At that precise moment, Orion released the arrow. The instant it left his grip, it felt as though the control he had over the wind vanished, leaving the swirling tempest to rage unchecked. The storm intensified, howling around them, whipping debris into the air as the wind tore at everything in its path. Read new adventures at mvl
The arrow shot forward, carried by the gale, slicing through the air like a force of nature. Everything in its trajectory was obliterated. The concrete road leading to the villa cracked and split, chunks of asphalt thrown into the air as the arrow's sheer force carved a destructive line straight toward the killer.
In mere seconds, the arrow was upon him, a lethal projectile surrounded by the fury of the storm.
"Child's play," the killer sneered as he caught the arrow effortlessly with his bare hand. His expression was one of disdain, but Orion's faint smile suggested he had been waiting for this moment.
A heartbeat later, an unimaginable explosion erupted from the arrow. The shockwave shook the air, and the wind, already fierce, suddenly surged to new heights. The storm intensified so violently that even the clouds in the sky began to shift, swirling into the chaos.
Erza, Victor, and the others were caught off guard. The force of the wind blasted them backward, sending them hurtling through the air toward the villa. Unable to resist the sheer power, they collided with the walls, grunting in pain as they finally came to a stop.
Meanwhile, the storm around the killer had become a full-blown tornado. The winds spiraled violently, trapping him within its raging vortex, and for a moment, it seemed like nature itself was tearing apart the battlefield.
"Roman, go quickly and report to the guild. This is our chance," Orion whispered to Roman, appearing behind him.
Roman understood and vanished at once, using his speed.
Seeing Roman disappear into the distance, Orion sighed in relief. At least one of them would report to the guild. If more people had tried to leave, the killer might have caught on, which would have been disastrous.
"Ray, are you okay?" Shuna asked worriedly, while Tracy looked at Orion with concern.
"It was a hard hit, but I'm fine," Orion smiled at both of them.
Shuna nodded, and Tracy secretly sighed in relief.
"It's good that Roman left. Now we just have to survive until help arrives," Erza said, looking at the tornado.
Orion nodded. "Yeah, that's the plan. There's no way we can defeat a 9th-level platinum expert, so all we can do is survive."
At that moment, Orion suddenly looked in a certain direction and smiled slightly.
"I'm fine, but there's no time for chit-chat," Mark replied, turning to the group. "I have a plan to buy us some time."
"Ray and I are fast enough to attack and retreat, so we'll be the main attackers. The rest of you should prepare some powerful strikes and launch them when we say. It'll help create diversions or openings in our fight."
They all nodded in understanding.
"You two are such a nuisance," the killer said, brushing off his clothes.
Everyone's attention was already on him.
"But I have a deal for you two," the killer said slyly.
"What deal?" Orion asked.
"A deal that could save your lives," the killer said, spreading his arms. "I'm not here because I enjoy killing. It's just a step toward our long-lasting revenge."
He added, "If you two become slaves to my organization, I'll spare you. What do you say?"
"Hahaha!" Orion burst out laughing. "Let me tell you something, you pathetic killer who can't even finish off a few gold-rank kids—soon, you'll be the one begging for mercy! Understand that, you useless assassin?"
Everyone was stunned by Orion's bold words. In any other situation, they might have distanced themselves from him.
"Pathetic," Orion added. "What gives you the confidence to propose a deal when you haven't killed anyone? You know what? I'll give you a better deal: leave now, or when I get angry, even gods will tremble beneath my feet."
"Cough, cough, Ray, that might be a bit much," Mark said, embarrassed.
The killer didn't visibly react to Orion's taunts, though behind his mask, he was likely gritting his teeth. On the outside, he remained calm.
"Just die," the killer said in a grim tone, disappearing from his position.
At that moment, Orion and Mark also vanished, reappearing at the killer's left and right sides.