CHAPTER 105: CLASH OF WILLS

Rachel's eyes widened, tears spilling from them like a broken dam. At the point of death, countless images flashed through her mind, and myriad emotions flickered within the depths of her eyes.

Anger. Fear. Guilt. Regret. Hatred.

"Stop!" Elena roared from the side, yet no matter how she tried to budge, she couldn't move. Now, she was truly considering casting an attack skill on the little girl.

Rose's hand tightened around the trigger, but just as she was about to pull it, her shadow churned.

---

Kael dumped more and more Energi units into his Mind stat. For some reason, his Danger Sense wasn't blaring any warning signals, yet his strange instincts were tingling, but with a different rhythm, which ironically filled him with even more unease. Each of his steps sent him more than fifty meters forward, afterimages trailing in his wake.

Just as he arrived before the main building, a figure suddenly jumped out of a shadow hidden within the entrance.

'Nathan?'

The auburn-haired senior had a grave look on his face, his emerald eyes glowing with tension.

"Hurry, your sister is back. But she isn't her normal self!"

'What?'

Kael's mind almost blanked out, but a moment later, he quickly recovered. He shifted his intention toward his remaining Energi, about to dump it into his Agility and Vitality, when Nathan's hand suddenly fell on his shoulder.

"I already marked your sister's shadow. Let's go!"

Before Kael could understand what he meant, both of them dissolved into Nathan's shadow, and soon after, darkness engulfed Kael's senses.

A feeling of weightlessness appeared but the sensation lasted for barely a breath, though, as Kael was suddenly pulled out of the shadow's embrace.

"Stop!"

Elena's voice drifted into Kael's ears, but his eyes had long fallen upon his sister. Seeing her force the barrel down Rachel's throat, with her little finger about to pull the trigger, the world seemed to freeze around him.

[Godly Focus has been activated.]

He had not had the skill on before, as it was starting to take a toll on his mind. But he didn't hesitate to do so, this time.

His perception bloomed outward in an instant, covering the entire massive room. His mind picked up Daniel's and Ben's states, but his attention soon fell on the unconscious bodies around the hall.

For some reason, seeing this sight made Kael's heart skip a beat, despite being under the influence of his Mythical skill.

He could sense their heartbeats, yet he could also sense that these bodies were in a strange state.

It almost looked like...

'When she controls zombies.'

The thought had barely formed when Kael's restrained emotions broke free from their restraints and surged to the forefront of his mind.

Deep scathing anger rushed through his veins so much they roared like ocean waves.

He had never felt so angry!

Even when Logan and Ben had ambushed him, Kael had been able to control his anger.

Even when he saw Py destroyed before him, he had been able to rein in his rage.

But this...

This was different.

"ROSE!!!"

A cry containing indescribable rage rang throughout the entire floor.

Since over three days ago, Kael had avoided thinking about the events that had transpired. Even now, he hadn't bothered to make a move against the others who had ambushed him that day.

Why?

If Kael said killing Logan didn't affect him, that would be a lie.

After all, he couldn't only consider the young bully. What about his friends and family? What if his parents were still alive, praying and hoping their child would return to them?

In reality, there was nothing like a hero or a villain.

Everything was a matter of perspective.

To Kael, who would have died had he not been so capable, and had been thus, blinded by rage at that moment, Logan was a villain who deserved to die.

But to Logan's parents and loved ones, who might still be waiting for their child's or friend's return, Kael was the undisputed evil one.

This matter had been eating away at Kael from the inside, but he had managed to divert his thoughts by worrying about his sister and Alice's return while occupying himself with training.

Yet here he was, staring at his sister after she had killed four humans.

Four kids who had made a mistake.

One that, yes, would have cost him his life had he not been so strong.

But still...

If they lost their humanity...

If they couldn't even forgive...

Wouldn't the system, or whoever had brought the apocalypse upon them, have won?

Rose's eyes, ignited with pink flames, slowly turned toward her brother.

There was no joy.

No relief.

No emotion at seeing her brother after such a long time.

Instead, she looked at him with cold, indifferent flaming eyes and spoke two words.

"Move away."

The blue beams streaking from Kael's eyes brightened like never before, their glow cutting through the air with an almost tangible brilliance.

Kael raised a hand and gripped the barrel of his sister's soul weapon.

Immediately, a searing pain tore into the depths of his being, attacking an intricate and inviolable part of his existence.

A soul weapon was bound to its owner and couldn't be touched or taken away.

This was a universal law.

Yet one wouldn't have been able to tell from Kael's expression, still filled with rage, that he was enduring incomparable pain.

Rose couldn't help but frown.

"What are you doing? Let go."

Kael didn't react.

Instead, the sound of a hammer striking an anvil suddenly echoed through the hall, and a flicker of ghostly green flame ignited around his right blue eye.

Yet no one within the hall was affected by his Will.

Every one of them was a First Order and far more talented than the likes of Logan and Daniel. Each of them in another world would be worthy of being praised as a generational genius.

Seeing this, Kael didn't react.

Instead, the steady beating of the anvil gradually picked up its pace, the rhythm growing faster and heavier, building into a thunderous cadence.

-Clang! -Clang! -Clang! -Clang! -Clang!

At the same time, Kael felt something he had never been able to sense before.

Now that he was trying to protect those around him, he finally felt a sliver of his first awakened WILL.

A strange pressure suddenly radiated from his still figure, and soon after, a small regal diamond crown flickered above his head, hovering a few inches in the air, while appearing and disappearing as though struggling to manifest.

Rose felt another pressure descend upon her, her psyche facing a two-pronged assault.

She narrowed her eyes, the pale pink flames burning brighter and brighter as she commanded with the authority of someone who had endured many battlefields.

"I said let go!"

Kael felt his pride tremble as he watched the little sister he had spent an entire day after the apocalypse desperately searching for...

The same girl he tucked into bed every night.

The same girl who loved playing pranks on him while he slept.

The same girl he secretly gave his own portions of food to when they were alone.

The same girl who composed songs and wrote letters for him every birthday, because she lacked the means to get a proper gift.

But now...

She had grown so much stronger.

Perhaps, no, definitely even stronger than him.

Powerful enough to look down on him.

Powerful enough to command him.

Her own elder brother.

Something flared within him.

Something that refused to be looked down upon.

Refused to be trampled upon.

So...

With a flickering crown above his head...

With his eyes blazing with an intense blue glow and ghostly green flames...

He knelt before her and embraced her, his voice hoarse.

"Rose... my Rosy... I don't know what you had to face to change so much."

'Just what did you have to endure to become a killer?' he quietly added in his mind.

The killing intent surrounding the little girl shocked even him, despite possessing a terrifying reserve of his own.

His mouth opened once more.

"But I want you to know one thing..."

"You're home now, Rosy... You don't have to carry everything alone anymore. You're back with your family."

Rose's eyes widened slightly, the pinkish flames burning within their depths flickering wildly.

A moment later...

Two lines of tears slowly rolled down her small, rounded face.