CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE

In the aftermath of chaos, Rhonda's abrupt gesture to her left sparked a sense of urgency in the air. Her expression, tinged with surprise, prompted an immediate response from Shane, who swiftly leaped into action. As an onlooker, I observed a brief flurry of movement, which abruptly halted. Shane rose, clutching an unidentified individual by the head. Although their faces remained concealed, the familiar voice resonated within me, instantly recognizable.

"Didn't I instruct him to remain in place? When did he even arrive?" I murmured to myself, bewildered by the unexpected turn of events.

"Is he one of yours? Is he part of the Reinforcement?" Shane inquired. "I've never crossed paths with him," I replied, attempting to salvage the stranger's fate. Shane scrutinized his attire and then glanced back at mine; we were clad in similar sweater-like garments.

The tension escalated as Shane tightened his grip on the individual's head. "This means I have the liberty to eliminate him, correct? None of us can vouch for him. He's merely collateral damage," Shane remarked, his lips curving into a sinister smile. Struggling to maintain my composure, my mind raced with urgency. Without much contemplation, I lunged towards them, spurred by a sense of urgency. Yet, Rhonda's voice pierced through the chaos. "Absorption, then release!" she exclaimed.

Before I could reach my imperiled friend, minute liquid-like substances, sharp as needles, pierced my side. Swiftly, I erected a shield to deflect the ensuing barrage. "Where do you think you're going?" Rhonda queried, an eerie smile adorning her face. While the needles failed to penetrate deeply, resembling the sting of a bee, they drew blood. A direct hit with full force could inflict severe damage. Gradually, the needles dissipated, akin to ice melting away. "That's an impressive shield you possess. I'll be claiming that once we're through," Rhonda declared.

Amidst Tom's cries and Shane's maniacal laughter while exerting pressure on the captive's head, I grappled with the dilemma of aiding my friend without inadvertently directing an attack towards him. Perhaps a smaller, more controlled maneuver could be executed. However, time was a luxury I couldn't afford. Resolutely, I charged forward once more, navigating through Rhonda's assaults, deflecting and parrying her attacks. Upon reaching Tom, Shane callously hurled him in my direction before unleashing a rapid succession of three fiery projectiles. The world seemed to pause for a breathless moment, time momentarily suspended in the wake of the collision. The force of our bodies meeting the sturdy trunk reverberated through the air, sending echoes of agony rippling through every fiber of our beings.

Sharp, stabbing pain shot through my back as I bore the brunt of the impact. The breath was forcefully expelled from my lungs, leaving me momentarily breathless and disoriented. The tree's bark scraped against my skin, a cruel rasp that only added to the disorienting chaos of the moment.

The events unfolded in a chaotic blur, leaving me scrambling to shield Tom. Before I could react, the smoke dissipated, revealing Tom's charred clothes and seared flesh—his face, hands, and abdomen bore the cruel marks of fire. I reached for his pulse, but it eluded me, absent and silent.

"You imbecile," the venomous words spat from his lips. "I snapped his neck before tossing him your way. Weaklings have no place—mere pests to be eradicated. Just like that other one, donned in fur, who glimpsed me from the lofty branches. Easy prey."

The callousness of his words echoed in the air. Sam and Tom lay lifeless, the weight of death cradled in my arms for the first time. The sensation felt alien, unsettling—a whirlpool of conflicting emotions flooded my senses.

"I cannot... I don't..." I stuttered, grappling with the enormity of the moment.

"Kill, destroy, burn everything, rampage, chaos, carnage," the haunting repetition reverberated, drowning Shane's account of annihilating my community, his accomplice grinning callously nearby.

"Who said that!?" I demanded, but the chilling mantra persisted.

The words echoed in my mind, bouncing off every corner of my thoughts like a broken record. "Kill, destroy, burn everything, rampage, chaos, carnage." It was too much. I couldn't take it anymore. "Stop!" I shouted, and this crazy surge of energy burst out of me. It felt like pure rage and frustration exploding at once.

Everything around us went nuts. Trees were shaking like they were in a hurricane, rocks were flying up in the air, and the ground was quaking. It was like I was in the middle of a super-powered storm I couldn't control.

The air crackled with energy, like lightning was about to strike. The whole scene felt weirdly twisted, like reality was bending because of what I was feeling. 

As fast as it came, the crazy energy faded away. Everything was wrecked, messed up. It was like the power I unleashed wrecked the place. It showed the crazy force of my emotions, but it also left everything looking like a disaster zone.

With my head bowed, my voice trembled as I questioned, "What did you say?" 

Their laughter abruptly ceased, replaced by stunned silence. Their faces mirrored a mix of shock and disbelief, their mocking grins fading into wide-eyed astonishment. The abrupt halt of their derision was palpable in the air, as if my unleashed torrent had stripped away their bravado, leaving them exposed and vulnerable.

Their expressions shifted from mockery to a bewildered realization, their gazes darting between each other and the aftermath of the unleashed energy. It was as if they hadn't expected such an intense display of power, their arrogance shattered by the unforeseen might I had released.

The once-confident sneers transformed into gaping mouths, rendered speechless by the spectacle they had just witnessed. They seemed almost scared, their previous jeering replaced by a tense uncertainty, unsure of how to react to this unexpected demonstration of force.

In that precarious moment, Shane, exuding an air of insufferable confidence, began to shape his words, the smugness etched across his face like an insult to the very air around us. His impending speech, laden with his trademark smirk, became a spark to the simmering rage within me, an ember waiting to combust.

"I don't give a damn about—"

But the words vanished into thin air, swallowed by the thunderous collision between my fist and his jaw. The impact was a symphony of raw force, catapulting Shane through the forest with a terrifying velocity, his body careening across the woodland like a discarded puppet, crashing into the vibrant canvas of greenery nearly 50 meters distant.

Turning swiftly, I locked eyes with Rhonda, her expression a canvas of shock and surprise. Without a second thought, I summoned an immense fireball, the most substantial burst of fiery energy I had ever conjured. The searing sphere soared towards her with unstoppable force, exploding upon impact, unleashing a deafening blast that could rival the eruption of a small house. I couldn't discern if she managed to evade the inferno, nor did I bother to find out—my concern lay elsewhere. The commotion must have reverberated back to my village, setting off alarms of impending danger.

"That's what I'm talking about!" Shane's voice boomed amidst the chaos, defying the assumption that he was either deceased or incapacitated. Despite a few bruises and blood streaming from his nose, he stood resolute.

"Now, it's time to get serious, lad!" he declared, his words carrying a weight of impending confrontation. A rustling in the distance heralded an ominous presence. Leaves parted, unveiling a monstrous, spiked canine, reminiscent in size to the colossal beast I had vanquished moons ago.

"Rhonda, I know you're still kicking. Show yourself," Shane beckoned. Emerging cautiously, Rhonda bore minor burns, a testament to the power of my unleashed fury.

"If I hadn't moved fast enough, I might've been toast. I'm taking this guy seriously now. Let's settle this before the rest arrive," she asserted, her tone laced with urgency and resolve. The impending threat of impending danger hung thick in the air, urging us to act swiftly before the arrival of others added further complexity to our confrontation.

Amidst the chaos, I found myself locked in a relentless exchange with Shane, countering his brutal assaults while fending off his menacing dog. Meanwhile, I dodged Rhonda's relentless long-range attacks, turning the forest into a battleground of destruction and fury. The sheer intensity of our clash sent trees crashing down, punctuated by Shane's explosive fire attacks powered by his Nova Force. It was a struggle that pushed me to my limits, testing every ounce of my strength and skill.

Try as I might, I couldn't keep up. Each encounter left me with fresh wounds or slammed into unforgiving tree trunks, Shane's overwhelming strength leaving me reeling. But amidst the chaos, a breakthrough—my blade finally took down his fearsome dog. His fury soared, his façade of invincibility crumbling in the face of my small victory.

My defenses weakened, weapons lost, and body battered, I stood defenseless against Shane's overpowering grip. Both he and Rhonda bore the marks of our brutal fight, their bodies showing the toll of our confrontation.

"Any last words?" Shane's voice boomed, squeezing the life from my throat.

"I defeated six of your crew and that spiked mutt, seriously injuring two more. No regrets," I gasped, each word a struggle for air.

Shane's face twisted in disgust and fury, conjuring a blazing fireball in his hand. With no escape, I shut my eyes, bracing for the final blow—a defiant end to an unwavering fight.

"I see some things never change." The voice, a familiar echo from the past, sliced through the air with an unmistakable edge. With it came an ominous chill that seemed to seep into the very fabric of the atmosphere, freezing the air and crystallizing the ground beneath our feet. Each syllable carried a weight, a palpable coldness that lingered in the air long after the words had been spoken. 

As the figure stepped closer, the weather seemed to mirror his presence. With the Dark clouds already gathered in the sky, looming ominously above, and a cold wind picked up, whipping through the trees with an icy ferocity. The rain continued to fall, not in gentle droplets but as freezing shards that seemed to hang in the air for a moment before plummeting to the ground.

With each step of this individual, the temperature plummeted further. The ground around us frosted over, encasing blades of grass and fallen leaves in a delicate sheath of ice. Puddles formed on the forest floor turned into frozen mirrors, reflecting the grey sky above.

It was as if this person's very presence had invoked the wrath of nature, invoking an intense cold that permeated the surroundings. His chill abilities seemed to awaken in tandem with his arrival, casting a frigid cloak over the area, freezing everything in its 

"Hey, that's my buddy you're trying to take down." It was John, materializing at our side, clutching Shane's hand with a grip so forceful it compelled him to release me. While I scanned the chaos, Rhonda made a move, only to be swiftly sent flying by an unknown assailant, crashing into the ground amid reverberating crashes and booms. It was Sarah joining the fray, ''Come on Rome, I expect better than this." She said.

The sudden appearance of these familiar faces amidst the mayhem lent an unexpected turn to the battle. John's intervention broke Shane's hold, while Sarah's decisive blow against Rhonda jolted the battlefield, sending shock waves through our ongoing conflict.