Separating Head from Neck

71

She tried to fight back, but the strength of a one-star hunter was not something Maria could handle.

For a moment, the eyes of the association hunter and Maria met. She felt something no words were needed. She knew what she had to do in that instant.

Even while lifted a few centimeters off the ground, Maria was still a head shorter as she was held by Thomas.

She used all her strength and courage for one final act that would either save her life or end it.

Thomas held in his left hand a set of chains that extended to the other girls. In his right hand, he gripped Maria in a firm hold she couldn't escape no matter how much she struggled.

As a last desperate measure, Maria sank her teeth into the man's arm. His skin was tough, as expected but Thomas was still human, after all. Her teeth broke through his skin, even if only slightly.

Thomas was caught off guard by the girl's action and then made the mistake that cost him his life. For a moment, he diverted his gaze from Alex to focus on Maria an instinctive reaction.

He felt the urge to throw the girl against the wall and crush her under his boots, stomping on her over and over again. That was what flashed through his mind as his expression soured and his eyes shifted away.

At the very moment Maria and Thomas acted on their thoughts, she saw a blinding purple flash and streams of electricity coursing through his body and then the grip on her vanished.

Maria felt a hot red liquid splatter across her. Her hands reached for the wet spot, and when she looked, she saw red covering her palms. For a moment, she didn't understand what it was.

She froze when she saw the association hunter who should have been standing by the door now lying right beside her. The shock made her stumble over something, causing her to scream.

***

Alex looked at Thomas, thinking of the best course of action. A battle between two two-star hunters would certainly bring collateral damage, and neither he nor Thomas had any intention of retreating or letting the other go.

Alex was disappointed when his eyes scanned all the chained girls and discovered that his sister was not among them. His heart ached, and his mind grew confused.

Where could his sister be, then? Félix had assured him that she would be here hopefully. Maybe John and Feliciana would find her in another compartment.

Knowing that both were in battle at that very moment, Alex had to hurry to help them and perhaps his sister was with one of them.

Alex needed to use an attack that could knock his opponent out quickly, but the man had a hostage, and Alex would have to catch him off guard. A two-star hunter was not easy to knock out, he supposed.

Alex and Thomas exchanged a few words, but Alex was certain that talking would lead nowhere. For a moment, his eyes met those of the girl in the criminal's grasp.

He silently apologized to her. Alex knew there was no way for him to attack with full force and leave the girl unharmed. He would do everything to minimize the damage he caused. He hoped the girl understood the apology in his gaze.

To Alex's surprise, the girl did something that astonished him she had created an opportunity for him.

He couldn't hesitate. He had to seize that fraction of time the girl had bought for him.

Attributes:Strength = 91 + 40Dexterity = 91 + 40Agility = 91 + 40Constitution = 91 + 40Perception = 91 + 40Intelligence = 10 + 40Wisdom = 10 + 40Luck = 10 + 40Charisma = 10 + 40

Excalibur somehow understood his thoughts. Alex sent the novice sword back to his inventory, and Excalibur appeared in his hands.

Alex completely ignored the notification sent by the system.

At that moment, his main attributes had reached 131 points. Alex used every bit of those points in a single strike, combining his agility and dexterity to drastically increase his speed.

Thanks to his dexterity, he could perfectly control his body, breathing, heartbeat, and blood circulation. He could feel his entire body supported by the previous attribute and by his high perception.

Even so, Alex felt that his combined attributes would not be enough and so he activated his skills: Gravitational Control Lv.5 and Lightning Step Lv.2.

His aura surged, amplified by his authority. From his long purple hair to the last strand of his being, electricity crackled.

Alex felt the gravity around his body shift he seemed several times lighter. He felt that if he jumped, he would soar into the sky.

As Alex witnessed all these changes within and around himself, it seemed as though the world moved in slow motion.

Although many lines and words could be used to describe the unfolding scene, the time it all took was shorter than two blinks of an eye.

Alex moved at a speed he had never reached before.

Excalibur descended amid the stillness of the moment. The blade sliced through the strands of the girl's hair held in Thomas's grasp then continued in a clean arc that separated the man's head from his neck.

The cut was clean. Thomas didn't even realize he had been killed. He saw the world spin as his head rolled across the floor.

His body remained standing for a few seconds, spurting red blood that splattered onto the girl beside him.

Attributes:Strength = 91Dexterity = 91Agility = 91Constitution = 91Perception = 91Intelligence = 10Wisdom = 10Luck = 10Charisma = 10HP = 4200 / 4200MP = 6000 / 6993

Alex stored his sword back into his inventory, and his attributes returned to normal. He noticed the strange expressions on the girls' faces as they stared at him.

A new system window appeared before his eyes.

System Warning:You have exceeded your own abilities.

Lightning Step = Lv.2 → Lv.3Swordsman = Lv.2 → Lv.3New skill acquired: Gravitational Slash Lv.5

Alex had just killed someone for the first time. He looked at the corpse but didn't feel anything unusual. He had expected to feel disturbed, maybe even guilty. He had prepared himself for the depression that might follow such an act but, looking at himself now, he realized it wasn't necessary.

"Are you all right?" Alex asked, turning toward the girls, who shrank away and avoided his gaze.

None of them replied. Clearly, they were not fine.

Alex opened his inventory and took out several potion bottles he had received when he was appointed as team leader. One by one, he helped each girl drink enough to recover their strength to escape from that place.

He then used the novice sword to break the chains restraining them, the metal snapping easily under his strikes.

"You should run straight to the exit. My team will take care of you once you leave the property. I've already contacted them."

It took Alex a long time to lead the girls from the underground chamber up to the residence's entrance. Along the way, he made several calls through his communicator.

"Sir, there are still hostages inside," Alex said, glancing at the youngest of the girls. Aces nodded firmly on the other end.

"Go. Don't worry. We'll save them all," Alex replied, turning toward the opposite corridor.

"Thank you…" all the girls said, their voices trembling.

Alex smiled faintly at them before dashing off, sprinting as he spotted someone from his team rushing in his direction.

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