Chapter 24 - Fight or Flight (1/2)

Even as Vermillion Phoenix graced the material world with its presence, I was already running and making for my house.

When Cecilia Stuart said that my summoned beasts weren't invincible, she as more right than she knew. Not in the way she imagined, though.

As Vermillion Phoenix unleashed its flames, the passengers who had just disembarked from the car immediately erected barriers to defend themselves. Fire washed over their golden, glowing spheres, but did not break through them as it did against Chang Cheng's Fortress spell.

Of course it wouldn't. These were professionals. They had way more combat experience and strength than a mere student. Already, a few of them were retaliating. One of them had produced a sword-type Divine Device and was slashing at Vermillion Phoenix. My summoned beast guarded against the strike with its huge wings, but it was sent staggering from the impact.

A second assailant produced a magical bow and sent arrows of light screaming toward Vermillion Phoenix, who unleashed fiery feathers in return to counter the volley. Explosions rocked through the air, the collision of the projectiles causing them to detonate violently.

Even though my Vermillion Phoenix was having a bit of difficulty dealing with these kidnappers, it didn't necessarily mean that I would lose. My summoned beast was still a top-notch monster with tremendous power. Just one careless mistake would be enough to see them incinerated into a crisp, and there was no boundary field to guarantee their lives this time.

”Ugh!”

One of them finally succumbed to the overwhelming flames and was incinerated into a crisp.

”Horie!” one of the guys shrieked. ”Damn you, fucking brat!”

”Kill him!”

”Wait, don't kill him! We need him alive!”

Yeah, I mean, what was the point of kidnapping me and holding Dad to ransom if you ended up killing me? More like you would end up incurring his wrath as he hunted every single one of your organization down and destroyed you to the last man.

”He's getting close to the barrier!”

”Stop him!”

They suddenly realized that while my Vermillion Phoenix was distracting them, I had already gotten within a millimeter of my own home. The kidnapper closest to me launched an arrow, but I was already ducking.

My Vermillion Phoenix conjured a firewall and incinerated the arrow…or tried to, but the powerful projectile burst through the firewall without much effort. Good thing I instinctively dodged, or I would have been hit.

I thought they weren't supposed to kill me?

In any case, my assailants were breaking away from my Vermillion Phoenix and literally hurling themselves at me. A couple of them were incinerated by my Vermillion Phoenix – but evidently they didn't care about sacrificing their lives as long as they achieved their objective. In a way, they were a lot scarier than the usual abductors.

This wasn't the first time, however. I was already used to such fanatics. Rarely did I have to directly combat them, though, but it wasn't unprecedented. That was why I already knew how to deal with the situation.

”No!”

”Don't let him get away!”

I dove under a swinging sword and slid right through the front yard. My pursuers made to follow, but the guy in the lead suddenly screamed. There was a sharp crack and he spontaneously combusted, hellish flames devouring him.

Slowly getting to my feet, I dismissed my Vermilion Phoenix, which was slowly getting weighed down by dozens of attacks. Even though I said it wouldn't necessarily lose, there was only one of it, and several of the enemies. There was no sense subjecting it to an unnecessary battle and allowing the poor guy to get hurt.

”Fuck!”

”That kid got away!”

”We were too slow!”

The kidnappers were swearing and cursing as they watched me from behind the barrier. If I was a little more childish, I would give them the finger and taunt them, but I was too tired to deal with their bullshit. So I decided to just go home. I should inform my Dad.

Before I could reach the door, however, it burst open and Dad stood there, having been alerted when someone got incinerated by the fiery barrier he had set up around our home. He looked at me, and then glanced at the now silent group outside the house. Within a few seconds, everything clicked and he understood what had just happened.

”I see you've been taking good care of my son.” Crossing his arms, he strode across the lawn while putting himself between me and the interlopers in a protective manner. With a snap of his fingers, he summoned Angelica.