Kelz was running through the night as fast as she could. She ignored her body screaming in pain and kept running.
“Shit shit shit!”
She cursed as she leaped from rooftop to rooftop.
“It wasn’t supposed to be this way. If only Drax didn’t have a Sacred Artifact, it would’ve been a breeze.”
Her blood drained from her wounds as she ran.
“No, if it wasn’t for my powers being sealed I wouldn’t need to go through this! I wouldn’t have to run! I wouldn’t need to stay down here for 40 years plotting!”
She clenched her teeth.
“I wouldn’t have to sacrifice such a powerful ally!”
She leaped over a building and ran down the road disappearing into the dark.
*BAM!*
Back at her mansion, explosive noise rang as Julius and Drax tried to kill Gustav.
“Hahahaha!“
His laughter reverberated as he blocked a kick from Drax with his arm. His bones cracked but he didn’t care. He grabbed Drax's leg and threw him into the mansion. He chased after him. Julius flanked him with a hook. Gustav hit the ground. Julius pounced at him thrusting a sword at his chest. Gustav thrust his hand out and the sword stabbed his hand. He clenched his fist and broke the blade.
“Wha?!”
He sprung up and punched Julius in the face. He grabbed his neck and crushed his windpipe.
“Keh?! Keh?!”
Julius choked from being unable to breathe. Drax flew from behind Julius and thrust his sword through Gustav’s shoulder. He clicked his tongue.
(I was aiming for his heart but he shifted his body at the last second.)
“Die already!”
He roared. Gustav swung his leg up and kicked the sword out of Drax’s hand. Drax kicked him away and caught the hilt. He turned to attack.
“Clenched your teeth!”
He was punched in his face so hard his feet rose off the ground and his body was buried into the earth. Drax activated the hilt and reformed his sword. Gustav moved back to avoid getting cut. His chest was pierced by several shots. Julius was behind Drax firing a gun while holding his throat.
(These I can regenerate from.)
Gustav rushed at him with that thought in his head. Drax sprung to his feet and cut at him. The blue blade reflected in Gustav’s eye. He grin and blocked it with his arm. The blade cut into his flesh and became stuck in his bones.
“It didn’t cut through?”
Gustav hit Drax with a jumping knee to the face.
“I was born with far more compacted muscles and denser bones than everybody else.”
He grabbed Drax’s face and slammed his head into the earth.
“Thanks to God Essence, they’ve gotten stronger.”
Drax swung his legs up and wrapped them around Gustav’s neck. He threw him off and got up.
“I see. So you were never a normal human in the first place.”
Gustav stood up breathing heavily.
“But you’re not immortal.”
Drax kicked off the ground.
“I am!”
He popped up in front of Gustav and slashed him across the chest. He moved out of the way and bullets riddled Gustav’s body the moment he took a step. Drax rushed back in and slashed him again forming an X across his chest.
“Your regeneration can’t keep up. You’ll drop dead soon. After that, we’ll catch up with—”
Drax’s words were cut short. Gustav’s body flickered. He appeared behind him heading towards Julius.
“What?!”
Drax spun around with shock.
(He blitzed pass me?! How?!)
Julius shot Gustav several times but that didn’t stop him. He slammed his fist in Julius’s face. Julius' body bounced off the ground. Gustav chased him. Drax popped up at his side. Gustav jumped over his slash and stomped Julius into the ground. Drax slashed his back and cut into his body.
The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.
“…….”
Gustav silently spun around and grabbed the blade. His hand immediately started bleeding. Drax tried pulling the sword but it wouldn’t budge.
“What kind of strength—”
Drax’s face was assaulted with dozens of swift jabs in an instant.
(What the hell is going on?)
He thought as his vision was stained with his blood. Gustav silently bombarded him with heavy but fast punches, while he tried to pull his sword.
“Gustav!”
Julius roared and swung a sword at Gustav’s neck. Gustav swung his arm behind him and shattered the sword without looking back. Julius froze.
“….I don’t think I can shatter a sword so easily.”
He mumbled. Drax gritted his teeth.
(I don’t how or why but this guy’s strength rivals those from Promised Land.)
The gems on his body started glowing. He instantly ripped the sword from Gustav’s grasp. He swung his sword and swiftly severed Gustav’s arm from his shoulder.
“If I have to use Blessing to win against a monster like you, then I don’t mind.”
“…….”
Gustav looked down at his severed arm. His eyes were dull and unfocused. Yet, a smile still crawled on his face.
“…Father.”
“Huh?”
Drax froze after hearing Gustav mumbling in a weak voice.
“I’ll kill all them all. I’ll slaughter them all like pigs. I’ll avenge everyone.”
“…Is he hallucinating? Did his brain fry from all the trauma to his body?”
Drax mumbled. Gustav slowly looked up at him with eyes void of life and a bright smile on his face.
“So wait for me over there, alright?”
“……..”
Drax silently lowered his sword.
“Julius, it’s over.”
“Huh?”
Julius was snapped out of his daze.
“…He’s dead. He died after using up the last of his strength…He died standing up.”
Drax thrust his sword through Gustav’s chest.
“See?”
“I-I see.”
Drax looked in the direction Kelz ran off.
(I doubt I’ll be able to catch up now.)
Drax sighed and put his weapon away. The gems in his body stopped glowing. He looked back at Gustav.
(Still, this guy was different from any other Outsider I’ve met. Why?)
He pondered for a bit before mumbling.
“Let’s do that.”
Elsewhere, Kelz stopped running and arrived at a park. She scanned the area while breathing heavily. She sluggishly walked up to a tree and knock on the roots. A latch opened up in the ground.
“Madam.”
A woman came of the hidden opening.
“Brix, bring me down there.”
Kelz collapsed to the ground. The woman frantically pulled Kelz inside the hole and closed the latch. Once inside, she lifted Kelz on her shoulder and climbed down a ladder. She ran down a dimly lit passageway until she arrived in a bright open space. Inside this space were houses and other buildings with people walking about.
“Brix, is the Madam alright?”
A lanky man with tall messy blue hair approached her.
“Fayax.”
Brix placed Kelz on the ground and started examining her body.
“She’s unconscious. She lost an arm and has multiple deep wounds on her body.”
“She’s not regenerating?”
Brix shook her head.
“Then a sacred artifact was used….What about the man we received a report about staying back with her?”
“She came alone…”
Brix and Fayax stayed quiet for a bit. It was Fayax who broke the silence.
“Take her to the infirmary. We’ll hear what happen when she woke up.”
“Roger.”
Brix threw Kelz on her shoulder again and ran off.
“I would’ve never imagined the Madam to lose to Drax even with a Sacred Artifact. The Lord sealing her powers must’ve been more devastating than we originally thought.”
He looked around at the people walking about and waved at some children.
“We’re at a big disadvantage. I hope those Outsiders can even the playing board after losing their leader.”
“…Ugh.”
Roxanne woke up and found herself staring at an unfamiliar ceiling.
“?!”
She sprung to her feet and cautiously looked around.
“Calm down, Roxanne.”
She spotted someone sitting in a dark corner.
“Raphael?”
Raphael had his head in his lap.
“Where are we, Raphael?”
“We’re in an infirmary. We lost consciousness after drinking the God Essence. Look around, the others are here too.”
She looked around and, as Raphael said, could see all of her siblings.
“You’re right…”
She looked at him and walked up to him.
“What’s wrong?”
“I’m just thinking to myself.”
She took a seat beside him.
“What are you thinking about?”
Raphael didn’t answer. Roxanne rested her head on his shoulder.
“Come on, tell me.”
“…Roxanne, do you remember the first day we met?”
“Of course, I was still in South Africa. It was after the Johannesburg’s Red Sunday. The city was on fire and violence was everywhere you looked. I had just lost my family to rioters and barely escaped with my sister. Eventually, we got caught in a clash between the rioters and the military and I lost my sister as well. Father found me crying holding my sister’s corpse.”
She smiled.
“At first I was afraid of him and cowered when I saw him approaching, but when he reached for my sister’s body I snapped. I bit his hand and glared at him while ugly crying….Did he ever tell you?”
“Yeah, he used to laugh about it when he got drunk.”
“I see. Well, as you would expect me biting him didn’t have any effect. He lifted me and my sister and carried us, even when I was kicking and screaming. I honestly thought he was gonna kidnap me.”
“In a way, he did.”
“I guess you’re right.”
Roxanne laughed.
“He carried us outside the city and away from the violence. He did ask if he could bury my sister. Of course, I strongly decline because I didn’t want to part with her. But did you know what he said—”
“Your sister gave her life to protect you so you could live. You can’t live if you cling to the dead.”
Raphael mumbled. Roxanne nodded.
“I cried my eyes out because I knew he was right. Especially, when I remembered my sister’s last words to me were to run away and live.”
The smile slowly faded from her face and she became silent. Raphael silently rubbed her head. She started talking again soon after.
“Father buried her while I was still crying, he didn’t even wait for me to give him permission. He then marked the grave with a boulder and craved her name on it after I told him what it was.”
She started talking with a happier tone.
“After that, he took me to meet you who was waiting for him in Cape Town. We fought a lot because you called me a crybaby.”
“That was because you reminded me of how I was when I met Father. It made me irritated with my past self.”
“Well, thinking back now you were pretty adorable.”
She pinched his cheek.
“You’re more stoic now, but you still are.”
“…….”
“Come on, tell me what’s wrong already. Why did you ask me that question anyway?”
“I…I don’t know. Maybe I just wanted to hear about the past?…Fuck.”
Raphael’s body started trembling.
“Why I had to be the oldest? Why did I wake up first? Why do I have to be the one to do this?”
Roxanne wrapped her arms around him.
“I don’t know what you’re upset about, but you’re not alone. Father always said “ the two of us must act as one, we must remain as one. We’re invincible together. So just tell me what’s going on.”
Raphael silently sat up and looked at her. His eyes were red and puffy. He opened his mouth to speak but no words came. After moving his lips for a while, he finally spoke.
“Father…Gustav is dead.”
“……..”
Roxanne silently looked at him. After nearly a minute, her eyes slowly widened and her jaw dropped. Her eyes trembled in her head as she muttered in a shaky voice.
“Huh?”