Chương 164: The Last of Their Clans

Agnes reached Elion, Shigeru, and Firmin in the main corridor. Sven and Makena were with them, surrounded by dozens of newly freed slaves, still confused and trembling, but finally alive. Elion clung to Firmin's hand as if he were afraid to let go, terrified of losing him again. Though Firmin remained mute, his expression empty, there was a faint smile on his lips. Shigeru, meanwhile, rested one hand on the hilt of his sword and looked at Agnes.

"Girl, your friend with the two swords?"

"She's fighting their leader. She told me to leave…but that man…he's incredibly strong. I think…" She clenched her fists.

"I think he killed Ethan". Shigeru turned to the others.

"You keep freeing the slaves. I'm going to help her".

"I'm coming with you", Elion immediately replied. Shigeru placed both hands on his shoulders, stopping him.

"You're exhausted. You can barely stand. Besides, you're needed here. Everyone has to be freed, and there are still countless slaves". Elion lowered his gaze, his voice trembling.

"But it's dangerous. I want to fight alongside you".

"It'll be two against one. We'll manage".

"If something happened to you…I wouldn't know how to live". Shigeru smiled gently.

"That's not true. If something happened to me, you'd know how to live. Free, just as you always have been". He paused briefly before adding:"And besides…my defensive technique is impenetrable, remember?" Elion smiled through tear-filled eyes.

"Yeah. It is". They kissed on the lips before parting ways, each taking a different path. Ravetrisk slowly cracked his neck. Then he spun his sword with a sharp movement, and the blade suddenly became engulfed in flames. Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings. Felicity's eyes widened.

"First wood…then fire…you can control multiple elements of nature. Could you be from the…Clan Sezur?"

"I didn't think there was anyone left who remembered it".

"The Clan Sezur fell decades ago. You were either killed or enslaved…are you the last surviving member?" she asked, tightening her grip on her swords.

"I suppose. I don't really care". Felicity took a deep breath.

"I'm the only surviving member of the Clan Prinz". The statement was so absurd that Ravetrisk didn't believe her.

"Bullshit".

"You don't have to believe me. But it's true. I'm the girl the rumors said had survived".

"Even if that were true, why are you telling me? Are you going to feed me some bullshit about how we have something in common?"

"No. I'm telling you because suffering doesn't justify becoming the bastard leader of a group of slave traders".

"I'm simply a product of the system. I was created by the indifference of decent people who preach ideals of justice and peace, yet when they see a crying child tied to a post, they look the other way. They're the ones who made me this way. Why are they surprised now?"

"What happened to you was terrible, but using it as an excuse to hurt innocent people is pathetic".

"Innocent? None of them are innocent. They're all hypocrites and selfish. As long as it doesn't happen to them, they don't care about the other slaves".

"Or maybe they do care, but they're afraid to report it because of the consequences. Have you ever thought of that?" Ravetrisk bit his lip in anger.

"Cowardice is no excuse!" he shouted, lunging forward. His flaming sword came crashing down toward Felicity. She immediately felt the intense heat and leapt back, but Ravetrisk gave her no chance to recover. He began hurling flames at her, forcing her to move rapidly through the narrow underground corridors. It reminded Felicity of her first battle with Ethan, with one crucial difference: back then, she had far more room to evade the attacks. Even so, she managed to avoid the flames until she reached a dead end.

Ravetrisk pointed his sword at her and unleashed a massive wave of fire. Felicity had nowhere to dodge. She crossed both swords vertically and generated two blades of air, splitting the flames in two and sending them rushing past her on either side. But Ravetrisk was waiting for her in the center. He pointed his sword at her and unleashed another wave. This time, Felicity couldn't avoid it completely. The flames struck her face.

Her reflexes allowed her to escape the worst of the impact and prevented the fire from engulfing her, but the damage was still devastating. Part of her face was now almost unrecognizable. The flames had torn away part of her cheek and mouth, leaving the flesh exposed and the teeth completely visible. One eye was half-closed, while part of her scalp had been exposed, her hair burned away to the roots. Yet those wounds were almost nothing compared to the unbearable pain coursing through her body.

She struggled to remain standing, forcing herself to endure it. Ravetrisk smiled as he looked at her.

"Damn…now you really are disgusting. I'm feeling merciful. I'll kill you before you get the chance to see yourself in a mirror!" In a flash, Ravetrisk was upon her, his blade poised to decapitate her. Still disoriented, Felicity realized that she no longer had her swords. They had fallen several meters away. It was too late. She couldn't dodge. Suddenly, a figure stepped between them. Shigeru blocked the blade with unwavering strength. Ravetrisk stared at him in disgust.

"Worms just keep crawling out of the woodwork today…what a nuisance". Shigeru smiled confidently.

"Sorry, friend. I couldn't miss this". Felicity stared at him, her heart pounding violently in her chest. She had been certain she was about to die.

"If he hadn't intervened…I would have died. He would have defeated me".