TO SHOW OFF IS TO IMPRESS
***
AFTER TAKING A kunai from Ardelian, Astier confidently marched forward to face the group of bandits alone. They all had large blades for weapons and the other one even had an enchanted gun with endless bullets. The only thing he has to fend for himself is a single and small blade.
"How brave of you to underestimate us like this and face us alone," said the leader, "you think you can defeat us all by yourself?"
"Hey, don't take it too seriously." He nonchalantly shrugged. "I'm just following orders from my queen. So, you better cooperate because I want to show off to impress her."
The bandit leader did not fancy his response. His reflex at pulling out his sword was quick but Astier was faster and evaded his blade successfully.
Suddenly he appeared behind him and whispered tauntingly in his ear, "You need to do better than that."
The leader exclaimed in fury and swayed his sword behind but again, Astier evaded him, his blade instead hit the air.
"What are doing and standing there doing nothing? Kill him," he angrily yelled at his comrades.
His one command made them move altogether and attacked Astier simultaneously.
But the playful Destroyer only danced around their blades unscathed. He laughed and cackled like a boy playing around with his friends. The graveness of his situation was clearly not implemented well by his countenance. As Destroyer of Peace, he loves the idea of playing with his victims before eventually taking their powers and magic. Astier seems to have unknowingly adopted that character in the present time as he enjoyed watching their frustrated expressions.
He wanted to play with them a little bit longer but his queen was nearing looking bored with him taking so long.
He sighed. "Alright. Playtime's over."
And without warning, using his superspeed, he again vanished from their sight, only to reappear behind their backs, stabbing them in the neck to death.
The kunai in his hand gave him such convenience that he facilely took their lives without exerting too much effort. Blood gushes out from their necks like a broken faucet when he plunges through the kunai. They'd fall kneeling to the ground, desperately blocking the hole in their skins, hoping to stop the blood from flowing.
Astier's speed and skills were unmatched by the bandits and in the end, they all ended up dead in the hands of Destroyer. Apparently, he left the leader to be the last one on purpose.
"I'm not like them. You think you can kill me?" he bellowed, his palm tightly clenching the handle of his sword.
A playful yet mischievous smirk plastered on Astier's lips. In his peripheral vision, he caught his queen's lips slightly open.
"I know you've helped me impress my queen but she said I must not have anything left. So, I'm gonna have to kill you too."
"You son of a---" Astier flashes before him in a blink; to the human eye, it's almost as if he didn't leave his spot.
A red line was marked on the leader's neck, and slowly, blood began to emerge from it, flowing down to his chest.
After ensuring their deaths, Astier had to remove their bodies out of the way to make way before he returned to sit beside his queen. He proceeded on their way as though nothing happened.
It was the queen who decided to break the silence.
"That was amazing. I didn't take you to be a good fighter."
'Oh. Then what did she take me for?' he wondered. He cleared his throat. "Do you believe now that I will protect you against all odds?"
"That was but a small obstacle, Astier. There are greater battles than that and that is where I want to see you. Maybe then I'll finally believe."
Apparently, he didn't understand what Neiryl meant. He grinned like an idiot who won a rigged bet.
"Did I say something funny?"
He shook his head. "No, I'm sorry, I wasn't laughing at you. I did not mean to disrespect you by that gesture but I'm just happy that you finally called me by my name."
Neiryl was stunned for a moment or two. She even caught from the corner of her eyes her sister Nyrinn glaring at Astier from behind.
"That wasn't the first time I said your name," she reasoned instead.
"In a casual conversation, yes," he insisted.
She turned on her back to their companions behind their wagon and it was the assassin who lifted his hands in defeat.
"We didn't hear anything."
"Good."
But she will let it slide for now. After all, he did keep his word of killing those bandits without hesitation, only because she told him. Perhaps, there is more to this man than what he claims to be. The superspeed he used earlier against the bandits was not very uncommon. The gifts that demi-humans receive vary every time. It doesn't matter if the parents acquire the elements of water and thunder, the child will receive a gift that plays no connection to his parents' magic.
Every demi-human is only bound to one element. Unlike the wizards and witches who can manipulate several things through spells and enchantments, demi-humans can only master their gifted abilities. The same goes with sorcerers, but all of them are actually blessed by the seven queens.
But any sorcerer, wizard, witch, or demi-human who displayed an ability to master several types of elements can be subjected to become an Ulterion, a dark wizard.
Destroyer has superspeed, he can control the darkness, the shadows, and even the dead. He was once branded as a Necromancer. But he hasn't quite displayed that type of ability of his.
Now she has seen Astier using superspeed, she will unlikely expect him to use another type of element or magic.
Should he exhibit a new technique aside from that, she'll finally have her confirmation. It would be a painful death though for how dare they deceive her again?
'If only you weren't so keen on stealing other people's magic, maybe I wouldn't be going after your head now.'
♛♛♛
THE DARKENED ROOM of the throne room barely revealed the face of the emperor. The absence of sound can create an echo of a water droplet. The emperor's day was just getting started when he received another news from the Virgam Kingdom about the queen and the princess leaving again.
They said it was for the sole purpose of finding Destroyer. And they better be telling the truth now, otherwise, he will be forced to implement such disciplinary action on the queen and her people.
The arrogance sprouting from his entire being could not be denied. He claimed to own everything and he paid for them all. It is only right for him to do whatever he wants.
After a few moments of contemplation, Emperor Kalresu finally decided.
"Go now and do your job well. I don't care what betrayal you shall perform. Find Destroyer first before they do."
A small scoff escapes from the other person in the room. "You really don't want to release them, don't you?"
"Nothing is better than to hold one of the greatest queens in Azalia your prisoner and slave. Now go, and do not ever fail me."
The other person bowed. "I won't fail you... uncle."