"EUGENE HALL!!!"
The scream of the man echoed in my ears.
The high I had gotten from the piece was too good to ignore and the destruction outside was just going to be the same. I held no doubts that by now, they would have handled everything.
Three minutes.
Three lofty minutes was all it took after he had taken the bait.
No one could spy on us after having their insides destroyed. And now, when they finally had their inside guarded completely, they had left their home and friends open to harm.
"It has been forever, um… what are you to me again? Grandfather? Uncle?"
Seri Al Fonias stood upright. All the chairs around were blasted away from the sheer presence his mana circuits blaring up exuded.
Even though the queen of this country was here, he didn't care.
The snap of his fingers sent tens, nay, hundreds of blazing flames hurtling toward me. All of them coming straight for my head.
And as soon as they neared the stage.
Bangs rang as they hit the shields and dissipated.
"Idiot. Are you really challenging me with magic now?"
"Foolish brat!! You and that bitch! That BITCH CHARLOTTE!"
I felt strangely pissed about this guy insulting my mother so normally. I wouldn't have cared and agreed that she seemed like a total bitch from the few stories I had heard about her, but a bastard had no right to call her bitch. Not if she was my mother.
"You're just gonna scream?" I asked, "Or would you like your ass whooped?"
A person well into the level of an Aether Mage, I wanted to see what he was strong with.
What had made Bathym state that I should be afraid of the Fonias.
"TSK!"
The duke screamed and swung his hand. Dragons of blue flames came coiling around me as their color grew deeper and deeper and within seconds, they started eroding the shields.
Before I could move, Seri moved his hands.
"[Spatial Magic]"
A realm only accessible by Aether.
"[Domain Crush]"
The space around me started crumbling. The air churned, the sounds muffled, the very fabric of space at this spot was being messed with all at once.
And it all came closer and closer.
"Eugy, you wanna drink?"
"Nope. No need."
I took in a sharp breath and used my Ki. The intent ki filled the crushing space around me with itself and started pushing it all out, blocking the way of its crushing force.
I charged straight out of the space and dashed away on a single shield. My intent ki flowed out and crushed the walls and ceiling of the space.
"Where are you running!?"
The duke flew as he chased after me. All these fuckers using flight annoyed me.
Like a rat running from a mouse, I kept dashing away, but I had a purpose.
The dragons of flames had their brothers join in. A water dragon, one of wind, and another pure metal slithered through the walls in the narrow space. I maneuvered as quick as I could as I hopped and jumped while avoiding their approach.
The dragons slowly started to entangle into each other. A sizzle and smoke spread as the bodies of the fire and water dragon merged.
My eyes fluttered once more as I continued my crusade. The entirety of the black market was slowly crumbling in the Marquis' rage.
This was not the intended effect I wanted.
Where.
Just where.
Where could they be?
If they were kept in different places then that would be even worse.
The people captive here.
It was then.
My eyes fell on a group of people, and standing in front of them was a man with a white mustache in a suit that I had become familiar with.
"Corporate Santa!"
"Lord Eugene! It's me, Shilon!!"
Behind him, in chains and tatters, were the slaves of that had been captured by the black market. A thrill ran through my heart as I realized. The meaning of the letter reached him.
He had managed to save the others.
"I-I did it! I somehow did it!"
I quickly shifted my attention toward the walls and covered my fists in a mixture of Ki and Mana. The single, destructive punch shot out at the wall and a grand passageway made itself visible, crushed and sculpted by yours truly.
"There! Now—"
"WHERE. ARE. YOU. GOING!?"
A burst of electricity went tumbling straight at the captive. I kicked off the shield and swerved in front of them.
"[Hexagonal Shields]x128"
The hundred and twenty eight shields cluttered in front of the group and blocked the onslaught of spells. Whenever one broke, I immediately replaced it with another.
"T-this…" Shilon trembled in his feet. Then, he took a sharp breath. "Lord Eugene! I'll take them out!"
"Heck yes! Get them out of here you old coot!"
Shilon waved his hand and forced the captives outside. The strong ones did their best to trail and protect the way while holding the many children in their hands and taking them outside. Shilon made sure everyone got away, in his hands held a knife.
Traces of blood lingered on his stomach and his hands.
He had managed to fight, and even get hurt.
Titania whistled when she saw it.
"Is this what you seek, Eugy?"
I snapped my fingers and emptied out all the potions in my storage in a bag and tossed it over to Shilon on a shield as he left.
The attacks suddenly intensified.
The Duke sent a large strike of the space attribute all at once.
An explosion spread as a cloud of dust took over. My shields were beaten up and I was sent reeling back.
As if he had won, the Duke stood behind the passage and pointed his staff at the escapees.
"Where are you going!? You weak bastards! All of you belong to me, the Fonias! You're MY PROPERTY!"
It was then.
The earth quaked.
The duke stopped in his tracks. His eyes widened as an unprecedented amount of pressure weighed down on his soul.
And just like that.
Trembled the black market.
The forest.
The outskirts.
The quake spread…
All the way to the capital of Schwarz.
"Weak?" I asked.
Playtime was over.
The people I wanted to save were saved.
It was about time.
"That old man was the very image of strength."
The duke looked my way.
"Hoh… so you're worth something… But you're still naive—"
"He turned his cowardice into courage. What is it, if not strength?"
The duke raised his staff again.
And was punched in the face.
His face caved in.
His nose broke. Blood spilled.
He flew off.
***
[A/N copied from latest chap: I apologize but it's time to give up. Ig the story wasn't as good as I thought. There's only five of you guys still reading any of this, priv or normal, and I appreciate it a lot, I'll definitely be finishing the story for you, but I still have to do something to feed myself. Thanks for the support all this time.]