13 Temporary Skill Name - Fly Swatter

An old man asked us if my parents were the Civil Corps, but his eyes narrowed and widened before recognizing Dad.

"You... You're Meltor?" The old man pointed at Dad and shakingly walked towards him.

Dad didn't look like he had to reply, and just gave a faint smile.

"Ah. Ahhh..." The old man started to wail and broke down in tears after confirming that Dad was really the one in front of him.

He then willingly told us what happened over the past few days.

There was a martial arts competition event on the plaza at the center of Illa, and all sorts of audiences, young and old, men and women, and even a few beasts, gathered all around.

The whole plaza was arranged in a way where it could seat around over a few hundred thousand people.

A stage that spanned about fifty meters was set up. It was surrounded by the recently constructed audience seats that were about five meters high so that the there would be no disturbances from either the competitors or the audiences.

It was the second day of the competition, and it meant that there were already a few people that got eliminated.

The day was clear, the first round of the first match was about to start, but even before the bell rang, suddenly a dark red circle suddenly grew to a scale of about third of the city.

A white dot could be seen from the center, and it slowly neared everyone's sight and noticed that it was a woman in a white robe with fitting inner garments.

Within the collection of men's notice and women's jealousy in the general area, it seemed that she was quite a beauty. Some people didn't react that much though. There were no partial transformations on any of her body parts, so it indicated that she was human.

But even though she got her fair share of good and bad recognition, a few people became alert, and some even ran away immediately. Within the various reactions the people had displayed, there was a mass confusion and panic, and the silence that covered the whole area disappeared.

There was one person that seemed to ask himself, 'why is she floating?'

The dark red circle above the city began to glow without delay, and then an uncountable number of flying beasts suddenly appeared.

"This cost me a lot, I hope I could get my money back."

After the floating woman said that, the flying beasts then started to dive and wreak havoc on the ground. A few that were fast enough to open the gates outside the area got lucky, only to be met with all sorts of ground beasts and... one could only imagine what would happen next.

The competitors for the martial arts competition tried to hold back a few of the flying beasts and even killed them. Some people were gravely injured and died on the spot too, but after the first wave of flying beasts got culled, another batch of them just appeared below the red circle.

There were 128 competitors yesterday but since half of them got eliminated and weren't interested anymore for today's battles, over half only remained.

There were a few Vates who tried to battle the woman and flew up after the flying beasts got fewer but they were forced to be entangled with the new batch of flying beasts and it didn't take very long before they got overwhelmed and perished in battle.

The people on Illa finally broke down after the final and 3rd wave of beasts appeared again from the dark red circle.

Only a few people with stronger abilities clearly escaped, evading attacks here and there, and even killing a few on the way. Seeing that, they tried to regroup and they got away safely outside the town. A few of the beasts saw that and gave pursuit.

Within the chaos, the old man that Dad was talking to cleverly hid under the stage and there were also a few other people with him that survived, but they got spotted in the end and still had to run away for their lives.

Not sure if he was just spared because of luck, or if because a wrinkly old man like him didn't really posed a threat to anyone at that moment and they lost interest in killing him. Or if his meat didn't taste good.

Having his life still with him, he tried to look for some place safe, and saw the borders of the town being razed by a large black panther as big as a building that glowed in green light with a lot of tails. All that reached the borders were either got stepped on, clawed and mangled, or ate up by the panther.

Not sure what to do and already gave up on escaping or hiding, he unknowingly got hit on the back of his head by something and he only woke up after everything was quiet... where everything was as he's seeing right now.

How he survived that ordeal was nothing short of a miracle, and he took it to his heart that he should probably check out on other people that might be still alive.

About Dad's family, they were located beyond the northern borders so he had no news of any sort.

Hearing about that, Dad's smile disappeared but he didn't look angry or sad. He looked like he was thinking about something and held his chin.

Later on we entered further into the city.

A few people were picking up items that were left intact with the aftermath. Some were carrying each other's stuff, some trying to help others as they go. It was the first time I've seen a disaster zone up close and personal. Only a few walls were left standing.

The old man only told his part of the story, but it seems a lot more happened compared to his tale. Even the Hamion Church and the Civil Corps buildings were stained a dirty black from the battle that occurred. The main buildings did survive but it was so quiet that it gave an eerie atmosphere.

Only the Merchant Union's main building was left a bit fine after all that, and all their other glamorous buildings got razed.

Seeing the three great factions' branches suffer like this was quite a shock even for me. Did they have no high level magic users that they had to experience calamity?

As we walk forward, piles of corpses lay on the side, and lined along even on the road came to view with their faces covered. I could even see other corpses that were still wet with blood, which probably meant they recently bled to death.

The reality of the situation made my Dad let out a bit of a confused expression.

Instead of being sad or angry, he was having this look that there was something not right, so keeping a look at Dad made me confused myself.

Maybe he's thinking of how or why did this happen?

***

If my family was implicated, it's reasonable. That Void Demoness has a grudge on me. She even went to Phione and tried to assassinate me, but I luckily got away.

But why the whole town? To destroy my hometown? Destroy the economy? The lives of people?

Impossible.

These things are not enough for a reason to almost completely flat the whole place. They even had a lot of high leveled beasts which even revoked their human form.

With a horde that large.. it's as if they wanted the place, but not inhabit it.

Even the Beast God's people weren't spared, so it doesn't seem they were included in this plan.

Unless.....

This was probably a distraction, and a part of a plan to just raze the other town.

They'll probably begin to move towards Phione in a large scale attack, surrounding, and claiming it for themselves.

With the three demons, it seems possible. One of them has a large scale teleportation ability that would make it possible.

They mobilized to move right away after eating humans to replenish energy, and left a few ones that are just cannon fodder, or some scouts to let them know if there were still leftover combatants.

But there should still be someone overlooking this place if that's the case...

***

"Come out here, show yourself!'

Dad suddenly shouted out of the blue, and all of the people looked at his direction.

He then took his long dagger and wielded it as if preparing for battle, and it glowed with a blue sheen.

"As expected of the fastest swordsman of the West Region, you have my respect!"

A voice that reverberated the whole place resounded and echoed, akin to that of when I first met grandmaster.

Most of the people shivered in fear and were forcibly put to kneel on fours on the ground; they seem to be in some sort of pressure.

Even mom was suppressed and had difficulty standing.

Wait... Fastest swordsman!?

Dad is? I knew it!

Before I could rejoice in this fact, all the people that were affected by the pressure fainted one by one, and only a few that were conscious still managed yet still have to resist the pressure.

How do they do that by the way?

Maybe force their power outside the body for others to experience?

A man formed out of thin air above in front of us, and he looked like he was looking down at pests with a slight frown on his face. He wore white robes similar to the woman that ganked the Grandmaster when I was still with Three. He has two glowing red orbs floating on each side of his shoulder, and the way of his talking gets me on my nerves. Under his robes he wore a glinting red armor that covered his whole body.

"I also expect you to know that you know me, and that you can't defeat me."

With those words, I saw Dad slightly frown and I felt uneasy for him.

After that, the man slowly floated down while staring at dad. he didn't even seemed to pay attention to Mom and me.

Seeing that made me angry, and I somehow wanted to try and pressure him too...

I tried to summon Origin, and just a few loads of it just to see what will happen, but in trying to do that I was instead surrounded by an azure layer of light.

Did I somehow form a barrier?

I tried to push it out more, and I saw everyone within three meters of me also get pushed out, even my parents and the old man that were nearby.

Crap... this makes me some kind of early birthday party giveaway...

"A child? Vates? Civil corps? But your aura's different. No matter, you'll all die anyway."

He doesn't seem any more scarier than Virol did so I wasn't really fazed by his presence, but seeing him wanting for us to die makes me rather awfully irritated.

If I could just somehow swat him like a fly, I'll be having a laugh.

I charged my Origin within seconds, trying to hold back, and also hid it behind my back

I'm sure it will glow but not as much as how it used to be from earlier.

I don't dare underestimate him too, as he's confident of beating my dad and doesn't even know that he's still injured.

Slowly, I projected an image of a solid fly swatter in my imagination, the green plastic one that I use to even hit a few of my orphaned brothers and sisters, the one that hurts and splats flies to paste.

I could feel the handle, then the rest of it extended long and thin enough for him to not notice.

Dad seemed to see what I was doing so he started to talk to the guy to stall a bit of time.

I just realized that the longer the form I make, the slower it's crafted towards the end... I guess this is enough for now.

As if in sync, Dad and I looked at each others' eyes and communicated.

I held the Origin fly swatter in my hand, and gripped it tightly, before saying...

"Aiih, do fly swatters exist here?"

"Ha?"

Without warning and with all of my speed, I swung the Origin fly swatter in a 180 degree from my behind to my front.

Seeing my seemingly unsurprising movement of attack, the man prepared to brace himself, and then retracted his position as if underestimating my speed and swing.

He just stood there and stared at the incoming swat and...

*grglk*

Dust dispersed on the impact.

The sound of a few bones briefly breaking echoed from where he was, followed by a fierce scream of anguish---

"Gyaaaaaaaakkkhhhh!!! Youuuu braaaaaat!!! I'll skin you... aliiiiive!!"

"That did much damage?" Mom commented on the side with a puzzled and a schocked expression

"Good boy. Now let Dad do the leftover work."

Before the last word was spoken, Dad was already over the distance, and I saw him kick the man, making him fly over at least tens meters before rolling on the ground, stopping as his face kissed the ground.

With a strange position, he looked funny for a moment before Dad stabbed his head with a glow of his dagger. The man's corpse disappeared into dust, leaving only his equipment.

The battle ended just like that.

Everyone is saved I guess?

"Dad's kick didn't even break a bone but you did. Freak. I'm proud of you though!"

Mom let out a few bouts of laughter before stopping and slapped me on the cheek lightly, then she lightly whispered near my ear.

"Didn't we told you to keep your powers for now?"

"Now, it was definitely bad, but if he hadn't helped I think we might have been finished."

"I know, but still..." Mom pouted towards Dad and then glanced at me and continued, "What was that you used earlier? It wasn't any weapon I've seen before."

"A fly swatter."

"Swatter?" Both replied in unison.

"Couldn't you just clap them to death?"

Yuck. Really? Mom why? Mosquitoes could be clapped but flies?

"That's quite an invention though. Pisa, a lot of people can't really just clap flies to death, and seeing how it has small holes, it looked like it was meant to reduce the air to stealthily kill the fly."

"You mean, there's nothing like it yet?" I asked.

Both of them looked at me at the same time and nodded.

Should I make fly swatters and sell them? I know it wouldn't sell like hotcakes though.

*cough*

The old man at the side stopped our train of thoughts and we somehow got back to the issue in hand.

After discussing a few things with the old man, we picked up the equipment that was left by the man that vanished. Then Dad told him that he has to check up on his relatives, so we parted with him after giving our regards and went away with Dad on the lead.

It seems his mind cleared already.

Mom was quiet the whole time we were walking over the town, and she hasn't said much. It looks like Dad is preparing for bad news.