Chapter 28: The Swapped Fates
The scene unfolds in heart-pounding slow motion. The sharp blade of the samurai's katana was mere inches from Komal's throat, its cold gleam reflecting the tension in the air.
Komal stood firm, her eyes shut tight, bracing herself to shield Sam.
Tears welled up in Sophia's and George's eyes, their cries echoing across the hushed village square.
Behind Komal, Sam's face was frozen in a mixture of disbelief and horror, his arms half-raised as if to shield his wife. The crowd was motionless, their collective breaths held as the blade descended.
Time suddenly snapped back to normal. The katana made contact, but instead of flesh, it struck stone. Komal and Sam were gone.
In their place, two large stones materialized, absorbing the blow of the blade.
The katana cleaved through the stones effortlessly, splitting them into two neat halves.
The fragments crashed onto the ground, scattering bits of dust and debris.
For a moment, there was only silence. The samurai who had swung the blade stared in stunned confusion at the broken stones. His katana remained poised mid-air, his expression frozen.
Behind him, Sinū's eyes narrowed in shock, unable to comprehend what had just transpired.
The villagers, who had been transfixed by the scene, began whispering nervously.
"What happened?" one man muttered.
"They were there… and now, stones?" said another, his voice trembling.
Sophia and George, their tears still fresh, stared at the shattered rocks in disbelief.
Sophia clung to Yami tightly, her lips quivering. George's small fists clenched as he tried to free himself from the man holding him back.
Ricky, standing a few feet behind Sam, was equally stunned. His wide eyes remained fixed on the stones, disbelief etched across his face.
No one spoke. The weight of confusion and fear hung over the square like a suffocating cloud.
Just beyond the crowd, Adam stood with his right hand extended forward. Faint wisps of mana dissipated from his fingers, the residue of his spell.
"Swap," he had whispered moments before, his voice steady despite the urgency.
The spell had worked. Komal and Sam, now several meters away, sat on the ground, visibly shaken.
Komal gripped Sam's arm, her face pale and bewildered. Sam looked around frantically, trying to understand how they had moved.
Adam let out a deep breath, lowering his hand. Relief briefly flickered across his face.
Sinū's piercing gaze darted around the square, scanning the crowd.
His senses picked up faint traces of mana lingering in the air—a signature he recognized immediately.
"A mage," Sinū muttered under his breath. His sharp eyes locked onto Adam, who was still catching his breath.
Adam's outstretched hand glowed faintly with residual mana, betraying his involvement.
Sinū's expression twisted into a mixture of shock and amusement. "A child?" he thought, incredulous. "This is the mage I've been sensing?"
His disbelief lasted only a moment before it gave way to cold resolve. He raised his katana, pointing directly at Adam.
"There he is!" Sinū bellowed, his voice slicing through the murmurs of the crowd. "Take him down!"
The villagers gasped, their heads snapping toward Adam. All eyes fell on the boy.
Sophia's heart sank as she looked at her friend, her tears now mixing with confusion. "Adam?" she whispered, her voice trembling.
George stopped struggling, staring at Adam in shock. "Adam…" he muttered, his voice cracking.
The samurai, clad in their signature blue garments, unsheathed their weapons with a synchronized motion.
Their polished blades gleamed ominously in the morning sunlight.
The villagers recoiled in fear, some shielding their children, others pulling back to the edges of the square.
The chapter begins with the tense atmosphere gripping the entire village square.
Sinū's command reverberates across the area, and the two samurai in blue robes dart toward Adam with incredible speed.
Their katanas gleamed in the sunlight, reflecting their lethal intent.
Adam stood firm, his heart racing. He had always hidden his powers, fearing the consequences.
But not anymore. "I've had enough," Adam thought. "No more hiding, no more running. It's time to show them what true power looks like."
His resolve solidified as his gaze shifted to Sophia and Yami.
They had rushed in front of him, their arms spread wide in a desperate attempt to shield him. Sophia's voice cracked as she screamed, "Adam, run! Please, get out of here!"
Behind them, Adam's mother and father, as well as Sam and Komal, shouted in unison. "No! Don't hurt them!" Their desperate cries echoed through the air.
Adam's mind raced, and his fists clenched tightly. "I'm sorry, Mom, Dad," he whispered to himself. "But this has to end here."
Adam extended his hand forward, the glow of mana surrounding his palm. "Swap!" he commanded in English.
In an instant, Sophia and Yami disappeared from in front of him, replaced by two small stones.
The samurai charging toward them came to an abrupt halt, their katanas inches from the stones.
Gasps rippled through the crowd as the villagers stared in shock. "What just happened?" one of them muttered.
Adam's mother, Rachel, clasped her hands over her mouth, tears streaming down her face. "It's true," she whispered. "Adam saved them… just like before."
Sinū, watching from a distance, smirked. "So, I was right," he said softly. "There you are, little mage."
Sophia and Yami, now swapped to a safe spot near Sam and Komal, looked around in confusion. "Where… are we?" Yami stammered.
Sophia's eyes scanned the crowd, finally locking onto Adam, who stood in the open with his hand still outstretched. "Adam… what are you doing?" she whispered, her voice trembling with a mix of fear and realization.
Behind them, Sam and Komal turned to see their daughters. Relief washed over their faces, but it was quickly replaced by dread as they turned back to Adam, who now faced the advancing samurai.
The two samurai moved with relentless speed, their katanas raised high as they closed in on Adam. The air around them seemed to ripple with deadly energy.
Just as they were about to strike, Adam muttered under his breath, "High Senses."
Time slowed to a crawl. The samurai, once blurs of motion, now appeared as though they were wading through thick syrup. Their swords glinted in the distorted light as they inched closer to Adam.
The first samurai's katana arced toward Adam's face in a diagonal slash, its edge aimed at his neck.
Adam sidestepped to the right, narrowly avoiding the blade as it whistled past him. The sound of the sword slicing the air was deafening in the slowed-down world.
With the first samurai overextended, Adam saw his opening. His fist tightened as he took a deep breath. "Impact Increase: 10 times," he said, his voice steady.
A white glow enveloped his fist as he thrust it forward, aiming for the samurai's chest. The impact was instantaneous and catastrophic.
The samurai's body flew backward with a force that seemed to defy physics.
His katana fell from his grasp as he became a blur, crashing into Sam's house with a deafening explosion.
The crowd watched in stunned silence as the samurai left a massive hole in the side of the house. Debris scattered everywhere, and the house trembled under the force of the impact.
The villagers stood frozen, their mouths agape as they tried to process what they had just witnessed.
"Did… did Adam just do that?" one of them whispered.
Sophia and Yami stared at Adam in disbelief. "He's… so strong," Yami muttered.
Sinū, however, remained calm. His sharp eyes scanned Adam, noting the boy's stance and the lingering glow of mana around him. "Interesting," he murmured. "You're stronger than you look, little mage."
The chapter ends with Adam standing firm, his glowing fist still raised, as the second samurai readied himself for the next attack.
The air was thick with tension, and all eyes were on Adam, the boy who had finally revealed his true power.