Chapter 101: The Clash Between S-Ranks
Dorian’s voice still seemed to hang in the air.
"I’m here to kill you!"
Nobody moved.
For a few seconds, the entire lobby remained frozen, as though everyone was waiting to see who would be stupid enough to make the first move.
David wasn’t planning to volunteer.
The pressure coming from Dorian was already enough to make his body feel wrong. His chest felt tight. His shoulders had stiffened without permission, and every instinct he had was quietly suggesting that standing this close to an S-Rank Hunter was a terrible idea.
He glanced around.
The crowd had gone almost completely silent.
People who had been shouting only moments ago were now watching Dorian with wide eyes. Some Hunters had already started moving away from the open space around him. Others were whispering among themselves, though nobody seemed particularly interested in being loud enough for Dorian to hear.
David understood the feeling.
’Probably a good time to keep my mouth shut.’
Beside him, April had gone quiet.
That caught his attention more than the Hunter.
He looked at her.
She wasn’t smiling anymore.
Her eyes remained fixed on Dorian, her posture slightly different from before. The playful looseness she’d carried through the walk to the Association had disappeared.
"April."
She didn’t answer.
David lowered his voice.
"Do you know him?"
"No."
The answer came quickly.
Too quickly.
David studied her face.
She noticed.
"What?"
"Nothing."
He looked back toward Dorian.
April exhaled quietly.
"Just don’t get involved."
"I wasn’t planning to."
"Good."
There was no teasing in her voice this time.
David’s eyes returned to Dorian.
The Hunter hadn’t moved.
He was simply standing there, surrounded by a pressure David couldn’t see but could definitely feel.
It wasn’t like the presence of the awakened people he’d encountered before.
This was heavier.
Sharper.
The kind of thing that made his body recognize danger before his mind could properly explain why.
Then a soft chime sounded.
David’s eyes shifted.
The elevator doors behind Dorian slid open.
A man stepped out.
At first, David didn’t understand why the entire lobby reacted.
Nobody screamed.
Nobody pointed.
The change was subtler than that.
Conversations died.
People turned.
Even the Hunters standing around the room seemed to straighten slightly.
Then someone whispered.
"Elias Cross."
Another voice followed.
"That’s him."
David’s eyes narrowed.
So this was Elias.
He’d heard the name enough times over the past few days.
News reports.
Conversations.
People talking about Hunters.
Elias Cross seemed to be one of those names that existed everywhere whether you were interested in the subject or not.
David looked him over.
There was nothing particularly impressive about him.
No weapon.
No armor.
No dramatic entrance.
He was dressed simply, walking with one hand in his pocket as though he’d stepped out of the elevator expecting an ordinary morning.
Then his eyes landed on Dorian.
He stopped.
For the first time, something changed in his expression.
Not fear.
Not surprise.
Recognition.
Elias stared at him for a moment.
Then sighed.
"You again."
A murmur passed through the crowd.
Dorian’s expression twisted.
"You’ve got some nerve."
Elias glanced around the lobby.
Then back at him.
"You came into the Association screaming my name."
He paused.
"And threatened to kill me."
His expression remained completely calm.
"I’m not sure which one of us has the nerve problem."
A few people nearby exchanged nervous looks.
David’s mouth twitched.
He stopped it before it became a smile.
’Well, that was probably the wrong thing to say.’
Dorian took a step forward.
The floor beneath his foot cracked.
The sound echoed through the lobby.
David’s attention sharpened.
Dorian’s killing intent surged again.
This time, there was no mistaking it.
David felt his muscles tighten.
His body wanted to move.
He didn’t.
He simply shifted his weight, making sure April was slightly behind him.
She noticed.
Her eyes flicked toward him.
"You really don’t know when to mind your own business."
"I’m standing here."
"You know what I mean."
David looked at her.
"I’m not doing anything."
"Yet."
He ignored that.
Dorian’s voice cut through the room.
"I’ve been looking for you."
Elias sighed.
"I noticed."
"You think this is funny?"
"No."
Elias looked at him.
"I think you’re loud."
The silence afterward was almost painful.
David looked away for a moment.
’Definitely the wrong thing to say.’
Dorian’s fist tightened.
"You killed my brother."
The casual atmosphere disappeared instantly.
Even Elias’s expression changed.
Only slightly.
But David noticed.
Dorian continued.
"You walked away like it meant nothing."
Elias was quiet for a moment.
Then he said, "Your brother attacked me."
"You killed him!"
"He tried to kill me."
"You could have spared him!"
Elias looked at him.
"Could he have spared me?"
Dorian didn’t answer.
He didn’t need to.
The silence said enough.
David watched the two men carefully.
There was something strange about Elias.
Dorian’s strength was obvious.
It filled the room.
David could feel every bit of it.
But Elias...
Nothing.
No visible pressure.
No attempt to intimidate anyone.
He was simply standing there.
Calm.
Almost bored.
David frowned slightly.
’Why can’t I feel anything from him?’
That bothered him.
A lot.
He had no idea how strong Elias was.
And somehow, that felt worse than knowing.
Dorian suddenly raised his hand.
Magic began gathering around him.
The surrounding air shifted.
People immediately started backing away.
April’s fingers closed around David’s sleeve.
"David."
He looked at her.
"Yeah?"
"Whatever happens..."
Her eyes remained fixed on Dorian.
"Don’t get involved."
David looked back toward the two Hunters.
"I wasn’t planning to."
April glanced at him.
"Good."
David watched Dorian’s magic continue to build.
Then his gaze shifted toward Elias.
The man hadn’t moved.
Hadn’t changed his expression.
Hadn’t even taken his hand out of his pocket.
David swallowed.
’He’s either completely insane...’
His eyes narrowed.
’Or he knows exactly what he’s doing.’
And judging by the way everyone in the room was looking at him, David had a feeling it was the second one.
The magic around Dorian suddenly exploded.
David barely had time to register the movement before Dorian disappeared.
A violent crack split through the air.
The next instant, Dorian was already in front of Elias.
David’s eyes widened.
’Fast.’
Dorian’s fist came straight toward Elias’s face.
Elias moved.
Not backward.
Not away.
Just slightly to the side.
The punch passed his cheek by inches.
Dorian twisted immediately, throwing another strike.
Elias caught his wrist.
The movement was so clean that David almost missed it.
Dorian’s eyes widened.
Then Elias pulled.
Dorian stumbled forward.
Elias drove his shoulder into his chest and sent him crashing across the floor.
The impact shook the lobby.
Several people screamed.
David instinctively grabbed April’s arm and pulled her farther back.
She stumbled against him.
"David!"
"I’m fine."
"I wasn’t asking if you were fine."
He looked at her.
She pointed toward the fight.
"Watch where you’re standing."
David glanced down.
A crack had formed across the floor only a few feet from his shoes.
"Fair."
Another explosion of magic forced his attention back.
Dorian was already on his feet.
Blood trickled from the corner of his mouth.
His eyes burned with fury.
Elias stood across from him, completely calm.
Dorian roared and charged again.
This time David tried to follow the movement.
He couldn’t.
Dorian vanished.
Then reappeared.
A punch.
Elias blocked it.
Another.
Blocked.
A kick.
Elias leaned aside.
Another punch.
He caught it.
David’s eyes narrowed.
The fight was moving too quickly for him to properly track, but something was becoming obvious.
Dorian was throwing everything he had into his attacks.
Elias wasn’t.
Not even close.
He wasn’t overpowering Dorian.
He wasn’t desperately avoiding him.
He was simply reading him.
Every movement.
Every attack.
Every opening.
David felt a strange chill run through him.
’This isn’t a fight.’
It was a lesson.
And Dorian was the one being taught.
Dorian suddenly pulled his arm back.
Magic gathered around his fist.
The pressure in the room spiked.
David’s expression changed.
"That’s bad."
April looked at him.
"You can tell?"
"No."
He watched the amount of magic gathering around Dorian’s arm.
"I can just tell when something looks bad."
The attack came.
Dorian’s fist slammed forward with enough force to distort the air around it.
David’s body tensed.
Elias didn’t move until the last possible moment.
Then he stepped forward.
His hand caught Dorian’s wrist.
The attack stopped.
Completely.
The force that had looked powerful enough to tear through the lobby simply... disappeared.
David stared.
Elias twisted Dorian’s arm.
Dorian’s knees buckled.
Before he could recover, Elias drove him into the ground.
BOOM.
The floor cracked beneath him.
Dust filled the air.
For a moment, nobody spoke.
Then Dorian pushed himself up.
His breathing was heavier now.
Blood ran down his face.
Elias looked at him.
"You’ve gotten stronger."
Dorian spat blood onto the floor.
"And you’re still arrogant."
David stared at him.
Despite everything happening around him, he couldn’t help the thought that came to mind.
’This dumbasses are gonna send this building crumbling.’