Lords II

A commanding voice sliced through the chaos, halting the Beast Lord mid-strike, his massive fist hovering inches from the trembling scout's face. "STOP."

HUFF… HUFF…

The scout clutched his chest, relief flooding through him like a tidal wave as he realized he'd escaped death by a hair's breadth. His partner, equally shaken, stood frozen, eyes wide with residual terror.

"WHY DID YOU STOP ME?" The Beast Lord whirled, his fierce gaze locking onto the figure who had dared intervene. His voice was a guttural roar, shaking the opulent room.

"He has something important to say," came the calm yet unyielding reply from another Lord, his tone cutting through the tension like a blade through silk.

The speaker stepped forward, his light skin catching the dim light filtering through the room's high windows. Standing at 6'2", he was clad in a sleek black overcoat, a sheathed sword dangling at his side. His dark hair was neatly pulled back, and his narrowed eyes glinted with a sharp, calculating intelligence.

To the kneeling scout, he was no ordinary man. "Blade Lord," the scout muttered, bowing his head in deference, his voice barely above a whisper.

"Mm, you said you have something important to share," the Blade Lord acknowledged, nodding with a hint of approval at the scout's respectful gesture. His composed demeanor stood in stark contrast to the Beast Lord's volatile energy.

"Y-Yes, we do," the scout stammered, his nerves fraying under the weight of the Lord's scrutiny. "I believe all the Lords need to hear this. I-It's an emergency!"

"All?" a third voice interjected, smooth and melodic, as its owner glided into the conversation. She was strikingly beautiful, her presence radiating an almost ethereal grace that belied her dangerous nature.

Tall and lithe, her long black hair cascaded down her back like a midnight waterfall, and her form-fitting dress, ending just above her thighs, blended elegance with a subtle, seductive edge. Those who underestimated her rarely lived to regret it. "Beauty Lord," the scout whispered, his gaze dropping further, as if her very presence demanded reverence.

"You heard him, right?" she called out to the others, ignoring the scout's awe with a casual flick of her wrist.

ZOOM!

"I'm here," a young man announced, materializing in a burst of crackling electricity. Sparks danced around his lean frame, his tracksuit slightly singed from his lightning-fast movement. His cheerful demeanor made him the most approachable of the Lords, earning him the title Speed Lord for his Lightning Movement ability. At 20, he was the youngest among them, his easy smile a stark contrast to the room's tension.

All eyes turned to the far corner of the room, where a disturbing scene unfolded.

"Haa… Haa… Haa…" The air was thick with the sounds of unrestrained passion, an awkward chaos that made the scouts' faces flush with embarrassment. A woman perched atop a man, her body glistening with sweat, her tangled hair falling in disarray.

A thick, white substance coated her skin, adding to the uncomfortable tension that filled the room. When she sensed the weight of the Lords' gazes, she froze, confusion flickering across her face. Glancing at the man beneath her, then at the intruders, her expression hardened. "Why are you here?" she demanded, her voice sharp with irritation.

The scouts averted their eyes, wary of inciting her wrath. She was the fifth Lord, known as the Poison Lord, with her ability to wield toxic mists as deadly as her temper.

Embarrassed by the strangers' intrusion, she glared at the man beneath her, her hand outstretched. A cloud of green smoke billowed from her palm. "No, no, please!" the man begged, his voice desperate, but her expression remained cold. The mist enveloped him, his skin turning a sickly green as he convulsed, his pleas fading into a lifeless rasp.

She stood, disgust etched on her face, hastily covering herself with a tattered cloth as she muttered irritably. Brushing past the corpse, she joined the other Lords, her presence adding a volatile edge to the gathering.

With all five Lords assembled, their attention returned to the scout still kneeling, his head bowed. "My Lords," he said, finally meeting their gazes, his voice steadier now, "I witnessed something while scouting with my partner."

"SAY IT ALREADY!" the Beast Lord growled, his patience fraying, his massive frame looming over the scout.

"O-Okay," the scout blurted, his words tumbling out in a rush. "We saw a multitude of different monsters gathering near the cafeteria."

"And?" the Blade Lord pressed, his tone sharp, suggesting the scout was wasting their time.

"T-They were all as powerful as that bear you faced the other day!"

BOOM!

The revelation hit like a shockwave, the Lords' eyes widening in unison. Even the guards at the door gasped, their skepticism shattered.

"ARE YOU SURE?" the Beast Lord demanded, his eyes nearly bulging from their sockets, his voice a mix of disbelief and dread.

"What else did you see?" the Blade Lord asked, his hand resting on the hilt of his sword, his composure barely masking his alarm.

"And… we saw a man kill them all."

BOOM!

The Lords' minds reeled, the weight of the scout's words sinking in. "WHAT?" the Poison Lord exclaimed, her voice laced with stunned disbelief.

"It's a lie. I hope you aren't fabricating this!" the Beauty Lord snapped, her frown deepening, her eyes narrowing with suspicion.

The others shivered at the implications. They had earned their titles as Lords by banding together to defeat the first Realm Bear, a monstrous creature that had nearly cost them their lives. The idea that a single man could annihilate a horde of such beasts was unthinkable.

"That's not all," the scout continued, his voice gaining strength despite the Lords' scrutiny. "The man is with a group, and they're moving in this direction."

"WHAT?"

"EHH?"

"HAA…"

"MMHM?"

The Lords' expressions shifted from fury to fear, their confidence shaken. The scouts wouldn't dare lie about something so grave, not when their lives hung in the balance. "THAT'S A LIE! HE'S LYING!" the Beast Lord roared, advancing on the scout with murderous intent.

"Who sent you?" one of the guards demanded, kneeling behind the scout, his face twisted with disbelief.

"T-They'll be here soon! I just came to report what I saw, I'm a scout!" the kneeling scout pleaded, his voice cracking.

The Blade Lord turned to the second scout, his eyes piercing. "Is this true?"

"IT IS TRUE, MY LORD!" the second scout echoed, his body trembling as he recalled the harrowing scene, a lone figure cutting through a sea of monsters with terrifying ease.

"Maybe they just saw something unusual," one of the guards muttered, pitying the scouts' predicament.

"Yes, there's no way that's possible," the second guard agreed, shaking his head.

The Blade Lord's mind churned, torn between doubt and the nagging possibility that the scouts spoke the truth. 'Perhaps it was an illusion,' he thought, glancing at the Beauty Lord, whose ability to weave deceptive visions was well-known.

But a deeper instinct urged him to consider the unthinkable. "Then we have to go and confront them," he declared, his voice resolute.

"YES, LET'S GO! I'M TIRED OF DOING NOTHING!" the Beast Lord shouted, his earlier rage giving way to a fierce determination.

The Speed Lord, Beauty Lord, and Poison Lord exchanged wary glances, their reluctance palpable, but they sighed in agreement. There was no turning back now. They exited the opulent room, questions flying as they strode down the corridor. "How many are they?" the Speed Lord asked, his voice tinged with curiosity.

"About thirty," the scout replied, hurrying to keep pace.

"Ha… we can take three times that number," the Poison Lord scoffed, her confidence returning as she adjusted her makeshift cover.

"Then I'll gather the rest," the Speed Lord said, vanishing in a flash of lightning to rally their forces.

Within minutes, they assembled outside the administrative building, a formidable group of nearly a hundred fighters.

Some clutched weapons scavenged from the ruins, makeshift blades, pipes, and system-granted artifacts, while others relied on their newly awakened abilities. The average level among them was a mere 2; their skills barely developed.

The Lords, however, were far stronger, hovering around level 17, with the Blade Lord at 18. Even he knew he couldn't face a Realm Bear alone, a fact that gnawed at his confidence as he considered the scout's report.

"We're going to confront some intruders and pursue them if necessary," the Blade Lord announced, standing before the assembled warriors. His speech, though riddled with uncertainties, sparked cheers and shouts of approval from the fighters, their morale bolstered by the presence of their leaders.

With renewed purpose, they set out, expecting a long march. But after just two minutes, they spotted a group of approximately thirty figures approaching from 200 meters away, their silhouettes stark against the smoldering ruins.

"Lords, that's him in the front!" one of the scouts cried, sprinting forward and pointing at Jon, who led the approaching party with a calm, almost eerie composure.

Jon's gaze met theirs across the distance, his eyes steady, unflinching. The air between the groups crackled with tension, the promise of confrontation looming like a gathering storm.