With Excalibur now in hand, Xavier locked eyes with the man before him. The tension in the air crackled like thunder waiting to strike.
Then came a voice—playful, mocking, and utterly out of place. "Oh, forgive me! I haven't told you my name yet. How rude of me. Forgive me, oh dear prince."
The man bowed dramatically, a sinister grin playing at his lips. "Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Nigel. But you can call me 'Ashfang'—a name my comrades gave me for the sheer number of people I've sent to their graves."
Xavier remained stone-faced. His voice was calm, almost cold. "Stop wasting my time. If all you're going to do is talk."
Ashfang tilted his head in amusement. "Oh my! That's not very Xavier of you. Did something crawl under your skin, little prince?"
But Xavier wasn't here for games.
He shot forward in a blur, Excalibur glowing with intensity as he brought the blade upward in a fierce arc. Ashfang barely managed to sidestep—but a thin red line bloomed across his chest.
"Stronger than I imagined," Ashfang muttered, genuinely surprised. Then, his expression twisted into something wild. Unstable.
"Then allow me to entertain you properly!"
A swirling cloud of smoke coalesced in his hand, forming a wicked blade. Without hesitation, Ashfang lunged, the clash of metal ringing through the air. Xavier parried and countered, launching vector-enhanced slashes and bullets. Ashfang danced through them with ease.
"Too slow," he sneered.
Unfazed, Xavier extended his hand. "Astral Sovereignty: Oblivion Grip."
Gravity itself seemed to warp around Ashfang as a colossal hand of shimmering force emerged, seizing him. Xavier clenched his fist, and the hand flung Ashfang into the walls like a ragdoll.
Before Ashfang could recover, Xavier sent a wave of ethereal energy from Excalibur, shattering the ground in its path. But just before impact, Ashfang dissolved into smoke.
Xavier narrowed his eyes. "Where'd he go...?"
He didn't have time to answer his own question. Ashfang reappeared in a flash, driving a brutal punch into Xavier's gut. The force of it sent him flying, coughing violently.
Ashfang approached slowly, arms spread wide, an arrogant grin on his face. "Clever boy. Skilled too. But tricks won't save you."
He dashed again. Xavier barely managed to raise Excalibur in time, the force of Ashfang's strike slicing into his shoulder and neck despite the block.
Xavier grimaced, staggering. He struck back, aiming for Ashfang's abdomen—but the man vanished into smoke, which rapidly enveloped Xavier.
He coughed. Then choked. Blood dripped from his mouth, eyes, and ears.
Poison.
"Xavier!" Teslaine screamed, helpless.
Gritting his teeth, Xavier pushed through the agony. He swung wildly, Excalibur carving through the haze. The poisonous smog finally dissipated, but Xavier dropped to his knees, breath ragged.
Ashfang reappeared, laughing. "What you inhaled was my poisonous smoke—my power."
He leaned in, eyes sharp. "Funny thing about your Vector Shield. It protects against what comes at you. Not what comes in. Poison, vision, respiration... all bypass it just like He stated. Guess it's not so invincible, huh?"
Xavier clutched his throat, his mind racing. Who is this man talking about? How does he know so much about me... about my powers?
He exhaled shakily. Just how much worse can this get...
And then—
A frail figure, barely more than skin and bone, crawled out of the dungeon shadows. A prisoner. Starved, tortured, desperate.
"Please... release me... and my family... We've given you everything... please..."
Ashfang's smile faded. He snarled, kicking the man back like garbage. "How dare you interrupt me? Who gave you the right to make demands?"
Blade raised, he prepared to strike the prisoner down.
"Stop it!" Xavier's voice rang out like thunder.
Vector energy surged around him as he rocketed forward. In an instant, he stood between Ashfang and the prisoner—Excalibur in both hands.
With a single slash, Xavier severed Ashfang's hand.
"You damned brat!" Ashfang hissed, vanishing into smoke again.
Xavier shielded the prisoner, trying to steady his breath. But Ashfang reappeared behind him, sword raised.
Xavier activated his Vector Shield just in time.
The impact roared, energy crackling as Ashfang's blade was reflected back, sending him crashing into rubble.
Xavier collapsed to one knee, blood pouring from his mouth. His shield had held... but it was breaking.
And so was he.
I can only use my vector shield for another two minutes before it's gone for the next twenty-four hours, Xavier thought to himself. I have to end this before Anastasia arrives.
From across the field of battle, Ashfang rose to his feet, bloodied and battered from his own attack. His gaze fell to the remnants of his shattered sword, destroyed by the sheer power of Xavier's vector shield.
He let out a breathless, unhinged laugh—guttural and raw. "Yes, Xavier! Yes! More of this! I haven't had a real fight in so long. The rest of them—trash. Puny ants who died the moment I breathed on them. But you... you're different!"
His aura exploded around him like a beast set loose, dark and violent, veins bulging with fervor. "Come at me, Xavier! Let's finish this!"
Xavier didn't flinch. He summoned his aura in kind, blue energy spiraling around him, colliding with Ashfang's in the space between. As the power surged, he turned briefly to look behind—at Teslaine and the others huddled behind his barrier.
They're safe, he thought with relief. That's all that matters.
He rose, slowly stepping toward Ashfang with unwavering resolve. Reaching out, he called Excalibur back to him. The blade spun through the air and landed neatly in his grip.
"You wanted to end this," Xavier said, voice calm and cold as he slowly removed his white fang-mask. "Then let me grant your wish."
Ashfang grinned madly. "That's the spirit!"
They both launched forward at blinding speed, their auras detonating as they met in the middle. Xavier slashed, but Ashfang dodged with practiced ease, taunting him.
"Sloppy! That's a sorry excuse for a sword swing, pal," he jeered as he caught hold of Excalibur's blade with his remaining hand.
But that was exactly what Xavier had planned.
He released his grip entirely, catching Ashfang off guard. Lowering his stance, Xavier's hair began to elongate, changing hue as glowing rune symbols bloomed across his body and face. His eyes blazed with radiant fury as his golden aura—once calm and steady—erupted outward like a dying star.
RealmHeart.
He focused all his power into a single point: his right fist. Drawing his arm back, he shouted with all the breath in his lungs, "POWER FIST!"
The punch landed directly in Ashfang's gut, and everything detonated.
The dungeon floor shook violently as a colossal explosion carved a massive hole through the ceiling, revealing the moonlit night above. Dust and debris swirled in the air, and silence fell like a curtain.
Teslaine rushed to Xavier's side as he approached the fallen Ashfang, who lay coughing up blood, barely conscious. Excalibur vanished into the ether, returning to its slumbering dimension.
"I can't believe I lost," Ashfang muttered, blood dripping from his lips. "To a mere child… what a monster you are."
Xavier ignored the insult. "Who are you? Who do you work for? Why did you kidnap my friend?"
Ashfang chuckled weakly. "You really think I'd tell you? I'd rather die than betray His Greatest."
A voice interrupted him, smooth and laced with danger.
"We don't expect you to."
Anastasia appeared atop the newly-formed crater, her silhouette framed by the moonlight. She descended gently, landing beside Ashfang with a cold, graceful presence. Her dagger gleamed as she planted a heel onto his face.
"The people you left in charge—the ones I tortured—already told me everything I needed."
Ashfang's eyes widened in disbelief. "What?! Those cowards... how could they?!"
Even Xavier was caught off guard. "You went that far?" he asked.
Anastasia's tone softened only slightly. "It's not the first time. I'll do whatever it takes to protect you and those you care for, Young Master. I'm not afraid to go back to my old ways if it means achieving that."
Snapping, Ashfang lunged at her with what strength remained, but Anastasia didn't even blink. Her dagger flashed. In one swift motion, she slit his throat.
Her power—Yadovity Dar—took hold immediately. Ashfang's mouth frothed as his lungs locked up, poison coursing through his veins like fire. He writhed, suffocating in agony, until he finally went still.
The scene was brutal. Xavier instinctively shielded Teslaine's eyes—and those of the other younger captives—from the sight.
Another enemy down.
Just as Ashfang succumbed to Anastasia's poison, she calmly flicked her hair back, wiping away the blood that splattered across her face. But as she stepped toward Xavier, something stirred within her senses—Teslaine. Something about the girl felt... off.
It wasn't anything overt. Just a subtle wrongness. Teslaine wasn't her usual bright and joyful self. Her eyes—once full of light—now appeared hollow, as if drained of spirit, like a soulless husk masquerading in her skin. A skinwalker. Yet Anastasia dismissed the thought, convincing herself it was simply trauma. After all, Teslaine had just endured a kidnapping and horrific conditions. Any child would be shaken.
"We should get going," Anastasia suggested.
"I think we should," Xavier agreed, his eyes soft as he turned to the girl resting gently on his shoulder. "Are you doing alright, Teslaine?"
She hesitated. Just for a moment. "Yes... I'm alright," she replied with innocent gentleness.
Before Xavier could say more, several agents of the Lantern Society appeared, having accompanied them on this mission to rescue Teslaine.
"We've just finished collecting classified documents from these scumbags," one agent reported. "Did you guys find her?"
Xavier lit up with a relieved smile. "Yes! She's right here with me. I'm so grateful we made it in time. Any later, and we might've been too late."
The agents visibly relaxed. One even sighed with joy. "Thank God. We were so worried about you, Teslaine."
With a faint but visibly sad smile, Teslaine answered, "I'm sorry for worrying you... I promise I won't let it happen again."
Their laughter followed, wiping tears of joy from their faces. "You don't have to apologize, kid. Just stay safe. We're just glad you're okay. That's all that matters."
With hearts lightened and the captives rescued, the group quickly departed the underground dungeon, guiding every prisoner out of that hellhole and into the open night.
Mission complete. Teslaine saved. The hidden intel retrieved. For the first time in a while, they could return home with a sense of success.
Walking beside Anastasia, with Teslaine clutching his arm, Xavier broke the silence. "Say, Miss Anastasia... What did those criminals you interrogated tell you about this place?"
Anastasia glanced back. "Not everything, but enough. This wasn't just a base for intel. It was a trafficking den—an underground nightmare. People kidnapped, sold into slavery, tortured for sport, or used for black market organ sales."
Her eyes darkened. "And all of it was sanctioned by the government. With full authority granted by none other than... Percival himself."
At the mention of that name, Xavier's expression twisted into one of disgust, his gut churning. He nearly gagged at the thought. Percival. The very government. Behind all of it.
"How cruel," Teslaine murmured softly.
"I understand," Anastasia said with solemn clarity. "But evil like this isn't new. It's the world we live in—a place where demons wear human skin and cruelty is the norm."
Lowering his head, Xavier whispered, "I guess you're right..." Memories of his father, Jonathan, flashed before his eyes—the kind, selfless man he admired. Taken from a world that didn't deserve him.
And then—
A sudden explosion rocked the distance, a fiery roar that caught everyone's attention.
Without hesitation, they all rushed back—the Lantern Society agents included—toward the source of the blast.
When they arrived, they were met by nothing but fire. The facility they had just raided was now engulfed in a hellish inferno.
"What the hell happened here?!" one of the agents shouted in shock. "What set this place ablaze?!"
Anastasia and Xavier's attention snapped toward the silhouette of a towering, muscular figure slowly emerging from the shadows. Their presence sent an icy chill through the spines of everyone present.
As the figure stepped into view, their body was lean yet imposing—defined muscle wrapped in a sleek, black shirt that couldn't contain their bulk. Draped over their shoulders was a long, black coat fashioned from the hide of a monstrous bear they had slain.
"Well, well, well," the man murmured with a calm, cold gaze that radiated menace. "Looks like Ashfang failed to subdue you, Xavier."
Xavier stood paralyzed, fear rooting him in place. Anastasia stepped in front of him, daggers at the ready, her stance fierce and protective.
The man remained unfazed. "I don't know why that man Percival is so obsessed with you—and frankly, I don't care. I get paid, I work. That's all that matters."
In his grip, he dragged a limp figure behind him. His sharp, crimson eyes—those of a seasoned predator—locked onto Xavier. With a flick of his wrist, he raised the body he held by the neck.
Gasps echoed as the figure was revealed—Teslaine.
But how? Teslaine was safe, right beside Xavi—
A sudden, sharp pain pierced Xavier from behind.
"Young Master!!!" Anastasia shouted, horror in her voice.
Blood dripped from Xavier's lips as he turned his head—and saw Teslaine. Or rather, what had looked like Teslaine. Her body shifted, transforming into a creature of black sludge and viscous liquid, a wide, malicious grin spreading across its shifting face.
"Got you," it hissed, red eyes gleaming with malice.
Anastasia lunged, slicing off its arm and kicking it away from Xavier. But the creature regenerated instantly, its form extending into tendrils that lashed out and ensnared Anastasia. She was dragged downward, sinking into the muddy, living mass.
"Miss Anastasia!" Xavier cried out, collapsing to his knees.
Slamming his fist into the ground in frustration, Xavier looked up at the man—still calmly holding the real, unconscious Teslaine like she weighed nothing.
Rage surged through Xavier, but the man's aura alone was overwhelming—like a natural disaster given flesh. His strength was unlike anything Xavier had ever encountered.
Yet Xavier pushed past the fear.
He had someone to protect. Someone who mattered more than his own life.
Grimacing from the pain of his wound, Xavier forced himself back to his feet.
Wind whipped through the air, sending his hair fluttering. With burning determination in his eyes, he whispered to himself:
I have to save Teslaine. No matter what.
Summoning Excalibur from its slumber, Xavier activated RealmHeart. Glowing runes began to etch themselves across his body. His brown hair shimmered, transforming into radiant gold as divine draconic power surged through him.
His eyes glowed with cosmic fire as he took his stance, Excalibur steady in his hands.
The man watched him with an amused grin, impressed by Xavier's resolve.
"Allow me to introduce myself," he said, his tone mocking. "My name is Reginald Wycliffe. Leader and overseer of this facility you see engulfed in flames."
He dropped Teslaine to the ground. Her eyes fluttered open slowly.
Then, Reginald stepped forward.
Their battle was about to begin.