"I'll fight alongside you!" shouted number 10 Sphinxphere. The Apostle had expected this turn of events. The plan was for a new villain to appear. The boy was supposed to tell the rest to run away while he and Albert hid somewhere for a few hours. After returning from the "fierce battle," no one would ask him about resuming the sparring match.

  "No!" he shouted back. "We have scores to settle. Run away! I'll take care of him."

  "Trust him, Halverdo!" Lesteria, as always, sided with the Apostle. After a brief struggle with himself, the hero decided to respect this decision. Just as they were about to leave the future battlefield, the Apostle heard something truly unexpected.

  "Where are you going?" Leonardo asked. Then Apostol figured something went wrong. A mysterious pair emerged from behind the trees. It didn't take long to see how dangerous they were.

  This wasn't in the script... Thought the terrified boy, looking at Leonardo's reproachful gaze. A short man appeared to the right of the leader of the Flock. He wore a tight-fitting black outfit that complemented his dark hair. The newcomer's eyes shone with a menacing glint. He was rather slender, but despite this, he was surrounded by an aura of power. Standing next to him was a slightly taller girl whose black robes trailed to the ground. Only her bright eyes could be seen from under her hood.

  "Melverin," the man introduced himself quietly. Without waiting for a response, he straightened his shoulders, ready for battle.

  "Nelly. We are from the Sworm" The girl also introduced herself, as she snapped her fingers, and a levitating sphere appeared above her head. It resembled the kind used by fortune tellers. The artifact seemed to accelerate, spinning around the sorceress. After a moment, they heard a loud bang. The sphere flew at full speed towards Lesteria. She minimized the damage at the last moment by turning the pink matter into a shield. She gasped for breath, lying under a tree.

  "You..." Halverdo was not going to stand idly by. He lunged at Nelly, but her partner grabbed him by the collar and threw him over his shoulder. He did it so easily, as if his opponent weighed nothing. The apostle's eyes widened. The enemy did to the hero what the hero had done to the bear yesterday. It was clear that these opponents were not just anyone.

  "I will be your opponent," Melverin declared quietly.

  Where did you find them? The Apostle of Destruction couldn't believe his eyes.

  Halverdo's son wanted to help, but Lois had been ordered to take the children away from the battlefield. The Sphinxphere worker took the unusual situation in stride. Of course, it was clear that he was afraid, but it seemed as if he enjoyed the thrill.

  "Leonardo." The sorceress spoke. "As we agreed. You are to take care of the Apostle of Destruction." It was certain that the two were afraid of the boy's power, and thus he could feel safe. However, he was worried about the prospect of a two-on-two fight. The two from Sphinxphere were strong, but the aggressors also seemed to be quite formidable.

  "Yeah..." Leonardo replied. "Let's do this somewhere else." He nodded toward the dense trees. The Apostle quickly walked toward their "battlefield." Once they were sure no one could see them, they crouched in the bushes, trying to get a good view of the real fight.

  "What the hell are you doing?" The boy shouted as loud as he could. They could hear it, so it sounded like a muffled squeal. Albert took off his mask, and with that, he ceased to be Leonardo. The man sighed heavily.

  "I have no idea who they are..." He smiled nervously. "They offered to help me 'kill you.' They said they would take care of the rest, and I would be able to fight you," he explained.

  "And you agreed?" He hit his head against the tree bark.

  "Wouldn't you have agreed?" He pointed to those standing in the distance. "They're some kind of illuminati or something. Obviously, I'm going to agree with them." The Apostle tried to calm his breathing. He understood Albert completely. He would probably have done the same. "But in the end, it turned out the way it was supposed to. We're in the middle of a 'fight' right now..." He smiled sadly.

  "I guess so..." Apostole hesitated. "But not entirely. Now our people are in danger. Our plan didn't account for that..."

  "It'll be fine... They're the Sphinx... Something elite. They'll manage..." Fate, clearly laughing at his interlocutor, interrupted his monologue. Melverin knocked down the mighty hero again. Halverdo knelt, blood pouring from his nose.

  "You are strong..." He spat out blood.

  "... You too." Martial artist wiped his red fists. "You should be dead by now."

  The dark warrior's attacks were as fast as those of a world-class boxer. Every punch seemed to have a purpose, and every step brought him closer to victory. His winning streak was interrupted when his side was instantly trampled by a rushing tree. Halverdo uprooted it and hurled it at his enemy with unprecedented speed. Unfortunately, it was to no avail, as the wood was smashed into tiny pieces, and the boxer stood unmoved. He certainly did not expect such an attack, but his power allowed him a huge margin for error.

  At the same time, Lesteria was firing at the sorceress, who was floating high above the trees. The shotgun pellets were scattering too much, so she switched to a small submachine gun. To her surprise, the levitating sphere moved so fast that it easily deflected every bullet. The long distance was her opponent's greatest ally.

  "Oh." Lesteria raised her eyebrows when Nelly took four knives from under her robe. They accelerated dangerously as they flew toward their target. The pink-haired girl was forced to turn her weapon into as many blades. She threw them, and all the daggers met halfway. Only now did she realize that such a defense was a mistake. Lesteria remained unarmed. The sorceress seized her chance. The crystal ball hurtled toward the girl, striking her directly in the stomach. She spat out a large amount of blood.

  "Not good... I'm losing... blood." She looked at the grass, which had turned red.

  The large boulder also proved useless against Melverin. He didn't even flinch, smashing the rock into fine dust. However, there were visible scratches on his skin. Halverdo was sure that his opponent could harden his bones.

  "Hahahah!" Number 10 laughed. He clenched his fist like never before. He had encountered many tough opponents in his world, but this one was different. The boxer had probably visited many different dimensions. He had gathered knowledge and experience while Halverdo himself lived in ignorance. That was why he wanted to break out of this prison and overcome his limits. To learn about the power of other worlds.

  "I just... have to hit you harder." He smiled.

  "Exactly." His opponent smiled back. He exposed himself completely, waiting for the blow. Halverdo liked his arrogance. He swung like he had never had to swing before. He struck so hard that smaller trees were uprooted by the blast of air alone. Melverin was the first to move, stunned by the force of the blow. However, he did not fall to the ground. A trail of recoil stretched out beneath his feet. He grabbed his stomach and then spat out saliva.

  You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.

  "Compared to the other Sphinxphere leaders, you're still an amateur, but..." He coughed. "You have potential..."

  Apostle and Albert lay in the bushes. It was the first time they had witnessed such a fight. Compared to them, the Swarm recruit was just an amateur. The boy was breathing heavily. He was worried about his companions, especially Lesteria. She seemed to be bleeding, and he was sitting here like a coward...

  "I have to go there!" he announced.

  "You think your authority will save you," replied the shopkeeper seriously. "Your luck will run out someday. You can't solve everything with bluffing."

  "..." - He couldn't disagree. It would be enough for a shock wave to hit him, and he would be lying unconscious. Every step would be a risk. He grabbed his red hair.

  "So... What should I do?"

  "I don't know." He answered truthfully. "The only thing you can really do is trust."

  "Trust?" He looked at the battlefield. If they come out of this unscathed, he will try to avoid such confrontations. He would try to nip all conflicts in the bud. All he had to do was use his authority at the right moment.

  Melverin dusted himself off, ready to counterattack. Already sore, Halverdo was not afraid of confrontation. On the contrary, he was excited about the duel. Finally, he could face someone stronger than himself. He waited for the boxer to make a move, but his expression changed dramatically. He sniffed, and the hair on the back of his neck stood on end. Anxiety appeared on the face of the thousand-year-old martial arts adept.

  "That stench..." He turned around. "The Worlds Sands..." Suddenly, he realized he had made a mistake.

  "Nelly! Run!" He shouted, as if forgetting his calm nature. "It's De Feen!" Unfortunately, his companion couldn't hear his cry, as she lay unconscious on the grass, red with her own blood. Melverin felt a cool touch on his back.

  "Looking for someone, son of a bitch?" Lesteria's voice was so low it didn't seem to belong to her. Her rifle was aimed straight at the enemy's skull. He didn't understand why he only now realized how dangerous she was. Was she hiding it? Perhaps some kind of seal?

  Her two-colored eyes didn't even allow her to blink. She watched his every move, even the smallest one. Maybe in a one-on-one fight he would have a chance against them, but with two of them he might have a problem.

  "De Feen with firearms?" Despite being in an unpleasant situation, he couldn't help but smile sarcastically. "Pull the trigger. Let's see if..." He didn't get to finish his sentence before the girl obeyed his command. Pink energy shot out, hitting him directly in the head. The explosion sent the boxer flying towards the nearest tree. Smoke rose from his skull. He hadn't expected her to do that at all. He scratched his burnt hair.

  "Who would have thought that today I would feel pain twice..." He got up lazily. He had a rough idea of how strong the hero was, but the girl was a mystery. Normally, he wouldn't mess with someone with those genes without preparation, but he had no idea.

  The situation escalated, and the Apostle knew he had to act. Getting up, he asked Albert for a favor.

  "Hit me." He pointed to his cheek. The man didn't need to be told twice. The fist greeted the boy's face faster than he expected. He writhed on the ground for a moment.

  "Why so hard?"

  "I just felt like it." Albert rolled his eyes. The redhead had put him and his son in danger. He had a healthy desire to hit him again. As if reading his mind, he got up once more.

  "I'm coming back from a tough battle... What's that pathetic bruise!?" He pointed to his already swollen face. Albert realized that it wasn't just about the role, but also about penance.

  "So let's begin the game." Melverin assumed a fighting stance. "Fifth Secre..." The name of the technique was interrupted midway. The Apostle of Destruction emerged from behind the bushes. His entire face was covered in bruises. However, he entered their battlefield as if nothing had happened.

  The only conscious enemy looked at the newcomer. The Apostle of Destruction was clearly wounded. Leonardo had injured the Destroyer of Worlds. He hadn't expected the eccentric musketeer to be so strong. It really changed a lot.

  "..." Lesteria knelt silently before her mentor. He walked past her as if ignoring her. In reality, he didn't know if he was more afraid of her or the real enemy. She lowered her head even further, certain that she had failed as a subordinate.

  "I'm in a good mood." - The Apostle of Destruction sounded truly menacing for the first time in his life. Acting combined with authority could command respect even from Melverin. "Take your companion and get out of here."

  "You're lucky..." he muttered after a moment of silence. Those words were directed more to Halverdo then Apostole. In a split second, he appeared next to Nelly. He threw her over his shoulder, removing her hood. Her previously hidden mousy-blonde hair fluttered in the light breeze. As if teleporting, he disappeared from their sight.

  "...Are you okay!?" Apostole shouted, making sure the enemy was gone. Immediately after saying these words, Lesteria fainted.

  There was considerable commotion in the Sphinxphere office. The girl was lying on the couch, and Halverdo was content with an armchair. Fortunately, Albert was able to dress their wounds to some extent. Hero slowly told his son about the fight. He didn't try to sugarcoat it. He told it like it was. He was proud of the duel. Even if he had turned out to be weaker.

  The hero from another world and his son slept on the floor. They were used to spartan conditions, so they didn't see it as a problem. Halverdo got up lazily. To his surprise, it was three in the morning. He didn't know that it was so bright at night in other worlds. He walked out the front door and saw a colorful alley. The stars weren't the only source of light. Stylish lanterns stood in a row like watchtowers. Despite the colorful landscape, there was no one on the street. Almost no one. Lesteria was sitting on a bench nearby. The usually cheerful girl stared expressionlessly at the stars.

  "Mr. Halverdo," she greeted him without looking up from the sky.

  "Which Lesteria are you?" He tried to ask as politely as he could, but tact was not his strong suit. He was puzzled by her sudden change of mood during the duel. The girl looked at her interlocutor, her eyes lit up by the bright stars. One blue, the other green.

  "What do you mean?" She tilted her head. "I am the one Lesteria. There is no other."

  "Then what was that? Speed, strength, ruthlessness." The girl's sudden transformation turned the situation upside down.

  "Fear."

  He raised his eyebrows. He didn't know how to react, so he decided to remain silent. Fortunately, Lesteria changed the subject.

  "Don't ask the Apostle for a spar." She asked. "At first, I thought he couldn't wait for your fight."

  "Because he couldn't. After all, Number 1 himself visited his world to tell him that."

  "He did everything he could to prevent the sparring match from taking place." She noticed.

  "Why would he do that?" He didn't buy that hypothesis. "Perhaps..."

  She sighed. "He doesn't want to fight anymore... Maybe" That was the only thing she could suggest at the moment. After all, she had never seen the Apostle of Destruction fight. He tries to avoid violence. He always seeks a peaceful solution to a conflict. However, he is brave when the situation requires it. He is the Destroyer of Worlds.

  *

  Albert came home quite late. He told his son to do his homework and then went down to the store. In the hallway, he looked at the portrait of his late wife.

  "I'm sorry." He was ashamed that he had put his son in danger again. "I hope it won't happen again."

  He put on his apron because he had to prepare a large order for tomorrow. He dropped the tray when he saw a shadow in the corner of the shop. Suddenly, a flying candle appeared above the statue. The object had wings. It flew as if alive, illuminating the man. The tall man was as pale as a wall. His gray hair was combed back, and his clothing was somewhat intriguing.

  A black cape with a high collar immediately brought to mind a vampire. He lowered his sunglasses slightly, revealing eyes as red as blood.

  "You've renovated the shop nicely..." He greeted him strangely friendly.

  "Do we know each other...?" That was all Albert could say.

  "No, we don't. But you've met my subordinates..." Without asking, he ate the candy.

  "The recruit who burned down your store. Forgive him for me..." he added with his mouth full. "Today you also met the pillars of my organization. There was quite a fight." He laughed.

  "Are you the leader of the Swarm?" He tried to keep his cool. However, he didn't know that Melverin and Nelly also belonged to the Swarm. Why were they helping him then?

  "It's an honor that you've heard of us." The vampire bowed slightly.

  "Of course I know. Unfortunately, I couldn't put you on my insurance card." He complained, momentarily forgetting the status of his interlocutor.

  "I apologized..." He stopped eating the candy. "I've heard of you too."

  "..."

  "The 'informant' of the Apostle of Destruction. His 'friend'... Yet you managed to deceive even the Destroyer of Worlds, Albert..." He became serious, and his eyes flashed intensely. "No... Leonardo Gelverios." The shopkeeper swallowed hard.

  "What do you want?" He was cautious. Everything could be used against him.

  "Let's join forces." The vampire raised his hand. "The Swarm and the Flock. A coalition of our organizations could destroy the Apostle of Destruction and the entire Sphinxphere."