"Okay, this is what we'll do."
Harbinger said as he leaned closer to Arondight.
"I'll rush in first to get their attention. While they're busy with me, you get to the van and grab the kids. If things get messy, teleport them out. Can you handle that?"
Arondight immediately responded, "Of course! I can do that!" but then his expression soured into a frown. He said, "But come on—at least let me pay back the guy who tagged me with that neutralizer!"
"Well, you can do that..." Harbinger replied firmly, but then he added dryly and said, "Unless you want to see yourself in handcuffs, again."
Arondight rolled his eyes, but the corner of his mouth twitched. "Fine, fine. Let's just focus on the plan. You take care of the smugglers, I'll rescue the children."
"Good." Harbinger said, "Then, let's do it."
Harbinger didn't wait for another word. In an instant, he slipped out of his position. He reappeared like a ghost in the middle of the smugglers' huddle. He gave them a taste of his powerful punches and kicks, enough to startle them and bring their attention towards him.
"Enemy!" one of them shouted in panic.
The men immediately raised their guns and tried to rain bullets on Harbinger. But the bullets easily tore through nothing but smoke. Harbinger's body wavered in the air like mist, slipping through the barrage as if he wasn't entirely there.
"What the hell are you doing?!" another smuggler barked at the rest of his companions struggling to fight Harbinger, "Hit him!"
But before they could retaliate with their neutralizer guns, Harbinger was already one step ahead of them. The hero moved quickly and surrounded the enemies, attacking them with specters directly from his body. He knocked down the enemies one by one, breaking their jaws with his knuckles and cracking their ribs with his sharp kicks, until they fell to the floor one by one before they even knew what hit them.
Meanwhile, Arondight used Harbinger's chaos as cover and immediately teleported to the van as planned. Inside, he found the children huddled in the corner, with their wide eyes darting between him and the sounds of the fight outside.
Arondight bowed slightly and slowly approached so the children wouldn't be afraid of him. He said, "Hey... It's okay. I'm here to get you out."
The children were afraid and didn't try to move from their positions. But the moment Arondight cut their cuffs, their fear disappeared and was replaced by a clear hope reflected in their eyes.
Arondight then offered his hands to them and said, "Hold on to me, alright? Don't let go."
The children hesitated for only a moment before gripping onto him. Their small, trembling hands grabbed onto the fabric of his suit. They clutched Arondight's arms and held the back of his belt. Arondight could feel the weight of their trust in him through their grip, something that he couldn't afford to let down.
So, he focused.
The young hero tried to use one of his powers to teleport outside the warehouse with the children. Still, due to the neutralizer's effect on him, he could not use the full potential of his power.
"Damn!"
The neutralizer's effect obviously still works its poison through his system, so he can't use his powers properly. He gritted his teeth in frustration and tried again, pushing himself harder. At least, this time, a faint spark of power flickered, but it was far too weak to carry them to safety outside of the warehouse.
"There's no use!" he muttered to himself.
The kids anxiously clung tighter to Arondight as they sensed his struggle. The young hero was running out of options, but couldn't give up now. So, he took a deep breath to prepare himself to try teleporting again. But before he could do it, he suddenly felt the ground tremble beneath their feet as a deep red shadow began to spill from the ground like ink bleeding across paper, curling upward and wrapping them all in a thick, glowing cage of crimson light.
Arondight froze when he saw the red shadows now caging them like prisoners.
"Red Hilt..."
Some footsteps echoed through the thick red mist, growing louder with each passing second, followed by a vague figure that emerged from behind the thick red shadow. After what felt like an eternity, Red Hilt finally appeared, with his hands casually tucked into the pockets of his crimson coat, and the lower part of his face was hidden behind his signature demonic mask.
The smugglers barely had time to react before relief spilled from their voices, glad that their boss had finally arrived to deal with the attacking heroes.
"Boss!" one shouted, "You came just in time! We just—"
The man's words were suddenly cut off as the red shadows from the villain surged forward and swallowed him whole. Within a split second, the man was completely dissolved into fine dust. One by one, the other smugglers met the same fate. They were dragged and eaten alive by the red shadows until there was no trace of them left in that place.
Arondight's pulse quickened upon witnessing the cruelty of Red Hilt's power. This was the first time he had seen its ferocity, capable of instantly devouring a person.
But he stayed still and kept the children close to him as much as possible.
Because he knew, there was no way for them to escape now...
Not without facing Red Hilt.
After a few moments of pause, Red Hilt finally stepped into view with his dark presence, making the air thick enough to suffocate them.
"I'm so sorry if you had to see that..." he said as he closed the gap between himself and the heroes. "...but I don't like people who don't follow simple orders."
Arondight clenched his fists as he stared at Red Hilt.
To be honest, he wasn't afraid to face the villain again in a one-on-one fight, but this moment wasn't just about him; it was about the safety of the children, and they were his top priority.
That's when he turned to Harbinger, his fellow hero, who shared the same teleportation ability, and said, "We need to prioritize the safety of these kids, Harbinger." Arondight said firmly and hesitantly, "You take them out of here. Get them to safety. I'll handle Red Hilt myself."
Harbinger hesitated for a fraction at Arondight's suggestion. But he also knew the situation was dire for them, and Arondight's words were clear and without doubt.
The only person more capable of matching Red Hilt's power was him....
Arondight.
Harbinger gave a quick, understanding glance at his partner as he fully understood the weight of his decision and said, "Okay, just...be careful."
Harbinger didn't say anything after that. He just turned his gaze to the children, and then, from there, he softened his tone so they could feel the calm reassurance they so desperately needed. "Stay close to me, okay? We're getting out of here."
The children held onto Harbinger without hesitation. Their small hands gripped his arms and shoulders tightly while the darkness slowly enveloped them. And before they knew it, they were safely pulled away from the chaos of the warehouse.
All that remained in the warehouse were Red Hilt, Arondight, and the faint, restless swirl of red shadows still creeping across the floor.
Arondight's eyes narrowed as his fists clenched tightly in response to Red Hilt's devilish presence. His instinct told him to strike first, but Red Hilt wasn't a foe to be taken lightly.
Arondight learned that the hard way; the last time they fought resulted in humiliation he would never forget.
But no, not this time. The young hero wouldn't make that same mistake again.
So Arondight readied himself. He summoned his spear and gripped it tightly, preparing for the battle.
Then he said fiercely while his eyes locked on Red Hilt, "Come, let's see what you've got this time..."