Chapter 43: Explosion potion!
The leader’s claws almost reached Raven’s face.
Then—
CLANG!
Silver cane blocked it.
Madam Rose stood there.
Elegant.
Cold smile.
"Surprised?"
Sebastian appeared.
Blade out.
"Miss Raven."
"Please stand back."
Leader snarled.
"Two against one?"
"How noble."
Rose twirled her cane.
"Efficient?"
"Yes."
They moved.
Both at once.
Blade and cane.
Left and right.
Fast exchanges.
Leader blocked.
Tried to counter.
On top of Slime—
Alex cupped hands around mouth.
"YO BALDY!"
Leader paused mid-strike.
"YOUR HEAD’S SHINIER THAN MY FUTURE!"
"SHUT UP!"
Alex pulled out can.
Surströmming.
"HAVE SOME FISH!"
Threw it.
Aimed at leader.
Can flew.
Leader dodged.
Can kept going.
SPLASH!
Hit ground between Rose and Sebastian.
Exploded.
Liquid everywhere.
All over their clothes.
Faces.
Hair.
The smell.
Rose froze.
Entire body went rigid.
Sebastian’s eye twitched.
Hand trembling on blade.
But they kept fighting.
Professional.
Leader distracted.
Looking at them.
Confused by smell.
Gagging.
Sebastian’s blade cut deep.
Rose’s cane smashed ribs.
CRACK.
Leader fell to knees.
Wings drooping.
Blood pooling.
Rose didn’t turn around.
Voice ice cold.
"Kid."
"When this is over."
"We’re having words."
Sebastian pulled out phone.
One hand.
Updated file.
[Trait 10: Friendly fire enabled]
[Recommendation: Stand 100 meters away minimum]
Put phone away.
Around battlefield—
Other cult members fell.
Enforcers finished them off.
Some killed.
Some captured.
Within minutes over.
Blonde man walked forward.
Tall.
Captain.
Golden insignia on chest.
Stopped in front of kneeling leader.
"Surrender."
"Tell us your plans."
"Where’s headquarters."
Leader coughed.
Blood dripping.
Didn’t answer.
On top of Slime—
Alex grinned.
"Yo!"
Started dancing.
Shaking his butt.
"Come bite me!"
"Come on!"
Wiggling.
Taunting.
Raven covered face.
"Alex..."
"We won!"
"Time to celebrate!"
Leader looked up.
Stared at Alex dancing.
Then smiled.
Wide smile.
Blood on teeth.
"Hahahaha..."
Quiet at first.
Then louder.
"HAHAHAHAHAHA!"
Everyone froze.
Captain frowned.
"What are you—"
"This?"
Leader coughed blood.
Still laughing.
"This is just the beginning!"
"Just the start!"
Then moved.
Fast.
Too fast.
Blood spurted from mouth.
Speed exploded.
WHOOSH!
Shot forward.
Toward array center.
"Stop him!"
Captain yelled.
Too late.
Leader already there.
Middle of glowing symbols.
Knelt down.
Blood dripping from wounds.
Onto ground.
Into array.
HISSSSS.
Purple-red light flared.
Brighter.
Much brighter.
Around island—
Other cult members started glowing.
Dead ones.
Captured ones.
Bodies melting.
Flesh turning to liquid.
Red and black.
Flowing across ground.
Toward array.
Toward leader.
"No!"
Captain ran forward.
Blood rivers reached leader first.
Crawled up his body.
Into wounds.
Into mouth.
His eyes.
Leader screamed.
In pain.
In ecstasy.
Body swelling.
Changing.
Island started shaking.
Small tremors.
Then stronger.
Trees swaying.
Ground cracking.
Array’s light grew brighter.
Blinding now.
"Captain!"
Enforcer shouted.
"What do we do?!"
Captain gritted teeth.
"All units!"
"Attack him!"
"Now!"
Contract beasts charged.
Lions.
Wolves.
Eagles.
All rushing leader.
Leader raised hand.
Pulled something from robe.
Black gemstone.
Size of fist.
Dark.
Swirling.
Wrong.
"You think..."
Coughed blood.
Laughing.
"You think I came unprepared?!"
Squeezed it.
CRACK!
Gemstone shattered.
Black smoke exploded out.
Wave after wave.
Washing over battlefield.
Every contract beast froze.
Then collapsed.
All of them.
Lions.
Wolves.
Eagles.
Ice Dragon.
Even 8-meter Slime.
All fell.
"Gulu..."
Pie’s voice weak.
Body shrinking.
8 meters.
6 meters.
4 meters.
Back to 1 meter.
Lying on ground.
Not moving.
"Pie!"
Alex jumped down.
Ran to it.
Grabbed it.
Shook it.
"Pie!"
"What’s wrong?!"
"Gulu..."
Barely a whisper.
Around him—
Enforcers stumbled.
Clutching chests.
Faces pale.
"My beast—"
"Can’t feel it—"
Contract spaces broken.
Connection severed.
Beasts too weak to stand.
Captain fell to one knee.
Golden lion beside him whimpering.
Looked at leader.
Face pale.
"That gem..."
Voice shook.
"The Fusionists gave him that..."
"We miscalculated."
Rose grabbed cane for support.
White fox lay limp at feet.
Sebastian’s blade clattered down.
Beast unconscious.
Raven slid off Ice Dragon.
Dragon collapsed behind her.
Eyes barely open.
"No..."
Crawled to it.
Hugged its head.
"No no no..."
"Ice Dragon..."
"Please..."
Dragon’s breathing shallow.
Barely there.
Leader stood in array center.
Body glowing.
Pulsing with stolen blood.
Array beneath blazing.
Light shooting into sky.
Island shook harder.
Cracks spreading.
Trees falling.
Rocks tumbling into water.
"Hahahaha..."
Leader threw head back.
Arms spread wide.
"Too late!"
"Too late!"
"Ritual complete!"
"And you..."
Looked at them.
All of them.
Lying on ground.
Weak.
Helpless.
"You can only watch!"
Array’s light intensified.
So bright it hurt.
Purple-red glow turned white.
Pure.
Burning.
Island trembled violently.
Water churning.
Waves crashing.
Without contract beasts—
Couldn’t run.
Couldn’t swim.
Couldn’t fly.
Even high-grade Beast Masters—
Greater physical strength.
But not enough.
Not enough to destroy that array.
Trapped on collapsing island.
Captain coughed.
Blood on lips.
Reached into coat.
Pulled out small device.
Blue crystal.
Glowing faintly.
"Everyone..."
Pressed button.
Crystal hummed.
"Listen to me."
Magic circle appeared beneath them.
Teleportation array.
Small.
Weak.
But there.
"This can send you off island."
Looked at team.
At Rose.
At Sebastian.
At Raven and Alex.
"But only you."
"Not me."
"Someone has to stay."
"Channel energy."
"Hold it stable."
Silence.
Then everyone shouting.
"Captain no!"
"There’s another way!"
"We can’t leave you!"
Captain shook head.
"This is the only way."
"Someone has to power it."
"Someone stays behind."
Smiled.
Tired.
Sad.
"I’m the captain."
"This is my duty."
"Now go."
"Before it’s too late."
Enforcers looked at each other.
Faces pale.
Eyes red.
But nodded.
Started moving toward circle.
Raven stood there.
Not moving.
Looking at Alex.
Expression blank.
Confused.
How did this happen?
This morning at school.
Normal day.
Alex joking around.
Making her laugh.
How did it turn into this?
And Alex said he had trump card.
He said he had something.
What trump card?
What could he have now?
Sebastian walked over.
Supported her arm.
"Miss Raven."
"We need to go."
Voice gentle.
But firm.
She looked at him.
"What about Alex?!"
Sebastian glanced at Alex.
"I can only carry one person right now."
"My beast is unconscious."
Pause.
"Come."
"Your father is waiting."
Raven’s eyes widened.
Tears forming.
"Alex..."
Alex stood there.
Holding Pie.
Slime barely breathing.
Weak.
Looked at it.
Then at captain.
Then at a glowing array.
At the laughing leader.
Put Pie back into the contract space.
Golden light.
Gone.
Then started walking.
Toward array.
Step by step.
"Hey!"
Enforcer grabbed his shoulder.
"What are you doing?!"
"Kid stop!"
"Without your beast—"
"Beast Master has no power!"
"You can’t do anything!"
"Don’t die for nothing!"
Alex didn’t answer.
Kept walking.
Eyes calm.
Options appeared.
Golden text.
Glowing.
[Option 1: Drink Teleportation Potion. Take Raven and escape.]
[Reward: Large spiritual energy]
[Option 2: Wait for captain to teleport everyone out.]
[Reward: Medium spiritual energy]
[Option 3: Use Explosion Potion! Show them—Art is an Explosion!]
[Reward: Potion package!]
[Title: This is art!]
[Effect: Explosion potion power +30%]
Alex stopped.
Five meters from array.
Five meters from leader.
Light blinding.
Ground shaking.
Reached into the pocket.
Pulled out small vial.
Red liquid inside.
Swirling.
Bubbling.
Label: Explosion Potion - Use with Caution.
Looked at it.
Then at the leader.
Then smiled.
"Yo."
The leader stopped laughing.
Looked at him.
"The fish loser?"
Sneered.
"What can you possibly—"
"You talk too much."
Alex pulled cork.
Tossed vial.
Straight into array.
Into white light.
Vial shattered.
Red liquid splashed.
For a second nothing.
Then—
BOOM!!!