Chapter 30: Arc Stratford's Despair II
Lost. Arc Stratford was so lost.
All these years and even just a moment ago everything was alright.
But how, how did it become and end like this? He saw his own master die with his own two eyes.
He was bathed in his master's blood. The whole situation was like an illusionary dream for Arc Stratford. No, rather a nightmare. He wanted to wake up, but can't.
He was again put on the situation where he needs to face reality. The cruel reality. He needed to accept it.
"Aghh!..." Arc Stratford grimaced in pain as Ren exerted more force on his foot.
"Snap back to reality. Stop deceiving yourself." Ren shook his head, this brother of his was a disappointment. No. Maybe he was good, he's just unfortunate.
'At least, you are better than the original, I give you that.' Ren thought.
"What will you do? Kill him?" Freya hovered down by his side.
Arc Stratford trembled when he heard Freya's voice that was void of mercy.
"Yes. I have read a lot. If I let him go that would be a hidden danger for me. Although clearing up the aftermath will be troublesome. I just need to work hard." Ren nodded. He had read a lot of novels where the protagonists showed mercy, and it came back biting them.
"...Will you do it yourself?" Freya asked with a bit of concern on her voice.
"I'll eventually have to do things like this in the future, might as well be prepared." Ren nodded gravely, he knows that this world doesn't follow the concept of peace in earth.
And as a human and a proper citizen in earth, killing is a big no for him. However, he himself know that he have to adjust with the rules of this world.
If he doesn't develop his guts to kill a person in Elysium, he won't live long, especially with how many enemies he will encounter on his road.
Furthermore, he did indeed gain a lot of experience regarding killing but those are only applied to monster beasts, it can be compared to killing an animal on earth. That's why killing a person and most of all a kid. It's still a heavy decision for him.
"Sigh. I'll use magic to pulverize him. It'll be more easier. That way my first kill would not be so gruesome, like splashing a lot of blood for example. My current mentality is not enough for that." Ren sighed, formed a massive bolt of lightning from above.
"You...!? How?!" Arc Stratford with wide eyes asked, surprised about how he can use magic.
"I'm a genius, that's why." Ren answered.
"...Won't you torture him?" Freya said with a chuckle it was meant to scare Arc Stratford.
"...Thinking about it now, indeed if our situation was somehow reversed. This little brother of mine would find pleasure in torturing me. Shit!" Ren still couldn't accept the fact that a brat was already this cruel.
Ren added: "But yeah, you are right. I don't plan to end him this quickly. After all, he wanted to take everything from me. I could at least let him experience how I take everything from him, right?"
"Wha, What are you going to do!!?" Arc Stratford stuttered.
"Hmm. How about we start taking this so-called talent of yours." Ren spoke, putting his palm on Arc Stratford's chest who was trying to resist, but it was futile.
With enough strength exerted that could make the body collapse. It will lead to crippling someone's source of magical energy. This was what Ren was doing.
Electric currents sparked from his palm sending toward his little brother's chest.
He didn't completely cripple him, but left Arc Stratford's source energy of magical energy on the verge of collapsing. And one would surely know that the pain felt will be at the extreme level.
"Help!!! Aghh!!!"
Without any resistance, Arc Stratford could only wail in pain.
Ren was not cruel enough to extend the time. So he wanted to end it soon, and the bolt of lightning above was about to fall down.
However before anything happened, he heard a woman's panic voice but there was still a hint of elegance in it.
"Stop! hold it, Ren!"
Freya immediately disappeared.
The voice came from another blonde-golden haired beauty that arrived. It was Claire.
"Mother..." Ren didn't know what to say, but he was still planning to end it. He didn't cancel his magic.
"I know. But at least let him live..." Claire knows that there was something going on between the two brothers, but she didn't know the full details.
Of course, right now, especially after the course of a year, Claire was a bit partial. She prioritized Ren more.
"He's a threat." Ren mumbled coldly.
"I can control him so that he won't do anything to you anymore." Claire didn't believe that what Arc Stratford did warranted death, because she doesn't know the full details.
That's why she thought that it was only an impulse and naivety of a child. She didn't want Ren to regret killing someone. Not knowing that he was fully aware of what he was doing.
"As long as your enemy is alive, no matter how weak it is. There comes a time that it is still possible for him to be a threat. So it's better to end it fast." Ren spoke, looked at Claire eye to eye.
Claire was somewhat intimidated by his gaze. It was the first time she saw him this serious. So knowing that, the matter might not be so simple.
Arc Stratford on the other side was happy when he saw Claire arrive.
He yelled while enduring the pain on his body: "Mother, mother! Help me! I'm in pain. My brother is going kill me!"
Claire turned her sight on his pathetic state and with a complicated look she then again turned to Ren and asked, "What happened?"
"Sigh. It's like this..." Ren could only sigh, he can't really do anything to his mother. He loved her and respected her.
...
After explaining, Claire looked at Arc Stratford coldly.
First of all. Claire also has a cruel side. She only treated Ren and Arc Stratford well because she was obligated to as their stepmother.
However, now that she became close to Ren. She practically doesn't even care about Arc Stratford. She even came to this dark forest because she noticed a barrier being constructed, and when she noticed that Ren was not inside his room and her tracking magic showed that Ren was at the center of the barrier.
She panicked because the magical energy that user of the barrier was not enough for Ren to contend. Exerting all her power, she broke the barrier before speeding toward the center.
....
Arc Stratford felt that he was in haven, Claire was by his side. He was really comfortable knowing the fact that Claire will save him.
He believed Claire loved him after all.
As if he was pushed down from heaven to hell. His whole existence trembled when he heard those cold words came out from his loving mother.
"I should kill him myself."
There was no sense or hint of being a mother, but just a woman protecting her loved one.
Sadly, it was not him, Arc Stratford.
It was Ren Stratford.
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