The Smiling Death

The man slowly stepped out of the fading cloud of purple lightning.

Moonlight illuminated his appearance.

He had dark crimson, curly hair that fell to his shoulders, and a pair of eyes that glowed like crackling violet lightning. Every step he took released arcs of electricity that danced across the ground, leaving behind scorched marks.

Several meters away, Marcus, Aisha, and Eliana immediately spread out.

Each of them instinctively took up a battle formation.

Aisha pulled a massive greatsword from her storage ring, its heavy blade crashing against the ground.

Marcus lowered his flaming spear into a ready stance.

Eliana silently nocked an arrow onto her bowstring, her sharp eyes never leaving the stranger.

Marcus tightened his grip on his spear.

"Who are you?! Why did you attack our friends?"

Although his voice remained steady, he could already sense it.

The man standing before them was far stronger than Luke.

Far stronger than anyone they had fought before.

The stranger glanced at the three of them before calmly answering,

"My name is Alaric."

His gaze shifted past them and locked onto Amon and Seraphina, who had just regained their footing.

A cruel smile slowly spread across his face.

Purple lightning erupted from his body.

A long sword materialized in his hand, its blade wrapped in violent bolts of crackling electricity.

Without another word.

BOOM!

The ground exploded beneath his feet. He shot straight toward Amon and Seraphina.

He didn’t even spare Marcus, Aisha, or Eliana a second glance.

It was as though they didn’t exist.

"Damn it!"

Aisha immediately rushed forward.

But

CRACK!!

A gigantic ice spike suddenly erupted from the ground directly in front of her.

She barely managed to leap backward before it pierced the space where she had been standing.

The surrounding temperature instantly dropped.

A calm voice echoed from above.

"Your opponents...will be me."

The three students looked upward.

Standing casually upon the thick branch of a nearby tree was another man.

Unlike Alaric, he wore a dark cloak that concealed most of his body, though his face remained uncovered.

He appeared to be around thirty years old.

Dark blue hair swayed gently in the cold wind, while a pair of emerald-green eyes regarded them with complete indifference.

A faint smile appeared on his lips.

"You may call me...Soren."

The air around him grew colder.

Thin layers of frost rapidly spread across the branches.

Snow-like particles drifted gently through the forest.

Marcus stepped forward. Aisha raised her greatsword. Eliana slowly drew back her bowstring.

The three of them prepared for battle.

Soren merely smiled.

---

Meanwhile.

BOOM!

CLANG!

Purple lightning exploded across the battlefield.

Alaric’s sword collided with both Amon’s shadow-coated blade and Seraphina’s golden sword simultaneously.

The impact sent violent shockwaves racing through the forest.

"Argh!"

Amon gritted his teeth. He could barely follow Alaric’s movements.

Every swing of the man’s sword was unbelievably fast.

Every strike carried terrifying destructive force.

His body was already covered in wounds. A deep slash stretched across his shoulder.

Another carved through his side. Several cuts covered his arms and legs.

Fresh wounds continued appearing faster than he could defend against them.

Fortunately his Blood Manipulation prevented blood loss, forcing the wounds shut before too much blood could escape.

Without that ability he would have collapsed already.

Seraphina wasn’t faring much better. Her outfit had been torn in several places.

Cuts and burns covered her arms. Her breathing had grown noticeably heavier.

Yet something immediately caught her attention.

’This man who called himself Alaric.. He’s targeting Amon.’

Again and again his attacks deliberately focused on Amon.

Even when Seraphina exposed openings, he ignored them.

More strangely whenever his sword could have landed a fatal blow.

He intentionally redirected it.

Instead of killing Amon. He inflicted deep, agonizing wounds.

It was as though he wanted Amon to suffer.

Purple lightning exploded across Amon’s chest.

CRACK!

"AGH!"

Electricity surged through his body, burning patches of skin and leaving black scorch marks wherever it passed.

The pain was unbearable.

Yet Amon refused to retreat.

His eyes narrowed.

Black shadow spread beneath his feet.

His own shadow rose like living smoke before wrapping tightly around his entire body, as if it was dark skin that was his armor.

Then he activated another ability, death’s darkness.

The natural darkness surrounding the battlefield responded instantly.

From air the darkness moved to his body. And it wrapped around his shadowy armor like skin.

Thick black smoke continuously flowed from his body.

His muscles tightened. His senses sharpened.

His speed, strength and reflexes all increased dramatically.

The ground shattered beneath his next step.

He vanished. Appearing beside Alaric, Amon swung both his sword and hatchet from opposite directions.

The attacks were perfectly synchronized.

Alaric merely smiled.

"So this is your true strength?"

With effortless precision, he tilted his body just enough for both weapons to miss.

His own sword flashed once.

Slash!

A deep cut opened across Amon’s thigh.

The shadow armor absorbed part of the impact, preventing the blade from severing the muscle completely, while the surrounding darkness dulled much of the lightning’s burning effect.

Even so the pain forced Amon to stumble.

At the same moment. Seraphina rushed in from Alaric’s blind spot. Golden light exploded around her sword.

She swung with all her strength.

Alaric didn’t even look back. He drove his foot into her abdomen.

BOOM!

The kick landed with overwhelming force.

Seraphina’s eyes widened.

Her body shot backward like a cannonball, crashing through several trees before finally rolling across the ground.

"Agh...!"

She coughed violently as she struggled back to her feet.

Alaric never looked at her again.

His eyes remained fixed solely on Amon.

His smile widened into something almost insane.

"There you are...I’ve waited a long time for this."

Amon frowned.

"...Do I know you?"

Alaric laughed.

"Oh, you might don’t know me... but I know you. And you will get to know me soon. Before you die."

Purple lightning erupted around him once more. His killing intent became even more oppressive.

He slowly raised his sword and pointed it toward Amon.

"And it’s bood...The fact that killing you won’t be easy..."

His smile twisted into one filled with hatred and anticipation.

"...only makes this far more enjoyable."