78 Vindictive Retribution (1/2)
”Woohoo! That's how you nail them, son! Just for that, gimme five!” Urag wiggled his head and raised his hand before Kilian. Rolling his eyes, Kilian ignored Urag's palm and activated his Eye of Fehl. The more power he obtained—the more vices he satisfied—the stronger the Eye became. And across his time in the academy, its might rose by leaps and bounds.
Using his Revelation, Kilian swept the whole forest and beyond, not only locating the closest groups but even glimpsing at the nearest sura tribe.
”Next targets located, don't fall behind.”
”If they have lasses, I want one.”
”You can have the loose cunts, I only want the loot,” Kilian agreed, and the two's figures blurred as they raced toward the next hunters. Slinging magic and whistling blades sang a grim symphony as the heads of dozens of high-ranking students soared into the sky. Of course, none owed Kilian money.
…
Back in his camp, Hanns stared at a floating mirror where 3,000 lights representing the students' lives stood. In a flash, 15 vanished. One breath afterward, another seven followed, then three and twelve.
In less than ten minutes, the academy had lost 37 students, with most being white-gold robes, and even several purple-gold robes. Feeling something amiss, Hanns triggered the nano-bomb hidden in Kilian's knife-staff, but the explosion never came. The headmaster's eyes narrowed at the detonator.
”We were swindled. The boy is strong,” he realized, far too late, and dispatched new messages to Ayden, Tristan, and other von Skoll juniors.
”Do not engage him alone, not even you, Ayden. We must consider that all he did up until now was a sham, that he came here aiming to clean our side and has the strength to achieve it. If you find him, contact me first and avoid a confrontation at all costs. Especially you three, Ayden, Tristan and Estrella, the future of our house lies in your han-” Hanns' words trailed off, broken by a sight his experienced eyes couldn't digest. In three seconds, 126 dots vanished from the screen. This couldn't possibly be Kilian's doing. Something else wantonly slaughtered the academy's students.
”I will give you my location, all of you must hurry and come to me at once. We are...under assault,” Hanns declared, but alas, his order came too late.
…
”I'm...afraid it won't be that simple,” alone before a pond, Ayden whispered as five ”students” and dozens of servants surrounded him. Robes and clothes dropped, replaced by state-of-the-art blue power armors—the Technocracy made its move.
…
In a chocolate mimosa forest, Tristan and Estrella stood side by side, flanked by four ”students” and their dozens of servants. The same scene repeated, with the student and servants' clothes crumbling for power armors to replace them. And while similar events occurred with several von Skoll scions, they were far from the worst.
…
Approaching the first sura tribe, Kilian was about to engage a new group of students, five purple-gold robes and their 405 retainers—when violet light flashed in the sky—and a cacophony of voices sang: ”Third Circle Spell: Fehl Bolt!”