Chapter 196 Underneath The Surface (End)

Before the green smoke combusted, here is what happened.

The body of Mike the bastard, after having its head smashed, still kept wriggling; it was weird but I didn't pay much attention to it. The moment I feel the slight raise in temperature, I looked down and found the body vaporizing.

At that moment, I realized that the body was not Mike's real body but part of his Skill. A second after the realization hit me, the smoke covering the area combusted.

Fire filled my vision and it hasn't settled down yet. As brilliant as the Skill goes, obviously, it does nothing to me other than irking me.

I always prepare a layer of Mana to protect my body in case I receive an unexpected attack. It was not the one who saved my life this time, though; it was the petals from [Senbonzakura] that are surrounding me.

"Well, maybe I should stop playing around, huh?" I muse. "The bastard knows how to fight back. Even though he still hasn't harmed me in the end, a score is a score. I have to pay him back."

Controlling the petals to rotate around Rexorem quickly, I use the help of Wind Magic to create a suction effect, causing the fire in my surrounding to be sucked into the center of the "whirlpool" the petals made. I amass the fire and contain it on the surface of Rexorem's blade.

Just in case I somehow failed to control the fire with Magic, I cast a Spell that will help me do it, "[Ignia Ferrum]!"

The amassing process of the fire got faster after I cast the Spell. After ten seconds, I am left with a great sword that shines brightly in red due to the fire covering it; it is the brightest and hottest [Ignia Ferrum] I have ever cast yet.

"Impossible … To be able to control such a huge amount of fire—what kind of monster are you?"

Responding to the voice that I heard ahead of me, I say, "I am not a Monster, silly. I am a Demon—can't you tell?"

I turn my head to the person and smirk. Mike is standing a few feet away from me with disbelief decorating his face.

He doesn't have a single scratch on him even though his Mana Pressure has gotten weaker than it was before. This is him without the mask—the real him—and he is not afraid of me.

"Layland, let's be real, man. You know that I didn't do you any wrong, did you?" Mike asks seriously. "The bullying happened because you let it, didn't you? It was your fault for not fighting back and you can't blame people for it!"

"Is that all you want to say?" I ask while swinging Rexorem lightly, creating a red line in the air.

"I am sorry for not doing anything back then—I really am. I won't tell you to forgive me but, please, don't kill me. I will help you exact your revenge on the right person."

Quirking my eyebrow, I remark, "You seem to care about our classmates, you sound very different from when you did back then on Earth."

"I've seen a lot of shit and experienced a lot of it for the past three months. I know how hard it is and I don't want those undeserving to suffer," Mike intones.

His gaze turns even more solemn as he says, "Out of 27 of us, you know, you managed to kill 25 people. Half of the 25 didn't even know why they received your bullets—like me, they wondered why they were targeted. It was fucked up, man."

Mike slowly walks toward me and puts his hands before his chest in a placating manner. "We wouldn't mind you venting your anger, but you have to vent it on the right person. Many of us don't know why you hate us but they are ready to apologize."

This scene feels familiar.

"Layland, sorry won't forgive your wounded heart—I know—but I need you to open up your heart, man. You are broken and I want to help you." Mike stops before me and extends his hand as he smiles amicably. "Will you let me to?"

I stare at the hand for a couple of seconds silently as I ponder his words. They sounded genuine and I believe he would do what he said the moment I grab his hand.

No matter how genuine he sounded, though, he didn't say what he said because he believed it to be the truth. He did it because it would help him get out of the situation.

Mike Brown is the type of person that does what he says because it helps him in some way; for example, elevating his image and saving his life. Likeable but disgustingly superficial.

"How amusing," I mutter and laugh deeply in the next moment. "Do you still remember that day clearly, Mike?"

p Mike widens his eyes as I stare at him. He is slightly exuding fear, but he still doesn't take a distance from me or even step back.

"Y-Yeah… faintly."

"Some of you bastards also placated me to not shoot the moment I took out the rifle, didn't you?" The question earns a silent nod from him. "You see, all of you had something in common: calm, collected and… hiding a great feat in your eyes."

Mike immediately puts his hand on the handle of his sword, causing me to chuckle. "Yes, that is what I am talking about, Mike. All of you knew what you did, didn't you? You knew you could have stopped the bullying but didn't. Because of what, Mike?"

I grin manically, causing the poor Hero to jump back in fear. I kick the ground at the same time I utilize my Footwork Technique; as I arrive before him, I say, "Because it was not your business, wasn't it? It's the same, buddy: your life is also not my business."

"Fucking psycho!"

I swing Rexorem vigorously at Mike, prompting him to block it with his rapier. The rapier managed to keep its shape, as expected of a Blue Grade Relic, but the wielder can't handle the power behind my swing.

Clank!

"Kaak!"

The bones in Mike's hands are fractured; his muscles are completely torn apart. Blood is spurting out of the tears in the skin that the jutting-out bones made.

Burst!

As he is thrown away by the impact, the fire covering Rexorem engulfs his rapier. He seems to realize it late due to the pain he is enduring since he still keeps his hold on it.

When he realized it, his rapier is already on the brink of exploding. He tries to push it off with a weak mana charge, but it is not fast enough compared to the explosion.

Boom!

"AAAAHHH!" he bellows in pain as he lost his hands to the explosion.

I chase after him and stop his launch by kicking him upwards. His body bends as I kick him right in his solar plexus; he throws up blood as his viscera are ruptured.

When he soars to the sky, I jump up and hits his head with Rexorem's pommel, breaking his skull in the process. He is sent falling to the ground at a high speed, causing his body to make a loud thud upon touching the ground.

I landed a second after he did, causing the ground to crack slightly. I kneel and then grab his hair to pull his head.

"I am not going to lie; I am sure not even your mother will be able to tell it is you by looking at your current face," I remark upon seeing Mike's battered and bloodied face.

"This is the wrong way, Layland … Your revenge won't undo what happened in the past," Mike mutters laboriously. "The pain and suffering will remain even after you kill everyone. Let it go and move on; you will get more out of it than walking down the path you are currently on."

I can't help but scoff at Mike's words. He doesn't get the matter at all.

"Listen, buddy. I know all of that before I decided to go down this way. There is a reason why I still chose it even after those considerations. I want satisfaction and only by killing all of you bastards will I get it."

I smirk and let go of the bastard's head. His face hits the ground like an apple falling from a tree, meanwhile, his broken nose gets even more broken.

Standing up, I look around to observe the fire that is burning some of the trees in the surroundings. Only now can I hear the crackling woods as the fire slowly but surely eats them.

As I inhale the air, I can smell a mixture of ash and blood scent. It is not the smell that you should be able to enjoy, but I find it relaxing.

"You know, Mike. You are not that different from me: both of us hide our true selves and are selfish. You have made your choice and you are now facing the consequence."

I point Rexorem down and raise the handle above my head. Briefly looking at the air that is warped by the fire covering Rexorem, I stab it into Mike's body.

Squelch.

The Hero no longer has enough energy to scream as he merely grunts. The fire immediately engulfs his body, charring it and turning it to ash rapidly.

"What you see underneath the surface is the truth. Sometimes you like it and sometimes you don't," I mutter as I look at the burning Mike. "I have seen what is underneath your surface and I can say for sure I don't like you."

Mike may not be burned in hell but, at least, I can burn him in this world.