Bystander thoughts Max has defeated and trapped Marlene but only Brian thought differently he knew from serious look on Max face that he lost the battel, he won't be able to use he mana after few minutes.
Just as Brian thought were come end, ice dome explode those who standing near to watch fight got hurt by broken pieces of ice and those who were standing far were safe for moment.
Marlene broke out from ice dome unscathed her eyes are looking at Max like she's watching dead man.
"Everywhere I go there's always people like you, who thinks they're strong and I had of dealing with your bullshit."
Marlene dash forward towards Max with her sword ready to attack, she swing her sword diagonally.
Marlene quickly appeared in front of Max before he could even prepare himself for counter attack.
Max knew Marlene still hasn't shown her true power yet she's overwhelming strong, even he couldn't dodge her killing strike, Max still use ice magic to make short pillar to push himself back in last second to only get slightly injured by her killing blow instead of just dying.
Just before she swing sword diagonally across Max to cut him in half, he manage dodge the killing blow by pushing himself back by ice pillar.
So, Instead of getting his body split in two deep diagonal sword wound is left on his body.
Diagonal cut from shoulder to stomach was deep enough to cut apart his bones without any resistance it speaks about Marlene strength as she didn't even use single skill throughout the fight, she only used her brute strength.
Max is lying on his own blood on snow, blood is coming out of his mouth his internal organs must have been injured. He's grasping for air to breathe Max tried to speak but ended up choking on his blood.
Marlene raised her sword to deal with Max once and for all, just as she tried to stab Max heart with her sword.
Little kid run over to Max and hold the sword with his bare hands, child palm start bleeding just as he hold the sword as sword edge is really sharp with tears in his eyes little boy start to speak while crying.
"Please, don't hurt uncle Max."
"He's good man."
"Please, don't hurt him anymore."
This child was one of the many who got saved by Max in blizzard, even though child was young he understood that if no-one step forward to save Max, Max will die such is this world law.
Strong live and weak dies, everyone knows this rule even the little kids but despite that young boy still try to save by any means possible cause he can be many things but not the ungrateful.
Everyone standing there and seeing 7 years old child fearless action all the adult felt ashamed that they didn't have courage or strength to help one of their on, while child mother run towards to her child.
She was scared to death by her young boy action cause there's no guarantee that Marlene won't harm her child.
"Please, forgive my child mistake." Woman said with great fear in her eyes.
"I'm going to take him away right now."
She tried to open her young boy hand that holding sword the more she tried harder the child hold on to the sword and more blood would flow out his small hands dripping down from from sword edge to Max chest.
Max look at the young boy face he didn't remember his face but he won't ever forget him from now for standing up for him, its painful him that such young boy risking his life for him.
Even though it was extremely painful Max mustered up his all strength to speak, "Look kid its better if you listen to your mother words, I'm okay I will be on my feet in few seconds and you should listen to your elders."
"Listen to your mother words and go with her, I'm grateful for your help tho."
"No", Young boy said with mick voice.
"If I go away now she's going to kill you and I don't want you to die uncle Max."
"What boy said is correct, Max you were always been there for us without you lot of people would have died on half way to our journey here."
The old man walked out of crowd, he's old man in his late 60s. The old man placed his hand on the young boy's mother shoulder.
"Your child is brave, he stood up for people of this settlement that we give up on even though he saved ever life from time to time."
"Thank you boy for making this old man realise he's not ungrateful and coward."
The old man raised his head and looked at Marlene with frown, "I don't where you came from young lady but you don't have any right to act arrogant here and try to harm and kill our village people."
"We might have come from different places but together we are one big family."
"Max is our family and so is that boy who you claim to be dark elf spawn."
"He's also part of our family." Everyone was touched by old man words, they can't just stand still when someone is hurting one of their family member.
"You can't hurt him, he's our family." Everyone started chanting this together at Marlene.
Marlene now start hesitate to kill Max everyone saw hesitation on her face.
Young boy stoped holding sword with his hands his mother quickly rip apart part of her robe to cover his wounded hand.
Marlene hand started tremble and after that her body too, everyone can clearly see sign of hesitation on her face and body but it doesn't look same in Max eyes he has seen this eyes before he knows she's not hesitating to kill him because of public pressure instead she's thinking about killing everyone here or not.
Max has seen people like Marlene before and there could be only one reason she's hesitating to kill everyone here there's someone here who she doesn't want to show her this side of her personality.
Even if that is true Max still can't tell if she will kill everyone or not, this villagers are still naive about people instead of looking at her body language they should look at her eyes but not everyone can see that.
Even though it was really difficult for him to talk and breathe now as Jack still muster up strength and said what he needed to say to everyone.
"Move away everyone from here....if that boy and I died here today that's my fate there's nothing to do with you anyone." Max was touched by people everyone action of trying to defend him and he's grateful about it but they're facing sociopath.
Everyone looked at Max terrible condition and he's still thinking about them trying to get away from here they all felt bad they couldn't do anything despite being in numbers but they could atleast stop her from hurting Max anymore.
"Brian move everyone out of here." Max look at where Brian was standing before but when he looked at the spot Brian wasn't there anymore.
"I'm telling you once again he's spawn of dark elf and kingdom has issued order to everyone to kill dark elf at sight."
"Sooner or later he will turn over all of you and kill you all."
"Move out of my way even if he isn't dark elf, he still be child of misfortune. Having child of misfortune around you will only bring misfortune to you all."
Marlene is running out of patience now she tighten the her grip on her sword but before she could take next action she heard Dave loudly saying stop.
Dave rushed over to her side unlike everyone else in their group he has been besides her from the beginning he knows what's next going to happen here, if he doesn't stop her now.
Dave doesn't want to see that cause this settlement belongs to one of their companion family.
"What happened Marlene, why you are doing this. We have to atleast confirm first if that child is really dark elf or not."
While running over here Brian fill them up with information about what really happened here and how this is all started at first.
"Dave are you taking this people side now instead of mine." Marlene said with annoyance on her face.
Dave put his hand on Marlene shoulder, "Marlene this settlement belongs to Jack father he's the village chief."
"Jack father and little sister is alive Marlene "
Dave mantioned Jack father and little sister first so Marlene won't take dramatic action that might create problems for them later on they can't loose valuable companion like Jack over two people life maybe one person life.
"Marlene we can always figure out whether this boy is dark elf or not we can easily find it."
"But before that we have to heal this man, if he doesn't get healed soon maybe he might die Marlene."
Marlene nodded her head after hearing Dave words.