heart piercing betrayal

'Swoosh Slash slash!'

With every movement Kodak made, the screech of a beast would follow with a thud. He'd long sheathed back the red sword, strapping it to his waist as he didn't need it to kill these savages. His flames were more than enough, so he relied on them solely in this fight, butchering the epic rank beasts in the most gruesome way possible.

"You bastards hurt Leona my wife!" Kodak yelled like a mad man, to a flock of about thirty blue owls in front. His eyes were much darker, as his sanity was slowly being replaced with rage and madness.

The owls seeing Kodak flapped their diamond like wings, vibrantly shooting out little feathered ice spikes at Kodak. Calmly walking forward, Kodak didn't bother to block or dodge the spikes approaching him. Just as the spikes were 3 meters from him, they suddenly melted into water falling to the floor.

There was a look of doubt and surprise flustered on the owls faces, as their attack had been countered. Kodak didn't use any flames or anything, but the heart emitting from him alone melted the spike.

Changing their course of attack, the owls then divided into three groups. Each group containing no less than 10owls. The first group of owls in Kodak front blasted ice mist at him, in attempt to freeze him. The second by the right flapped their wings, shooting hard sharp diamond spikes to him.

"I told myself I wouldn't kill innocent lives unless prompted to, but you bastards touched my wife backing my newborn child!" Kodak screamed, his veins on display bulging. The ice mist hit his body but he didn't turn into an ice statue like expected, instead he kept moving forward. The spikes were now upon him, but with a wave of his hand a huge line of fire shot out horizontally, disintegrating the spikes heading forward and shattering the owls.

"Oww owe!"

Like a command, the last group of owls by the left hardened their bodies like diamonds swooping down. Their bodies spinning rapidly with both their wings stretched out, like a ceiling fan rolling with precision.

Conjuring a flaming ball, Kodak threw it to the owls whom dodged as it crashed to the ground. The next second countless sparks of spitfire flames burst out, piercing the unlucky owls that got caught. The others that escaped prepared for another attack, simultaneously attacking him from all angles. but it didn't matter, as a dragon made of flames emerged from Kodak's body destroying them.

"Owww owww!" Sensing the danger from this human, the group of owls in front retreated but Kodak wasn't going to let them escape.

With lightning fast speed Kodak moved like blur, appearing mid air. using his hand, he burnt their wings making them fall to the floor. He then began ripping out their organs, piece by piece.

Unsatisfied, he moved on to the next set of beasts. using his brute strength and speed, to quickly annihilate the beasts that were unlucky to encounter him. In less than 10 minutes, Kodak had eradicated all the beasts that made their way to the village.

"K-kodak!" A woman shouted with glistening eyes hugging Kodak.

"Y-you returned.. I thought we we're goners." A male with a short purple dagger smiled bitterly, sniffing a bit. Looking at them, his eyes immediately became teary at their condition. Almost all the villagers he'd encountered while slaughtering the beasts were in terrible shape, with their body all bloodied.

"Why couldn't I have been here sooner." Kodak muttered. He blamed himself for the village predicament, as things would've taken a different outcome if he were to have been here.

"Mummy mummy! Please wake up, you promised you'd show me how to make mooncake buns." A small girl cried, shaking a woman on the floor laying in her own pool of blood.

"No~" Kodak uttered without strength, images of more scenarios like this repeating itself, except it was replaced with Leona and his baby. Shaking his head, he slowly made his way to her crouching down he tapped her head softly.

"B-big brother Kodak.. thank goodness you're here. I don't know what's wrong with mum, she won't answer me." She said, a glimmer of hope burning bright in her eyes seeing Kodak.

"S-she's just sleeping ming. Come, I brought some gifts for you." Kodak lied stretching his hand, but the girl refused sensing something was wrong.

"Then wake her up please. She promised to teach me how to make mooncake buns." The girl urged, tears streaming down her checks as she nudged Kodak.

"A-am sorry ming, but mummy has to sleep now." Kodak spoke in a low tone, his fists clenched tightly.

"No! C-can't you give her some life elixirs or anything.. y-you promised to protect us, how could you let this happen!" The little girl cried more, slamming her little hands to Kodak chest. It looked like a million nails were piercing his chest constantly, as the girl hit him.

"You're the messanger of the gods why did you abandon us, where were you?"

"Ming that's enough!" An older woman grabbed her arms, dragging her away.

"No! I-i have to stay with mummy!" she yelled, tears flowing like a river as she was dragged away.

"We're sorry for that Kodak, ming didn't mean that it's just that-"

"I understand." Kodak calmly said in a neutral expression getting up. "You all can rest now, I'll take care of the rest." With that Kodak disappeared from sight, leaving behind only a trail of wind.

'Weird.. I've never seen Kodak like that before.' The male villager thought, staring in the direction Kodak went. 'Something isn't right about his eyes.'

.....

'The legendary rank beasts are now stepping forward.' Elder Chang noticed, as he'd killed quite some few legendary rank beasts, but no matter how many he killed more would always replace them.

It had been over an hour now, since they'd been defending the village in the front lines. and though he was also on the legendary rank, he wasn't all invincible as his cultivation energy was almost depleted from the constant use.

"We can't stop now, we have to hold them back from reaching the village or it'll all be in vein!" Master gore shouted gripping the black sword tightly, beads of sweat dripping down from his forehead.

"Damn it these bastards don't give up do they." Darling snarled, piling up up her back with the others forming a circle defense line. She too along with babayaga had been killing beasts, as not only their cultivation energy was being depleted rapidly but also their stamina.

"It's like they keep on multiplying the more we kill." Babayaga frowned, firing off blasts of water to some beasts. They were outnumbered hundreds to a group of five, but they stood their ground refusing to back down.

"Don't loose hope we can still win this fight." A white light formed in front of the elders, with high elder valine protruding out. Stretching her hands out, beams of white light shot out in rays piercing the beasts skin. A considerable amount of them fell, but more quickly replaced charging forward.

Just when it seemed everything was bleak for them, the atmosphere suddenly rose to terrifying heights. A dragon born from flame appeared from nowhere, skillfully moving with speed devouring the beasts. Under less than a minute, all the legendary rank beasts had been killed by this dragon.

"No it can't be.. k-kodak." Valine said in shock, clearly recognizing that dragon as one of the skills Kodak used. And just like she'd predicted, Kodak could be seen calmly approaching their location.

"Kodak when did you get back from the important mission?" Elder Chang asked with disbelief.

"Yeah. aren't you meant to return in a months time or more?" Darling suspiciously asked, awkwardly staring at him.

"You're all a bunch of old fools. can't you give him some space, he literally just got back!" Babayaga backlashed at them, earning an eyeing from darling.

"Don't tell me you abandoned your mission just to come and help us boy. I didn't train you to be a weakling." Master gore scoffed, averting his gaze when in reality he was grateful.

"I didn't come back here for any of you but Leona, and my newborn child." Kodak coldly said, making them raise their brows in shock. Never for once had Kodak ever spoken to them in such manner, even on a bad day.

'Roar!!'

A much louder ear deafening roar pierced the air, making the ground vibrate. A huge collosal mammoth beast emerged from the forest, it's body a mixture of brown and black. Two gigantic tusks pointed forward, spelling danger for all that laid eyes on it. Judging from it's aura, one could tell it was a emperor rank beast.

"I don't know what's gotten into you Kodak.. but tend to Leona's need, we'll handle this beast." Valine said, but Kodak was nowhere to be seen.

'Boom boom!'

Two explosions occured followed, by the scorching hot waves of flames emitting in the air. Looking closer, they could see Kodak on top of the mammoth without a head.

"I-is it just me or did you guys also notice the god rank equipment in his clutch." Darling stuttered. Valine was about going out to meet Kodak, but the latter disappeared again.

"No no no.." Kodak raced picking up pace as he reached the village, the spot where he dropped Leona. He could see the high rank equipment he kept was destroyed, which further made his heart ache.

Entering, his eyes immediately befall on his wife laying in her pool of blood, a bittersweet smile lingered on her face. Dropping to his knees, Kodak felt the world go slow as mixed emotions assaulted him. Memories of the life he and Leona built together, flashing before his eyes.

"Hahahaha!" He started laughing like a madman, staring at his wife. Laughter soon turned to anger, which then turned to madness.

Looking up at the attacker who'd killed his wife, his face contorted into a frown staring in shock at the figure he clearly recognized.

"K-kira?" Kodak stuttered in shock, dumbfounded by the heart piercing betrayal.