"What made me this way? What made me become this zealot?"
I smiled. Then I laughed. Louder and louder.
Edward's face was calm, though his eyes narrowed.
"Have you ever lost something so valuable that you dare not see them as mortal anymore? Like their presence is not even human but damn near celestial?"
Edward spat blood on the floor. "So that person is the reason you're like this, Rowan? Why you've become this psychotic zealot?"
"Yes."
I kicked up and twisted my body, landing my foot on his jaw and sending him back.
I looked back at Edward and smiled. "You think I only need my arms, Edward? I'm still a fighter class. It's just that I have more Lumin than the rest."
Edward jumped back, leaving the room as I dashed forward. I landed hard on the floor and threw a barrage of kicks as Edward tried to parry each one with his ice spears.
There. An opening.
I launched myself, landing my foot on his chest and throwing him back.
The air felt much warmer.
That ice spell is running out. It works on a timer.
I looked forward as Edward got up. His nose was broken, his face bruised, his cheek cut.
More ice spears appeared and launched toward me.
I stomped the floor.
"Edward, it's clear you don't understand!"
"For a fighter, every part of their body is a weapon!"
I kicked every ice spear, shattering each one. The Lumin radiated from each spear. Each kick was faster and faster. Then—no spears.
Edward got up. His eyes widened in utter disbelief. "Twenty spears... all blocked with one leg?"
He moved his arms, one behind the other.
"Frost domain: Realm of ice!"
Ice began to spread from his legs, covering the entire hallway. Ice on the floor, walls, everywhere. Ice spikes on the ceiling and walls. The floor was slippery.
Exactly how much Lumin does he have?! Not even that ice noble could do something like this.
He smiled at me. "Are you terrified, Rowan?"
I dashed forward. Each step was more difficult than the last.
Once I closed the distance, my eyes widened.
That stance. It feels weird. What is that?! Is it—
A shockwave of white Lumin threw me back. Ice shards launched from Edward, cutting my body—my shoulders, legs, torso. They tore my jacket and shirt to shreds.
I looked forward at Edward and saw it again.
That dragon head.
It hit me harder than last time, launching me into the wall and impaling my back and shoulder.
Ice from the dragon spread all over my body, trapping me against the wall.
My teeth chattered. My legs were immobilized.
That's it. Solorus, are you abandoning me?
Are you?!
After my devotion. My deeds. My loyalty and faith. You're leaving me?! Just to die to this bastard?!
If you're not abandoning me, then... grant me strength. Grant me power, oh lord. Grant your zealot strength!
Lumin overflowed from my body, breaking through the frosty atmosphere. My arms materialized. Stronger and stronger until they fully formed.
Eight arms. Thicker. More muscular. Glowing with a bright, divine golden light.
Fists of the sun.
My necklace—Elena's necklace—glowed brighter. More golden.
Solorus has listened to my prayers.
I looked at Edward. His mouth was open. His eyes were wide, like he'd seen a ghost.
But this wasn't a ghost he was seeing.
He was seeing the avatar of Solorus.
I dashed toward him, my arms blurring. I threw a swing that shattered an ice pillar he'd summoned.
My eyes flattened. I went for a chop. He ducked.
Perfect.
I kicked him far, my feet enhanced with Lumin. I grabbed his leg and threw him to the floor.
He raised his leg. A surge of ice trapped my left arm. He jumped up and kicked a blade of ice, cutting my cheek.
I melted the ice and grabbed his leg again, breaking his ankle. He let out a loud scream as I pulled him and punched him, sending him back. I still held his leg, pulling him and sending him back with each punch.
Pull. Punch. Pull. Punch. Back to back.
Until I threw him onto a wall of spikes, holding him in place.
I walked toward him. My fists glowed brighter and brighter. Each of my knuckles grew spikes.
I will kill this boy.
Your sacrifice won't be forgotten, Edward. But I have to do this. For the wish. For absolute victory.
I pulled his hair so he could look at me. His face was a total mess—even messier than before. That once-handsome face was now unrecognizable.
"Goodbye, Edward."
I raised four of my fists.
And then—
They were cut. Separated from my body.
A cut that strong? Who could have done something like this?
I looked back.
A familiar man and woman stood behind me.
White pants and vest, this time with a hat. His short beard and arrogant eyes. Familiar.
The same man who had challenged me alone. The same man who could manipulate color.
Dominio.
And the same woman. The brains of Zain's team and the forsaken noblewoman. The blue mage.
Aurelia.
And their living fortress. A woman taller than anyone I'd ever met, holding an axe with gauntlets on each of her four arms. Lumin radiated from her gray skin. Her horns glowed. And that savage, unhinged smile.
Rela.
They blocked every exit.
But this time, they were different. More confident.
I looked closer. Aurelia had her wand. Dominio had his two daggers—though one was broken.
They got their weapons back? How? I thought the confiscation would last longer. Why would they get their weapons now?
Wait...
If they got their weapons back...
That means Zain got his back too.
"You got your weapons back. Congratulations. But do you think that's enough to beat me? The master of the Eighty?"
Dominio smiled confidently. "If I could put you on your knees last time with no weapons, what makes you think you can beat us now? No Eighty. No reinforcements. Just the psychotic zealot."
Aurelia added, "We know you're one of the psychopaths, Rowan. And if I were you, I'd be scared."
"Even if you've caught me, I still have the Eighty to defend me."
"Members of your Eighty are dead in the medical room." Aurelia's voice was cold. "You tried to assassinate Zain in his sleep, but it's clear that was a failure. You've lost numbers. Imagine trying to kill one man with twenty warriors, only for five of them to die."
Rela smiled wide. "Now the Eighty is just the Seventy-Five. I like that name. Seventy-five is a holy number."
Wait... they failed? They couldn't kill one man?! But who could have done that? Last time I checked, the gray woman left the room. Unless...
Alexandria.
THAT WOMAN!!!
I knew my suspicions were right. All those expressions. All her time alone. All her gallivanting. She was acting as a double agent.
I will find her. I will interrogate her. I WILL KILL HER.
I let go of Edward, regrew my limbs, and turned fully to face them.
"So it's a three-on-one?"
Dominio laughed. "What do you mean three-on-one?"
He pointed behind me.
I turned. Edward grabbed my neck hard, pulling me close to his face.
"Ice surge."
A surge of ice pierced my side and went through my back.
He kicked me back, then covered himself in ice like a cocoon.
I destroyed the ice pillar and punched the cocoon, almost breaking it—until something wrapped around my arm.
I turned. Aurelia stood with her wand, holding a water whip.
"Now it's our turn, Rowan."
The three of them readied themselves as the whip disappeared.
I reopened my golden zone, trapping all of us inside.
"If you're ready to die..."
I raised my remaining arms.
"...then come to me."