…. Lucius POV …..
"Stupid brat… Even if you have an S-rated potential, you are still inferior to a real guardian." Ethan cursed while rising to his feet.
[This is where the real fight begins… Be careful!] Lyxor warned.
Lucius watched in silence as Ethan rose to his feet, unwilling to take the initiative this time, clashing against his wings felt like punching a truck moving at high speed, if his body wasn't coated with the durable steel of the golden gauntlet, his leg would have been broken.
"Stop talking and come at me, let's get this shit over with." Lucius shrugged as he bounced around with his fists raised.
Against this man, he couldn't act cocky like he does in the presence of students.
THUD!
Ethan launched forward, closing the distance between them in mere seconds as he swung his wing at Lucius like a blade.
Swish!
Lucius dove to the side and rolled out of the way. He sprang to his feet, shooting towards Ethan with blazing eyes and a fierce aura.
Bang!
Lucius' fist smashed into the golden gauntlets used to block the attack.
Bam!
'Heavy!' Lucius frowned.
Even with his super strength, he couldn't overpower Ethan. He had caught him off guard before, but now Ethan was prepared for the attack, he could only force him back a few steps.
Swish!
Ethan recovered from the attack and lashed out with a flurry of claw attacks.
Peng!
Peng!
Peng!
His claws bombarded Lucius, but it was all a distraction. His wing swung at Lucius from the side, sending him hurling through a wall.
Boom!
Lucius hit the ground and rolled a couple of times, before jumping on his feet. He was prepared to take another blow from Ethan, but the man wasn't present. What he saw were ten feathers shooting into the room at incredible speed.
Swish!
Lucius crossed his hands over his head as he felt the feathers tear through his golden skin, leaving behind shallow but bloody cuts.
Bam!
Lucius fell on a knee, his breathing heavy while blood flowed out of his wounds. The attacks aimed precisely at his joints, temporarily immobilizing him.
"Just what are those feathers made of?"
Lucius muttered as he watched the feather return to Ethan's wings as he calmly walked into the room.
"If this place had a dense concentration of Aether fumes like the mining facility, you would have been harder to deal with." Ethan reached into his wings and pulled out a long feather sword.
"Unfortunately, this is where it ends for you. You were a slave, and you will die like one." Ethan hissed.
"Bastard!" Lucius growled furiously as he sprang to his feet, shooting towards Ethan.
[LUCIUS!] Lyxor roared, snapping him out of his rage.
Thud!
Swish!
Lucius halted his advance but was a bit late. His stomach had been split open by the feather sword, blood gushing out while stuck out, threatening to fall out completely.
Blegh!
Lucius spat out a mouthful of blood as he staggered back. His vision was blurry and his legs were weak, barely able to carry his weight.
Bam!
Lucius fell on his knees, swaying from side to side, and could barely kneel upright.
"Die!" Ethan sneered as he slashed down viciously.
Lucius raised his hand while trying to dodge to the right, but it was pointless. His left hand was cut off and the blade cut into his shoulder, tearing through his body and threatening to split him in two.
Bang!
Luckily, the fragile ground could not withstand the brute power behind the attack and collapsed, but Ethan quickly flapped his wings, allowing him to stay airborne. He watched as Lucius and the debris fell to the ground floor, raising a cloud of dust over the entire area.
Instinctively, Ethan wanted to swoop down and confirm Lucius was dead, but he restrained himself and allowed his eyes to roam in a cloud of dust.
Lucius's first impression of him made him unnaturally cautious, even when his victory was almost certain.
Whoosh!
Flapping his wings violently, he cleared the cloud of dust, revealing Lucius lying amongst the debris, impaled by a metal rod from behind. A large rock crushed the right part of his body and his blood ran down the rocks and dirt, while his severed left hand laid meters away from his body.
"I guess I overestimated you." Ethan chuckled as he slowly turned around, preparing to leave.
He knew nothing about Lucius's regenerative power, so he believed it would be best to let Lucius die like this.
They could spin the narrative and claim the destruction and wounds were caused by his battle with a mutant or evolved beast.
"I have one question to ask." Lucius's voice was strained yet amused.
Ethan froze and turned to Lucius with suspicious eyes. His instincts screamed danger, but he couldn't understand what danger a dying ten-year-old could pose.
"Since you are dying, I will grant you this request. Ask." Ethan shrugged off his insecure feelings.
"What makes one human of higher value than another?" Lucius asked weakly. "What makes you better than the men and women slaving away to sustain society?"
"Simple, bloodline. Some people were born great, others poor. That's just life." Ethan chuckled. While he found this question strange, he decided to answer regardless.
"Peasants are of no value, and the least they can do is dedicate their lives to achieving the dreams of the strong."
Ethan was too focused on his words to realize, Lucius's body was darkening, his eyes turning purple while his veins bulging and letting out a faint purple glow.
"Good… Good… By your logic, you should be on your knees and calling me 'Your Majesty'" Lucius laughed eerily in a deep tone.
"Huh?" Ethan turned to look at Lucius, but he was bombarded by a fierce purple shockwave that sent the debris hurling at all parts of the building.
He was forced to cover himself with his wings to avoid getting hit by the rocks and metal rods.
'He can still fight?' Ethan was confused.
"As a being with a royal lineage recognized beyond this planet, I will crush the royalty of this world and use their worthless lives to build a new society. You will be my first stepping stone, Ethan Clark!" a deep voice resonated from a pair of blazing purple eyes glaring at Ethan from the thick cloud of dust.