Rochan pressed forward with his attack and hacked his sword at Mars mercilessly, trying to cut through his warhammer.
Yet, the warhammer stood strong as Mars swung it effortlessly, blocking the sword slashes as fast as Rochan could deliver them.
The warhammer was about ten times heavier than the saber sword, but Mars was still able to swing it as fast.
While occupied with Rochan, Renette, and the Martial Legends delivered their attacks only to get blocked by the invisible men.
The invisible men acted as body shields for Mars and tanked the attacks all the way until their deaths.
Mars' ability was Conjuration type, summoning of the invisible men. It was an extremely rare kind of ability.
"Opening!"
Rochan's sword sped up and ran up Mars' chest with a forceful slash, leaving a deep wound that began to glow with a bright light.
"?!"
Mars' eyes shook as he looked at the fountain of crimson blood before him and was even forced to take a step back.
The wound was stinging like wildfire.
"Prison Warden, please help!"
At that moment, a cry of help reached his ears, and he turned around to see his prison guards dying.
They had been able to hold on this far because of the sudden healing spell that rejuvenated them, but it only delayed the inevitable.
The criminals were slowly killing them off.
"Rah!"
Mars gripped the warhammer and barged through the encirclements of the Martial Legends and rushed to the air.
"Stop him!"
Rochan jumped after Mars and brought his sword down at him, but then a group of invisible men in the shadows attacked Rochan, forcing him to defend himself.
"Damn…"
He got pushed back and saw that if Mars wasn't stopped, the prison guards might actually have a chance to turn things around!
In that moment, Renette caught up to Mars and kicked him in the back, forcing him to drop down to the ground.
Sliding through the ground on his stomach, Mars let out a furious cry and whacked Renette across her face with his elbow.
It sent her flying back.
In that moment, the Martial Legends rained him with blows, leaving him bleeding and bruised, barely hovering in the border of consciousness.
"Ah…"
With a bloody gaze, Mars saw the corpses of the prison guards piling up, their lifeless eyes staring back at him.
"No!"
He jumped back to his feet, swung his warhammer, and crushed one of the Martial Legend's skulls like a ripe melon.
The brain matter, skull pieces, and popped eyeballs were splattered all over the ground in a grotesque display of violence.
It shook the criminals to their very core.
It was rare to witness Martial Legend dying, and one happened right before their eyes!
Mars pushed through the criminals, and after finally arriving at the place where his prison guards should be, he only came across their corpses.
"…"
His eyes shook, and with trembling lips, he turned to the criminals and wielded his warhammer with anger.
"You bastards will pay for this!"
The criminals attacked him, and Mars, as one-man army, fought back with all his strength, and despite being injured to the bone, he was still mighty!
"…They are all dead because of me?"
Julian said with a shaking gaze.
He didn't like to see the prison guards dead, as they were only doing their job, and most of them were definitely innocent, not deserving this.
"Huff… Huff… Huff…"
Kiernan panted heavily with a tight-lipped expression.
"Kiernan… Was it really worth sacrificing all these lives just for mine?"
Julian asked with a serious look.
"I had thought the same, but in the end, these prison guards are actually not all that innocent. They were willing to take bribes and turn a blind eye to the abuses happening here.
"They have also participated in slavery and black market dealings. Whenever a criminal dies here, they harvest their organs and sell them to the black market.
"Maybe there are some people that are blind to that… But I don't think so. I think most people are aware of the corruption and abuses happening here."
Kiernan said.
"How do you know that?"
Julian asked.
'Xerxus has been investigating the Downed Prison for a while, but he was stopped by the higher powers of the government, as the lives of these criminals mean less than insects to them.'
Kiernan thought to himself.
"And yes. I would've sacrificed these lives for you. Sorry to burst your bubble, but I am not a saint, and I am not going to pretend to be one."
Kiernan said.
"…Why?"
Julian asked with a frown.
"Well, you are my best friend."
Kiernan patted him on the shoulder, surprising him, and then took a step forward, locking his gaze at Mars.
It was time to leave this prison.
"Langham, and Big Brain… We are leaving."
Kiernan said.
At the back, Langham and Big Brain turned their heads to him in surprise and asked at the exact same time.
"Where are we going?"
"We're leaving the prison, of course. I assume you need some time to make the ships, yes? It's better not to waste any time, as the navy will be here soon."
Kiernan said.
"Alright!"
Langham impatiently followed after him.
He had already been itching to leave this place and didn't want to stay here even one second longer.
His mind had been occupied with the thought of the navy soon arriving and had been screaming inwardly for the criminals to kill Mars already so they could leave.
Now that Kiernan told him that they were leaving, of course he wasn't going to say no!
"I think we should wait for others."
Big Brain said.
She wasn't liking the idea of leaving behind others, as they couldn't know what awaited in the upper floors.
"I've checked the upper floors. It's mostly empty there, but nothing we can't handle."
Kiernan said.
"Let's just leave!"
Langham shouted.
With a frustrated sigh, Big Brain nodded and followed them as they started making their way to the elevator.
While fighting the army of criminals, Mars' eyes lingered in the direction of Kiernan, heading to the elevator, and immediately shouted.
"Halt there, you filthy criminal scumbags. You are not leaving this place as long as I am still breathing!"
Mars barged through the rows of criminals and rushed after Kiernan and them with the bloody warhammer in hand.
'Why are those fools exposing themselves like that?!'
Rochan thought to himself in panic, and after seeing Langham, his eyes turned serious, as he was someone that shouldn't die.
"Stop, Mars!"
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