Chapter 199: Second Slaughter Part – Three
"AHHHH!"
Screams immediately erupted throughout the mansion.
The blinding flash swallowed the entire entrance hall, turning everyone’s vision white for a brief but devastating moment.
"I can’t see! I can’t see!"
Zara clutched his face and stumbled backward. His eyes burned as though hot sand had been shoved directly into them.
The two guards beside him suffered no better fate.
Both men groaned while rubbing their eyes desperately.
The three subordinates of the old Binder Rank Alchemist were also affected.
Even the old man himself narrowed his eyes as he tried to regain his vision.
"Where is he?!"
The woman shouted.
Unable to see properly, she swung her long sword around herself without restraint.
The blade cut through empty air repeatedly.
"Argh!"
A familiar scream suddenly rang out.
"Are you crazy?! My fucking hand!"
One of her teammates shouted in pain as blood splashed onto the wooden floor.
In her panic, she had nearly severed his hand.
"Everyone calm down!"
The old man barked.
His voice echoed throughout the hall.
Bang!
A gunshot interrupted him.
The sound was sharp and heavy.
Then...
Thud.
A body hit the floor.
The impact echoed through the mansion.
"Someone just died!"
The young sniper shouted.
His heart nearly jumped out of his chest.
He turned his head repeatedly, trying to sense where Ezra was hiding, but the mansion was filled with too much chaos.
His eyes watered heavily.
Even after forcing them open with Cognis enhancement, his vision remained blurry.
Shapes appeared and disappeared.
Nothing stayed clear.
"Ahhh! Where are you?! Show yourself, you slippery rat!"
The woman continued swinging wildly.
Her sword cut through furniture and shattered decorations.
Then...
She suddenly felt her feet leave the ground.
"Huh?"
Her mind blanked.
The next thing she knew...
Boom!
Her face slammed directly into the wooden floor. The impact knocked the breath from her lungs, before she could even react...
Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!
Multiple bullets tore through her body.
Her torso jerked violently.
Blood splashed across the floorboards.
The force pinned her body against the ground.
After several violent spasms...
She stopped moving.
Dead.
The young sniper felt his scalp go numb.
What kind of gun was that? A light bomb?
Since when did the Ashenlocke’s create something like that?
His thoughts raced.
The pistol that somehow carried more ammunition than it should, the strange gun that released blinding light.
The impossible accuracy.
One question kept repeating inside his head.
Who the hell is this kid?
Cold sweat rolled down his face.
Then...
He felt something.
A sensation.
A chill.
Incoming death.
His body reacted before his mind did.
The young man immediately turned.
His Cognis surged into his eyes, this time more than before.
Forcing them too finally open, strengthening his vision.
Clash!
The sound of metal colliding exploded beside him.
Sparks flew.
His vision finally cleared enough to understand what happened.
The old man had opened his eyes first, his black steel sword was already swinging.
The blade collided with Ezra’s Kel-Tec PMR-30 just as Ezra was about to kill the sniper.
Ezra slid backward.
His eyes lowered toward the firearm.
A deep slash mark had been carved into its surface.
Tsk.
Ezra clicked his tongue softly as he stared at the old man.
Binder Rank Steel Alchemist and he has a black steel sword.
None of those things were good news.
His dark eyes remained fixed on the weapon while he slowly exhaled through his nose.
This old man was completely different from the guards and mercenaries outside.
The others were just Half-star Alchemists, not even Novice ranks, nothing close to a Binder rank Alchemist.
Clap!
The old man’s hands came together.
The moment his palms touched; an Alchemy Circle bloomed beneath him.
Ezra’s pupils narrowed.
His eyes immediately dropped toward the floor.
Several normal steel bars had been scattered nearby during the time he stepped back.
The old man slammed both palms onto the ground.
Gray lightning-like Cognis surged violently from his body and rushed into the steel bars.
The metal instantly melted, twisting together and merged, compressing.
Then...
A massive steel blade shot forward like a launched missile.
The attack was so sudden that it blurred through the air.
Ezra bent backward completely.
His spine curved almost unnaturally as the giant steel blade stretched past his face.
The sharp edge missed his nose by barely an inch.
The pressure from the attack brushed against his skin.
Then...
Wave Sense screamed.
Without looking, Ezra already knew another attack was coming.
The old man had moved fast.
Far faster than the mercenaries from before.
The Binder Rank Alchemist appeared above him.
His black steel sword descended.
Cognis surged through the blade, increasing its sharpness and destructive force.
The sword sliced through the giant steel extension as though cutting paper.
The steel split apart.
Yet the attack didn’t stop.
The slash continued downward toward Ezra.
A killing blow.
Ezra reacted instantly.
Planting both hands on the ground, he pushed himself upward into a handstand.
Boom!
The sword struck the floor.
Wood exploded apart with cracks spreading across the tiles.
The blade landed only inches away from Ezra’s fingers.
Had he been slower by even a fraction...His hands would have been severed.
Then...
Ezra’s body twisted.
Still balanced on his hands, he spun his legs around.
Boom!
The kick shot toward the old man’s ribs.
The old man stepped backward immediately; the flat side of his sword barely intercepted the strike. Even then, the impact forced him to slide across the floor.
Ezra landed smoothly on his feet.
His breathing remained controlled while his dark eyes never left the old man.
Observing, calculating and searching for weaknesses.
"You are strong."
The old man smiled. A genuine excitement appeared on his face.
"Really strong."
Cognis surged from his body once more.
The pressure inside the room increased noticeably, pieces of broken wood shifted slightly across the floor and dust drifted through the air.
"I’m becoming more curious about what you experienced in the Trial of Steel to become something like this, boy."
He adjusted his grip and his feet shifted.
His sword stance became cleaner and sharper looking.
The posture of someone who had spent years fighting and training to own his skills.
"I’m going to take you seriously now."
The smile disappeared, only intent remained.
Boom!
The old man flashed forward.
Cognis flowed through his veins and into the black steel sword.
The blade descended toward Ezra’s face.
Ezra stepped to the right cleanly.
The blade missed him completely.
Several strands of his hair drifted through the air.
Behind him...
Boom!
The floor split apart.
The slash continued forward, carving a deep line through the mansion.
Wood shattered, stone cracked and furniture exploded apart.
The old man didn’t stop.
Another slash came, then another, then another.
Heavy attacks rained down relentlessly, each strike carrying enough force to split steels apart.
Yet Ezra continued weaving through them.
His body moved like flowing water.
Sometimes he leaned, sometimes he stepped, sometimes he simply shifted his shoulder.
Whenever necessary, he used his bare hands.
Not to block.
But to redirect.
A small touch against the wrist.
A push against the elbow.
A slight adjustment to the grip.
Tiny movements that altered the path of the sword.
The old man’s attacks remained powerful, but they kept missing.
Boom!
Another wall split apart.
Crash!
A cabinet shattered.
Boom!
A pillar cracked.
The entire room began falling apart around them.
Pieces of the mansion continuously collapsed as the old man’s sword cut through everything in its path.
Ezra continued moving backward.
Cognis flowed through his body.
Strengthening his muscles, sharpening his senses.
Heightening every instinct.
Every attack barely missed him.
None landed cleanly.
Although fresh cuts gradually appeared across his already damaged clothing, his body remained untouched.
"Leader! I’ll join you!"
A voice shouted from behind.
The last subordinate finally rushed forward.
The young sniper carried his Springfield M1903A tightly while following the fight.
His eyes remained locked onto Ezra.
Together, the two men chased him through the estate.
More walls collapsed, windows shattered and furniture exploded.
The battle moved from one section of the Sterling Mansion to another, leaving destruction behind them.
Ezra’s black eyes shifted.
One opponent, then the other.
The old man and the sniper.
A two-versus-one situation.
His mind instantly adjusted, adapting to the whole situation.
"You have fought well, boy!"
The old man roared.
Gray Cognis lightning surged through his arms as he clapped his hand against the surface of the blade.
An Alchemy circle formed on the sword and the black steel sword expanded.
Longer.
Longer and Longer.
Until the blade nearly touched the ceiling.
The pressure alone caused nearby debris to tremble.
At the same moment...
The sniper moved.
He slid to Ezra’s blind side, dropping into a kneeling shooting position.
The rifle settled firmly against his shoulder.
The scope aligned and the trigger tightened.
"Die, freak!"
Bang!
The sniper fired.
At the exact same moment...
The old man swung.
One attack came from the side, the other came from above.
The timing was nearly perfect.
The two attacks trapped Ezra directly in the middle.
Yet...
Ezra didn’t panic.
Not even slightly.
From the moment he accepted the Judgment Order, he had already prepared himself.
Prepared for stronger opponents.
Prepared for ambushes.
Prepared for death.
Prepared for situations exactly like this.
Cognis flowed from his stars through his veins, into his fingertips, like countless streams of thread.
Ezra grabbed his black coat, then jumped.
His body spun vertically through the air.
Cognis flowed into the fabric.
The entire surface hardened instantly.
Clang!
The sniper bullet struck first.
The hardened coat blocked it.
Then...
BOOM!
The giant sword descended.
Sparks erupted everywhere.
The impact smashed Ezra downward.
The floor beneath him shattered violently.
Wood exploded apart and stone cracked.
A shockwave spread through the mansion.
The entire building trembled with dust filling the air.
The old man immediately followed while his sword shrank back to normal size.
Without hesitation...
He thrust forward.
A killing strike.
Ezra rose, immediately wrapping the coat around the sword and the old man’s hand.
The fabric twisted tightly locking both together.
Preventing the old man from fully controlling his weapon.
At the same time...
Ezra reached into his Space Bag and threw out daggers towards the sniper.
His movement was like he drew a sword swiftly.
The young man reacted quickly.
Clang!
The dagger struck the Springfield which was now empty of rounds.
The rifle barely blocked it.
Before Ezra could continue pressing the attack...
The old man grabbed the coat with his other hand, his muscles bulged.
With raw physical strength alone, he ripped free and grabbed Ezra.
Then...
He threw him.
Hard.
Ezra’s body shot through the air like a cannonball.
Boom!
He smashed through a wall.
Boom!
Another wall collapsed.
Boom!
Then another.
Pieces of the mansion exploded apart as he tore through room after room.
Only after crossing multiple sections of the estate did his body finally stop.
Crash!
Ezra slammed into the massive wall near the mansion’s main entrance.
The impact created a deep crater.
For a brief moment, everything became still.
"Argh!"
Blood spilled from Ezra’s mouth.
The metallic taste immediately filled his tongue.
His body ached.
The old man breathed heavily as he stared at the massive hole Ezra’s body had created in the wall of the mansion.
Dust drifted through the damaged entrance hall.
Broken stone and wood continued falling from above.
The entire Sterling Estate was trembling from the destruction their battle had caused.
The old man’s chest rose and fell repeatedly.
Even for a Binder Rank Alchemist, continuously fighting while using large-scale Alchemy and Cognis consumed a tremendous amount of energy.
Still, his eyes remained fixed on the crater.
"Stand up."
His voice was cold, then he glanced toward his subordinate.
"Let’s go finish the job."
The young sniper struggled to push himself up.
His body ached, his hands trembled slightly from exhaustion.
The repeated firing of the Springfield and the pressure from fighting Ezra had drained him more than he wanted to admit.
"Yes, sir."
He nodded while forcing himself to stand.
Then...
His eyes widened.
Something entered his vision.
At first, his tired brain failed to process it, then his face suddenly turned pale.
"BOSS!"
His voice cracked.
He immediately stretched his hand forward.
The old man frowned.
"What?"
The young sniper pointed ahead.
The old man instinctively followed the direction.
His pupils contracted.
Three stick grenades had already landed on the ground several meters away.
Thunk.
Thunk.
Thunk.
The wooden handles bounced slightly across the floor.
For a brief moment, confusion appeared on the old man’s face.
Then... like time slowed for the old man.
He felt it.
A strange sensation of wetness.
His brows furrowed.
Slowly, he looked down.
Liquid covered parts of his clothing, drops continued sliding down the fabric.
The old man touched it.
His expression immediately changed.
More grenades.
More liquid and a trail.
A carefully prepared trail, the liquid stretched across the floor.
Across the walls, across the broken rubble.
All the way toward where he stood.
His heart skipped.
The realization hit instantly.
"Shit."
The word escaped his mouth too late.
BOOM!
The first set of grenades exploded.
A violent burst of fire erupted outward, but the explosion itself wasn’t the real danger.
The fire was.
Once the flames touched the liquid trail...
Whoosh!
The fire accelerated.
It raced across the ground with terrifying speed.
Like a living creature, like a dragon charging toward its prey.
The old man’s eyes widened, realizing what this odorless and colorless liquid was.
Dragon’s Tear.
Majorly known as Draconium Lacrimal Extract.
One of the strongest flammable substances in Britannia.
One of the signature products of the Duke family of Burnwick and also one of their main materials they use for their alchemy.
A material famous among Alchemists for its terrifying burning properties.
The moment it ignited...
It spread relentlessly.
Many young members of the Burnwick Family preferred calling it Dragon’s Tear.
Because they thought it sounded cooler.
At that moment, the old man couldn’t care less what it was called.
All he knew...Was that he was standing directly in its path.
BOOM!
Another explosion erupted.
BOOM!
Then another.
The fire followed the liquid trail through every section of the estate Ezra had been thrown through.
The Rooms exploded.
The walls collapsed.
Entire sections of the mansion were swallowed by flames.
The inferno surged toward the old man and the sniper.
They tried to move, they tried to escape, but they were already too late.
The explosions consumed everything.
The young sniper opened his mouth to scream.
The old man raised his sword to slash through the flames.
Neither action mattered.
The flames swallowed them completely.
Their screams vanished beneath the explosions.
Within moments...Nothing remained.
Only blackened bones.
Then even those were reduced to ash.
The fire crackled loudly throughout the estate.
Burning debris continued collapsing.
The smell of smoke filled the air.
Several meters away...
The remaining two guards stared at the destruction, their faces had completely lost color.
"Hey..."
One guard swallowed hard.
His voice shook.
"Do you think he’s dead?"
The second guard immediately pushed him.
"You go check for yourself."
His own hands were trembling badly.
Neither wanted to move.
Neither wanted to be the first one approaching the monster who had slaughtered over a hundred people.
"What are you two idiots doing?!"
Zara suddenly shouted.
His face was pale, his voice sounded desperate as he pointed toward Ezra’s motionless body.
"With that crash, he shouldn’t even be able to move!"
He continued shouting.
Yet even while saying those words, his own legs were shaking.
The sight of the burning mansion.
The Dead Binder Rank Alchemist.
The Dead Novice Rank Alchemists.
The mountain of corpses outside.
Everything was crushing his confidence.
Still...
The opportunity was right there.
Ezra wasn’t moving.
At least, that’s what Zara wanted to believe.
"KILL HIM NOW!"
He shoved both guards forward.
At the same time, he unconsciously took several steps backward himself.
The two guards nearly cursed him out loud.
Their throats felt dry.
Their swords shook in their hands.
Fear crawled through every part of their bodies.
Still...
They slowly stepped forward.
"Ki..."
Zara shouted again.
BANG!
The gunshot exploded through the burning estate.
Both guards froze.
For a brief second...
Neither understood what had happened, only to realize that their chests had just exploded outward.
Blood and flesh sprayed behind them.
Massive holes had been torn through their bodies.
Their eyes widened.
Their swords slipped from their hands.
Thud.
Thud.
Both corpses collapsed.
In front of them...
Ezra slowly lowered a Big-4 Barrel Revolver, still in the sitting position he was when he crashed on the wall.
Smoke drifted from the barrel.
His expression remained completely flat.
As though killing them required no effort at all.
"AHHHHHHH!"
Zara suddenly screamed.
A sharp pain erupted from his stomach.
One of the bullets had pierced through the first guard, then continued into him.
Blood immediately soaked his clothes.
His legs nearly gave out.
"ARGHHHHHH!"
He clutched his stomach.
Tears instantly formed in his eyes.
The pain, the fear, the shock. Everything hit him at once, then survival instinct took over.
He turned.
Ran, stumbling, but he kept running.
Blood dripped behind him with every step.
"FUCK! FUCK! FUCK!"
His voice cracked repeatedly.
Tears streamed down his face.
His expensive clothes were stained with blood and dirt.
He no longer cared where he was running, he no longer cared about pride or about revenge.
All those thoughts had vanished.
Only one thing remained in his mind.
Pure fear.
Raw fear.
The kind that made a person forget everything else, only...
Run! Run! Run!
Because if he stopped...If he looked back...If Ezra caught him...
He would die.
