I hadn't had a chance to step inside when a strong grip was felt on my shoulder. In less than a second, I saw the front part of the door receding further away and slowly disappearing below my head, replaced by the night sky.

Right in that night sky, Mr. Anderson appeared, his body enveloped in electricity. He glided towards me, his right swing and I parried using Glory.

Another energy explosion occurred, quickly spreading throughout the city, briefly illuminating it. I knew Glory couldn't be as powerful as magic, but seeing the transparent shield created in front of me still flawless and without cracks made me reconsider that statement.

I had experienced it myself when trying to cleanse the air, something only achievable through Ancient magic. Glory couldn't do it. However, it could create immensely powerful weapons like lasers and artillery.

Indeed, the artillery wasn't that strong, only capable of knocking down knights. That's one of the reasons why Princess Celine's troops remained numerous despite being showered with gunfire repeatedly.

But the laser I was using was different.

It was able to annihilate the undead knights in a single strike, eradicating them from the face of the world. What if it turned out that Glory wasn't that powerful when used as magic, but much stronger when used outside of magic?

There are still some unanswered questions. But with this, I roughly know the outline, and it's enough to defeat Mr. Anderson.

I transformed the transparent shield into a cage, tightly gripping Mr. Anderson inside it and slamming him to the ground just when we were only a few meters above it.

Taking advantage of that swing, I safely landed on the road after using Glory to create a slime that then vanished into specks of light.

I brushed my hair back with my hand after transforming Glory into a bracelet, something I didn't expect to be able to do. The bracelet looked beautiful, made of shimmering blue glass with slow-moving colors, like reflections of light on water.

Suddenly, from the front, Mr. Anderson charged forward, moving so quickly that it was hard for the eye to follow.

I dodged to the side, reacting too late as he said, "You're still too naive,"

And a lightning bolt struck from above.

The excruciating heat spread throughout my body, making me feel like I was being burned alive, and a loud scream escaped me. The lightning only struck for a split second, but it felt like a minute in hell.

My body fell forward, drained of strength.

Mr. Anderson approached, folded his arms, and looked down, as if observing a pile of trash. "You disappoint me, young one. You have been consumed by the desire for great power to the point of forgetting yourself. Don't think you can do anything just because you have power. In this world, there are still many things far more valuable than that."

I imagined a gaping hole forming beneath him, and then three seconds after, the same hole appeared, engulfing Mr. Anderson in pitch darkness. Before he could use his electrical power, I sealed the hole tightly, hoping that he would never escape, at least until all of this was over.

I intentionally created a small space for him to move, ensuring that his blood could still flow smoothly and providing a breathing hole. I didn't want to kill him; I just wanted to keep him confined.

However, after only a few steps, the ground shook violently. I looked back, and from the place where the hole was sealed, Mr. Anderson emerged. Bright light emanated from the raging electricity, striking here and there, a sign that he was no longer playing around.

"You've gone too far, young one."

Damn it.

Before I could react, a powerful blow struck my body, sending me flying backward, crashing through several buildings, blood flowing from the corner of my mouth. As I tried to stand up, Mr. Anderson reappeared, stomping on my chest forcefully, causing blood to gush out.

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I coughed, struggling to catch my breath. My chest felt so tight, reminding me of the situation when the three elves were reluctantly sacrificed.

Mr. Anderson was taken aback, witnessing a deep pain unintentionally emanating and clearly visible in his red eyes. Unaware that now two large robots had appeared behind him.

As he turned back, his hands were tightly gripped and stretched out, forming the letter 'T'. Mr. Anderson attempted to escape using his electrical power, which only fueled the energy of the two robots and further strengthened their grip to the point where his hands felt like they would shatter.

"Power you said? I forgot about myself because of power?" A laugh escaped, a laugh that sounded so empty, so hollow. "It's precisely because of the lack of power that I lost something valuable, something that made me feel human. And you should understand that because you have also lost something precious to you."

His expression changed.

"I'm sure you understand what I'm feeling right now. Emptiness, hollowness, not knowing what to feel. It's so torturous, making you wish you were dead, but of course, you can't because you'll only be seen as a loser. Someone who can't bear the pain.

Well then, I will give them that pain, make them feel what I feel, make them understand that I didn't want this and I'm not a villain!

I'm just giving them the same treatment they gave me, and I won't accept an apology. Oh no. I will make them suffer to earn it, give them a glimmer of hope in the end, before finally sending them to death.

Isn't that fair?"

"I don't know what has happened to you, Zent. But believe me, that path will only lead you to destruction," Mr. Anderson urged, sounding genuinely concerned.

"Oh, I know. I'm aware. However, how long are we going to be treated like this? Just once is enough, isn't it? We were lucky the residents survived before, but now?

I'm not even sure if you'll survive, especially if 'he' returns. That's why I will eliminate them as quickly as possible, become stronger than ever before, and kill him. You'll thank me once you understand."

Damn it, my hands tremble violently every time I think of it. That person is too dangerous. I can't let him come again and ruin everything. I have to resolve the issue here quickly, at least to keep them safe from him.

Wait, what if he intentionally lets me have hope and then crushes it again?

What if, once the problem here is resolved, he reveals himself?

DAMN! DAMN! DAMN!!

I don't know what to do!

Should I let the problem here continue? But what if he intervenes because I did nothing?

BASTARD!!

So this is what he wants... Alright, if that's what you desire.

I'll play in the palm of your hand for now. I'll make you feel happy before striking back.

"But are you ready to leave them behind?" Z asked, suddenly appeared after being absent for several days.

Ready? Is that important now?

Their lives will continue to be in danger as long as he exists—or rather, as long as I exist.

I have to keep him focused on me without him knowing my true intentions. Otherwise, he could do the same thing as before. Ready or not, I have to do this for them, for the people I love and care about.

"You will end up alone, Zent. And it's highly likely that Celine and the princess will grow accustomed to your absence. Is that what you want?"

I...

Tears flowed again.

I looked down, hoping that Mr. Anderson wouldn't see it. Then, deliver a strong blow to my face, causing me to fall to the side. I could feel the blood flowing, but now I didn't care.

I stood up, took a deep breath, and strengthened my resolve for the thorny path I would embark on from now on. As Z had said, now was the moment, the moment when I had to make a decision. And I chose to save them all, even if it meant appearing as the villain in their eyes.

I walked, then stopped right beside Mr. Anderson, who was still groaning in pain. "Please tell the princess and Celine that I will forever love them and I apologize.

From now on, don't look for me anymore. This is for the safety of all of you. Thank you for everything." I continued my footsteps, trying to ignore Mr. Anderson's persistent demands for an explanation of what was really happening.

I'm sorry, Mr. Anderson. Honestly, I wanted to tell all of you about this.

I wanted us to reunite, to spend time together with laughter and joy. However, as long as he's alive, your lives will be in constant danger. Before I can kill him, I will keep him away from you.

Let's hope it won't be for long.

Once back on the road, I used Glory to leap high and far, landing in front of the main entrance of the palace. If you're wondering why my legs aren't broken, the answer is because there's a body armor there.

A black body armor with orange accents peeked out from every crevice, concealed beneath the clothes I now wore.

A long leather cloak, a shirt, long pants, and a hood, all in black. My black combat boots echoed as I walked in, where ten machine guns were pointed at me, ready to fire bullets.

Behind them, I saw the figure of an ordinary-looking man in clothes entirely from Earth. A brown hoodie, jeans, and a pair of blue sneakers. He appeared to be a teenager, probably in seventeen, holding Glory in his hand.

A wide grin formed on his face, adorned with a pair of spirited hazel eyes. It matched his short brown hair that swayed with the direction of the wind coming from the front door.

"Nice to meet you, my name is Blitz, and I am your death."

I snorted amusedly. "My death? You know, I would be so happy if that were true."

As the bullets were fired, I ran forward, ready to face whatever would happen from now on.