Chapter 45
HUMMMMM!
The mana orb in Berton's hand shone with a dense light.
At the same time...
A vicious smile twisted across his face.
"It's a waste, but this is where you're discarded, Theron."
However...
"..."
"...?"
Berton's eyes trembled.
Theron was still standing there.
Staring directly at him.
By now...
The boy should have been rolling across the floor, clutching his heart.
So...
Why was he perfectly fine?
"Why...?"
Berton urgently tightened his grip around the mana orb.
But before he could pour mana into it again...
Tap!
Theron shot forward.
"...!"
He disappeared from Berton's sight.
No.
It only looked as though he had disappeared.
Berton instinctively tried to retreat.
CRACK!
"Argh!"
Theron's wooden sword smashed into his wrist.
Berton's fingers opened.
The mana orb flew into the air.
"Ah!"
Berton's eyes desperately followed it.
But Theron kicked off the floor first.
Tap!
He caught the orb in midair.
Then slipped it inside his clothes.
"Y-You bastard!"
Berton screamed.
"What are you waiting for?!"
"Kill him!"
BANG!
The office door burst open.
Four Executioners waiting outside rushed in at once.
Shing!
Four swords were drawn simultaneously.
Unlike Theron's wooden sword...
Every one of them carried real steel.
Their movements showed they had already been prepared for this.
Theron slowly raised his wooden sword.
"Kill him!"
At Berton's shout...
The Executioners moved.
The first man's sword swept toward Theron's neck.
SWISH!
But the blade cut only air.
Executioners varied greatly in strength.
And these men...
Had spent years on this island without true combat.
None of them can use Aura.
Meaning...
Not one had reached Four-Star.
Theron continued avoiding their attacks while calmly measuring their abilities.
After barely ten swings...
His eyes turned cold.
Slip.
Wandering Wind carried him directly inside their attack lines.
"...!"
The Executioners' pupils shook.
No matter how talented...
Theron was still supposed to be only a trainee.
Yet somehow...
They had lost track of him.
And that was only the beginning.
THUD!
Theron's wooden sword smashed into the first man's throat.
"Ghuk!"
The Executioner grabbed his neck and collapsed.
At the same time...
Two others attacked from both sides.
One aimed for his shoulder.
The other for his waist.
"Die!"
"Die!"
The two men screamed as though desperately trying to give themselves courage.
But...
Theron could see every movement clearly.
The moment their feet touched the ground.
The direction their shoulders rotated.
Even the instant strength entered their sword hands.
Too simple.
Theron had already experienced hundreds of brutal battles in his previous life.
Compared to the swords of the powerful warriors he had fought then...
This doesn't even deserve to be called swordsmanship.
The principle of Wandering Wind spread from his feet through his entire body.
Slip.
Theron's figure blurred.
"Huh?"
The two swords crossed through empty air.
Between them...
CRACK!
Theron's wooden sword smashed into one Executioner's temple.
The man's head snapped sideways.
He crashed to the floor.
The other attacker hurriedly turned.
But...
Theron was already behind him.
THUD!
The wooden sword struck the back of his neck.
BOOM!
The third Executioner fell.
Only a few breaths had passed.
The final Executioner's face turned white.
"M-Monster..."
He unconsciously stepped backward.
Any desire to fight vanished.
The opponent in front of him...
Was not the twelve-year-old Special Trainee they had believed him to be.
"A-Aaaaah!"
The Executioner turned and ran for the door.
But...
Tap!
Wind whispered.
Theron appeared in front of him.
"Where are you going?"
"...!"
The man desperately swung.
Theron twisted aside.
Then struck his wrist.
CRACK!
"Aaagh!"
The sword fell from his hand.
Theron rotated his body.
THUD!
The wooden sword smashed upward into his jaw.
The Executioner flipped backward.
BOOM.
Silence filled the room.
Four men.
Four Executioners who had spent years watching and beating children to death on Hell Island...
Lay scattered across the floor after barely a few exchanges.
"..."
Berton could not speak.
Theron slowly turned toward him.
Berton flinched.
"You..."
His voice trembled.
"How..."
"How do you have this much power...?"
Theron did not answer.
Instead...
He picked up one of the fallen Executioners' swords.
Scrape.
The blade dragged lightly across the floor.
Berton stepped backward.
"T-Theron."
One step.
Theron approached.
"Wait."
Another.
"I raised you."
Theron stopped for a moment.
Berton mistook it for hesitation.
"Yes!"
He hurriedly continued.
"The only reason you became a Special Trainee was because of me!"
"If it weren't for me..."
"You would've died like all the others!"
"..."
"I valued you."
Berton's voice became desperate.
"I truly did."
"With your talent..."
"You can go much higher."
"I can help you."
"Money."
"Status."
"Anything you want..."
Then...
Theron finally spoke.
"You valued me?"
Berton's mouth closed.
"...Yes."
Theron's eyes became cold.
"Is that why you tried to discard me?"
"T-That was..."
Theron took another step.
"If I'm useful..."
"You value me."
Another.
"If I'm no longer useful..."
"You throw me away."
Another.
"That's what you call valuing someone?"
Berton's back struck the desk.
There was nowhere left to retreat.
"Theron."
His voice shook.
"Think carefully."
"If you kill me..."
"You're finished too."
His eyes widened.
"Do you think the Master will ignore this?"
Theron stared at him for a moment.
His expression almost looked thoughtful.
Seeing that...
A tiny smile appeared at the corner of Berton's mouth.
Of course.
In the end...
He was still a child afraid of the consequences.
At least...
That was what Berton thought.
Theron looked at him.
"I'll deal with that myself."
