Following the sound of footsteps closing, a man walked out. Looking at the man, my eyes turned to pinpoints. The shock I felt knew no bounds.

The man’s bright chestnut hair, which reached past his shoulders, fluttered with the wind. Within his baggy eyes, his two pupils glowed with a dazzling yellow radiance. Although an air of rot surrounded him, unlike before, he exuded a feeling of having an immeasurable energy within. Between his sunken cheeks, his lips curved into a slight smile as he walked forward with firm steps.

In contrast, the air surrounding him was deathly still, as if cowering with fear. Deep-red sparks flew around him, like minions flocking around their king. Contrasting with his loose clothes, a black long-sword with the blade thicker than his bony arm blazed with red runes, sending chills down my spine.

Hope sprouted within my heart as I subconsciously tried to curve my lips into a smile. However, a moment later, a feeling of disgust welled up within me — a disgust deeper than the one I felt for Burt, the man responsible for my current state.

A thought crossed my mind, causing my heart to turn colder than ice. And yet, all I could do was sit there and watch the situation unfold.

“Y-you?!” Burt stammered as his expression grew dull. “Didn’t you die?”

“Do you seriously think that people like you can bring me down?” A tired voice came from the figure in red. “Surrender and leave the kid alone. And I’ll consider giving you lot painless deaths.”

“Just by you? And in such a state?” Burt rebuked in indignation.

William’s eyes narrowed at the remark. ‘Did he realise I was playing a paper tiger?’

Although he was anxious within, he gave an expression as if he was doubting Burt’s intellect.

Burt revealed a smirk as he said, “If you were in your peak state, we would’ve feared you. But like you are now? Relying on a meagre beast core. I wonder if you’ll last even a minute. Like you’re now, even a kid can crush you.”

‘Seems that he isn’t as stupid as he looks after all.’ William praised inwardly as his vigilance towards his foe rose. Although looking at Burt, he also focused towards Zack.

However, with a smile full of disdain, he mocked, “Tsk! Seems like you forgot that a dragon is still a dragon in the end, even if its wings are torn apart. As for how long I’ll last, howsoever long it may be, it is enough to kill you a thousand times over.”

“Well well,” Burt said with gritted teeth as hatred bled from his voice. “Don’t blame me for giving you a thrashing, you imbecile—”

“What did you say?” William glared back.

Inwardly, he couldn’t help but think, ‘Did he fall for it? Or is just faking it?’

Burt’s whole body visibly shuddered as he hurriedly shouted, “Focus Fire!”

William sighed heavily as he shook his head. He said, “I gave you a chance. What happens next is not any of my fault.”

As his voice fell, over thirty spells of various magnitudes descended upon him from all directions. Space around every single one of them distorted as they moved to hunt their prey.

‘He was faking it. Not bad!’ William assessed, while his gaze focused on the incoming barrage of spells.

An instant later, another order from Burt echoed out. “Charge and kill that bastard! His head is a great opportunity for us to become national warriors. Kill that bastard.”

Following the order, all the over twenty of the warriors took out their weapons as they charged towards the lone man in the middle of their encirclement, only their shadows visible, moving through the night.

William’s gaze grew icy as he saw Burt dash towards the kid he came to protect. The gears in his head churned, ‘He wouldn’t kill the kid before taking me out. Else, he would need to consider how to deal with me when I rampage around in anger. It wouldn’t be worth it. But his legs are shaking. It seems he is afraid. I can make use of that. Although I also need to be wary in case he is faking it. But in the short run, he won’t do anything. Still, it’s better to end it as fast as possible. It’s gonna hurt a lot later.’

William’s heart eased as he sighed inwardly before focusing on the barrage of incoming attacks.

The blood-red lightning silently circling around him flared as it devoured all the incoming spells in an instant. Another instant later, William sheathed his sword as all the soldiers fell, rolling around in agony as blood-red lightning devoured their life. A cold light flashed in William’s eyes as he appeared in front of Burt, who was holding onto Zack while using him as a meat shield.

“Last Chance, give me the kid,” William spoke coldly as he walked towards Burt. “Or I’ll make you suffer a hell thousand times worse.”

“Take one more step and he will be no better than a corpse,” Burt spoke as he held his blade against Zack’s neck. As the edge touched the neck, it instantly drew blood.

“Oi, oi, oi. You done with your play? I’m getting late, you see…” William said lazily as he slashed towards his back. At the same time, three streaks of red light flew deep into the forest in different directions.

Cold sweat broke out on Burt’s forehead as he heard the screams of his subordinates and saw the remains of arrows lying near William’s feet. He couldn’t help but think, ‘Did he recover completely? Or get even better. Then was my… No, it isn’t impossible that he can fool my senses. Calm down. and think.’

Meanwhile, William felt an acute pain in his abdomen, making him want to convulse. He bit the tip of his tongue to endure while making sure his expression didn’t have any change. At the same time, his brain worked at rapid speeds, ‘Yeah, at last! He fell for it. The gamble earlier was worth it. But this goddamn pain! Still, it’s all worth it. He’s wary of me now. If he recklessly attacked me earlier, I would be in hot waters. Let’s see how far I can push it.’

“Well, I’m probably not getting any dinner now,” William retorted. “All. Due. To. You. You asked for it.”

William’s hand moved at a rapid speed, causing Burt to flinch. An instant later, the boy in Burt’s hands disappeared. At the same time, a cold, almost lifeless hand grabbed Burt’s feeble throat. His struggles turned desperate before his body became unable to move.

Burt smirked as he looked downward.

Following his gaze, William’s pupils dilated.