The orphanage was in shambles. The door was broken in, the walls were broken, shattered.
But what terrified, yes terrified, us or me at least the most was the sight on the ground.
The children lay on the floor, dead or in collars.
Some of them had knives embedded in their necks, some had blades jutting out of them and I wanted to say the dead ones had the worst luck, but I think that belongs to the living.
The living ones, the girls especially, were naked, their clothes shredded to pieces and lay on the ground with white substances on their bodies, collars attached to their necks.
And worse was above them. Grown men, humping their hips into little children.
Suddenly I felt a rage I had never felt before. A rage I didn't feel when Maria was killed, a rage I didn't feel when Jasmina was killed.
The only time I ever felt this kind of rage was when Jenna died.
This rage that boiled inside me felt like a volcano as I stared at this.
These garbage. These filth. What do they think life is.
What do they think dignity is. Do they even care to understand. Do they care to know.
Beside me I felt Alice and Beatrice's mana flare up. I could feel and see the rage on Beatrice and Alice's faces.
And I understood them. The only reason I was keeping mine in check was for one reason and one reason alone.
A full flare of my mana would kill everyone here. Even the children but especially Beatrice and Alice.
It was only at the flare of their mana, that those filthy bastards turned to face us. And I saw a face I knew well.
Yellow hair. Thick unkempt beard, green eyes, light skin, a spiked bracelet, multiple earrings, and a muscular build.
He looked at us with a grin on his face.
"Yo brats," he said as he unjoined his hips from a girl with black hair who looked around thirteen.
A girl "I" remember. Mai. She was one of the older kids and was slightly close to me.
As he disconnected from her something began flowing from behind her but at that point I had disconnected really.
I looked around, and there were about seven serpents around, but compared to Hanma, hell compared to the Alice and Beatrice their mana was insignificant.
Then, looking directly at Hanma as he confidently zipped his trousers and stood up, his own mana oozing out, I said in a cold tone, "You're going to die for this."
Looking around, I muttered, "You're all going to die for this."
And immediately I uttered those words, Beatrice and Alice rushed at them.
I augmented my whole body with mana as I walked toward Hanma who was grinning as he looked at me while licking his lips.
"This is going to be fun." He said cracking his knuckles as he walked toward me.
**********
The moment Hanma's words slithered past his lips, Richard was gone.
BOOM!
The shockwave from his mana-enhanced step cracked the earth beneath his feet, launching him like a cannonball.
Hanma had barely finished cracking his knuckles before a heavy fist slammed into his face.
CRACK!
His head snapped back, blood and teeth flying, and he tumbled backward through the dirt, barely keeping his balance with a summoned slab of stone.
"Tch... Terra Vallo!"
The earth surged up, forming a dome-shaped barrier around him, but it didn't last.
BOOM!
Richard's foot tore through the wall like it was made of paper. His body twisted mid-air, and with a thunderous downward kick, he sent Hanma crashing into the ground.
BANG!
Hanma's back struck the earth like a meteor, creating a small crater.
Richard dropped down after him, landing with a crack that split the terrain further.
"Hiding behind your magic are you? I thought you were a man. A boss. Huh?!" Richard said, his voice filled with cold rage.
"I guess you're nothing aren't you?"
"Terra Armatus!" Hanma roared, slamming with palms into the ground.
A rumble echoed as thick brown armor encased his limbs, jagged stone morphing into gauntlets and a chestplate. His eyes glowed faintly as runes pulsed over his arms.
"You're not the only one who obtained power!" He shouted, lunging forward with a stone-clad punch.
CLANG!
Richard caught the punch with a palm. A single palm. His muscles bulged against the impact while the ground beneath him shattered under the pressure.
And yet his stance didn't budge.
"Power?" He muttered, disgust in his voice. "You call this power? This is not power. Let me show you what power is."
As he said that, he moved.
A blinding right hook shattered Hanma's jaw, as splinters of his stone armor were sent flying.
Hanma stumbled.
CRACK!
A knee buried itself into Hanma's gut, lifting him off the ground. Then Richard stepped in again.
WHAM!
An elbow to the spine causing Hanma to scream loudly and in agony with blood spraying everywhere from his mouth.
Then–
SLASH!
Richard drew his sword, cleaving through Hanma's armored forearm, cutting it clean off.
"AAAAAAAAAAGHHH!" Hanma wailed, falling to one knee as blood gushed out. But Richard wasn't done.
He spun, his legs sweeping out in a devastating roundhouse.
The impact hurled Hanma like a broken doll, his body rocketing through different buildings before landing with a distant CRASH! near the center of the town, silent and unmoving.
"Tch." Richard clicked his tongue in frustration as he hadn't intended on kicking him that far away.
Deciding it was out of his hands now, he turned around and headed towards the others.