A meaningless fight

In the dim light of the crumbling rooftop, tension crackled like a physical force. Orion, a master of gravitational manipulation, stood with a faint smirk as he watched his prey slip through his fingers. Irritation flickered across his face as he concentrated, bending the very fabric of space to increase the gravitational intensity around the knights.

"Arrrghh.." The groans of exertion echoed as the knights struggled against the oppressive force.

"Is this a vertical gravity field?!" one of them exclaimed, voice tinged with astonishment and disbelief. Their bodies bowed under the immense pressure, knees hitting the stone-tiled roof with a thud, causing it to fracture and collapse into a chaotic mess of debris.

"Quickly, Galen! Use teleportation magic! Place us directly in front of that man!" commanded Lady Elara, her voice a beacon of authority amidst the chaos.

"Un-understood, Lady Elara!" Galen, a knight with brown hair and a face etched with strain, responded promptly. His concentration was tangible as he cast the teleportation spell, locking onto each target with precision.

In the blink of an eye, the knights materialized before Orion, their sudden presence a testament to their magical prowess. Two knights, without hesitation, launched a coordinated assault, their movements synchronized like a deadly dance.

A burly knight with a prominent scar across his forehead took the lead, channeling mana into his hand. A vortex of wind swirled into existence at his command, and with a forceful gesture, he sent a tornado of slicing winds hurtling towards Orion.

Simultaneously, a red-haired knightess gathered fiery mana within her core. She exhaled with a dragon's ferocity, releasing a torrent of flames that intertwined seamlessly with the wind, transforming the tornado into a blazing inferno.

The fiery vortex roared towards Orion with the fury of a storm, inflicting burns that seared his flesh. "Arrggh... it hurts so much!!" His scream echoed, a visceral testament to the pain.

From afar, Alice, Orion's loyal ally, witnessed the assault on her master. Rage ignited within her, propelling her forward like a comet, her path marked by trails of white-hot fire. "How dare you hurt my master!!" she cried, her voice a clarion call of vengeance.

Her fists, swift and powerful, struck the red-haired knightess with devastating force. "Uhook..." The knightess spat blood, her body hurtling backward, slamming into the manor walls with a resounding crash. White flames consumed her, leaving her unconscious and gravely injured.

"""Lyra!!""" The anguished cries of her comrades filled the air as they turned to her motionless form.

Alice paid no heed to their distress, her focus solely on Orion. She landed beside him, channeling microscopic healing flames to mend his wounds.

Orion, however, stopped her with a gentle touch. "It's okay, Alice. That was just a small game. It's been a long time since I've felt pain like this." His voice was calm, almost joyful, as he rose to his feet, his Aura of Healing knitting his flesh back together with astonishing speed.

'Ehhh... Master's wounds healed just like that!!?' Alice marveled, her mind reeling at the sight of his rapid recovery.

Across the battlefield, some knights tended to their fallen comrade while others, wary and watchful, kept their eyes fixed on Orion.

Lady Elara, observing him with a mixture of awe and suspicion, voiced the question that burned in everyone's minds. "What are you exactly!? How can you regenerate so quickly when your wounds were so fatal!?"

Orion chuckled softly, the sound carrying a hint of amusement. "That was quite an impressive attack. It's been a long time since I've felt pain!!" His muscles relaxed as he stretched, embodying a man who relished the thrill of combat.

"Master, let me handle some of them!" Alice's voice cut through the air, her expression grim and her aura crackling with power.

White flames enveloped her, an aura of intimidation radiating from her form. 'White fire magic, huh? Impressive!! It seems there's no ordinary person in the Solaria family,' Orion mused, intrigued by her display.

"This is going to be troublesome!" Elara muttered, her brow furrowed with concern.

Orion placed a reassuring hand on Alice's shoulder. "Alice, I will handle this one. You go and deal with the others over there." His tone was gentle, yet commanding, as he nodded towards the knights tending to Lyra.

Alice nodded in acknowledgment. "I understand, Master." Her steps were deliberate as she moved towards her targets.

Elara, unwilling to let Alice proceed unchecked, launched a swift attack. Her finger pointed at Alice, a spear of titanium forming at its tip. "Titanium Spears!!" she cried, sending the projectile hurtling towards Alice with lethal intent.

But Alice remained unfazed. "How unwise of you to attack me with titanium-based projectiles!" she scoffed, her tone dismissive. She mimicked a pistol with her hand and fired white fire bullets, melting the titanium into molten metal upon contact.

"Good job, Alice. Now, let me handle them," Orion said, his confidence unshaken.

Alice complied, turning her attention to the remaining knights. Elara, determined to protect her comrades, moved to pursue her, but Orion intervened. He swung his sword, creating a vertical gravitational slash that split the earth, barring her path.

"What is this!?"

"The ground is split!!"

"Damn, lucky the captain stopped just in time. Otherwise, she would have been seriously injured!!" The panic in the knights' voices was palpable as they surveyed the destruction.

'What on earth was that!!!' Elara's thoughts screamed as she eyed Orion warily.

"You shall not cross this line if you don't want to die quickly. Now, show me all the power you have. I'm curious to see how strong you really are!!" Orion's voice dripped with condescension, his expression taunting.

The provocation spurred the knights into action. They rallied their strength, preparing to unleash their might against Orion.

Orion grinned, a predatory gleam in his eyes. His Aura of Enhancing surged, his movements accelerated by Speed Surge. In mere milliseconds, he was among them, his sword a blur as he executed a horizontal slash infused with Destructive Force.

Dark purple energy trailed the blade, and in a heartbeat, five knights fell, their heads severed, blood fountaining in a grisly display. Orion swung his sword to clear it of gore, his expression one of disdain.

"Disappointing, I thought they could last longer. But they died just like that," he sighed, his voice laden with dissatisfaction.

"Curse you, damn monster!!!" Elara's shout was raw with hatred and grief.

In desperation, she invoked "Silver Mirage," scattering silver particles that coalesced into lifelike illusions. Shadowy clones and fearsome beasts filled the battlefield, sowing confusion and chaos.

"Oh... what is this? Why does everything look so real?" Orion's voice was tinged with bewilderment as he surveyed the illusory landscape.

While Orion grappled with the illusions, Elara prepared her next assault. She crafted a tungsten sword and levitated thousands of steel spikes above him, her metal telekinesis holding them aloft.

Her preparations complete, Elara unleashed her attack. "Mercury Wave," she intoned, a torrent of liquid mercury spewing from her mouth. The wave surged towards Orion, a lethal force capable of poisoning and paralyzing its victims.

Elara's lips curled into a satisfied smile, confident in her victory. But her hopes were dashed as Orion shattered her illusions and countered her attack.

"Gravity Well!" he declared, summoning a gravitational vortex that swallowed the mercury wave, neutralizing its threat. The vortex gouged a deep crater in the earth as it drew everything into its depths.

Elara, undeterred, launched the steel spikes. But Orion, ever vigilant, created a smaller gravitational well in his palm, directing it upwards to intercept the attack. The spikes disintegrated upon contact, reduced to atoms by the intense gravitational force.

"W-what is that!!?" Elara's voice quivered with disbelief as her assault crumbled.

Orion, sensing her vulnerability, mobilized the gravitational well to draw her in. "Hey, why don't you just surrender? I don't really enjoy making things difficult for a woman," he suggested, his tone casual yet commanding.

Exhausted and outmatched, Elara nodded reluctantly. "Alright, I understand. Just please stop that strange gravitational vortex."

Orion deactivated the well, satisfaction evident in his gaze. He teleported beside Elara, his demeanor shifting to one of curiosity. "So, why did you attack us right away? Are you knights sent by a particular group?"

"We are knights of 'The Order of the Silver Dragon,' commanded directly by the president. Our mission is to protect the patriarch of the ancient Riverstone sorcerer family, who is at risk of dying because of you," Elara explained, frustration coloring her words.

"Since when did I become the root of a problem? It was that fool's son who started trouble with me!" Orion retorted, irritation flaring.

"But this isn't the way to handle it. By disrupting the stability of an ancient sorcerer family, you'll be considered an enemy by the entire nation!" Elara warned, her voice a blend of caution and urgency.

"Ah... it seems the situation is more complicated than I thought. Maybe I need to eliminate the Riverstone family first to prevent future issues," Orion mused, contemplating an extreme solution.

"I-I won't let you destroy my family that has existed for tens of thousands of years!" A familiar voice rang out, filled with defiance.

Randy, the patriarch of Riverstone, emerged from the shadows, his form altered by a Bestial Transformation. He stood as a terrifying hybrid of man and Cerberus, his body covered in black fur, claws poised for battle.

"What kind of appearance is that?" Orion asked, intrigued by the transformation.

"That is the Bestial Transformation, a power that only the most skilled sorcerers can use," Elara explained, her brow knitted in concern.

Randy, unperturbed by their scrutiny, prepared to unleash his wrath. "Inferno Breath!" he roared, the three heads of the Cerberus spewing flames that converged into a massive conflagration.

Orion, unfazed, tossed pebbles into the air, using Aura of Transposition to swap places with them. In an instant, he and Elara were airborne, watching the flames pass harmlessly beneath them.

"Why did you save me? I'm your enemy, you know. Besides, I still hate bastards like you who killed my comrades," Elara accused, her voice filled with conflicting emotions.

"It's their fault for being too weak. I'm interested in you, so I won't let you die just like that," Orion replied, his smile mischievous.

Ignoring her reaction, Orion surged towards Randy, delivering a powerful kick that sent the patriarch reeling. Undeterred, Randy retaliated, unleashing fiery slashes with his claws.

Orion met the attack with a high-speed energy slash, dispersing the flames with ease. Randy, realizing the threat, erected a wall of fire to slow the onslaught.

The arc-shaped energy slash collided with Randy's defenses, triggering an explosion that rocked the battlefield. "What the hell is that!?" Randy exclaimed, eyes wide with disbelief.

Orion, relentless in his pursuit, activated the Aura of Enhancing and closed the distance, driving his sword into Randy's eye.

"Arrgggghhhhh... it hurts!!!" Randy's scream was raw and primal, his body convulsing under the assault.

Orion held firm, infusing his sword with gravitational energy to drive it deeper. "Take this!!!" he declared, his voice a triumphant roar.

Randy's body trembled as shockwaves rippled through him, distorting his form. Blood poured from his wounds, his consciousness slipping away.

Orion intensified the shockwaves, Randy's body reaching its limit. With a final, violent surge, Randy exploded, a spray of blood and viscera marking the end of the battle.

Orion shielded himself from the gruesome aftermath, pondering the regenerative abilities of the Cerberus. "Now I'm curious if, under these conditions, the Cerberus can still regenerate its entire body," he mused, his curiosity piqued by the mystery of life and death.