278 He is...

.

.

.

—--------

/Stares…/

'Whenever he went, eyes followed, silent and cold gazes from the members of the Freya Familia.'

'Silver felt like a Zoo animal, but this time, there were no smiles in his direction. Nothing but pure silence followed his steps.'

'It was clear that he wasn't appreciated here, not that he minded, he didn't plan on staying for long.'

'Of course, it wasn't like all stares carried malice or resentment, many seemed neutral if that could be considered good.'

'Even if everyone in this Familia fought for the sake of their goddess' attention, it didn't mean they were bad people at heart, although the degree of their infatuation was what led them down the path of insanity from others' perspectives.'

'However, none here seemed to enjoy his presence, something Silver didn't quite understand why.'

'Was it the attention the Goddess gave him? Did she pay attention to him though? It wouldn't be strange if they resented him for the insignificant interactions she had with him so far.'

'Nonetheless, at most, they tolerated him, maybe out of respect, maybe out of fear?'

'Although that seems impossible deeming where he was…'

'The people of this Familia already had their hearts stolen by someone of Divine stature, they lived under the shadows of a true monster, or pack of beasts if one included the other Executives.'

'They had no reason to put him in their eyes at all, regardless if they could defeat him or not... Or anyone for that matter as they didn't even respect each other…'

'The only one everyone seemed to respect was the one he was about to meet.'

'But that was natural, who wouldn't respect the very King?...'

'Unless they were planning a revolution.'

…

"We're here, the Captain is waiting for you." The guard said as he stopped at the edge of the castle

'The Freya Familia home was built like one massive Temple surrounded by gardens full of verdant flowers.'

'At the very center of the temple stood the castle reserved for Freya, Ottar, and her maids.'

'However, Silver never even entered the temple, throughout their entire journey, they merely walked around it, giving him the chance to see some of Freya's warriors fight in the flower fields in their unending daily training.'

'One thing Silver noticed was that there were almost no Level 1 adventurers in the Familia, pretty much everyone had already Leveled Up either once or twice, which was the average around these parts.'

'Maybe it was because Level 1 adventurers weren't fit to train in these fields, as they could very well be out there, in the Dungeon... Although Silver found that possibility to be low.'

'It was likely that Freya had simply not fished any new members recently, giving all previous Level 1 adventurers enough time to grow.'

'There were over a hundred Level Level 2 and 3 adventurers combined, and Silver noticed a few dozen gazes of adventurers that felt heavier than those of the others, if could describe them as such… Like the gaze of a Deep Floor monster.'

'They could only be Level 4 adventurers.'

'It was hard to explain such feelings, it was a sense one developed as they fought continuously, their ability to determine if someone was strong or not.'

'Maybe it was a feeling developed together with the intensity of their blessing, one of the many things outside of Human control and understanding...'

'Silver could kind of cheat his way through it and use his Plasmids for a more detailed analysis, sometimes, he could even directly read their Status if it wasn't previously hidden, but this time, he tried his best to not use his abilities at all.'

'With so many top-of-the-line mages here, wouldn't it be suicide to try anything?'

'The last thing he wanted was to give them a reason to act, which many of them seemed to be looking for.'

"Alright." Silver said as he took a step forward into the back garden field

'This was the training area reserved for the executives, the place where the true "Heroes" fought.'

'It had a name, to symbolize their desire to become their Goddess true Champion, the Einherjar.'

'This was something shared by them all, even Ottar was not considered one yet.'

'This was the Cradle, the birthplace of Heroes.'

'Although one had yet to rise.'

…

/Step…/

"..."

These flowers… How... Unique.

'The entire back garden was covered in colorful flowers, but this also meant he couldn't walk without damaging them.'

'To walk into the birthplace of Heroes it is necessary to break something else that is pretty, there was definitely a metaphor here, or maybe a light joke only Freya and other Gods would understand, but Silver knew that this wasn't optimal and that there had to be another reason why this was such.'

'But then again, knowing Freya's vanity, it could just be because she wanted it to be pretty and beautiful, regardless if this was an arena or not.'

'It could be both also, as Gods would often seek everything and nothing at once, as their lines of thoughts transcended what Mortals could understand and comprehend, usually seen as hyperbolic manifestations of emotions.'

'This was most commonly seen when Gods played games with Mortals, predicting dozens of moves ahead without much difficulty.'

'Although the intelligence of a God varied, it would be foolish to call any dumb.'

'Because they were either playing around, or they saw no point in acting serious.'

'It may sound strange, but Silver never won in a game of chess against Hestia, she would always place the pieces in the perfect positions, pushing him to the edge of his intelligence with her every move.'

'And eventually, he would often concede after hours of thinking and driving himself to an edge, mostly out of tiredness or from his evergrowing headache.'

'That is... If he even lasted long enough for that.'

'The only way to win against a God in those scenarios was to act against their expectations, to leave it to the fate they so very much love...'

'The very excitement they sought in the mortal world.'

'Silver found it all too unnecessarily complicated.'

...

"Hm?"

'As he walked, Silver 'felt' a few extra gazes fall on the back of his head, something quite strange since it had been a while since he had felt anything.'

'So he turned around, immediately spotting a girl with light red hair, a bit younger than him, wearing what seemed to be maid clothes, although he couldn't quite determine what it truly was due to its unique designs.'

'Her gaze was cold like the others, but it seemed a bit warmer than theirs, however, one thing was certain…'

She looks tired… Incredibly so.

'There were two large dark circles around her eyes and her expression was lackluster, that's the looks of someone who works to the bone every day. At least an order of magnitude more than even Daphne.'

'Silver recognized her appearance, it was similar to being Anemic, it was the state of using too much Mind every day for extensive periods of time.'

'No matter how much she slept, her body would continue to try and recover its lost Mind, but by the time it did so, she would wake up, feeling as tired as ever.'

'A cycle she must've repeated far too many times...'

'Upon looking at her, she quickly moved on with whatever she was doing, not paying him any heed as she moved away from the window.'

'Even though she had left, Silver still felt somewhat strange, but no matter how much he looked, he couldn't seem to pinpoint its source.'

'It was likely a feeling brought from being in this ass of a place, so in the end, he moved on, not noticing the gray-haired lady watching him from behind a curtain just a floor above the red-haired lady.'

'Her expression didn't seem as neutral though... There was hatred there.'

…

/Step…/

"You're here."

"... I made you wait."

'Standing with his arms crossed in the middle of the flower garden was a giant man with Boar ears…'

'His biceps alone were likely as large as Silver's head, his stature alone even made Silver look small.'

'He wore a metallic chest plate and a few leathery clothes around his torso and arms, although they were likely only for training.'

'His fierce emotionless gaze could drill a hole through stone…'

'The King, the strongest, Ottar, the monster who pursued strength beyond all.'

"..."

"..."

'At first, it was silence, and in a sense, that was expected, both of them had similar personalities, being too serious around people.'

'Albeit Silver tended to open up and be more laidback as he became closer to someone, turning even playful most of the time.'

'From his attire, it seemed Ottar had the impression Silver was there to challenge him, and for a moment, he almost had the urge to do so...'

'But without his weapon, there was no point in challenging this beast.'

'Nonetheless, whenever such impasse happened, Silver had the habit of opening his mouth first:'

"... First, I know this was sudden, and I am aware of your duty, thank you for having made the time to listen to me… But it seems you misunderstood something." Silver said as he looked at the large sword next to him

"..."

"I'm not here to fight you, if I wanted a duel, I would've made it that much clearer. Besides, I severely damaged my weapon recently, I'm in no condition to challenge you and give it my all."

There's no point in trying to play around with this guy.

"Hum… An apology is unnecessary." 

'However, despite not saying much, it was clear Ottar wanted to hear his reason for being called.'

"I'll cut the chase down."

"There is something I wanted to show you, as I believe it would be of your interest."

"And I was also curious… Hm... Here, I'll show you." Silver said as he raised his right hand to the side

/Crackle…/

'The ground shifted as something slowly rose from the ground, a large boulder just a bit smaller than Ottar.'

"!"

'Just by looking at it, Ottar's expression seemed to shift slightly.'

"I made I mess of this place… But this is it."

"Do I need to tell you what this is?"

/Grip.../

'The moment he saw the scale, Ottar's eyes flared with a flurry of hidden emotions so great he almost broke his character.'

'His grip tensioned as if he had a blade in hand, his body moved, feeling the intensity of the creature it belonged to, his muscles reacted instinctively, almost causing him to take a step forward...'

'But as quickly as all of that appeared, he returned to his usual calmness, taking control over his body and mind as he gazed down at Silver with his stony eyes.'

'Despite his desires, he had his image, and he wasn't going to be swayed so easily, regardless of his own wishes.'

"... What is your purpose?" Ottar asked as his gaze shifted from the scale to Silver

'His eyes had changed, but their depths remained.'

'What was he thinking? Maybe only the Goddess would be able to tell.'

"Break it." Silver said in a deep tone as he looked straight at Ottar's eyes

'He did not sugar coat his words nor did he dance around the subject, he was clear and honest with what he wanted.'

"..."

"I want to understand its strength as I can't fathom it…"

"And I imagine I'm not the only one that thinks like this." Silver continued as he touched the scale

"This scale is old, likely already weakened by the decay of time, but it remains sturdy and shouldn't be far from the real deal."

"I tried before, but I didn't even leave a scratch on its surface, so I came here."

"To see if the strongest alive can do what I could not."

'Ottar remained silent throughout this entire exchange, but despite how condensing and self-righteous Silver's words were, Ottar didn't seem to mind those aspects at all.'

'From a certain perspective, Silver came to him as if he was doing him a favor, although, from his tone, it was clearly not as such.'

'However, there weren't that many ways to phrase it, this was what he wanted, and he believed Ottar would wish for it too.'

'If he was wrong, then he was ready to be corrected and leave, end of the story.'

"... I…"

"TCH! I've had enough of listening to this bullcrap." Someone exclaimed from the side as he made his way to them, interrupting Ottar

'Unfortunately for Silver, there weren't that many out there who would act like that before Ottar...'

"..."

Shit…

'Silver's expression soured when he heard the raspy tone, there was no way not to know who it belonged to.'

'Who else in this entire Familia would barge into a conversation like this with such disrespect?'

'There was only one such person… Vena Freya.'

'One of the strongest adventurers alive, the fastest alive with a pride just as high as he could run...'

'Allen Fromell, Level 6 adventurer… And probably on par with Bete when it comes to a foul mouth.'

'If not worse… Probably much worse... Definitely worse.'

/Step/

"Hey, twerp, get the fuck out of here." Allen said deeply and with a frown as he pointed his silver spear forward

 "..."

Out of every annoying bastard in this Familia, why did it have to be this one?...

"You took too long to reply, I'll take you out of here myself." Allen said as his hand turned into an afterimage 

/Grab/

'Nonetheless, Silver easily grabbed onto it, preventing Allen from holding onto his collar.'

'Allen was extremely fast, so fast it would be impossible for anyone who was not a First Class adventurer to see his movements...'

'But Silver wasn't just anyone.'

"Hm?"

'Silver's speed and strength momentarily left Allen surprised, maybe he did not expect a reaction, much less for his arm to stop in place like that.'

'But there was no respect or awe in his surprise, only... A faint interest.'

"I'll be leaving soon, just…"

'Silver tried to converse with the man, to keep it civil, but he ended up committing a grave mistake...'

'He forgot where he was, this was the Freya Familia's territory.'

'They weren't used to talking, instead, whenever a conflict arose...'

/FWOOSH!/

/SMACK!/

'Allen punched Silver in the face with a fist even faster than the one before, sending him sliding into the distance.'

'His strike was so fast it left a faint afterimage where his arm once was, as if it had teleported from its previous position.'

/Slide... Stop.../

"Cough... Ouch… Pfft!"

That hurt a little.

'Just as he stopped moving, Silver quickly got up from the ground, shaking his head a little as he cleaned some blood that flew from his nose before looking at the two of them with a rather upset gaze.'

I thought Ottar would at least protest a little, did I upset him?

Maybe I came out too strong and domineering, they may think I'm groveling in my Reputation and strength and challenging theirs…

Or maybe this was pre-planned, this guy came from nowhere, and he's alone, I don't think the other Executives would've stayed still knowing both Ottar and Allen moved.

I don't think they would miss a chance to gang up on Ottar if they both were to fight... So they must be watching now, out of interest I suppose.

But still, rude.

'Cleaning the dust off his clothes, Silver got up from the ground as he looked forward.'

"If you want me to leave, I shall, we can talk another time when it's more proper…"

"No need." Ottar replied as he turned around, leaving the training grounds and Silver behind

"What?"

Why is he leaving?

"Heh, aren't you so full of yourself? Brat still wet behind the ears came all the way here to meet his idol or something?" Bete said in a snarky tone as he moved closer to him

'From afar, he could see a few members of the Freya Familia looking at him in silence, having made their way to the edges of the Garden.'

'Their gazes were a mix of ridicule and disappointment.'

'And when he saw that, Silver's mood started to deteriorate.'

'Right, he was foolish, he shouldn't have come here.'

'In the first place, it didn't matter if Ottar could break the scale or not, because he would continue growing stronger regardless.'

'He would kill the Dragon, with or without his help.'

'He came here to see if Ottar would be interested in sharing this experience with him, but then again, what wishful thinking it was, akin to the thought process of a child.'

'In truth, part of him held doubt and even a degree of fear, and by coming here, he wished to see if there was any glimpse of a solution or hope with the strongest alive.'

'But different from him, it seemed the latter was fully aware of his own condition. Ottar trained every day knowing fully well how unprepared he was for the Dragon, having fought the Heroes it slew before...'

'The sight of the scale might've drove his curiosity and desire forward, but he knew without touching it that he wasn't there yet to face the future, or maybe he felt something else...'

'The sight of the scale might've been more hurtful to him than Silver ever realized.'

/Chuckle…/

"Hm? Is this funny to you, brat?"

'And when he thought of all that, he chuckled.'

'Right, when in Rome, do as Romans do, why waste his time trying to be polite with a fucker that gave zero fucks?'

'He had his pride too, and he wasn't going to throw it to the ground just because these people were strong, even if they felt bad, what of it?'

'He could just beat them all up too!'

"You know, did anyone ever say you look like a fucking thug you cat bastard?..." Silver said with a smug smile as he looked at Allen

/PIERCE!/

/BOOM!/

'Immediately after, before Silver could even finish his words, faster than a bullet, Allen pierced Silver's head with his spear, creating a sonic boom in the garden as the wind rustled chaotically, obliterating the flowers and throwing their petals around in a beautiful yet apocalyptic display of power.'

/Drip…/

'Slowly, blood began to spill onto Silver's neck, clothes, and the ground, running down the spear's length and into Allen's hand as he stood there, slightly stunned.'

"What? Already dead?..."

'Seeing his spear pierce Silver's skull caused even Allen to be extremely surprised.'

'He expected Silver to be weak, but killing him like this in cold blood…'

'Allen may be a brute man who only cared about his Goddess and her affection, but he knew when to draw the line.'

'This wouldn't bode well, not that he feared the repercussions of the people.'

'He only cared about his Goddess, and knowing full well why he had been here, his actions here today could lead to her complete estrangement, something he could not tolerate at all.'

'He hated how someone so pathetic could be in his mistress' eyes, but he could not deny her will... He knew full well what happened to those that defied her.'

'He cut the necks of thousands of those...'

"..."

'Allen wasn't the only one surprised by this outcome, as everyone watching from afar had their eyes open wide as they didn't expect Silver to die so quickly.'

'Maybe it was expected coming from Allen, but to think things would end like this…'

'Ottar on the other hand remained as stoic as ever, but different from the others, his eyes didn't leave Silver.'

"Tsk, how annoying." Allen said as he pulled his spear

/SPLAT/

"..."

/Thud…/

'Silver's body fell on the side, and Allen remained there, a bit annoyed as he thought about what to do and the consequences of this act…'

"?!"

'But suddenly, the ears at the back of his head were raised sky high as his eyes turned red and his heart pumped out blood furiously!'

/SMASH!/

'Suddenly, Silver reappeared in front of Allen, smashing his fist against his face as he sent him sliding down the Garden.'

'Allen tried to evade, but the ground underneath him vanished as well, leaving him hanging in the air!'

'He quickly moved his spear into place to block the move, but Silver's hand passed right through it, smashing straight into his nose!'

/Shua…/

'Meanwhile, the body on the ground slowly turned into dust, it was a fake one all along!'

"You sure know how to be annoying, fucker…" Silver said as he cracked his neck

'Due to his anger, he began cursing left and right, maybe that was just how Silver was all along...'

/PIERCE!/

/BOOOOOOOOM!!/

""?!""

"GRR?! I-I'll…"

"..."

/PRESS!/

"GRRR!!..."

'Suddenly, Allen reappeared right next to Silver as he swung his spear against his face with even more strength and violence than before, so much so both moves were on two completely different levels.'

'Right now, Allen had lost all resemblance of control and reason.'

'One swift move so fast it wouldn't be an exaggeration to say he teleported right beside him.'

'But instead of defending himself, Silver only looked in his direction, and all of a sudden, immense weight downed onto his shoulders, causing him to stop momentarily.'

'Whenever he raised his head, the pressure increased, caving in the ground around him as the air started to condense and become mist…'

'The flowers were pushed down so strongly they became mush, fusing into one continuous layer of fibers...'

"You're a cat, but you act like a dog, so you'll be treated as one." Silver said in a deep tone as he raised his right hand before pressing it down once more

/BOOOOOM!/

'The pressure increased even more, causing Allen's neck to bend…'

"..."

I'll be taking that.

/Snap!/

'Silver snapped his fingers, and the spear in Allen's hand vanished, reappearing in his left hand.'

'Different from Phryne's Axe during their fight, this spear wasn't coated with a Magic resistant alloy, so he could easily snatch it up without much resistance.'

'The only resistance one could employ against such a dirty move would be to move faster than Silver's ability to calculate their location, but in this situation where Allen was momentarily immobile, he easily stole it away.'

'Now, with only his body left, what could Allen do?'

'Was this fair? Who cares? He asked for it.'

"Hm…"

Quite light, which makes sense, Allen is a runner...

/FWOOSH!/

'In an instant and without hesitation, Silver swung the spear in Allen's direction with one hand, intending to cut off his head.'

/DASH!/

'But in the blink of an eye, Allen got up and dashed forward as he closed in the distance between them, his eyes open wide as his anger reached a new pinnacle.'

'It almost looked as if he was transforming...'

'He broke through the intense gravity binding him down and rushed ahead with blood in his eyes, intending to rip Silver apart.'

'If at first he only intended to heavily injure Silver since he felt the latter to be a thorn on his boot, now he fully intended on ripping this bothersome fella from the bud!'

/Smirk…/

/FLAASH!!!/

"?!"

'Yet, instead of the feeling of holding onto him, Allen's hands passed right through Silver's body, which quickly became more and more vibrant… Eventually exploding into light, blinding him as it burned through his cornea.'

'It was by far Silver's strongest flash bomb, so strong it would burn the skin… Poured directly into Allen's eyes.'

'A brightness of such intensity the entire Folkvangr lit up with light, causing many to squint their eyes.'

'As for Allen, he didn't care if he blinded him here today, not at all.'

'If this led to a conflict with the Freya Familia… Then so be it, Silver had his way of ending it anyway.'

'A Familia was only as strong as the walls that protected their deity.'

/KICK!/

'Blinded, Allen could not react to Silver's kick as not even the air trembled as it cut through it, reaching his stomach soundlessly.'

/CRACK!/

/BOOOM!/

'Allen was sent flying back like a cannon, hitting the ground like a meteor…'

/Snap…/

'But before he could react, Silver appeared next to him, snapping his fingers right atop his ears.'

/BOOOOOOOOOM!/

"?!?!"

'An incredibly loud sound exploded in the center of the Freya Familia home, loud enough to echo across all of Orario.'

'Like a Volcano erupting, it shattered the earth around them as it rippled through the dirt… Only to vanish a few meters after.'

'Obviously, a sound this strong would only cause mayhem in the city, so Silver stopped it soon enough before all windows in Orario were reduced to atoms with the people's eardrums.'

'After he did this, Silver used telekinesis to raise Allen into the air, removing his ability to dash and walk around.'

'By now, Allen was silent, and he knew why.'

'He was inspecting his surroundings with his remaining senses the best way he could, because he had deemed Silver as an opponent.'

'As such, he could feel intense bloodlust coming from the Cat Boy's body, so much so it made his skin crawl.'

'If he could, he would've killed him right now and dealt with the source of what would likely be future trouble.'

'Nothing personal, it was more of a self-preservation tactic, he felt Allen to be too dangerous, like leaving a furious hungry tiger on a farm without fences... Where the cattle was everyone he knew.'

'Besides, with Allen's strength, if he decided to throw his spear at his room as he slept, would he be able to react on time?'

'It would've been easy to take him down now, there were many ways to do so.'

'The cat boy was faster and stronger than him, but if he could not walk on the ground and he had no weapon to defend himself, what was he supposed to do?'

'Chant? Silver would stop him before he could do so.'

'Punch him? Unless he was faster than Silver's Plasmids activation time and his overall reaction speed, then there was no way they would ever connect.'

'From the start, Silver played with the Beast man's senses, was he even seeing reality right now?'

'Light, Smell, Air, sound, vibrations, everything was under Silver's control.'

'The fastest adventurer? How pathetic… But that was exactly why Silver was so careful… Because no way in Heaven it would end this easily.'

'And above all... If he could wish, Silver would've preferred if things had never progressed like this...'

'Allen may look defeated, but this man was a beast in a man's skin, not the other way around.'

'For the same way he saw Ottar as a monstrous fellow, he saw Allen as a beast ready to erupt out of its shell.'

"I'll…"

"?"

What is he...

"I'LL FUCKING KILL YOU!"

/SLAM!!/

'The moment he exclaimed that, Allen broke free of Silver's telekinesis with pure strength alone, only to be grabbed again and thrown against the ground like a boulder mercilessly.'

/PUNCH!/

'Allen did not let his injuries impede him as he ran after Silver immediately after he fell, even if a bit slower than before, giving him some time to think.'

As I thought, Magic Resistance, my Plasmid's effects are already starting to recede.

Well, it's not like he can recover from being partially blind or having his eardrums ruptured... That's not magic... Not entirely.

But his blindness... Is it natural regeneration? Is it because the light I produced can be considered Magical in essence?

I never thought that the aftereffects of my Plasmids could be considered Magic, and although some are more obvious than others, it's not like this is as obvious as me creating a pillar of ice and having it fall atop someone else's foot...

/BAM!/

/PUNCH! PUNCH!/

/EVADE!/

/SMAKE!/

'A furious exchange of blows between the two began, but against everyone's expectations, Silver completely dominated Allen.'

'It wasn't that Allen was angry and thus unable to think properly, on the contrary, Allen's anger only made his moves sharper.'

'But at every nook and cranny, Silver used his weakness to strike him, playing with his senses whenever he could.'

'Allen felt he was in a dream as every time his fist reached Silver, he turned into smoke.'

'But the pain he felt was very real.'

'Silver's moves were also no amateur's, his training had proven more than beneficial.'

'Because even if Allen was talented, he was only self-taught in the end, most of the members of the Freya Familia were.'

'They fought each other and lived through their injuries, the only ones that were taught anything here were likely the Elves and Ottar due to their unique backgrounds.'

/PUNCH!/

'Not that it changed how heavy each of their fists were...'

"Urg…"

'No matter how capable Silver was, Allen showcased the reason why he was a Level 6 adventurer with his inhuman strength, speed, and durability, culminating with him being able to punch Silver in the face once despite his physical limitations.'

"Tsk…"

/Punch!/

'Allen sent out a punch against Silver, but as his foot reached the ground, a hole formed, and he lost his balance.'

'Silver took this chance to elbow his stomach and raise the ground underneath his other foot, piercing it as it drilled a hole through his sole.'

"GUAH!"

'Allen's pain almost scaped through his teeth, but he did not let that go as he punched again with more fervor than before.'

/GRAB!/

"Humph."

'But this time, Silver held onto his fist… Using his right hand to pierce through his stomach as blood splattered all around!'

/Raise.../

'Yet, the beast man was far from done, and as such, he went on with his wishes.'

'Silver raised his right hand mercilessly.'

/Turn.../

'It slowly became black, shining like dense metal.'

/SMACK!/

/CLANG!/

""...""

'The sound of metal clashing echoed in the garden as Silver's metallic hand smashed against Allen's face like a pneumatic hammer.'

'But he did not fall, Allen still stood, his eyes bloodshot as he screamed loudly, trying to lash out at him.'

/CLANG!/

'Again, Silver punched Allen brutally without resting, not giving the man a chance to recover.'

"GUAAAHHHAAAAAAA!"

'Absolutely enraged beyond belief, Allen punched again, but Silver did not defend himself.'

'His entire body turned metallic just like his hand, with many blade-like protrusions forming above his skin like razors, sharper than most first Class weapons.'

'And as Allen's fist clashed against his body, it was slashed by thousands of small blades as it slid off Silver's body due to the strange oil substance coating his skin.'

'To add onto that, Silver mixed other chemicals onto the oil, intending to knock out Allen within a few breaths...'

'Yet, the catboy remained conscious, fighting with brutality as if his energy would never fully end!'

/CLANG!/

'Meanwhile, Silver delivered another fatal punch to Allen's face, and at the same time, dozens of roots began to entangle themselves around Allen's legs, drilling holes into his skin as his blood was drained and more toxins were directly injected into his bloodstream.'

'He tried to move but the intense pressure from before downed on him again, and then…'

/CLANG!/

'Another fist, several every second continued to fall onto his face, not even giving him time to think.'

/Crack!/

'In front of his eyes, another scene played out, confusing his senses even further.'

'A combination of things he had never experienced before, causing a momentary gap in judgment…'

"AAAAAAARRRRRRRRGGGGG!!"

/BURN!/

'Allen exclaimed from atop his lungs, his strength rising once again as he almost pushed Silver and the roots out...'

'But the only thing he received was a fire blast to his throat, burning it.'

/Thud…/

/CLANG CLANG CLANG!/

'Silver pushed Allen's body onto the ground once more, binding it with the same roots that now ran across the entire garden before pummeling him with his fists violently, causing blood to splash around and taint the surviving white flowers around them red.'

/FLASH!/

/PIERCE!/

'Allen tried to push him away, but whenever he tried, his hands and flesh were cut, but he was persistent, ignoring pain even if it meant a cut into his bones...'

'But Silver did not even give him a chance to recover, knowing full well that if he did gather any sort of momentum his initiative would die out in a moment.'

'He may be in an advantageous situation right now, but by no means would Silver let it go through his head, regardless of how mangled Allen looked right now.'

'Normally, he wouldn't end a fight in such a way, but against this opponent, there were no second chances, he would push him down instantly with everything he had!'

'Besides, he was angry, and for such a rude person, he felt only satisfaction in acting without constraints!'

/CLANG!/

'To a monster like this, Silver would become one as well.'

'Punch again and again, drain his blood, inject venom, until his bones shattered and his skull caved in…'

'Silver used as Many Plasmids as he was capable of mustering within a moment, causing his body to transform more and more into that of a monster as he continued to claw out at Allen's flesh.'

'He did not limit his powers, letting them run wild, even if meant displaying the bodily changes he usually kept hidden.'

/BAM!!!/

/Shua!/

"Enough."

"..."

'Stuck in the fervor of punching Allen's face into a mush, Silver didn't even realize the fact that he had been surrounded.'

'In his immediate surroundings, he saw two elves, one white and one black, holding a sword and a staff across his neck.'

'Behind him, there were four small adventurers holding all sorts of weapons, A spear, A sword, a hammer, and an Axe, all ready to attack him.'

'Further away, he saw the other members of the Freya Familia holding their weapons as they looked at the bloodstained figure of Silver, some of them having sweat falling from their faces as they approached.'

'And in front of him with his arms crossed was Ottar, looking at him with his usual cynical expression.'

"I can't move if you don't take those off my neck." Silver said in a cold tone as he looked at the Elf

I knew it, they were watching.

But why move now? I was far from done... And so was he.

'Silver looked at his bloodstained hands before turning to Allen's mushed face.'

'Despite the beating he received, it was still relatively intact, in the sense that no pieces had flung out his body, causing Silver to sweat cold.'

'The durability of a Level 6 adventurer was off the charts, had it been a solid piece of pure steel beneath him, it would've been shredded to pieces by now.'

'Even a block of pure Adamantite would've received some scars from his outburst.'

'But to this adventurer, he was just as beaten as a fighter in a ring... A bit worse... Okay, that was euphemism...'

/Move…/

'Both Elves took their weapons out of his neck without much protest, and Silver immediately moved, walking to the side as he casually scrubbed some dirt out of his shoulder.'

""...""

/Silence…/

'The atmosphere was tense as no one said anything.'

"..."

'Looking at the people around him, Silver knew it was time to leave, so he was the first to open his mouth:'

"I…"

"You don't seem to understand how things run here in Folkvangr." The white Elf, Hedin, said as he looked at Silver with a calm gaze

"To be heard, you must display your strength, to be respected, you must show your devotion and courage."

"Ranks are everything here, only by defeating someone stronger can you rise and become a being of authority... To be heard, even if you do not deserve said responsibility." He said deeply as he adjusted his glasses

"It doesn't matter who you were outside, in Folkvanger, you start as nothing, so you must display your will."

"That is why no one here cares about what you did to this stray, I, in fact, would've preferred that you punched him a few more times for his arrogance and lack of care when facing an opponent."

"Too long have I dealt with his lack of manners, and I'm tired of his face and attitude."

"A fool that doesn't understand the strengths of their opponents and their own weaknesses will only end up like that, on the ground, like a beaten dog."

"I particularly liked your analogy, if he's a cat that acts like a dog, then he should be treated and disciplined as one, you have opened my mind a little." He said with a faint smile 

'Meanwhile, the four Pallum's behind Silver all nodded their heads together.'

"Hehehehe... Beaten like the puppy he..." 

"Shut up Hogni, who called you for this conversation?"

"..."

"... So why stop me? I wasn't planning on going that much further anyway."

"It is because of the ever so warm grace of our Goddess who does not wish to see this stray suffer for his stupidity, I hope you understand."

"... I do, all Gods love their children."

Albeit some more than others… And 'love' may have different meanings to each deity…

And uh... Is she watching? Time to leave...

"I seems you do indeed… I am Hedin, the voice of reason amidst this group of barbarians."

""Voice of reason?"" The four Pallums asked at the same time

"Speak for yourself, four eyes." The Pallum wearing a green pattern on his armor said as he crossed his arms

"Who are you trying to fool? Hypocrite." The Pallum wearing a red pattern on his armor said ironically as he raised his head a little, although his expression was hard to see due to his armor

"... Dvalinn, Berling, not now... Just hold it in…" 

"Your ego is as tall as your staff, since when did we ever listen to you? Do you deserve it?" 

"Grer…"

""Not now Alfrigg."" The other three said as they cut their brother off, causing his expression to darken

"... That's exactly what I'm trying to say." Hedin said after glancing at the Pallum brothers for a moment

"Ugh… I can tell… The woven lies within your words… Darkening the air with their whispers, coiling around the truth like a spider's web… Hehehehe… You're not that pure…"

"You're an embarrassment to all Elves Hogni, remain silent from this moment forth." Hedin said as he interrupted the chuuni dark elf on the side

/Grunt…/

'Meanwhile, Ottar just grunted, as if fed up with this situation.'

"..."

I just think you're all damn weird…

/Twitch…/

'At that moment, Allen began to move.'

'Despite his gruesome condition, no one came to his aid, and surprisingly, despite everything Silver threw at him, the man began to awaken.'

'What determination...'

"Oh?... You're still conscious? Had enough sleeping on the dirt?"

"What a disgrace for Freya-Sama's carriage, you should go to the corner and kill yourself quietly to retain what little honor you have left." Hedin spoke quietly and coldly as he saw Allen's body twitch

'Silver even had the impression that, were he not there, Hedin would've kicked him up.'

"... Shh... Shut the fuck up, a-annoying fucker, before I rip out your mouth." Allen said in a surprisingly straight and coherent tone as he slowly moved his trembling body up

'He still bleed, his throat was still burnt, but it seemed his heart pumped rage instead of blood, allowing him to still move despite his clinically questionable condition.'

"You… Next time we meet, I'm going to kill you." He said as he turned around, walking slowly as he made his way to the castle in the middle of the Garden

'Even though his bones were broken, the fact he was poisoned and anemic, he still walked with a livid expression.'

'He was literally too angry to die.'

"... Try it if you can." Silver replied as his expression grew dark

"..."

'Allen said nothing as he walked away.'

"... Is it always like this?" Silver asked as he looked at Allen walk further and further away

It may seem I won, but in truth, my hand still hurts.

Every single one of Allen's punches cracked my bones, I had to try my best to not grunt in pain...

He was stronger and more durable than me, with the difference between our Stats and Levels, I'm afraid I may only be a proper opponent for him when I become Level 5.

As long as I can restrict his Magic, I'm confident in dealing with him in a direct confrontation.

"It is a common occurrence, but we're distancing ourselves from the subject at hand."

"The subject?... You mean my previous question?"

"Exactly."

/Step.../

'That was when Ottar took a step forward, sword in hand.'

'He said nothing, but it was clear what he was about to...'

'But Silver interrupted him, taking a step forward as well.'

"There's no need for that, I already know the asnwer." Silver said as he shook his head

"Oh? You do? Then that's that." Hedin said as he turned to look at the scale

"..."

/Step…/

'Without saying anything, Silver walked to the scale and touched it, and immediately after, the scale was sucked to the ground silently.'

'Once that was done, he snapped his fingers, and the broken garden slowly repaired itself, returning to its previous appearance as Silver said:'

"Thank you for having me here today, it is a stunning and elegant home."

"If possible, I would request that the existence of this scale be kept a secret, as it does not belong to me and their owners deserve no such trouble for my mischief."

/Thud!/

'With that, he looked one last time to Ottar and company, manifesting Allen's spear and placing it on the ground as he gave them all a nod.'

"Whatever you all fight for... I wish you all luck in attaining it. I mean it."

"But... It may seem arrogant coming from a nobody like me... There is still much for us to walk... Before we can be comparable to 'them'."

"Nonetheless... That's not enough."

"That's all I wanted to say... Have a nice week. I hope we can have the chance to... 'Talk' more in the future."

No I don't.

Anyhow, time to leave… I can feel a God approaching.

It's definitely her… And I'm tired.

Allen… He was much stronger than Phrine, even a bit more durable than her.

He also must have Magic Resistance as a Development Ability. I used almost all of my strength to press him down and he got up still, managing to attack me.

He said that he'd kill me the next time we met… And usually, I would roll my eyes over such a thing…

But I can't do so when it's one of them… Just what I needed, a madman going after me in the Dungeon...

Maybe I'm not that safe in the surface either...

/Flash!/

'And like that, Silver vanished from the garden, leaving behind the members of the Freya Familia in silence.'

'Whatever they discussed afterward was none of his concern.'

…

.

.

.

Notes

This chapter was massive in size so I won't be updating on Sunday.

See you next time, peace!

PS: This chapter was quite interesting as it was a way to see how strong Silver has become, I didn't try to undermine the strength of the stronger characters, but at the same time, Silver did progress quite a bit since he began his journey.