"It will be a tough fight," Oliver said as he walked beside me as I become slightly amazed how silently he approached me, I hate a world with superpowers.
"Yea but he is still lucky," I said as I looked at Prince with the corner of my eyes, using fire balls from the air, not giving his opponent even a single opportunity to fight back.
It was a hopeless fight, a dragon against a man, and one where fate isn't going to make men win.
"You are right, even Mike doesn't stand a chance against someone with Special ability,"
"Hmm, so a Fire type Para-demons huh," What Prince have in his Soul Core, is no ordinary demon but a special Para-demon, related to Fire Element.
(Note:- Check Chapter 15 again for Special Para-demon. Additional details:- Special Para-demon are demons with element affinity or a special ability.)
"Not that he could win this one easily either," Oliver said as I nods, not telling him how impossible the victory is.
The first rounds of knockouts are over and with just 16 people remaining, whosoever win this round will directly win a spot in the prestigious Academy.
But with the next round starting in just 10 minutes, and Mike being all beaten black and blue but his next opponent stand there silently with no visible injurious, I could already see the results.
'Is there no other way then to give up on Mik-' My thoughts for stuck, I wasn't able to finish what I was saying as what I saw after that, gave me a shock of a lifetime...
.
.
.
Doki was waiting in the crowd, with an impatient expression on his face as if he can't wait to start thier plan however, due to the unexpected rise in talent, there has been a slight change in plans.
These tournament for a spot on Rose Academy isn't only happening in Dragon Kingdom but all other kingdoms of Rose Empire as well.
Due to there being many King Rank talents, it was decided that they all will act simultaneously, not giving any time for anyone to react.
And right now, Doki was waiting for the signal of starting the mission and he certainly can't wait to hearing the Go words.
As if on que, the mirror beside him shined brightly than ever, as a smiled appeared on his face, "Finally," he muttered lightly, as he looked at the man beside him before nodding and leaving from his seat.
Knowing what to do, the man waited for Doki to leave before taking a deep breath, 'For the cause...' he muttered in his mind before taking out a small marble as he applied force in his fingertips and...
*BOOM*
.
.
.
*BOOM*
"What the?!" I said, as I saw a small explosion happening in the crowd, it was as if someone has thrown a grenade in that area as dozens of people being blasted and as if it one big blast wasn't enough...
*BOOM*
*BOOM*
*BOOM*
More and more of them kept happening as if first one was just some sort of signal to it all, one after another, all around the arena, blasts kept happening, as if it's some sort of chain reaction and all around me, I saw bodies, blood and debris flying around.
"Ma-Maya!!" Oliver, who was standing beside me shouted loudly, as he dashed off towards the VIP seats, that was where they were sitting right I guess.
Even that place is affected by blasts, there was no blast at the exact seats due to pass required to enter the area so Maya will probably be fine as long as she was on her seat.
However... it couldn't be said about others who were dying right in front of my eyes.
Unconsciously without me realising it, my hand went to my face as my fingers traced my cheeks before I lowered my gaze, staring at my trembling fingers.
Blood.
I don't know whose blood it was, I don't have the liberty or time to check whose blood it was, after all there are so many people with fatal wounds or even worse, still.
For all I could guess, it could belong to an old man, a mother, a child... someone who was alive just moments ago, laughing or chatting happily waiting for the next round to begin.
Is that a terrorist attack? I don't know, but no matter what it is, all I know is that I absolutely hate it, maybe these people are doing it with no other purpose other than power... Maybe they are doing it for a good reason.
But this attack, it didn't seemed like it was done for any kind of survival, not to protect someone or something but it might as well be a mere display of power for all I know.
Everything was happening so fast around me and there I stand, processing it all at a superhuman speed before reaching a conclusion...
"Ah, how beautiful this is," I heard the whisper in my mind causing a chill to run down my spine followed by a headache as I immediately fell on my knees.
"Look at this… all this death… doesn't it make you feel something?"
I clutch my head, trying to block it out.
"All this suffering…"
Shut up.
"And yet, here you are, alive. Standing. Breathing. You should be grateful... How lucky you are..."
Shut up.
I squeeze my eyes shut, but the images won't go away. Bodies. Blood. Broken limbs. Torn flesh. Eyes wide open, yet empty.
I want to run. I want to escape. But there's nowhere to go.
"This… is no place for me… not in this world... not any other."
I don't even recognize my own voice. It's quiet. Hollow. Weak.
Something warm rolls down my cheek. A single tear, mixing with the blood already there.
And in that moment, something inside me cracked as I snapped opened my eyes.
Smile.
That's all I could do.
Blood. Screams. The crunch of bones. The sound of flesh tearing apart, wet and disgusting. I should have been horrified. I should have run. But instead—
I smiled.
The voice in my head chuckled. "Ah… now that's more like it."
There was a child crying buried under seats, a mother calling for her son, a man trying to wake up his wife... it seems that they are newly weds...
Why... how could someone do this... Suicide bombing on this scale? No, it can't be without a reason, maybe I am not thinking about it enough, there has to be a definit reason why someone decided to do did something as drastic as thi-
"Screechhhhhh!!"
"Roarrrr!!"
As if the blasts wasn't enough, para demons started emerging from the ruins as even though it was my first time seeing one, I was able to easily recognise it when I see that one.
As soon as they appeared, they started killing the remaining survivors before devouring them like... mere food.
As if death toll wasn't enough, more people started to die as well...
The Para-demons were cruel, they did not differentiate between anyone, soldier or not, as long as they were within the reach of thier large body, they were eaten.
The world was drowning in chaos. The child under the seats? Ripped apart. The mother calling for her son? Her voice cut off mid-sentence as massive jaws clamped down on her throat. The newlywed man? Screaming—begging—as his wife's body was devoured in front of him.
No one was spared.
The Para-demons were thorough, efficient, like wolves descending on helpless prey. But they weren't just killing. No, that would be too merciful. They enjoyed it. They toyed with their victims, stretching out their suffering, savoring the fear, the despair.
It was a massacre, not a battle, not a fight... It was just that... A one sided slaughter.
The only way to save yourself was to kill the Para-demon which was easier said than done, as even the weakest of them were as strong as a group of Peak Soldiers.
Not to mention, the special Para-demons hidden in the mist of all these, which were as strong as even Generals so there was a little chance of survival was slim...
Looking at all that happening around me, all I could do was... Smile.
And yet…
"Look at them… so weak… so helpless…"
I could feel it. That crack inside me widening, splitting me open from the inside. The fear, the sadness, the horror—it was all slipping away, like sand through my fingers.
I wasn't scared anymore.
"You don't belong here, do you?"
No. I don't.
"You hate it, don't you?"
Yes. I hate it.
"Then why are you still here?"
The voice laughed, dark and amused.
"Why don't you just let go?"
Let go...
Something deep inside me twisted. My breath hitched. My fingers twitched. And before I even realized it—
I started laughing.
At first, it was quiet. A low, breathy chuckle, almost unsure. But then it grew. Louder. Harsher. Unhinged.
The people who were still alive looked at me with wide, terrified eyes, as if I was no different from the monsters tearing them apart. Maybe I wasn't. Maybe I was worse.
Because I wasn't screaming. I wasn't begging.
I was laughing as loudly as I could.
"Yes… yes… doesn't this feel better?"
The voice said again, satisfied.
I staggered to my feet, my grin widening, my hands still trembling—but not with fear anymore.
I don't belong here.
Not in this world.
Not in this nightmare.
I want to escape.
But there's only one way out, isn't there? By giving up on yourself, by accepting it all.
The blood.
The fire.
The death.
And so—
I laughed, and the voice laughed too... and then, gave up on holding back, and let Red fuse with myself... His personality overpowering me...
That was how, I lost my sanity, and my sense of self... for the first time... only able to hold onto a little of sanity which kept others alive.