Man #2 was executed in a similar fashion, but Man #3 seemed to be quite competent. He swiftly avoided the kick, twirling mid-air while swinging the pipe towards Arthur's cheek, attempting to knock him out.
Simultaneously, man #6 thrust his pipe forward, trying to shatter Arthur's spine. The crimson-eyed man simply yawned, taking a single step to the side at the perfect moment and allowing the two men to collide with each other.
Their screams were quite annoying.
"Is there no one here who can put up a fight?" Arthur's bored expressions served as a provocation, after which man #4 and man #5 rushed towards him rapidly, unleashing flame spells.
Arthur released a small burst of Sun Energy, immediately extinguishing the spells before roundhousing them within seconds. They fell to the ground while screaming their mother's name.
Once all nine men had been executed, Arthur approached Leonardo.
"It's just you and I, big boy," Arthur announced triumphantly, thumping his chest in pride. The crowd seemed shocked beyond belief, allowing the area to descend into a deathly silence, in which only Arthur spoke.
Leonardo gazed at the disfigured bodies of his comrades, many emotions raging through his mind at a terrifying pace. His face underwent several changes, and as a single tear trickled down his cheek, his fighting spirit rose to a surprising degree.
The urge to avenge his comrades clouded his judgment, preventing him from thinking of a logical solution.
Not that there was one, either way.
"You bastard!" Leonardo screamed, summoning a flaming snake that hovered above his head, threatening to strike the crimson-eyed man. Arthur smiled, placing his hands behind his back as he observed the snake grow.
Within seconds, the snake grew to a height of seven meters, and a width of four meters.
'That's one big snake,' Arthur muttered internally, raising an eyebrow. Considering the density of mana within the spell, it could probably decimate everything within a ten-meter radius. 'I can't allow that to happen.'
'But Sun Energy cannot be wasted for something like this.'
Arthur clicked his tongue, unsheathing Skofnung as he ignited his Sword Aura. As the flaming snake rushed towards him, Arthur simply sliced the spell in half, causing it to disintegrate within a matter of seconds.
Leonardo's face paled at the rather belated realization that he'd lost. With a jaw that had hit the floor, he attempted to grab the boy but was unsuccessful, as Skofnung promptly sliced his arm off.
"It was a great battle."
"Who am I kidding, it sucked ass."
"But, rest in peace."
Crush!
*
Once the battle concluded, the citizens–swallowing their saliva while experiencing a sense of suffocation–fled in fear, but refrained from making a single noise, so as to prevent risking their own life.
'These guys are well-trained to avoid the wrath of gang members,' Arthur muttered internally, gazing emotionlessly at Leonardo's corpse.
Ignoring the corpses littered across the ground, Arthur approached the boy. He had short, bright, amethyst hair, and a round pair of dark pupils that seemed to tremble as he observed the battlefield.
As his gaze fell upon Arthur, he shrunk, releasing a pitiful squeal of true fear.
"Are you okay?" Arthur quickly transformed into an innocent man, raising his eyebrows before widening his pupils and opening his lips to seem truly concerned about the boy's well-being. "I took care of those guys who were bullying you."
The boy shook violently, obviously traumatized by the sight before him. He extended an arm towards the corpses but halted.
"Here," Arthur muttered, placing his hand on the boy's head. A crimson aura spilled from his palm, engulfing the boy's body in a cocoon of pleasant energy. A distinct warmth spread across the boy's body, numbing the pain.
The boy's strained expression loosened, while his grim face brightened. "T–Thank you…"
"You're welcome, child," Arthur said, gently stroking the boy's hair. "It was only my duty as an elder brother to help someone in need. If you need any help in the future, don't forget to call my name, okay? It's Arthur."
Without awaiting a reaction, Arthur turned around and walked away.
"Wait! Brother Arthur!"
'Success,' Arthur celebrated internally, facing away from the boy while adopting a devilish smirk. 'Young people are always the easiest to trick. So naive, so gullible…'
"Yes, boy?" Arthur inquired, turning around while adopting a confused, innocent expression. "Is there something you'd like to say to me? Perhaps you've realized your misdoing of not inviting me to your home?"
"Ah… yes, of course," the boy replied, bowing. "I would be elated if elder brother were to visit. I'm sure my mother could make something delicious for my elder brother to feast upon. Here, come with me!"
The boy approached Arthur, interlocking his arm with the crimson-eyed man's. "I'm Matthew, by the way! I wish to thank you for your service."
Arthur gently ruffled Matthew's hair, smiling.
The two traversed across the town, quickly arriving at a shabby shack. The wood used to forge the shack seemed to be rotting, while an unknown plant seemed to be sprouting from the logs. A rotten odor emerged from the logs.
"I apologize for the smell," said Matthew, noticing Arthur's expression.
"Oh, it's fine," Arthur replied promptly. "I was just wondering why you live in such a place. You deserve much better."
Matthew giggled. "You're funny."
'That wasn't supposed to be a joke,' Arthur muttered internally, but refrained from voicing his thoughts. The shack was on the verge of shattering, with broken pieces of wood. Fragments of glasses surrounded it.
Bottles of beer were littered across the area, while the odor of urine and feces was distinct.
'People really treat this place as a dumpster. I believe Matthew rose in fame once his mother died. The burst of motivation brought him to discover his own capabilities, after which he finally grasped his own fate.
Matthew was one of the best Refinement Experts during Arthur's former life, and was allied with Heaven's Challengers, until the Great War.
'But he didn't betray me. It was purely a business relationship.'
