Bella was restrained and her ether was suppressed—she knew.
Something caused her consciousness to fade away in those initial moments; however, soon, she regained consciousness and continuously watched whatever was happening around her.
However, the most irritating part was her body, which refused to listen to her commands. It was like she was paralyzed, and except for her eyes, she could not move a single muscle in her body.
She even tried to open her mouth and bite the life of the man who dared touch her. However, to no avail.
She was under some kind of drug that suppressed her movements and magic.
However, thankfully, she could record where she was taken so that once she regained control over her body, she could return to her brother as soon as she could.
"Hupp! Ho!" Her body finally rested on a chair once they reached a closed room with very dim light, offering a minimal vision of her surroundings.
She turned her eyes toward the front from where another masked man walked towards them.
The lion-masked being signaled towards the bear-masked man before he stepped forward and injected something in Bella's neck.
She winced, not much of a fan of syringes; however, her priority lay in her liberty, and thanks to that injection, she somehow could move her mouth.
"Regardless of the reason for bringing me here, I promise you, the result of all of you will be death."
There were several beings in the room who held weapons that shouldn't belong to this world. And here Bella was all powerless and paralyzed, yet she possessed the confidence that could make anyone falter.
The lion-masked one stepped forward and said, "I am aware that my luck could only bring me to this point...however, in exchange for what I desire, I am ready to accept even death."
Bella frowned as the man slowly removed his mask and revealed his face—making Bella's eyes widen.
"You....!"
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Richard was surfing through the air in his elemental form. He knew he had made a mistake by not making Bella one of his subordinates through ritual, or he would have known her location instantly.
However, there was no point in wailing over the spilled milk.
**BOOOOOM**
The night sky lit up with a fiery streak as Richard, a figure engulfed in living flames, hurled a fireball. The blazing projectile streaked downward like a guided missile, obliterating the guards stationed at the island's edge.
Their screams were swallowed by the roar of the explosion, the flames turning the sandy shore into molten glass. More masked men poured from the dense forest, their dark silhouettes illuminated by the lingering firelight.
They wielded curved blades and enchanted weapons that shimmered faintly against the starry backdrop. Unfazed, Richard advanced, his burning form casting flickering shadows across the beach.
One of the men raised his hand, summoning a barrier of shimmering blue energy that rippled like water. Another fired arrows tipped with glowing runes, their trails carving arcs of light in the darkness. Richard swerved, the projectiles grazing his fiery form, before melting into sparks.
With a guttural yell, one masked figure lunged at Richard, his blade slashing through the air. It connected—but instead of cutting flesh, it tore through fire. The wound briefly created a slash beneath the inferno, but within seconds, the flames surged back, sealing the gash like it was never there.
Richard retaliated, summoning a swirling vortex of fire around himself. With a swift motion, he unleashed it, the flames spreading like a wave. Several attackers screamed as the fire engulfed them, their masks melting into their skin.
Lunging at the nearest vigilante who was shooting an arrow, Richard held the man by his ankle and hair before using the strength that only a superhuman could muster and tore the man from the middle.
"Ahhhh!!!" The loud cry of the man died once his body was snapped in two and thrown away like rags.
The remaining ones took a few steps back as they heard Richard's emotionless voice,
"Where is she?"
The response came violently. From the treeline, another group emerged, chanting incantations. Magic circles flared to life at their feet, launching streams of water that hissed violently as they collided with Richard's flames. The clash of elements created a veil of steam that enveloped the battlefield. Richard stepped through it, his molten eyes glowing brighter than ever.
He raised both hands, conjuring a massive inferno above him. With a snap of his fingers, it split into dozens of smaller fireballs, each locking onto a target like homing missiles. The guards scattered, but the fireballs curved midair, chasing them relentlessly. One by one, the explosions lit up the night, shaking the island.
The battered and melting bodies of the assailants littered around the island like a few dozen had used the spot for a picnic and left garbage behind.
The guards retaliated swiftly, hurling spears laced with glowing runes. The weapons whistled through the air, approached him, but the flames of Richard's body devoured the projectiles mid-flight. Those that struck him only melted against his blazing form.
Richard grinned a feral, predatory smile. With a guttural growl, he slammed his fist into the ground, sending a shockwave of fire rippling outward. It ignited everything in its path, forcing the masked warriors to scatter or be consumed.
Some were quick enough to launch counterattacks. Blades forged with ice magic slashed through the night, sending freezing winds to combat his flames.
Richard snarled and caught the weapon with his bare hand, overwhelming the spell with the intense flames.
"You think water and ice are the best against flames?" Richard asked, to no one specific.
"Enough playing," Richard growled, his voice rumbling like distant thunder as he levitated in the air. His arms shot out, and two massive flame circles materialized above and below the battlefield. The upper one burned like a miniature sun, its edges crackling with unstable energy, while the lower one shimmered ominously, heating the ground until it glowed red.
"Infernal Descent." The words were guttural and sharp, dripping with finality.
The flame circles roared to life, unleashing torrents of liquid fire from the heavens while erupting geysers of flame from below. The guards were caught in the crossfire, their screams drowned out by the deafening roar of the dual assault. The upper flames rained down like hellish comets, each strike vaporizing multiple men, while the lower eruptions flung others into the air, their bodies disintegrating before they hit the ground.
The entire section of the island became a swirling inferno, the sand melting into pools of glass, the jungle at the edge of the battlefield igniting a chain reaction. Tens of guards were incinerated in mere moments, their bodies reduced to ashes carried by the violent winds.
Once the bustling island was reduced to only one person who stood in the middle of the battleground.
The true might of the being who has taken absolute command over an element. This was Richard at his best.
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It took him a few minutes but Richard found the entrance of the cave. It wasn't much difficult to break the entrance and it helped that the guards stationed inside didn't try to fight him at all.
Richard dashed inside, stopping not even once as he finally landed inside the base of the hideout.
His eyes finally landed on the person whom he desired to see the most in these few minutes.
"Bella..." It seems huge boulders were lifted off his shoulders as Richard returned to his human state. He slowly advanced towards Bella who also looked back at him with a soft expression on her face.
"Brother..."
Richard reached his sister and knelt before her. Cupping her cheeks, he asked, "Are you fine? Did they do anything to you?"
Bella shook her head, "No, they just brought me here and we have been talking ever since." After a brief pause, she asked, "Brother....did you just obliterate more than a hundred guards because you were worried for me?"
She heard from the guards inside the base that those hundred guards would keep Richar busy for the time being...however, not even five minutes passed and her brother was in front of her.
Richard sighed, "What do you expect from me? I failed to keep my sister safe so the frustration and fear of losing you again took over me."
He has reunited with his sister after so long...and because of his negligence, he lost her again today.
Bella was grinning ear to ear, but soon he realized that she wasn't moving at all....more like other than her head, nothing else was moving.
Richard spotted the injection resting nearby, making him clench his teeth before he got up on his feet and turned around to slaughter those who tortured his sister.
However, the person he saw upon turning around exhausted his frustration and shock took over,
"Carl?! What are you doing here?"
The brother of his childhood friend...was standing there.
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A/N:- I know, you know, we know. Drop a comment.