Emperor Nero's expression turned condescending. He then slammed Baron's head onto the marble floor, blood splattering in every direction.
"Do you think I need an apology from you?" Nero sneered. "I don't need a sorry… I need useful tools."
"Disciplining again?" Cassius asked. "You should've called us… we do like to watch him struggle."
Nero turned his head toward the darkened corners of the throne room, further annoyed. He lifted his arm from Baron's head.
"To be hated by the gods… what a pitiful soul you are, Baron," Gaius said.
Baron lifted his head from the ground and turned to the side. Stepping out from the shadows were two men who looked nearly identical. They both had short, curly black hair, tanned white skin, freckles along their cheeks, and identical birthmarks resembling a downward-facing arrow on their upper right foreheads. The only distinguishing feature between them was their eyes. Cassius had green, while Gaius had red.
"Okus died nobly in the line of duty," Baron finally said, his lip quivering. His entire body ached. The dragon had wounded him badly.
"Okus was a weakling," Gaius scoffed.
"Not worthy of Lord Apollo's gifts," Cassius added with a smirk.
"HE WAS YOUR BROTHER!" Baron shouted. "Your little brother..."
His eyes were moist. Tears dripped onto the bloodstained marble floor.
"Get up," a stern voice commanded.
Baron looked up, his gaze meeting that of a towering man, larger than himself, staring down with a single lava-orange eye. At that moment, Baron felt small under his gaze. His dark brown hair, almost red, hung loose over the shoulders of his velvet military uniform. Baron looked down, ashamed of his pitiful state. A black boot struck him in the face, sending him flying backward.
"Are you deaf? Or have your legs stopped working?" Alexander demanded.
"I-I can't… Alex… I can't," Baron said weakly. The loss of his comrades, the death of the brother and sister he never had… it was too much. He had his chance and lost. It was as if his purpose had ended the moment he faced that boy.
Alexander's face softened, a barely visible smile gracing his lips.
"Alexander…" Nero's voice called.
The large man turned to the emperor, and the faint smile vanished.
"Kill Baron," Nero said swiftly.
Alexander's and Baron's eyes widened in shock. The larger man's face turned stoic, his emotions fading as quickly as the smile he had just worn. He pulled a golden helmet over his head, crimson markings adorning its surface. A row of red spikes ran down the center like a mohawk. Beneath the helm, only his lava-colored eye remained visible, glowing ominously.
"Understood," Alexander said.
Baron sat frozen, helpless. What could he possibly do in his condition? Even if he weren't injured, he would stand no chance against the son of Ares, the leader of the Emperor's Guard.
Alexander stepped forward, his velvet-red uniform shrouded in the throne room's shadows. He extended his right hand, summoning a long red battle axe. The double-sided blade glowed, illuminating the darkness. As he reached Baron, he pressed the axe's edge against his neck, drawing a thin line of blood. Not that it mattered.
"By my father's gift, I sorrow for ending you, Baron," Alexander said.
Raising the axe high above his head with one hand, he hesitated for a moment before bringing it down. His eyes were sad but dry.
"I used Master Bolt," Baron muttered.
"WAIT," Nero commanded.
The axe stopped mid-swing at the sound of the emperor's voice.
"Go on, Baron," Nero said, leaning forward on his throne.
"I used Master Bolt on a young soldier… and he survived," Baron revealed.
A heavy silence filled the throne room. Even the shadows seemed to freeze.
"How is that possible?" Alexander questioned.
"After I struck him, flames erupted from his body… but they didn't harm him. He even used flames when we clashed," Baron explained.
"How old did this boy look?" Nero asked, stroking his chin in thought.
"Very young… at least ten years old," Baron answered.
"Interesting… then the rumors are true. The Pharaoh has created a group of children with prime contracts," Nero murmured.
The shadows in the room shifted, reacting to his words with unease. Two figures emerged.
First was a beautiful woman with an hourglass figure, pale skin, and deep red wavy hair. Her light eyebrows framed ocean-blue eyes. She wore a pure black uniform. Beside her stood a man Baron feared, the second strongest after Alexander. He was enormous, towering over everyone present. His skin was even paler than the woman's, his abyss-black hair falling loosely down his back, with matching dark brows. His gray eyes were half-lidded, a spiral pattern swirling within the pupils. He too, wore a black uniform.
"Using children for war is heartless… it breaks my heart," the red-haired woman, Valerie, sighed, placing two delicate hands over her chest. She turned to the man beside her. "Calix…"
"Would someone truly be that evil… to use a ten-year-old child for war?" Calix mused, not addressing anyone in particular.
Nero regarded them with little interest. Once captured, he planned to use those children against their homeland.
"Valerie, Calix, the two of you will capture an Egyptian outpost. With our newfound knowledge, the Pharaoh will likely send those children, as they are more advanced than his regular soldiers," Nero ordered, leaving little room for refusal.
Valerie and Calix exchanged glances before slipping back into the shadows.
"Now then, Baron, what more can you tell us about the boy who survived your Master Bolt?" Nero asked.
Baron finally stood, clutching his larger wounds, leaving the smaller ones to bleed freely onto the floor.
"Apart from what I've already told you…" Baron hesitated, then looked toward Cassius and Gaius.
"He killed Okus and Selena… effortlessly."
Cassius and Gaius showed no reaction. As Baron expected, weakness had no place in the empire.
"I will inform Chloe that one of her students has died in battle," Alexander said, turning to leave. Cassius and Gaius followed.
Before they could exit, Nero's voice cut through the room, stopping everyone in their tracks.
"What was his name… the boy that survived?"
Baron turned, rage twisting his features. That boy, child or not, had to die.
"Magnolia."
…
"Magnolia!" Luna's voice rang out to him, sharp and urgent.
Startled, Magnolia jolted awake, leaping out of the medical bed at blinding speed.
"Did you just pass out?" Kibo asked, raising an eyebrow.
"I don't see why he would," Valentina remarked. "All of his wounds have already healed."
Magnolia moved to check himself, but as he rose, a wave of dizziness overtook him. He stumbled, nearly collapsing, but Poison caught him before he hit the ground.
"Yo, you good?" Poison asked.
"I… yeah. Yeah, I'm good," Magnolia muttered, pulling away from Poison's support. Without another word, he walked out of the room on his own. As he stepped into the hall, he spotted General Saijew approaching in a hurry.
"There you are, Magnolia. I see you're up and moving," the general said, his tone making it clear he was here for a reason.
Magnolia's gaze narrowed. "What do you want?"
Saijew stepped closer. "It seems you've forgotten who's in charge," he said coolly. "But I'll let it slide… for now."
The air between them grew tense.
"Lord Pharaoh and I need to speak with you about your fight with Baron," Saijew continued.
"Now?"
"Do not question the Pharaoh, boy."
Saijew grabbed Magnolia roughly, dragging him down the hall. He shoved him into the Pharaoh's chamber, nearly throwing him to the ground. Magnolia grunted from the impact but quickly steadied himself.
"Ah, there you are," Neitiqerty Siptah greeted, seated upon his throne. Rising from his seat, he strode toward Magnolia, eyes observing him closely.
"You're looking much better since Saijew brought you here. All your wounds have healed," the Pharaoh noted.
Magnolia met his gaze with impatience. "Just get to the point already."
A smirk flickered across Neitiqerty Siptah's lips. "Persistent, aren't you? Very well. Since you insist, I want you and General Saijew to tell me everything; what happened before and during Baron's attack."
Magnolia inhaled deeply before recounting the events. He described how his unit infiltrated the enemy base, eliminating every opponent they encountered. He mentioned the two unchancy posthumouss and how he had ordered the team to split up. Then, Baron arrived, attacking them in a frenzy after the fall of Selena, his accomplice.
"After Emma and I joined forces to take down Selena, Baron showed up. He attacked us in a rage and injured all but Emma," Magnolia said, his voice heavy with the memory.
General Saijew followed up, providing his perspective.
As they finished explaining, the chamber doors opened, and Sous, Abraham, Kibo, and Valentina entered. They knelt before the Pharaoh.
"We're here as you commanded," Sous announced as they rose to their feet.
Saijew turned toward the Pharaoh. "Sire, why are they here?"
"These children are here to inspect the aftermath of the base," Neitiqerty Siptah replied. His piercing gaze fell on Saijew. "You wouldn't mind opening a portal for them, would you?"
"Of course not," Saijew said, activating his artifact. A swirling portal manifested before them, leading to the now-destroyed base.
Without hesitation, the children stepped through, disappearing into the ruins. They began their search while the Pharaoh observed from a distance. After some time, he signaled that he had gathered all the information he needed and departed.
Saijew, however, remained. His eyes locked onto Magnolia.
"We're not wasting time," he said. "If you want any chance at survival, you need to be better. Follow me."
Without waiting for a response, he led Magnolia out of the chamber and into the training area. The space was barren but functional, with padded mats, dummies, and open ground for combat practice.
Saijew turned to face Magnolia. "Get ready. No powers, just you and your fists. If you can't use your contract, you're nothing but dead weight."
Magnolia clenched his fists. "Fine. Let's do this."