"You just need a little…

...motherly spanking, that's all."

​​

"...What?"

Seeing Charlotte cracking her knuckles and stretching her legs, Van could not help but furrow his eyebrows.

"What are you trying to say, Miss Charlotte?"

Van's confusion was reaching its peak as he continued to watch Charlotte. And it wasn't only him. The enhanced humans were filled with dread earlier as they saw the leader of their unit, Ronald, suddenly bursting into pieces as Charlotte seemed to have rammed herself through him.

Were they free to go or what? They all looked at each other, asking this question quietly with their eyes. Wait… now that they two seemed to be busy talking with each other, maybe they could actually continue with their plan and kill all the heretics that were hiding behind the huge Wall?

And it would seem that almost all of them had the same idea as they looked at each other. If they were successful in doing this, the Circle would surely reward them, they all thought.

Now, all they needed to do was wait for a chance to get away…

...but for some reason, there was a weird feeling starting to crawl on their skin as they continued to watch the two System Holders in front of them.

"I'm trying to say that someone needs to teach you a lesson, boy."

"...A lesson?" Realizing the meaning of Charlotte's words, Van's eyebrows lowered even further. But still, he was trying to keep himself calm, "I am way past lessons, Miss Charlotte."

"Naive, boy. Even I have a lot to learn. Now stop making excuses," Charlotte then slowly got into a stance as she lightly stomped her foot on the ground, causing the earth beneath her to crack, "You need some good ol' spanking!"

"I have already received lots of those from my father."

"..."

"..."

"..."

"T… that," Charlotte was about to rush forward, but as soon as she heard Van's words, she almost tripped herself and ended everyone present. She knew what Van meant, of course, as it was one of the first things she has learned about him.

"..."

"Prepare yourself!"

"Wha--"

Van's eyes widened in shock as Charlotte still rushed towards him. He already had his skills readied, but even then, Charlotte's fist was already right in front of his face.

"!!!"

Van quickly moved to the side, ramming through some of the enhanced humans pushing some of them away. A few of them bursting into pieces due to the speed at which Van ran towards them just to escape Charlotte's clutches.

"What are you doing, Miss Charlotte!?" Van, however, did not even glance at them as he focused all of his attention on Charlotte. Charlotte, however, only glanced at Van before disappearing from her position, leaving only a crater where she once stood.

"Damn!" Van could only curse himself as he once again went into superspeed, this time, he used his [Air Step] to go far away from the ground, Van even double-checked if his [Time Perception] skill was activated as Charlotte was moving as if it wasn't.

'Just… how fast is she moving?' Van could not help but gulp as she watched as Charlotte slammed her fist to where he was previously standing. Alas, the enhanced humans that were unlucky enough to be in the area of Charlotte's fist all found themselves… dead.

Like a ripple that started from Charlotte's fist, the enhanced humans burst into pieces along with the ground they were standing on.

"..." Van had already seen this with Charlotte's earlier attack while he was still watching on the sides and was thinking how she was able to kill all of the enhanced humans. And now that he was completely seeing it from above completely, he still couldn't figure out what he was seeing.

He could see a sort of dust forming into a skirt around Charlotte's wrist, the same as when Hercules punched the invisible blanket that veiled the Pit. But after that, it was as if it just suddenly exploded, mowing down anything that blocked its path within meters violently.

"!!!"

Van's thoughts were interrupted as a huge block of earth was thrown towards him, causing him to leap to the side, using his [Air Step] to properly maneuver in the air. However, as soon as he landed on the invisible platform he cast, Charlotte was already behind him.

"Kh!" Van once again leaped away, his eyes not leaving Charlotte even for a second. He was already feeling something warm trailing on his arms, but he chose to ignore it for now so as to watch Charlotte's every move.

His eyes, however, widened in shock as he saw Charlotte's face. Charlotte turned her head towards him as she was slowly dropping towards the ground, but her eyes were completely closed. He had already seen this once the first time he met her.

Was Charlotte… always fighting with her eyes closed? No, Van already knew the answer to that, else Charlotte's head won't be turning towards him.

Van continued to watch as Charlotte landed right in the middle of the running crowd. And as soon as her feet reached the ground, she once again leaped into the air, straight towards him. Van did not even have the leisure to see the aftermath of her jumping from the ground, but he already has an idea of what happened to the enhanced humans near her jumping point.

Didn't Charlotte just say that killing them would leave a bad aftertaste in the mouth? So why is she casually just killing them left and right!? 'She…

...is a hypocrite!'-- Is what Van wanted to shout, but he couldn't risk turning off his [Time Perception] even for a millisecond as Charlotte seemed like she had no plan in stopping whatever this is.

Van once again dodged Charlotte's charge, this time, however, Charlotte's palm slowly opened as it made its way towards him as he was dodging.

"!!!"

Van could feel himself being slightly pulled towards Charlotte. Fortunately enough, it was only his shirt that was grabbed by her, which peeled like a cobweb in Charlotte's hand. Van didn't waste any time as he tried to gain even more distance away from Charlotte before she could land.

Van was initially curious of what it would be like fighting Charlotte. However, there seemed to be something inside him that was telling him not to do so. His flesh, his legs, his heart, and his mind were all in agreement-- they wanted Van to run away.

And so…

He will happily oblige them and run faster than he ever had done before.

If there was a way to stop this, then it would be her family, Van thought as he turned towards the direction of the New Wall where Victoria and the others are.

He might be stupi-- lacking in real-world knowledge, but only a fool would fight the world's strongest, Van thought. Only a year ago, he could be considered the world's weakest inhabitant, to fight her now even if Van was way stronger than he was before he got inside the Pit, was still suicide.

His arm was already bleeding, and he didn't even feel it as he was only grazed by Charlotte… even though he clearly already dodged. He wasn't going to stay here and be grazed by death next.

"!!!"

"...This brat," Charlotte, who was once again descending from the skies, could not help but let out a smirk as he felt Van going faster and faster, "Fast…

...but not enough."