"12913, you have my compliments... Too bad, you still have to die. If only you appreciated the favor I showed you." Palnes said in his hoarse voice, holding his confidence steadfast in high regard.
He may have been defeated, but he is yet to surrender.
Alfir ignored the foolish bravado.
Though Palnes is an executive, he ingratiated himself to 12913. He recommended him for this easy mission and even treated the guy preferentially. 12913 was named 'vice' in the operation! Even now, Palnes doesn't understand why 12913 is doing all of this.
Recalling a far memory in his youth, the silhouette of his younger sister appeared in his mind. A trace of regret hid in Palnes's eyes.
"Just to satiate my curiosity, why are you doing this? Is it because you suddenly discovered goodness within yourself? Why? Can't even swing your sword at some poor orphans? Is that it?" Palnes dropped to his knees, and the flames around them continued to dance.
"Huh? Don't kid yourself, you fucking hypocrite. Even bad guys have a conscience, right?" Alfir reasoned with a sermonizing tone. "The only reason you wanted me here is so that you don't dirty your hands." He took another packet from his [Inventory Storage] and sprinkled it randomly just anywhere, further contributing to the conflagration.
"You too clearly have a conscience of your own. Does it make sense that the guilt you will be feeling after committing the deed will be shared? And maybe, as a result, you will feel less as hurtful than you should be? How about the minions you brought along? I am not stupid enough not to think of their 'volatile' personalities to be a coincidence." He questioned, rage coloring his eyes.
"What was that? Ah, open quote 'Can't even swing your sword to some poor orphans?' huh?" He added in a mocking tone, clearly using Palnes's own words against his.
"How dare a traitor assume my emotions. You are just a scoundrel to me." Palnes fought back with everything he had. Now that he is weakened to the extreme, he can only fight back like this, by bickering...
Zentury hates traitors to an overwhelming degree. Executives like Palnes have the power to decide the life and death of one minion.
With a hoarse voice, Palnes cried tears of blood.
Palnes even burning, have vitality worthy of his strength, and he has long given up on his chance to live. His flesh is failing him, and his state of mind is in disarray.
Even so, "I will bring you with me to the depths of hell."
Palnes summoned a remote control for the chip's explosive activation. Thanks to his own [Inventory Storage] in the form of a necklace and being fireproof, Palnes was allowed this opportunity.
The pendant which was the [Inventory Storage] has melded with its charred skin offering it an effective camouflage. Though it came as a surprise, Alfir didn't panic.
Palnes clicked the button corresponding Alfir's chip.
"…"
But nothing happened.
The explosion that was expected to follow didn't happen.
"Hehehehehe..." Alfir just laughed it off. The chips embedded into every minion and its self-destructive functions are the trump card that maintained the organization's secrecy and strict unity.
It was a foolproof countermeasure for betrayers, defectors, and failures, however, Alifr has long disabled that chip stuck in his head for some time. Through his own means, Alfir can produce intriguingly satisfying results.
"Why? How?" Palnes is on the verge of mental breakdown.
"Do you really think of me as a fool? Removing that chip is a hassle, but I managed."
"…"
"Don't you understand it? It's not your arrogance that will kill you. It's the favor you showed me. Do you see this orphanage? I don't really want to come here, it brings lots of bad memories, you see… Well, aside from that, I have someone here that I don't want to die…"
"…"
"Hehehehe… Oh, dear Palnes… You are gonna die miserably." Alfir inched closer. He whispered into Palnes's ears with a playful tone "Do you want to know what I will do to your little sister after you die? Zentury cannot protect her forever, you know."
"You!?" How did you know? Who are you?"
Palnes fell into despair, fear crept into his mind. Left with a raging mind, he attacked "YOU! DON'T GET MY SISTER INVOLVED!"
Unprecedented strength welled in him. Palnes wielded his sword with all his fury,
"As expected of an executive, you still have a lot of fire in you~ no pun intended~ kekekeke~" Alfir's ridicule further fueled Palnes's rage.
Alfir derisively smiled as he angles his steel to defend. Palnes didn't mind the gathering flames sticking into him. There is only one thought in his mind 'to kill Minion 12913'
He pursued Alfir like a madman, but Alfir just kept on dodging and defending Palnes's attempts. Palnes is flabbergasted by Alfir's display of strength. Minion 12913, the minion he thought gullible is playing him like a fool.
'This is impossible, how does he know of my sister?'
Palnes's swordsmanship, mutation, and battle experience stood no chance to Alfir's cunning.
The flames further proliferated as Alfir intimately waltz with death.
"I guess I should offer you some consolation. I will be so kind as to explain to you how I removed the chip in my head." Alfir sinisterly grinned.
With a light kick, he hit Palnes's torso causing the latter to fly where the flames are the thickest. "You see, my mutation is very versatile. With a little tweaking, I was able to turn off a part of my brain at the cost of my mutation's potential grade." Alfir sickly watched the burning Palnes in entertainment,
To derive joy in the suffering of others is a trait unique to villains.
"I guess it's about time." Alfir aware of how much he is veering off his mob personality decided to put an end to all of this.
Alfir's mutation needs more research, but it can be simplified for now— it's the power of the 'mind over the body'. It's a very vague concept Alfir hardly understood through his limited vocabulary.
Simply put, it allows Alfir to influence his body through his will. A kind of influence that surpass the barriers of flesh. It's a type of hypnotism that works to a cellular degree. It is a kind of mental suggestion that touches on the intangible.
Thus, if Alfir believes that he is strong… then… he is strong.
—ZWWUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUNNNNGG!
Alfir released all of his stacked adrenaline. His sword reverberated as his muscles and tendons tear from the unexpected pressure.
The sound of steel resonated in the surroundings. It cleanly slashed through the charred meat of Palnes. It was crisp and sharp. Palnes's innards spilled as white and black matter scatter on the ground.
"Huff, huff, huff… damn, that felt good. Hehehe." The sensation of his sword cutting through meat was exhilarating. Alfir is ecstatic.
Alfir stood there for a while to catch his breath, but he needs to escape sooner. The orphanage is a generous noble's property, it has an emergency button to ask for heroes in emergencies like this.
The action of walking has become strenuous for Alfir because of his excessive usage of his mutation, but he forced himself to— the life of many orphans, the protag included is at stake here.
Alfir saw the dead headmaster, a lowly baron who cherished life so much he gave up his military rights for this orphanage.
"It's somewhere here."
A red button is hidden just under the table. He pushed the button.
Alfir momentarily gazed at the dead headmaster. The headmaster was killed by Palnes without any commotion. This speaks of Palnes's prowess... The same Palnes that fell from his blade. Again, the thought of victory against such a terrible foe made Alfir highly intoxicated.
"Hehehe… heheHEHeHEahHAhahahaihhHAhAHHAIHAIhAHaha!"
The fire is growing fiercer. Alfir increased his distance from the house desperately. The red button served as an emergency resort in cases like this. The baron's eldest son has a pull in the Hero Society, as such, it can be expected that they will arrive anytime sooner now thanks to the red button.
It would be Deron who would've pushed that red button if not for Alfir's interference.
The wine cellar being a flammable pit of alcohol is deadly fatal to the orphans. Alfir doesn't really care, what only matters to him is himself, then the protagonist, then his ambition.
"I can only trust my dearie young hero's plot armor for him to survive."
A manic smile is still etched on Alfir's face. Combined with the background of a burning mansion, it made quite a scary sight.
"Oh, this is just the start."
Truly, it was the start. That day, a special connection was established between Alfir and Deron. One that would elude them for a long time. However, when the time comes that this connection will be realized, there would be hell to pay.
...
Meanwhile, on the other side of the kingdom, a gala of sorts is being hosted by the rich. With heroes and more rich people being guests, it is unmistakable that this is yet to be the most extravagant gala since the last century.
This social occasion however is not really happening for the sake of socializing.
In one corner, an impatient youth is rapidly tapping the ground with his feet, his anxiety too obvious for all to see.
Eron Vilman Zest. Also known as Furious Flames, Flamecore's no. 1 disciple is a pyrokinetic hero with a temper hotter than the boiling lava. The longer it gets, the hotter it grows.
"I am sorry, teacher. I can't stay idle like this anymore, my father needs me. I believe that Zentury's attack is just a ruse."
"I will respect your choices. However, the demerits that these actions of yours might negatively reflect on your career. Will you still do it then?"
"Demerits? I don't care about that. I only care for the safety of people I can reach, and staying here like frightened chicks isn't really my style."
"..."
Flamecore gave the silent treatment to his disciple's snarky remark about the 'chicks' around them. He is not disagreeing with Eron's words. But he can't show his agreeing side either. He is gravely aware of the growing politics in the Hero Society. Something so pure once has now become vulnerable to corruption.
The recent attack by Zentury hides something more sinister in the dark.
Zentury didn't only send Gavin to the Hero Society headquarters but also attacked top heroes simultaneously around the world.
This sowed fear among heroes as their loved ones are also not safe from the attack. Important personnel and some famous heroes gathered in the academy to calm the worried evacuees— more likely, rich asses that want protection from heroes— this is the objective truth. But the noblemen and merchants are glorifying their banal weakness with such a lame excuse that this is a gathering to foster good relations with the Hero Society.
Flamecore watched his disciple fly away as the self-proclaimed important people gossip about Eron's departure. Flamecore also doesn't like the atmosphere here, but he knows better—...that the money of this bane people is needed to further help the weak and the common folk.