40. Monster (part 2)

"I'm very proud. My children are truly talented and powerful." The golden knight said to us, and everyone from the academy opened their eyes wide.

Nathan slowly gets up, and his face looks just as terrified as his friends. Miss Hilda also looked just as terrified, while everybody else only looked confused.

"This voice… you're…" Nathan mumbled once he stood up again, and the golden knight chuckled. The golden knight lifted his hand, and he took off the large helmet to show his face. Seeing the familiar face, everyone lost their minds.

This is the face of Zero. Or should I say, the headmaster of the elemental academy of Ellennoire.

The real headmaster has finally appeared.

"I hope… I didn't make the surprise a bit cliché." The headmaster said to everyone, but the others were too surprised to say a word.

The headmaster scanned the room once more, and he realized the faces of the people here who aren't familiar to him. He lifted his hand forward, and he fired multiple blasts of light forward.

I saw the blast of light coming for me, and I quickly dodged as quickly as possible. I learned from experience that such a blast cannot be blocked, so I moved as quickly as I could. 

Sadly, the light origin is the fastest origin, and not even the micro explosion movement can be faster than that. 

SHRESSSHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The light blast ended up landing on my left hand, and it took my entire left arm off.

"AAHHKK!!!!----" I screamed from the sudden surge of pain, but more screams came from the others.

Damn it…!! this guy is too powerful!!

My eyes scanned the room, and so many... had died. 

Miss Hilda took the blast right through her chest, and the other soldiers died the same way. Only I was good enough to dodge it, but even then, it still managed to take my arm off. Aside from me, the five students only looked widely shocked and confused by what just happened.

"You dodged that? Impressive. As expected of the Fiore blood." The headmaster said coldly while staring at me, and I turned my gaze to see his eyes.

This cold stare… this is it. This is the real one.

This is the monster… who massacred the village.

He is… very strong!!!

BOOOOMMMMMM!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Not far from me, Nathan angrily fired a powerful fireball forward. The explosion was massive, and this time he did not care about safety anymore.

The ceilings crumbled above us, and the explosion even shattered the tank filled with the bright blue liquid. Smoke covered the entire area, and Lily used this chance to help me out.

"Come on… let's get out of here." Lily used her water origin to try and close the horrible wound on my arm, and she also pulled my right hand to help me walk.

Everyone else is also heading to the exit that was formed from the light blast. It's not too steep for us to traverse, so we can make our exit through there.

"N-Nathan…" I called out his name, but Nathan rushed to the smoke all by himself. He is fighting the headmaster alone, and everyone else is already running out to the exit with the dead bodies of the vice headmaster and the soldiers.

"It's okay! It's okay. Let Nathan fight him!" Lily said with such a shaky voice, and I realized the girl is trying her best to keep it together.

Never have she met someone this powerful in her life. He killed so many in a blink of an eye, and left only the students of the academy to be spared. While I did dodge his attack, there's no promise that he might not attempt to kill me later on.

"Do you know why I targeted the Fiore village?" Behind me, the heavy voice of the monster Nathan is fighting was heard. 

BOOOMMM!!!!!!!!

A body suddenly flew past our heads, and it flew very quickly to the surface outside the tunnel. Lily realized that it was Nathan that got thrown out, and she hurried our exit to be much faster.

We arrived at the surface a few seconds later, but the headmaster was also arriving on the surface. As his face gradually appeared from the dug hole at this yard of the castle, everyone turned their terrified gazes to him.

"It's because the prophecy… was never a fake." The headmaster spoke coldly as he arrived on the surface, and we all realized that he was floating in the air.

"A child of fire shall be born from the flame god's bloodline. And that child shall bring forth the awakening of the apocalypse. The apocalypse will ravage Avenor, ending all lives as we know it." 

The headmaster wearing the golden armor explained to everyone with his cold voice, all while staring at the young man that was trying his best to get up.

Nathan's body looked badly cooked. He must've received a light blast head on, but it wasn't enough to fully turn him into ash. Lily ran over to him to try and help him, but there is really nothing we can do.

We are now at the mercy of the monster who massacred my village.

"… So!?" With his hoarse voice, Nathan forced himself to stand back up.

Everyone was too afraid of the monster. Our legs have long since given up, and our entire body shivers from seeing his power. 

But Nathan... he stood up again even after facing this man twice.

On his face is the most wrathful expression any human can wear, and his bloody tears alongside the wounds on his forehead turned his face red.

"Because you heard such stories… You came and killed my whole family!?" Nathan angrily asked, and everyone was in awe at how he was brave enough to stand against the monster.

"Because you think the world might end!? Because you're afraid of that child to one day destroy the world!?" Nathan asked again and again to the headmaster, and he only laughed seeing the boy so angry.

"Well, Nathan… you'd be surprised--"

VWUNNGGGG!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Suddenly, the entire world around us shook heavily. Everyone lost their balance due to the powerful earthquake, and even the monster headmaster looked quite surprised by what just happened.

"… That damned Zero. Always doing whatever he likes." The headmaster mumbled, and he turned his soft smile to everyone.

The shaking kept on happening, and our heads were getting quite dizzy at the same time. Nathan's balance was off, and he ended up kneeling on the ground.

"I may have spared all your lives because you're all my children… but I suggest you start running from here before you lose them. That blue liquid down there… even I don't know what it can do." 

The monstrous headmaster said while peeking his head down to the hole, and the hole seemed to be starting to get really bright.

As the hole turned brighter, everyone knew that this could be very dangerous for us. The explosion that is about to come might just be our ending, and there is no way we can make it out of this place in time.

The headmaster turned his gaze one last time to Nathan, and the poor child only stared with such sorrowful eyes.

"I'll see you soon, Son of Fae." The headmaster said once before turning into a bright blinding light. The light lasted for a second before disappearing, and we all noticed another light coming from the underground laboratory is getting brighter.

"We have to get out of here!" Lily shouted, and Nyssa hurriedly lifted her hand. She took control of everyone's body and brought us flying right away, but even then our speed was still too slow.

Can we… escape the explosion in time?

"Go faster, Nyssa!" Jonah shouted from panic, but the silent girl shook her head rapidly.

"I can't!! This is as far as I can go!!" Nyssa even shouted, and we all knew if the silent girl is shouting, then that means she is serious.

"Axel!! What can we do!?" Eric suddenly asked the skies, which everyone thought was odd. He went silent for a bit as if he was listening to something, but then he turned his gaze back to us. 

"I can try using my lightning to shoot us forward."

Shoot… forward?

"That won't work! We'll just be cooked, then! If such a thing won't kill us, then Nathan's explosion would've done the job!" Lily angrily said to Eric, and the two ended up arguing.

There is… one way.

"Look behind us!! We'll end up dead anyway!!" Eric shouted, and we are now over fifty meters from the castle. And yet, the feeling of death can still be felt as the castle started to glow as bright as the sun.

VWUNNGGG!!!!!!!

Everyone can feel it. The explosion happened.

As the shockwave was released, time felt like it had slowed down for us. We all kept our eyes to the castle that is no longer there, and the light is rapidly approaching our location.

I turned my gaze towards Nathan, who was wearing a face with regret. He has been so destroyed across the entire day. Combined with everything we've experienced, all the truth that came out, the nightmares, and finally the hopelessness.

"Things have been so hard for you, hasn't it?" I said while I stroked his hair with my only hand, and Nathan turned his regretful face to me.

Once he realizes the face I'm wearing, he knows immediately what I'm about to do.

"Nathan." I said while pulling his face closer, and I bumped our foreheads together. He still isn't saying anything, and it seems like he is far too shocked to say anything.

"I love you." 

I said with the softest voice, and tears can be felt flowing out of my eyes.

Then, I used my ability. The dark flame covered my entire body, slowly expanding all the way to everyone else. Seeing the amount of dark fire enclosing them, everybody was confused, but they all knew that it was my ability.

As I let go of his face, I pushed the dark flame forward. The dark fire sphere in front of me got disconnected from my body, and I shot them forward very quickly, sending them to the direction far away from where we are currently at. And towards that direction alongside the speed of it, hopefully they can be safe from the danger that is approaching.

My body began falling down due to gravity, but it got pushed forward by the powerful shockwave. As the light goes brighter around me, I don't even have to turn around to know what is happening, and I just let it all happen. 

With a smile on my face, I just enjoyed the time I have left in the world.

I've done my job. I made sure that kid grows strong and healthy.

Are you proud of me now? Teacher? No, father?

And mother… I can finally see what you look like. I've been so curious as to why I was so beautiful, because you died right after I was born.

I've done it all… I've done everything perfectly up until this point.

So, why… do I have so much regret?