Quinn felt his own magic coursing through his veins, though it wasn't as strong as the Baron's, it was still something he could work with. He let it flow into his muscles, quickening them enough to stand without stumbling. But his eyes were still glued on the Baron, who had just demonstrated a magnificent degree of power.
'You're incredible...' Quinn thought. '...just more reasons why I want to beat you up!'
The Baron's aura exploded further, raising a cloud of dust that blurred Quinn's vision. The sensation was intense, making it hard for him to breathe. But suddenly, the aura vanished, replaced by a loud whooshing sound that rang through the air.
Quinn straightened up, his eyes fixed on the cloud of dust as it began to clear. He watched in awe as a figure emerged, moving with incredible speed. A glint of silver hair caught his eye, followed by a flash of white armor.
The figure was standing against the Baron, who seemed to be dancing around them with ease. The Baron's movements were lightning-fast, his eyes gleaming with excitement as he dodged every slash.
As the smoke cleared, Quinn's eyes widened as he recognized the figure. It was Asami, the girl he had met before. But his reaction wasn't one of happiness or excitement. Instead, he felt troubled, remembering the last time they had spoken. She had roasted him with lightning, and he had narrowly escaped by passing out.
Quinn's eyes narrowed, watching as Asami moved with deadly accuracy, her silver hair flowing behind her like a river of moonlight. He knew that she was a force to be reckoned with, and he wondered what she was doing here, fighting against the Baron.
The Baron, on the other hand, seemed to be enjoying himself, his movements fluid and effortless. "Ah, the White Paladin is here," he said, his voice dripping with amusement. "I should have known you'd show up. You're always so predictable."
"Don't underestimate me!!" Asami growled, flipping backwards into the crater. Quickly, she faced a finger at the Baron, before unleashing streams of lightning that tore through the air like strings of silver going astray.
The Baron just slapped the bolts that came towards him, as if they were merely solid objects without any special effects. He looked back at Quinn, his lips stretching into a grin as he said, "It seems, you've got company."
Asami, through the corner of an eye, noticed Quinn for the first time since she arrived and she felt something shift inside of her. Anger. What was he doing here? Doesn't he know he could get himself killed? She gritted her teeth, her grip on her blade tightening. "You're not getting out of here safely this time!" She said.
"Is that so?" The Baron asked.
Quinn jumped from where he was, sliding down the crater and landing just at Asami's side. He almost collapsed, but managed to regain his composure, his eyes glued on the Baron. "We're going to beat you up to a pulp!" he declared, pointing a finger at the Baron.
Asami's eyes narrowed, her grip on her blade tightening. "You shouldn't be here," she said, her voice low and urgent. "It's dangerous!"
Quinn scoffed. "I got here first!"
Asami's face twisted in frustration. "Does it matter? It's way out of your league."
Quinn growled, his face reddening. "Shut it!"
Asami's eyes flashed with anger. "You think you're some kind of hero? Newsflash, you're not even close! You should be fighting off slimes or something!"
Quinn's face twisted in a snarl. "At least I'm not a stuck-up ice queen like you!"
The Baron watched the exchange with amusement, a grin spreading across his face. "Oh, this is priceless," he said, chuckling. "You two should really get a room!"
Asami's face heated up, her anger boiling over. "I'll never ever find myself with such a pervert like you!" she screamed, her voice ringing through the crater.
"Who said anything about us getting a room?" Quinn's eyes narrowed, his lips stretching into a smile. "Unless you're thinking of us—"
Asami's face turned bright red, her anger and embarrassment boiling over. "Shut up!" she shouted, her blade flashing in the sunlight.
The Baron didn't waste any time, calling out to one of his bandits. "Thomas!".
The bandit hurried over, but the Baron handed him a small vial filled with a glowing liquid. The Baron's eyes gleamed with excitement as he watched Thomas take the vial, his lips curling into a smile. "I've had enough of your bickerings," he said, his voice dripping with amusement. "But I believe our game of cat and mouse ends here."
Asami's eyes widened as she watched Thomas, her insides tightening with a sense of foreboding. She knew exactly what the vial was – the Catalyst, a powerful substance that could amplify magic to catastrophic levels. The Baron looked at the bandit, his eyes locking onto his. "Kill everyone," he said, his voice cold and detached. "And make sure you bring me their heads!"
The bandit nodded. Asami's grip on her blade tightened, her eyes flashing with alarm. "No," she whispered, her voice barely audible. "This can't be."
The bandit raised the vial to his lips, drinking the contents in one swift motion. At first, nothing seemed to happen, but then his body began to convulse, his bones cracking and breaking. He let out a blood-curdling scream as his body began to mutate, his shirt tearing apart as a black wing spread from his back, like a bat's.
Quinn's eyes widened in shock, his face pale. "What's going on?"
Asami's eyes remained on the bandit, her face set in a stern expression. "He's becoming unstoppable!" she shouted, her voice urgent. "We have to kill him before he kills us!"
The bandit's transformation continued, his hand morphing into a claw-like appendage. His eyes turned a milky white, and his skin turned a dark, mottled grey. He let out a deafening roar, his wing flapping wildly as he rose into the air.
Quinn stumbled back, his eyes glued on the bandit's terrifying form. "What have you done to him?" he asked, his voice barely above a whisper.
Asami's blade flashed in the sunlight, her eyes locked onto the bandit. "It doesn't matter," she said, her voice cold and deadly. "We have to stop him, now!"