "Tch. Impressive for a filthy lesser."
Hindel's smirk returned, though his eyes were cold. "Six against one huh? Now this might actually get interesting."
Nathan pushed himself to his feet, his wings flaring as he joined Lucas and the others who had come to help.
The six of them stood together, their determination evident as they faced Hindel.
"Let's finish this," Nathan said, his voice firm.
Hindel chuckled, his spear glowing with a brilliant light. "By all means, try."