6 Fight And Blood

Having spent three years confined to such a place, Marek knew its layout like the back of his hand. He navigated the corridors with purpose, knowing exactly where his targets lay.

With a swift motion, he sliced through the bars of his cell and stepped out into the dimly lit hallway. The other children lay sound asleep, exhausted from their day's toils, providing Marek with the cover he needed to slip away unnoticed.

"First Rank Spell, raise senses," Marek whispered, casting a spell that bathed him in a yellowish glow, sharpening his senses.

"First Rank Spell, raise strength."

"First Rank Spell, raise agility."

The red and blue glows enveloped him, infusing him with newfound power and speed.

Drawing on his heightened senses and ingrained memories, Marek made his way leisurely down the corridor towards where Feras and the others were likely asleep.

As he slowly pushed open the door, Marek was met with the sight of two men slumbering in their beds. With practiced precision, he approached the first man and raised his knife to the sleeping figure's throat.

A quick, decisive slice and crimson spurted from the wound as the man jolted awake, clutching his neck in shock.

Ignoring the man's futile struggles, Marek turned to the second man and plunged his knife into the man's throat.

Another crimson spurt followed as Marek moved swiftly out of the room as he closed the door while the two men choked in their own blood.

Amidst the raucous laughter emanating from the adjacent room, Marek halted before the door, closing his eyes briefly.

"Three," he muttered under his breath, confirming the number of occupants inside.

With a swift kick, Marek sent the door flying open, startling the trio of card players who spun around in surprise.

"You little–" the man at the forefront began, but Marek's knife was already in motion, piercing through the man's throat. He crumpled to his knees, hands clutching his neck in disbelief.

His two companions turned towards Marek with fury in their eyes, reaching for their weapons, but Marek was already airborne, his foot connecting with the second man's head.

A sickening crunch followed as the man's nose shattered upon impact, sending him crashing into the table.

The third man, lunged at Marek with his sword, but Marek's heightened senses allowed him to evade the attack with a slight tilt of his head. Seizing the man's arm, Marek enacted a spell, his right arm shimmering with an earthy hue.

"Second Rank Spell, Earth Reinforcement."

-CRACK!

His stony-covered fist collided with the man's elbow, eliciting a sickening crack as the joint gave way.

"AARGAHAGAHA!!!" The man dropped to his knees, howling in agony, clutching his shattered arm.

Marek swiftly retrieved his knife from the throat of the fallen man, silencing the screams of the other man with a fatal slice across the throat.

"PLEASE!!!" begged the man with the broken nose, tears and mucus streaming down his face in desperation.

-Spurt!

With a flick, Marek cleaned his blade on the man's clothes before stepping out into the corridor. His gaze fixed on the door at the end, where he sensed Feras' presence, and likely the captive Anastasia.

"Hm?"

Curiosity piqued, Marek approached the adjacent door and pushed it open, revealing a disturbing scene unfolding within.

"Move and scream!!!"

Garen was viciously assaulting a young girl barely older than himself sprawled on the bed. Bruises marred her delicate skin, due to the brutality she had endured. Marek recognized her as one of their own, someone forced into servitude by these people.

It was unclear if the girl was still conscious, her body limp under Garen's relentless assault.

"Do you understand?!" Garen bellowed, oblivious to the girl's state.

"Probably not."

"W-What?!"

Garen's expression twisted in a mix of shock and rage as he caught sight of Marek.

"What are you—" he began, but Marek wasted no time in silencing him.

"Fire Enchant, Second Rank," Marek muttered, infusing his knife with flames before hurling it at Garen with precision.

Garen's scream of agony filled the room as the blazing blade found its mark, piercing his genital area with searing heat.

"No offspring for you."

With a swift movement, Marek retrieved a sword from a nearby shelf and flung it towards Garen's head, the blade finding its mark with deadly accuracy, ending Garen's life instantly.

"Keep the knife though," Marek muttered as he exited the room.

…

…

The basement of Feras' transformed into a chilling tableau reminiscent of a scene from a horror film. Blood adorned the walls of each room, bodies scattered in grotesque positions, their screams silenced swiftly by Marek's ruthless efficiency.

Marek himself was a grim figure, drenched in the blood of the ten or so men he had dispatched without mercy, some even in their slumber. Though he had never taken a life on Earth, the influence of his Ajekreian self seemed to guide his actions, while his thoughts drew from the memories of Marek Grayling from Earth.

Approaching the final door, Marek paused, a faint smile gracing his lips as he stepped aside, opting to open it with a flick of his hand rather than directly.

As the door swung open, a sword thrust through it, aimed at Marek. With a calm demeanor, he withdrew the blade, revealing himself.

"It's good to see you're awake. I prefer a fair fight," Marek said casually, his gaze steady on the figure within.

Feras, visibly shaken, recognized the intruder as Arthur, the young man he had taken in years ago. Though always compliant, Arthur's unsettling gaze had never escaped Feras' notice. Now, standing before him, Arthur appeared entirely transformed, evoking a sense of dread that chilled Feras to the core.

Unable to understand his own fear of the once-docile youth, Feras reached for a sword near his bed, his voice betraying uncertainty. "Are you rebelling, boy?"

Marek shook his head dismissively. "No rebellion here. Rebellion implies subservience, which I assure you, I've never entertained," he replied icily, locking eyes with Feras.

"I'll cut your tongue this time," Feras snarled, his grip tightening on his sword as he prepared to strike.

Marek met his gaze with calm, unsettling even more Feras.

"Die!" Feras lunged forward, his sword slicing through the air with deadly intent.

With a fluid motion, Marek intercepted the attack, effortlessly deflecting the blow with his own sword. "I thought you were after my tongue."

"Second Star Tier Spell! Fireball!" Feras unleashed a blazing orb, hurling it towards Marek with formidable force.

So this is a Spell of this world?

Observing the spell with interest, Marek recognized it as a Star Tier Spell from this world, similar yet distinct from the Second Ranked Spells of Ajekreia.

"Second Ranked Spell, Lightning Ball," Marek countered, conjuring a sphere of crackling yellow lightning that clashed with the incoming fireball.

The collision resulted in a deafening explosion, sending waves of heat rippling through the air. Feras bore the brunt of the blast, propelled backward as Marek's lightning sphere struck true, impacting his abdomen.

"What... what was that?!" Feras stammered, his disbelief evident in his voice.

Feras couldn't comprehend why, despite his higher level and why despite the employment of both a Second Star Tier Spell, he found himself on the losing end of the confrontation. Unbeknownst to him, Marek wielded Spells from another world, inherently stronger than those of this realm.

Marek's demeanor shifted, his small smile replaced by an unsettling void as he exuded an aura of murderous intent that sent shivers down Feras' spine.

Reacting instinctively, Feras raised his sword just in time to parry Marek's vicious strike aimed at his head.

Collapsed on the ground, Feras stared up at Marek, who displayed no hint of emotion, only desire to end his life.

"What?!" Feras gasped in shock as Marek effortlessly overpowered him, his blade inching closer to Feras' vulnerable neck.

"Second Star Tier Spel–" Feras attempted to utter a spell, but his words were abruptly cut off as Marek swiftly severed his head from his body.

"You shouldn't have touched Anastasia with your filthy hands," Marek added and sliced off Feras' hands.