As the hand came down on Seman, the man did the only thing left.
Time slowed down for Seman as his mind went through countless Important, unimportant, relevant and irrelevant memories with speed that surpassed light.
As Seman went through the memories, only one thing mattered for him.
It wasn't the long hours he spent honing his skills nor was it the accomplishments and rewards he was waged for his valor.
It was the day of his marriage with Sarah.
He remembered the wide, unfiltered smile of his wife.
It was the first time Seman's cold heart felt warmness invade and break it to countless pieces.
To him, it didn't matter anymore that Sarah won the leadership fight nor the humiliation his family suffered because of that.
That one smile changed his perception and goal in life.
Just that one thing, brightened up his cold, solitary life.
It was that which stopped Orion as he froze with the greatest shock in his life. He saw Seman showing a bright smile as his fist was only one moment away from snuffing out his life.
"How… how can you smile like that when you're so close to death?" Orion asked with disbelief. He took a look around the ground and said, "The ones you trusted and lead half your life are lying beside you, their fate the same as you, so how?"
Seman slowly opened his eyes which didn't have worries anymore.
"I've just realized that… I lived a very fulfilling life. A life with the perfect companion, lovely daughters with the mettle to take the world and friends who've followed me through life… and now to death."
"So, haha…" Seman laughed, "I don't have any problems with dying now."
"Hah!" Orion angrily grabbed Seman by his throat and hung him up, "DO you think it'll be over with you? It won't. I'll still go for your city, your wife and daughters! They won't be freed from this!"
"That's what I'm telling you." Seman's smile still remained, "My wife is strong, she can probably kick your ass and my daughters… well, they still need some guidance but at least there is someone who'll look after them."
"A husband who finally won against a crazy Religias!" Seman laughed as he said those words.
"Haha…" Orion heard a small laughter and saw it was Nance. Laying broken but having the same smile as Seman.
"GRRRRR!" Orion, who was arrogant through life and wanted victory overall, didn't one bit.
Orion defeated Seman, The Glorious Defender of Whitedon. He broke him then how could he still smile… and that damn smile! Why did it irk him so much?
Why did he feel so jealous of it?
Was it that he was lacking what was behind that smile?
The grip on Seman tightened.
He was Orion, The Bandit King… So why don't his own words console him?
Orion shook his head and looked at Seman. The guy was struggling, feeling pain under his hand but he didn't try to save himself.
"Damn it! Kill them! Kill every one of them!" Orion ordered. He couldn't take it anymore; he saw those smiles mocking him.
Telling him he lost, Ridiculous!
That's why he was going to kill them and show who's the real winner!
"Why are you all still standing?" He barked at the still unmoved bandits, "I told you to kill them!"
"We can't." A bandit, looking a bit more outranked than others came through the crowd, "We need them for leverage."
"It doesn't matter anymore!" Orion barked, "I say kill them."
"No" Another shook his head, "They're too important! We accepted killing Seman but not them Orion."
"Who's Orion! I'm the king! The Bandit King and you will show me that respect I deserve or I'll fucking gut you too!" Orion said, losing his mind, "NOW kill them or I will kill all of you with them."
The Sub-Leaders hearing Orion felt restricted. They had authority, but before this sudden madmen, they weren't completely sure of victory.
"Fuck!" Orion said, gripping Seman tighter, "I'll just kill them myself."
Nance looked up, trying to reach Seman but couldn't, "…no"
Orion saw veins pop up on Seman's face and eyes getting bloodshot. Then with one push, he crac-
Suddenly, the ground around the whole base shook and Orion lost control of his grip. Seman fell down on the ground as he coughed and took deep breaths.
"Heee" Orion took a deep breath and turned around.
Several meters away from them, there was some kind of impact. The place itself was covered with gray dust from the stone floor as Orion saw large spiderweb like cracks breaking largely.
A huge figure wearing shining silver armor broke through the dust cover and ran straight towards Orion.
Orion's instincts flared at him to defend himself. But the steel figure was very fast, in moments he was within attack range.
To the surprise of everyone, they saw the steel figure punch Orion's straight to his face.
Breaking something as his large inhuman figure flew, crashing far away from where he was.
Everyone was shocked at the sudden change.
They couldn't understand what happened.
Orion, who was like a real monster looked so invincible, but got punched by someone and flew away?
To their surprise it did happen and to solidify it, they heard the steel monster's cold and unhinged voice through his helmet, "You blocked that?"
I look down and see mashed meat covering my steel hands, "You blocked that?"
As everyone once again looked at Orion, they looked at his face. Previously, his face was completely normal unlike his whole body.
Right now, it had also become the mashed meat his whole body was. But unlike his invincible body, half of his mashed face was missing and the revealed normal half looked broken and disfigured.
'The guy quickly blocked his face with his sigmat. Otherwise, he wouldn't have survived… still, it was a very fast block.' I smile, 'Knew this won't end so quickly.'
But unlike Henry, the others were overly shocked.
The invincible figure of Orion was broken in their minds.
'He's punched had that much power?! It even went through Orion's defensive measures and broke his face… how is that possible?' They looked at Henry, 'What monster is this?'
To their benefit, one of the bandits murmured, "You're him… You're the Steel Monster!"
The Sub-Leaders all shook at the revelation.
'He's the Steel Monster? He's the guy that brought terror over our whole army!'
'Shit! Now he even did that to Orion, just what the fuck is wrong with this guy!?'
Seeing how most of the bandits were shaking in fear, one of the Sub-Leaders took lead, "What are you all waiting for? Kill him, the enemies right there!"
To his help, the other Sub-Leaders nodded and all of them attacked Henry at the same time.
Lightning, Acid, Air and Smoke attacks came for me. But I wasn't afraid.
Because I already saw help coming long ago.
To their dismay, the ground before me ripped and large vines grew up. The vines quickly stood like a tall wall, blocking all the attacks from reaching me.
The Sub-Leaders looked aside and saw Velma standing on tall ground, looking coldly at them.
"Shit! It's one of the Valkyries."
"Alright, let me take care of her." The smoke guy said and aimed his hand. "I'll cover yo-"
To that guy's dismay, light flashed before him and he was kicked away by Marva's swift kick.
"Don't Fear For I Am Here!"
The Sub-Leaders looked around and saw Peter Dragonoir yelling as he leads his family troops towards the bandits.
All of them were confused.
"Why are all of them here suddenly?" Get full chapters from novel{f}ire.net
"How are they alive?"