I walked toward his broken and bruised body with a calm, deliberate stride, blood still trickling down the side of my face.
Casually, smugly, I wiped it off with my thumb—making sure to do it in that deliberately exaggerated way you'd see in movies. The kind that screamed, "Yes, I'm the overpowered villain in this story, and I know it."
'See that? That's how you wipe blood cool-ly,' I thought with a grin.
He was gritting his teeth, barely suppressing the pain racking his body. His limbs twitched. His breath came out in ragged gasps. But he didn't let it show on his face. Something admirable, I had to admit, though I'd never say it out loud.
As I took a few more steps, I stood over him—towering like a looming shadow of death. I hunched down, lowering myself just enough to stare into his bloodshot eyes. "Wanna quit?" I asked flatly, voice void of concern.
Instead of appreciating my generous offer, he did something far bolder—and infinitely dumber.
A thick glob of blood and spit landed right below my eye.
"Go die in a ditch," he hissed, his voice venomous. "I'd rather rot in hell than lose to the likes of you."
I tilted my head in amusement, and for a brief moment, I almost laughed. Any normal person might've asked why. Why fight so hard? Why cling to pride when your bones are shattered, your legs mangled beyond recognition?
But me? I didn't care.
'You fucking bastard. You SPAT on me.'
My hand shot out, grabbing him by the hair. I yanked his head up, forcing him to meet my eyes. I wasn't smiling anymore.
Then I grabbed his collar, tightening it so hard he immediately started to choke. His feet kicked weakly at the ground. Foam bubbled out of his mouth as he flailed like a fish on dry land.
He tried to punch me—kick me even—but the movements were sloppy. Weak. He'd already lost the strength in his mutilated legs.
Still, I didn't let go. I just kept squeezing.
The foam flowed faster now. His eyes rolled back. His body jerked.
Then suddenly, he stretched an arm forward, reaching for something I couldn't see.
I frowned. 'What the hell is he—'
My instincts screamed. I let go and leapt back just in time to watch jagged rock spikes burst from thin air in the space I'd just vacated.
They shot forward like spears and rammed into my chest. Three of them. Maybe four.
They embedded deep, and blood gushed from the wounds—thick, warm, and uncontrollable, dripping like a broken faucet onto the dirt.
'You don't need to utter the abilities name? Or can you control tangible mana?... Maybe the Academy won't be a complete waste of time after all.'
I glared at the bastard, but he wasn't looking much better himself. His hand hovered over his ruined legs, and in the blink of an eye, earth rose from the ground and encased them like armor—crude, uneven, but effective.
With a grunt, he stood.
His spear lay in ruins, shattered beyond repair. Still, he adopted a martial stance—empty-handed, yet firm.
I raised an eyebrow. Brave. Stupid. But brave.
"[Flash Speed]!" I roared, my voice echoing like thunder across the battlefield.
The world blurred. The wind howled in my ears. The next instant, I was behind him—exactly where I had envisioned.
'So, that's how you do it.'
His eyes widened like saucers. Before he could react, my heel slammed into his side, aiming straight for his liver.
It felt like kicking a stone wall. Sparks burst from the contact point, embers scattering as if metal had clashed with metal.
His body didn't even budge.
Clicking my tongue in irritation, I growled inwardly. Smug little shit. Barely alive five seconds ago and already acting like he's immortal.
He twisted with explosive force and drove a fist toward my face, the knuckles wrapped in hardened earth.
I didn't even have time to dodge.
The impact sent my head snapping back. A few of my teeth flew out, spinning through the air. My vision momentarily whited out.
'You're not going to have an easy end, bitch!!!'
I roared both abilities simultaneously, my voice laced with raw fury.
Crackling violet lightning surged across my arm. My entire fist lit up like a live wire, sparks trailing behind every movement.
I pounded him. Over and over.
A blinding flurry of punches rained down, each one exploding with thunderous impact. The earth armor on his body cracked... then shattered.
Still, I didn't stop.
Even when his blood turned to steam from the sheer heat of my lightning.
His body was a ragdoll now, flung backward only to be yanked forward again by his collar. I used him like a human yo-yo, each pull followed by another brutal strike.
His hair stood up from the static. His face turned a pale shade of blue—matching his blood-soaked hair.
Finally, when he looked more corpse than man, I dropped him like discarded trash.
He hit the ground with a wet thud.
For a moment, he just lay there—limp, broken. Then, miraculously, his groggy eyes opened. A faint smile formed on his battered face, as if finally, his suffering was over.
He sighed quietly and relaxed his body, lowering his guard completely.
I turned away from him, casually stepping forward, my head low. I wiped blood from my chin, breathing heavily.
A dull ache crept into my skull. A side effect, no doubt, from overusing my abilities. My body wasn't meant to handle so much mana all at once.
Groaning, I clenched my head and glanced back.
He smiled faintly and, through cracked lips, whispered, "You're... different from the rumors. Hah... It was fun... You're a real Lancaster."
I smirked, amused. "What do you mean by that?"
Barely audible, his voice rasped through the air. "You're not a pacifist... like they said. You... hit really... fucking hard..."
I chuckled, shaking the numbness from my limbs.
He chuckled too, lowering his guard completely as he murmured, "Should we move on?"
'Yeah,' I replied inwardly, gripping the handle of my axe. 'We should.'
Without hesitation, I swung.
The blade tore through his already-shattered legs, slicing cleanly through flesh, muscle, and bone. The limbs split open like overripe fruit, white bone glinting under the blood-slicked light.
Then came the scream.
A soul-shattering, blood-curdling shriek that echoed across the battlefield like a haunting lullaby.
And gods, did it sound so beautiful.