Thud

Jace's charred body fell to the ground, smoke still rising from his scorched flesh. Oliver watched with his mouth agape, his eyes wide with disbelief. All the patrons in the restaurant mirrored his shock, their forks and knives clattering onto plates as silence reigned supreme.

"For your information, I am the real manager," Dorian said, fixing his collar with an air of nonchalance. He turned to face the stunned Oliver, a smirk playing on his lips.

Panic erupted instantly. Chairs screeched against the floor as everyone in the restaurant scrambled to their feet. Some pushed and screamed, frantically making their way out of the restaurant. The sound of breaking glass and overturned tables added to the rush of fear.

A few seconds later, an eerie calm settled over the scene. It was now only Oliver, Zane, and Dorian in the restaurant, along with a handful of people who remained seated, watching the drama unfold with an air of luxury and intrigue.

"H-how?" Oliver stammered. "Jace made contact with you, so how is it that you're still able to use relics?"

Dorian's sly smile widened, his eyes glinting with malice. "Guess," he said, his voice dripping with condescension.

Oliver's expression darkened as realization dawned on him. There could only be one way to counter a Rank 3 relic.

Another Rank 3 relic!

Dorian likely had a Rank 3 relic that protected his Mindcore. This was bad, really bad. If he had an attack-type Rank 3 relic as well, it was game over. The difference in attack power between relic Ranks was vast and unforgiving. Unlike humans, a Rank 2 relic's power could never hope to compete with a Rank 3.

Crash!

Zane, seizing the moment, attacked Dorian. His arm had transformed into that of an ant. But Dorian easily evaded by jumping back.

"Damn, can't you let me act a little cool here?" Dorian complained, his tone mockingly casual.

Zane's eyes narrowed, a feral grin spreading across his face. "Keke, enough talking. Let's get the show started." He then kicked Jace's motionless body, sending it flying toward Oliver, who barely managed to catch it.

"Well, I'm an Intermediate Rank 2 Lexarch, and you're Lesser Rank 2," Dorian said, his voice laced with superiority.

"So what?" Zane asked, his expression wary but defiant.

A taunting expression came over Dorian's face as he said, "Do you have the skills to close the gap between higher Ranks?" Killing intent then surged through him, his aura becoming palpable in the air. "Because I do."

With a swoosh, Dorian attacked. His arm melted into molten lava as he did a swift swipe with his hand. The air sizzled with heat, and the scent of sulfur filled the room.

Rank 2 Elemental Fusion Relic!

Crash!

Zane jumped to the side, barely avoiding the molten lava that gushed out of Dorian's arm. The floor where he had been standing moments ago bubbled and hissed, eaten away by the intense heat.

"It's not over yet!" Dorian roared.

Crackle!

With his other arm, Dorian shot a bolt of lightning. The air ionized, filling the room with the scent of ozone.

"Shit!" Zane cursed, quickly using the best armor in his arsenal. He transformed his chest and stomach into the exoskeleton of a beetle. The lightning shot through him, and Zane gritted his teeth as he endured the searing pain coursing through his veins. Smoke rose from his body, but he remained standing, his determination evident in his stance.

"Ohhhhhh," Dorian drawled, a look of understanding crossing his face. "Guess you weren't all talk. You must have had some fortuitous encounter to have added that armor to your Rank 2 Chimera Relic."

Zane breathed roughly, his eyes never leaving Dorian. The air crackled with tension as the two sized each other up.

Oliver, seizing his chance, attacked Dorian with a sword.

Clank!

But Dorian blocked it effortlessly, his hand feeling harder than steel against the blade. Undeterred, Oliver poured his soul energy into the attack. The blade emitted a blue glow as an extremely cold gust of wind shot out, ice crystals forming in the air around them. The temperature dropped instantly, frost spreading across the restaurant. Dorian's arm started to freeze where it made contact with the sword, frostbite forming on his skin.

But Dorian's expression remained bored, unimpressed by Oliver's all-out attack. "Weak," he scoffed. His arm then changed back to molten lava, the temperature rising rapidly. Oliver was forced to abandon the sword as it started melting from Dorian's counterattack.

"Compared to the guy over there, your control over your Rank 2 Tomesmith relic is trash," Dorian taunted, gesturing towards Zane.

Taking advantage of Dorian's momentary distraction, Zane attacked from behind. But once again, Dorian dodged swiftly, his speed suddenly increasing as he appeared a few meters away from where Zane had struck.

"Tsk, that Phantom step relic is saving your ass," Zane clicked his tongue,

"Oliver!" Zane called out without looking behind, his muscles tensing as he prepared to get serious.

Oliver nodded solemnly, understanding the gravity of the situation. With practiced ease, he pulled out a scroll, its parchment yellowed with age and covered in intricate runes. Biting his finger hard enough to draw blood, he used the crimson liquid to inscribe a complex sigil on the scroll. The air shimmered as energy surged, and suddenly, a bow materialized from the scroll.

Grabbing the bow, Oliver nocked an arrow.

Swoosh!

The arrow shot out with alarming speed, leaving a trail of blue energy in its wake.

Dorian's eyes widened for a split second before he activated his Phantom step relic. In a blur of motion, he increased his speed, narrowly dodging the arrow. The projectile exploded mid-air where Dorian had been standing moments before, the shockwave rattling the windows.

Undeterred, Oliver unleashed a barrage of arrows, each one aimed with deadly precision.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

Explosions resounded through the restaurant, destroying furniture and setting the place ablaze.

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Dorian continued to run, phantom steps trailing behind him like ghostly afterimages. His face was a mask of concentration as he weaved through the onslaught.

Meanwhile, Zane had completed his transformation. His legs and arms had morphed into those of a white ape, muscles rippling with raw power. With a primal roar, he shot forward, his enhanced strength and speed propelling him towards Dorian like a living projectile.

A deep frown creased Dorian's face as he suddenly halted and changed direction.

Crash!

Zane's fist connected with the floor where Dorian had been, leaving a crater in the tiles.

But just as Dorian thought he'd escaped danger, an arrow materialized in front of him, its tip glowing ominously.

Boom!

The explosion engulfed him, and Oliver allowed himself a small smile of satisfaction.

From behind the counter, the waitress watched with a mixture of fear and concern, her knuckles white as she clenched her fists. Her eyes never left the battle, silently willing Dorian to emerge unscathed.

As the smoke cleared, Dorian stepped forward, his relaxed demeanor replaced by a threatening aura. Though there was no visible damage, his expression spoke volumes about the effectiveness of the attack.

"I take that back about you being weak," Dorian began, his voice low and dangerous. "You are not weak, but pathetically trash." His words dripped with venom as he activated his phantom step relic once more.

Surging forward with killing intent, Dorian closed the distance between himself and Oliver in the blink of an eye. Oliver, caught off-guard by the sudden assault, panicked and loosed an arrow at point-blank range. But Dorian simply activated his Steel body relic and swatted the arrow aside as if it were a mere annoyance.

"Die!" Dorian roared, his lava arm swinging in a deadly arc towards Oliver's head.

But then, from seemingly nowhere, Zane's voice cut through the chaos. "Forget me?" he taunted, appearing behind Dorian like a specter.

Bang!

Zane's fist, empowered by his ape-like strength, connected squarely with Dorian's face. The impact was thunderous, sending Dorian flying backwards.

Crash!

He smashed through the wall, leaving a gaping hole that revealed the outside world.

Zane allowed himself a triumphant smile, while Oliver exhaled shakily, relief washing over him. "You didn't kill him, did you?" Oliver asked, his voice tinged with concern.

"Of course not," Zane replied, his eyes never leaving the hole in the wall. "We need him to fess up the location of the Black Hand's headquarters. And besides..."

His words trailed off as Dorian emerged from the rubble, walking slowly back into view. Half of Dorian's shirt was ripped away, revealing a torso crisscrossed with old scars. Lightning crackled in one hand, while burning hot lava oozed from the other. Despite the ferocity of Zane's attack, Dorian's expression was unnervingly calm, seemingly unbothered by the blood dripping from his chin.

"...even if I wanted to kill him, I don't think I can do that just yet," Zane finished, a note of wariness creeping into his voice. Oliver's expression grew anxious.

'Dorian!' The waitress, still hidden behind the counter, cheered silently in her heart.

Crack Crack

Dorian nonchalantly cracked his neck and knuckles as he walked. When he spoke, his tone was bland, almost bored. "Seems like I was worried for nothing. If you're willing to cause this much commotion, I don't believe you brought your punisher friends with you yet."

"Same strategy," Zane muttered to Oliver, stepping forward to face Dorian once more.

Dorian, observing their determination, couldn't help but chuckle. A mischievous smile played across his lips as he spoke, his voice laced with dark amusement. "What if I said my elemental fusion relic has another power which I have yet to reveal?"

Oliver and Zane’s hearts gripped as they realized Dorian had another ability stored up in his Elemental fusion relic.

…

Seren, Theo, and Javier stood like cornered rats as they watched the Backdoor Collective's guards rushing into the hall. More than 30 guards stood with their postures straight and lined up, their weapons gleaming menacingly under the flickering lights.

There was complete silence as the guards just stood there like statues staring at Seren and the others. Then, Seren's team heard footsteps echoing in the hallway outside, growing louder with each passing second.

When the person finally came around the blasted hole in the wall and walked into the hall, Theo's face drained of color, a dreadful look etching itself into his features. Javier wasn't looking any better, his jaw clenched tight enough to crack teeth. Only Seren remained composed, his eyes calculating as they took in the new arrival.

It was the supervisor, a Lessor Rank 2 Lexarch. A cruel smile played on his lips as he surveyed the trapped team.

"Did you like our manager's gift?" The supervisor asked, his voice dripping with mock politeness.

Javier's fists clenched so tight his knuckles turned white. His voice, when he spoke, was low and dangerous, trembling with barely contained rage. "Damn it, how was the mission leaked?"

He then shot an intense glare at Seren. The accusation was clear in his gaze, as if he wanted to tear the truth from Seren right then and there.

"It wasn't me," Seren replied blandly, his voice devoid of emotion. He didn't even bother to look at Javier, which only seemed to fuel the other man's anger.

Something inside Javier snapped. With a snarl, he lunged forward, grabbing Seren by the shirt and slamming him against the wall. "Oh yeah! Then how is it that we were ambushed so fucking perfectly the one time you were on our mission?" Spittle flew from his mouth as he shouted, his face inches from Seren's.

Seren didn't flinch, didn't even blink. He just calmly looked at Javier, his lack of reaction seeming to infuriate the man even more.

Theo, seeing the situation spiraling out of control, quickly intervened. He grabbed Javier's arm, trying to pry him away from Seren. "Javier, this isn't the right time for this," he hissed urgently. "We will deal with this after we make it out of here... if we make it out of here," he added under his breath.

For a moment, it seemed like Javier might turn his rage on Theo. But then, with a final look of pure malice at Seren, he let go of the man's shirt with a forceful shove. Seren stumbled slightly but quickly regained his composure, straightening his shirt without a word.

The supervisor's mocking voice cut through the tension. "My, my, what a sorry sight. The great team, reduced to squabbling like children. Perhaps you'd like to tell us where the rest of your other little 3 friends are hiding?". He was referring to Matilda’s group, it seemed they were not aware of their location yet.

But then Javier snapped, his face flushed with anger. "Shut your mouth, you Collective lapdog! You think you've won? We've faced worse odds than this!".

The supervisor chuckled, his tone dripping with condescension. "Please, enlighten me about these 'worse odds' while you're surrounded by my men." He gestured to the guards behind him, giving off an intimidating feeling.

But Javier had had it as he continued his heated and pointless argument. While this was happening, Seren quietly moved behind Theo. He leaned in close, whispering urgently, "Theo, do you still trust me?"

Theo's eyes widened in surprise, caught off guard by the sudden question. Ronan had entrusted him to be the team’s leader to keep Javier's volatile emotions and sudden outbursts in check while keeping an eye on Seren loyalty to the Ravens. Now, caught between a rock and a hard place, he had to make a decision.

He glanced between Javier’s escalating anger and Seren’s intense gaze. Trust Seren and risk betrayal, or abandon him and hope he and Javier could find a way out?

After a moment of hesitation, Theo took a deep breath and nodded slowly. “I... I trust you.”

Seren's eyes gleam with an unreadable emotion as he leans in closer, outlining his plan in hushed, rapid-fire sentences. As the details unfold, Theo's eyes widen in shock. The plan is audacious, bordering on insanity, but it just might work. It offers a sliver of hope to get out of this rabbit hole. However, the cost was steep – one of them would have to bear the brunt of the risk, and there was a likely chance this person could die.

Theo feels a wave of nausea wash over him. He knows they're running out of time; waiting for the Punishers is no longer an option. By the time help arrives, they might all be beyond saving.

With a heavy heart and trembling hands, Theo gives a barely perceptible nod of agreement.

Seren just patted his shoulder in understanding. "Whatever happens next…” He glanced at Theo, only to see a defeated look on his face. "...it's not your fault." He reassured.

But deep within Seren's eyes, a glacial smile formed. He had directed Theo perfectly, exploiting his insecurities and the pressure of leadership. By making Theo doubt himself and present a plan that risks the lives of his team members, Seren has subtly shifted the balance of power. It's a masterful play – gaining control without a direct confrontation, simply by chipping away at Theo's confidence until he willingly relinquishes his authority due to incompetence.

Poor Theo. Even if he knew what Seren was slowly doing to him, he still would have no choice but to play by his rules. He wasn’t strong enough to take on the supervisor and he wasn’t smart enough to maneuver his way out of this situation. His only option was to rely on Seren to somehow survive their predicament.

Seren was his saving grace but also his ultimate demise as well.