PROFESSOR THORNE
I found it hard to believe what I was witnessing.
Maxwell, Amy, and Ray, who had been so effortlessly dominating the arena, now trembled in fear before Einar.
His movements were a blur, leaving behind only faint afterimages as he glided across the arena with an unnatural ease. The air seemed to ripple and distort around him, as if reality itself was bending to accommodate his presence.
A chilling aura surrounded him, like a dark cloud that clung to his skin. The air was heavy with the scent of ozone and smoke, and the ground seemed to tremble beneath his feet. A dark, purple-tinged fog swirled around him, like a living entity feeding off his power.
The three opponents, realizing they were outmatched, launched a simultaneous attack. Ray, fueled by desperation, charged forward with mana-infused fists, unleashing a flurry of blows that seemed impossible to dodge.
Yet, Einar sidestepped each attack with ease, his eyes gleaming with a mixture of curiosity and contempt all while maintaining an emotionless expression.
With a swift, almost casual motion, Einar grasped Ray's right hand and crushed it, the sound of shattering bone echoing through the arena.
Ray's scream of agony was like a knife to my heart, and I felt a surge of anger toward Einar. Even though he fought for what was right did he have to use such excessive methods.
"Did that hurt?" Einar taunted, his voice dripping with sadistic pleasure. With a flick of his wrist, he sent Ray crashing into a nearby stone pillar, which teetered on the brink of collapse. Einar's smile grew wider, revealing a hint of bloodlust, as he stood over Ray's broken form.
As I watched this unfold I couldn't help but question how differently Einar was acting from usual. I had seen him fight before but never like this.
Meanwhile, Amy attempted a stealthy attack, dagger in hand. However, Einar sensed her presence and countered with a dark, barrier-like energy that repelled her assault.
In the blink of an eye, he reappeared behind her, his own dagger materializing in his hand. With ruthless efficiency, he struck Amy five times, carefully avoiding her vital organs as though he wanted to watch her suffer in her final moments.
She crumpled to the ground, her body surrounded by a pool of her own blood.
As Ray struggled to rise, Einar appeared before him pinning him down with a single finger, his expression cold and unyielding.
"You bastard...you got blood on my shoes," Einar muttered, his voice barely audible. With a wave of his hand, he summoned a dark energy that enveloped Ray's hands. Einar's smile twisted into a grotesque grin as he ripped Ray's hands from his wrists, the sound of tearing flesh and screams of agony filling the air.
I felt a wave of nausea wash over me as Einar repeated the gruesome process, removing Ray's legs with an air of detached amusement. The arena fell silent, except for Ray's anguished cries, as Einar's actions crossed into the realm of unadulterated sadism.
"Einar, stop!" I shouted, my voice hoarse with emotion. "Even if his crimes are unforgivable, you don't have to do this! You'll become no better than him if you continue down this path!" I pleaded, desperate to reach the shred of humanity that must still exist within him.
Einar's gaze slowly turned toward me, his eyes cold and distant. With a flick of his wrist, he lifted Ray's mutilated body using his shadowy energy. "What do you mean, Professor?" he asked, his voice devoid of emotion. "Do you mean do this?" With a sudden, fluid motion, he engulfed Ray's body in flames of black, reducing him to ashes in an instant.
In that moment, I realized that Einar had long since abandoned any semblance of humanity or mercy. His gaze shifted toward Amy, who lay unconscious on the ground, before fixing on Maxwell.
"What kind of magic was that?" Maxwell asked, his voice laced with a mix of awe and trepidation.
Einar tilted his head, a hint of a shrug visible beneath his dark attire. "Are you blind? It was just a basic inferno spell," he replied, his expression as emotionless as ever.
My eyes widened in shock, and I felt a shiver run down my spine. An inferno spell? That was the highest level of fire magic, a feat even the most skilled AA-ranked mages struggled to achieve. And yet, Einar had accomplished it with ease, as if it were mere child's play.
Maxwell's eyes blazed with fury as he gritted his teeth. "How did you get your hands on inferno magic?" he demanded.
A sly smirk spread across Einar's face, and he replied, "All I did was add a little spice to my normal fire spell...what was it called? Ah yes, Shadow magic."