Chapter 161: Chapter 161 : Getting Good news from getting beaten up

Alex smirked, his tone dripping with mockery.

“You can try.”

But then—his expression changed.

That grin stretched wider, sharper, until it wasn’t a smile at all, but the face of a battle maniac. A dangerous gleam lit his eyes, and the sheer pressure behind it made both Veyra and Veyron flinch.

Their gazes fell to the sword in his hand. The moment they truly saw it, their breath caught—the pitch-black edge devouring light, its surface rippling with a strange cosmic shimmer.

And then, in a single blur of motion—

Alex and Ethan burst forward.

Ethan intercepted Veyron mid-flight, steel clashing against scythe, sparks raining through the air.

Their weapons screeched in protest, each strike like a thunderclap—but with each clash, Ethan’s blade was getting weaker. Suddenly, strange golden flames surrounded it, and it became stronger than before.

Alex, seeing this, clicked his tongue, murmuring, “Looks like being a hero has its perks.”

Then Alex went straight for Veyra.

Her crimson scythe hissed through the air in a vicious arc—only to be met head-on by the blackened Celestial Sunblade.

The impact cracked the space around them, but Alex’s strength didn’t falter. Instead, his blade slid down hers, forcing it aside, and in the same instant, his boot slammed into her ribs, hurling her backward.

She barely regained her footing when he appeared right in front of her again.

A slash—blocked.

A feint—followed by a punch to her jaw.

Veyra staggered, disbelief flashing in her eyes. She had never been hit in the face before—not like this.

Alex smiled coldly.

“What’s the matter? Not used to getting hit where it hurts?”

Above them, Veyron tried to rush to his sister, but Ethan was in his path, blocking every move with sheer stubbornness.

The Wraith’s scythe blurred, but every time he tried to break past, Ethan’s blade was there, intercepting.

“Get… out of my way!” Veyron roared, his aura flaring.

Ethan spat blood but held his ground. “Not a chance.”

Back with Veyra—her scythe ignited in blood-red flames.

“You’ll regret that,” she hissed, and her aura exploded outward. Her weapon became a storm of death, the air itself sliced into ribbons as dozens of crescent arcs screamed toward Alex.

Alex’s eyes narrowed.

So that’s your trump card?

He shifted his stance. The black blade hummed, his energy surging.

“Astral Void Rend—Fourth Form: Bladestorm Mirage.”

His sword became a blur, afterimages overlapping in a cyclone of strikes. Every one of Veyra’s deadly arcs was shredded, cut apart before it could even reach him.

Her eyes widened—then his foot snapped up, catching her under the chin.

Blood flew from her mouth as her head snapped back.

Alex’s grin faded into something sharper.

“Playtime’s over.”

His stance shifted again.

“Third Form—Celestial Flow.”

He moved, smooth and unstoppable, slipping past her guard like water. A shield of pure darkness snapped into place around her—but Alex’s blade slid through it like it was made of paper.

SHHK!

The black edge pierced her chest cleanly.

Her eyes widened, blood dribbling from her lips as she staggered.

“VEYRA!”

Veyron’s killing intent spiked. His strikes against Ethan grew wilder, faster. In a surge of desperation, he overwhelmed Ethan’s guard and unleashed a brutal cross-slash.

Blood erupted—Ethan’s legs fell away, severed at the thigh.

Ethan plummeted from the sky.

Veyron didn’t hesitate—he became a blur, closing on Alex with murderous speed.

But Alex was already turning.

Predictable.

His fist, wreathed in crackling lightning, slammed into Veyron’s chest mid-charge.

The impact folded the Wraith in half before the black blade followed—cleanly severing both his arms at the shoulder.

Veyron crashed to the ground in a spray of blood.

Alex’s hand shot out, grabbing Veyra by her blood-matted hair. With a savage jerk, he hurled her to the ground beside her brother.

She groaned weakly, barely conscious, her breath ragged.

Alex crouched, still holding her hair, and looked at Veyron.

“I heard you like to strip girls naked.”

A horrifying realization hit Veyron—his arms were gone, his body exhausted, and he couldn’t move. His eyes went wide with panic.

“No… no, no! Please, don’t do this! Do whatever you want to me—just leave my sister out of it!”

Ethan, dragging himself upright with sheer will, froze as the meaning sank in.

His gaze darted to Seraphina.

“Tell me… he isn’t going to do what I think he is.”

Seraphina said nothing. She just looked away, her expression unreadable—but she had seen earlier how cruel Alex could be to his enemies.

Gritting his teeth, Ethan started limping toward Alex as his legs regenerated.

Alden moved to block him. “Ethan, wait—you don’t know what these guys were—”

But Ethan cut him off sharply.

“Don’t! Don’t defend him. Can’t you see what he’s doing? This is morally wrong!”

Alex looked up at Ethan, unbothered.

“Yeah. I’m going to do exactly what you’re thinking.”

Ethan’s voice rose.

“How dare you! Don’t you have any shame? Even if she’s an enemy—don’t you have any morals? Oh, I forgot—you didn’t have any parents to teach you those!”

Alex’s gaze turned cold.

“No. I didn’t. The only moral I’ve learned is an eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth.”

Ethan’s blade slid free of its sheath.

“Release her. Don’t force me to attack you.”

Seeing the tension spike, Alden, Charlotte, and Seraphina rushed toward them.

Alden tried again.

“Ethan, stop—you don’t know what these people were gon—”

“You guys should stop defending him and taking his side every damn time!” Ethan snapped, his voice cracking with rage. “Can’t you see what he’s about to do is wrong?!”

Ethan’s aura flared, pressure slamming into everyone.

“You all should stay back—let me handle this!”

And then suddenly—

Alex started laughing. Low at first, then rising into something maniacal.

“I almost forgot—you’re the hero. Morals this, morals that.” His grin twisted. “Sorry, but the morals you speak of don’t mean shit to these people.”

He leaned closer, voice sharp as a knife.

“Tell me, where were your morals when these two and their minions slaughtered dozens of innocents while you were unconscious?”

Ethan grit his teeth. “That doesn’t mean—”

“It doesn’t mean what, Ethan?!” Alex’s voice cut him off, venomous. “They were going to rape Seraphina, Charlotte, and Ava right here, in the middle of this forest, in front of their minions.

Then pass them around like prostitutes—just to satisfy their lust—before killing every citizen and child you see here.”

His eyes burned.

“And all of us got caught up in this because they came to capture you. Isn’t that right?”

—

Ethan’s breath hitched as the realization hit harder than he thought.

Shock slammed into him like a physical blow. He couldn’t believe what Alex had just said… couldn’t believe it.

His gaze slowly shifted toward Charlotte… Ava… Seraphina.

They all quietly averted their eyes. None of them met his gaze.

That silence hit harder than any blade.

He turned to Alden and Draven—desperate for denial—but Alden held his eyes and spoke plainly.

“Everything Alex just said… is the truth.”

Ethan’s mouth opened, but no words came. His throat felt dry, his tongue heavy.

The realization crashed over him like a cold tide of truth—if Alex hadn’t woken up in time… his friends… because of him…

They would have been dead. Or worse—living in a nightmare worse than death.

Shame poured into his chest like molten lead. He couldn’t even bring himself to look at Alex.

Alex’s laughter broke through the suffocating silence.

“What happened? Not gonna argue with me anymore?”

He jabbed a finger toward Veyron, who lay on the ground armless and broken.

“That trash you’re looking at? The one begging now? He was going to do the same to Seraphina, Charlotte, and Ava.

And just like he’s begging me now—back then, our dear friend Alden was the one begging them to spare the girls.”

Alden’s mouth twitched. He wanted to say something—but the timing wasn’t right. He stayed silent.

Alex’s eyes narrowed.

“Compared to what they were gonna do… I’m being generous here.”

Ethan kept staring at the ground, shoulders slumped, completely defeated.

Alex turned back to Veyron.

“So… where were we? Oh right—you like to strip girls naked, don’t you? It’s an amusement to you.

Then—” his eyes shifted to Veyra, “you should also see your sister naked too.”

Veyron’s face drained of color. Horror twisted his features. He turned to Ethan, crawling toward him in desperation.

“Stop him! Please! Hey, you—I’ll do anything—just stop him!”

But Ethan kept his eyes down, his mind somewhere else. He didn’t even register Veyron’s pleas.

Alex looked at Veyra, who was barely breathing now. A slow, cold smile spread across his face.

“Sorry, babe… but I’m not the forgiving kind. I believe in equal exchange.”

Veyra, on her last breath, actually chuckled—weak but defiant.

“You’re… you’re just like us.”

Alex muttered, his voice low and void of emotion.

“Maybe I am.”

His hand shot out—RIPPPP!—tearing away a strip of her dress, exposing half her body.

Veyron squeezed his eyes shut, shaking his head.

“No… no, no… spare her! Please!”

Alex tilted his head, mockery dripping from his tone.

“Should I?”

Veyron’s voice broke.

“You… you’re a devil!”

Alex’s hand tightened on the remaining cloth, ready to rip again—

“Alex! That’s enough!”

The voice cut through the tension like a blade.

His head snapped up. Ava stood there beside Ethan, her eyes glistening with unshed tears, her expression pleading.

“You’ve already done enough for us. Now… release her from her misery.”

Alex stared at her for a long moment—and then, for the first time in the fight, a flicker of disgust passed over his face. Not at her—but at himself.

What the hell am I doing? Ava shouldn’t have to see something this disgusting.

He let go. Veyra’s half-naked body slumped beside Veyron, who immediately crawled to her side, trying to shield her with his own body.

Alex looked at Ava.

“…Sorry you had to see something like that.”

Ava’s tears fell, but her smile was soft.

“It’s okay. You were angry for us. I’m just glad… you’re okay.”

Alex opened his mouth to respond—

—but then suddenly, the air cracked.

Not like a normal sound.

This was reality itself splitting apart.

A jagged rift tore open in the sky above them, black lightning crackling along its edges.

From it stepped a man—tall, broad-shouldered, draped in robes of deep crimson stitched with runes that pulsed faintly like a heartbeat.

His skin was pale, almost corpse-like, his hair a long sweep of shadowed red. His eyes—cold, pitiless—glowed faintly with abyssal gold, like molten metal trapped in ice.

A single glance at him was enough to make the air feel heavier, thicker… poisonous.

Aaron Snyde—a Grandmaster-rank powerhouse who had created this dimension.

The master of Veyron and Veyra.

The moment his gaze fell upon his broken disciples, his face went deathly still. And then—his eyes hardened into something colder than steel.

A wave of killing intent erupted outward. It wasn’t just aura—it was pressure so absolute that everyone in the dimension collapsed, slammed to the ground like ragdolls—including Ethan.

In a blink, Aaron was beside Alex. His fist moved—and the world broke.

BOOOOOOM!

The impact sent Alex flying through the forest. Trees splintered like matchsticks as his body tore through them, each one exploding under the force until he finally skidded to a stop, half-buried in the dirt.

Blood spilled from his mouth in a hot rush.

Then he suddenly spoke in his mind.

…Useless. I should really consider quitting this villain crap and just live quietly like the extra I’m supposed to be. Because it looks like the real hero just showed up… to save his disciples. And I’m the bad guy now.

The System’s voice chimed in his mind.

“[Host, I’ve got news.]”

Alex groaned, trying to lift himself up.

“Please tell me it’s good.”

“[You could say it’s good… because you just got beaten up.]”

Alex snarled mentally.

“Say it, you bastard.”

“[That Grandmaster-tier punch that just whooped your ass? Your physique adapted to it instantly—becoming stronger.]”

Alex blinked.

“So that’s why the pain’s fading so fast… but that’s not enough to beat him, you useless system.”

“[Hold on, I’m getting to the good part. Because of that blow, your body’s not only stronger…]”

Alex leaned forward mentally.

“And?”

“[…And you’ve met the conditions to use the Sixth and Seventh Forms of your sword art.]”

———

A/N:

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