Jordan and Rina stood there and looked at Damien stunned for a moment. First, they had heard gunshots and had come out to check it out. In fact they had originally thought that it was the military that had finally made a move after all it had been close than a week since the apocalypse began so they assumed that they had gained some functionality.
But alas the reality seemed to slap them in the face fiercely as the looked at the large man who stood at almost six feet tall with long dark dreadlocks for hair and not so gentle looking face. If that didn't give off a bad vibe then the person he was carrying on his shoulder as if she were a bag of potatoes certainly did.
'Wait that's…'
"Candice!" Jordan's thoughts were cut off by Rina's concerned shout.
At that moment the tension rose as Jordan's eyes narrowed. This situation it wasn't good at all.
He was injured and exhausted, Rina had depleted all her mana and was therefore not in any condition to fight, even supporting Jordan to stand felt like the most tedious thing in the world. And worst of all they didn't even know how strong this man was.
"Oh is that a treasure?" Damien asked. Greed filling his eyes. He didn't know how strong Jordan's armor was but it would no doubt raise his strength to another level. Who knows maybe it would make him even stronger than Jace?
"Hey why don't you take off that armor and maybe I can let you live?" Damien said.
Jordan remained silent. His Bronze Armor may have given him a stat boost but with how injured he currently was, it wouldn't mean squat. If before Jordan was akin to a sitting duck, it wouldn't be an exaggeration to say that right now he was a sitting duck with a machine gun. The armor gave him a chance except it was a really small chance.
And seeing the look on Damien's face, Jordan couldn't help but curse his luck. First he was swarmed by ravids, then he was sent flying by a peak first order ravid before he finally got a chance to fight back and actually defeat it and now this?
Were the heavens really that much against him?
Damien though had a much different thought. 'The heavens must be smiling upon me?'
He unceremoniously dropped Candice to the ground. Not caring at all about her well being at all. Without giving Jordan a chance to react, Damien charged forward. His blade flashing in his hand. He had every intention to cut Jordan's neck in one attack. His eyes glowed a yellow color, his world immediately changing color. Jordan body gave off a dim blue aura which gave Damien even more confidence, his grin becoming wild.
Jordan's eyes constricted to the size of needles. He hadn't expected Damien to attack so wantonly. Gritting his teeth Jordan's Earthen ring flashed as it consumed his mana. A brown magic circle appeared on the ground a few feet in front of Damien.
Not having expected a magical attack, Damien reacted as fast as he could. He immediately brought his charge to a pause as he leapt back. However it wasn't fast enough.
In the split second he took to halt a spike made of earth shot from the ground and by the time Damien leapt back, the spike had managed to make a slight cut on his thigh. Damien clicked his tongue in annoyance. 'Dammit he can use magic?' he thought
However the response he received was the ground lighting up beneath his feet as another magic circle formed. Damien had no choice but to retreat. Another earth spike shooting upwards. When Damien landed two meters backwards he was forced to retreat once again.
Jordan was relentless. He released earth spike after earth spike which caused Damien to retreat for another 20 meters. However that was all he could manage, his face paled and sweat rolled down his face as he felt even weaker than he had less than a minute ago. Jordan's mana hit zero.
"Boss!" a group of ten shouted as they exited out of the building to the side. They all had handguns.
"Shit" Jordan silently cursed. This situation was even worse than before.
Damien who was now standing 20 meters away smiled. Clearly victory was his.
"Are you going to surrender quietly now?" Damien said. His voice filled with a hint of mockery.
Jordan didn't reply.
Rina who had been overwhelmed by how quickly the situation was unfolding started to worry.
"Ah yes golden beauty why don't you just come over to my side? I promise I'll take care of you" Damien eyes now trained on Rina.
'What a beauty!' he thought.
"Never!" Rina said after a moment of silence. Going over to Damien's side would be living a dog's life for sure compared to how comfortable and safe she felt when she was with Jordan's group.
Damien sighed in a way that said 'Oh well'
"I guess I'll have to use force then" Damien said as he walked forward. Slowly and confidently. In his eyes this was a closed case. He would kill Jordan, get his armor and then he would capture Rina too. This could ultimately be considered his best day since the apocalypse fell.
By now the ten gang members had their guns trained on the both of them.
Jordan and Rina were cornered. They didn't see a way out of this.
Damien got closer and closer. 20 meters quickly becoming 10 meters and 10 meters becoming 5 meters. It wasn't long before Damien stood directly before both of them. His smile never fading. He brought up his dagger. Its blade glistening in the light.
SHIING!
Damien's eyes suddenly widened as he leapt back. Good thing he did because half a second later a dark shadow shot past him. Whipping through the air at a speed he couldn't follow.
"Ah!"
In the distance a shout reached his ears.
Damien turned his head. His widening even more as he looked at one of his men. All eyes trained on the man who now had a black blade sticking through his chest right where his heart was. The tiger gang members were shocked. Fear gripping them instantly. They hadn't even seen what happened before one of there own was suddenly stabbed through.
Even now as the man was sent flying due the force the inertia of the sword, the gang members still didn't know how to react. Simultaneously they all looked forward to the other side, including Damien, Jordan and Rina.
What they saw however was a young man with bronze colored skin and dark hair that had grown longer over the last week. He had brown eyes that seemed to spit out fire. Dark fingerless combat gloves covered both of his hands.
The young man's eyes moved over them all etching each of their faces in his mind. Damien felt an oppressive pressure descend upon him the moment those brown eyes met his. Damien couldn't help but shiver when he looked at this young man. The blue aura of flames that Damien could see surrounding him was the biggest he had ever seen.
One thought immediately flashing through his mind. 'I'm no match for him'
This thought alone made him shiver. Who was this young man?
While Damien felt fear, Jordan and Rina released breaths they didn't even know they were holding. They suddenly felt at ease. Rina especially, she didn't know how strong this young man was but what she did know was that he was probably the strongest of them all.
As for who the young man was?
Who else would it be if not Huey Coleman.