The weight of leadership (9):The shattered facade

The air was heavy with tension, so thick it felt as though it could crush the very life out of them. Theodore and Lenny stood poised, swords in hand, watching the slime queen's every move. Her glowing, gelatinous form radiated malice, her crimson eyes scanning them as if deciding which one to crush first.

Then, with an earsplitting roar, she slammed her massive hand into the ground. The tremors rippled through the earth, nearly knocking Theodore and Lenny off their feet. Without hesitation, they broke into a sprint—Theodore darting left while Lenny veered right, each flanking her in a bid to find an opening.

Theodore's sword flashed as he leaped onto her back, his blade slicing deep into her gelatinous flesh. She screamed, a shrill, guttural noise that reverberated across the battlefield. But as quickly as the wound appeared, it closed, her regenerative abilities rendering his attack meaningless.

"Damn it," Theodore cursed under his breath, leaping off her back to avoid her swinging arm.

With a deafening crack, she slammed her massive hand into the ground near Theodore. The force was enough to shatter the ground, and in her wild thrashing, she accidentally severed her own left arm. But instead of falling limp and useless, the severed limb began to writhe and reshape itself.

Six towering slime soldiers emerged from the dismembered arm, each standing six feet tall and glowing with red, menacing eyes. Their gelatinous forms hardened, transforming into humanoid shapes clad in makeshift armor. They carried spears that shimmered with a deadly energy, and without hesitation, they charged.

Three of the soldiers charged at Theodore while the remaining ones attacked Lenny.

"Damn it! What the hell is this?" Theodore growled, rolling to the side just as one of the slimes lunged at him with its spear.

Using his smaller frame to his advantage, Theodore ducked under another spear and delivered a sharp kick to the slime on his left. His foot collided with its body, but instead of the squishy texture he expected, it was as hard as steel.

(Tsk. Their bodies are no longer soft—they're like steel now.)

Before he could recover, the slime on his left grabbed his leg, lifting him like a ragdoll and hurling him into a nearby tree. The impact shattered several trunks as Theodore's body slammed through them before crashing to the forest floor.

"Ugh!" Theodore coughed, blood dripping from the corner of his mouth as he pushed himself up. "Bastard!"

Lenny, who had been fending off the other three soldiers, turned toward Theodore. Just as he was about to run to his aid, a flaming sword zipped past him with incredible speed, grazing his cheek and leaving a shallow cut.

Lenny froze, touching the blood on his cheek. "What the…?"

The flaming sword flew straight into the cluster of slime soldiers attacking Theodore, piercing through three of them in one clean motion. Their gelatinous forms melted instantly, leaving nothing but scorched earth behind.

Lenny's eyes widened. (This kid… he didn't just throw that sword. He calculated the perfect angle and timing. Impressive. Terrifying, even.)

Theodore ran past Lenny, his movements sharp and purposeful.

"What are you doing standing there, Lenny? Watching me do all the work? Start pulling your weight and kill them already!" he snapped, his voice cold.

Lenny grinned nervously, shaking off his shock. "Alright, alright. No need to yell."

Grabbing his sword from the melted remains of the slimes, Theodore crushed the cores beneath his feet, ensuring they wouldn't regenerate. In a fluid motion, he slashed through another wave of soldiers and sent one flying with a kick, its body colliding with the queen's leg. She roared in fury, her massive body trembling with rage.

Lenny, snapping out of his stupor, leaped into action. The slime soldiers lunged at him with their spears, but he used their weapons against them, vaulting over one and slicing through another with a green-tinged aura. His movements were efficient and precise, his blade dancing through the air as he cut the soldiers into pieces.

But the queen wasn't done. Seeing her soldiers massacred, she slammed her hand into the ground once more, spawning even more warriors. This time, the soldiers moved in formation, their spears raised and ready to skewer anything in their path.

She's trying to exhaust us," Lenny muttered.

Theodore gritted his teeth. (She's just stalling. This isn't about winning—she's buying time for something.)

"I think we're going to die," Lenny said, his voice trembling.

More slime soldiers charged, their formation tightening as they surrounded Theodore.

"Oh no, Prince! Run!" Lenny shouted, his voice tinged with genuine concern.

Theodore's crimson eyes burned with defiance.

(Run? Impossible. Not now. Not ever.)

"I'm not dying here," he muttered under his breath.

(Theodore. You've done this before just like you did to Noah during the duel.Focus. Analyze their movements. See the patterns. Burn everything in your way.)

His grip on the flaming sword tightened, the ancient flames licking the air. He closed his eyes, shutting out the chaos around him, focusing only on the fight.

The world seemed to slow, the sounds of battle fading into a dull hum. (I need to surpass myself. If my flames aren't enough, I'll push them further,curse them with my dark mana, make them unstoppable.)

Theodore opened his eyes, his pupils glowing a vibrant crimson. Time slowed in his perception as he analyzed the soldiers' movements. Thirty soldiers to the left, forty to the right, and another thirty descending from above.

The flames on his sword intensified, shifting from orange to a deep, sinister purple. The air around him grew heavy, crackling with a dark energy that made the hairs on Lenny's neck stand on end.

In a blur of motion, Theodore moved like a shadow through the horde, his sword cutting through the soldiers in a zigzag pattern. Each slash left behind a trail of blackened smoke, the soldiers disintegrating into ash instead of pooling into slime.

When the dust settled, Theodore stood in the center of the battlefield, surrounded by smoking puddles of green. His breathing was labored, and blood dripped from the corner of his mouth.

From Lenny's perspective, it was as if Theodore hadn't moved at all—just a gust of wind and the sudden collapse of dozens of soldiers. The sheer force of the attack caused the surrounding trees to tremble, the impact pushing Lenny back.

"What… what was that?" Lenny whispered, his voice shaking.

Amid the chaos, something fell to the ground beside Lenny. His eagle, the one he had been using to spy, lay in pieces, its body cleaved by Theodore's blade.

"Why…" Lenny muttered, his hands trembling as he stared at the bird's remains.

"Stop the act, Mr. Lenny," Theodore spat, blood dripping from his mouth. His body was trembling from overexertion, but his glare was unwavering. "Who the hell are you?"

"What are you talking about?" Lenny feigned confusion, his voice cracking.

"Huh, so that's how it's going to be?" Theodore sneered, taking a step closer.

Lenny's expression shifted to fear. "Theodore, this power is corrupting you. You're seeing enemies where there are none! Let's work together to defeat the queen—she's the real threat, not me!"

"Right," Theodore said mockingly, wiping blood from his chin. "Then let's talk about your eagle, the one that kept spying on me. Or how you hid during the gate's transformation and came out without a scratch. How about the way the slime soldiers never targeted you, even when you were standing right in front of them?"

Lenny's mask cracked for a moment, his trembling replaced by a slow, sinister smile. Then, he began laughing—low at first, then louder, more unhinged.

"Fine. You got me," Lenny said, his tone dripping with malice. "But it doesn't matter. You're exhausted, and this is where you die. You're nothing but an obstacle to my messiah's plans."

Theodore smirked, his crimson eyes gleaming. (So he finally shows his true colors.)

"Messiah, huh?" Theodore raised his sword, the purple flames roaring to life. "Let's see if your so-called messiah can save you."