The Golden Time 2

Ron headed towards the village, knowing that Rapunzel awaited him. The atmosphere was eerily silent, with only the haunting sound of the wind cutting through the stillness.

Approaching the town hall, Ron spotted Rapunzel seated at the entrance, his presence oozing with malevolence.

"So, you've finally arrived," Rapunzel sneered.

"Unfortunately, yea," Ron coolly replied, his voice tinged with darkness.

After a brief silence, out of nowhere, Rapunzel bellowed, "Kill this bastard!" Suddenly, a dozen figures materialized around him, positioned menacingly near the building.

Judging by their power, it was clear they were formidable opponents, on par with Ron's third-class abilities.

"These people are different from the fools you've faced before," Rapunzel taunted, his voice dripping with malice.

Ron's crimson eyes glowed, his demonic aura reawakening as he cut his palm, "Well, let's see if they are any better."

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His horns and wings grew larger, and his arms sprouted blade-like fingers, shrouding his entire body in a sinister dark aura.

Witnessing Ron's transformation into his demonic form and his power increasing rapidly, Rapunzel panicked, shouting, "What are you waiting for? Cut off his head before he causes more trouble!"

Three assailants lunged at Ron with incredible speed, wielding Daggers infused with wind magic.

But before their blades could touch him, Ron vanished, reappearing behind them in an instant.

Empowered by his demonic form and augmented fourth-class magic, he unleashed a devastating assault.

Magic circles materialized behind the assailants, impaling them with icy spikes that snuffed out their lives in a gruesome display.

The remaining two adversaries resorted to launching arrows at Ron, but he swiftly countered by manipulating water and wind magic. Slowing down the projectiles, he deflected them with ease.

Utilizing his wind magic, Ron propelled himself into the air, swiftly closing the distance to the archers.

With a Nullium Dagger in hand, he skilfully decapitated each one before they could react, their lifeless bodies falling to the ground.

With Rapunzel's minions eliminated, only Ron and Rapunzel remained locked in a deadly confrontation.

As Ron approached, a sinking feeling weighed heavy in his chest when he noticed Rapunzel holding Ava captive, a dagger pressed against her delicate throat.

Ava's eyes pleaded for help, her muffled cries breaking Ron's heart.

"Leave her alone! Don't you have shame using a child as a shield," Ron's voice cracked with raw emotion, his anger seeping through his words.

A rush of desperation surged through Ron as he felt his demonic form fading, slipping into cooldown mode, leaving him vulnerable.

"Don't make a move, or this girl pays the price," Rapunzel sneered, tightening his grip on Ava, blood trickling from her neck.

Ron's mind raced, frantically searching for a solution to protect Ava and put an end to Rapunzel's life.

None of his magic could bridge the distance between them in his current state and the time was running out.

A surge of realization washed over Ron as he remembered a technique Gazelle had mentioned, a last resort in dire situations.

"Overclocking," Ron whispered, his voice trembling with determination.

{Overclocking involved pushing his body to the limits, unlocking an overwhelming surge of power at the risk of severe injuries or death.}

"Get on your knees and place your hands on the ground," shouted Rapunzel, the dagger's sharp end close to Ava's throat.

Rapunzel's voice seethed with anger and desperation, laced with a touch of fear. "You have no idea what you've just done, do you? All my blood, sweat, and tears will be for nothing if a single word slips out. And trust me, they won't think twice about chopping off my head."

Summoning every ounce of strength and courage, Ron unleashed every bit of magic he had into his legs, feeling the fiery heat course through his veins, fuelling his resolve.

"Please, don't let this be the end," Ron silently prayed, his heart pounding with a mix of fear and unwavering determination.

Rapunzel noticed the growing intensity of Ron's magic, the flicker of desperation in his eyes, and he tightened his grip on Ava's fragile throat, exerting more pressure, causing drops of blood to stain her delicate skin.

"Well, it's not like you will leave us alive either way," Ron's voice quivered with defiance as he pushed himself to the limit, his body trembling under the strain. Tears of blood welled up in his eyes, mingling with the sweat on his face.

With the dagger firmly in hand, Ron moved towards Rapunzel with lightning speed faster than he had ever moved before, trying to eliminate him before he could inflict further harm upon Ava.

However, in a cruel twist of fate, Rapunzel swiftly slashed Ava's throat before Ron's knife could find its mark. The sight paralyzed Ron, leaving him numb with shock and disbelief.

Rapunzel's throat emitted a choked gasp, his eyes widening in a tumultuous mix of shock and pain. Caught off guard by Ron's lightning-fast strike, he hadn't even see his opponent's movement.

A torrent of blood erupted from Rapunzel's wound as he staggered backward, killing him in that moment.

Bending down, he cradled Ava's lifeless body, his hands covered in her blood. Tears streamed down his face, his voice filled with anguish, "Damn it!" He desperately tried to apply pressure to her throat, attempting to stem the bleeding, but he could feel her pulse weakening with each passing second.

Ron's hands shook uncontrollably, his anguish mixing with the profound sorrow that enveloped him.

"Help me," Ava murmured, her voice barely a whisper as she held Ron's hand tightly, chocking in her own blood.

But despite his efforts, Ava slipped away, her eyes remaining open as life left her body.

The weight of the situation bore down on him, and his voice trembled as he whispered, "It's a joke..." The room seemed to close in around him, suffocating him with the reality of what had just transpired.

The sound of his own heartbeat echoed loudly in his ears, a painful reminder of the life that had been extinguished.

Grief, anger, and a profound sense of loss welled up within him, threatening to consume his fragile composure. With trembling hands, he gently closed Ava's eyes, an act both tender and heart-wrenching.

It was the first time he saw death with his own eyes.

His voice quivered as he muttered, "I... I couldn't save her. I couldn't save anyone." The weight of guilt settled upon his shoulders, heavy and suffocating. "Why was I even given a second chance? I didn't change a bit."

He carefully retrieved Ava's blood-stained necklace from around her neck, a precious gift given to her by Jason on her birthday.

With Ava's lifeless body in his arms, he stepped inside the town hall, his heart sinking as he witnessed the lifeless forms of Jason and Emily lying on the ground along with other villagers, blood staining the floor.

"Now I have something else to live for" said as he started a fire to the townhall clutching his arms onto the necklace and walked away without looking back.

.

Soon two figures materialized in front of the village, their presence exuded an air of power. One of them, adorned with long horns and four arms, expressed disdain, remarking, "The bastard couldn't even accomplish such a simple task of taking care of research pigs. Was he taken down by a light mage?"

The other figure, a woman with an elongated feminine body, four horns on her head, and elegant butterfly-like wings, analysed the situation with her keen perception. "No, I don't detect any traces of either light or dark magic. Based on the residual magic lingering from the troops body, it seems the perpetrator is a fifth-class mage."

A malevolent smirk spread across the horned figure's face as he declared with malicious intent, "Well can't take care of a weak fifth class, good thing he died or I would have killed him myself"

"I guess I'll just have to raze this entire place. We can't let anything interfere with our king's plan you know." Dark flames erupted from his arms, forming a swirling inferno that consumed the village, reducing it to nothing but ashes and charred remnants.

As their grim task reached its devastating conclusion, the figures abruptly vanished, their departure as enigmatic as their arrival.