As the auctioneer moved through the stage with a spring in his step, he suddenly halted.
The crowd was visibly confused.
And even the black-haired Reyna who sat in the back row couldn't understand what was happening.
But I didn't keep them waiting for long as, with a single thought, I ripped the auctioneer's head clean off his body, taking his whole spine along with it.
The buyers stood up, startled.
Yet I didn't even give them room to breathe.
With another thought, I crushed the heads of nearly 50 people, causing their bodies to fall onto the seats and dye the whole auction house red.
But that wasn't the only place I messed with.
I focused to the right of the cave.
It was a literal underground marketplace.
However, it didn't remain a marketplace for much longer as the heads of hundreds of people burst from their bodies.
Blood sprayed on the nearby slaves as well as the goods that the merchants had brought with them.
And within just two seconds, the whole cave was eerily quiet.
The only sound echoing through the cave was the sound of bodies collapsing into the pools of blood.
It all happened so fast.
But not everyone here was completely helpless.
More than 16 people lived as they scrambled around the auction house, checking in on their friends, only to realize they were all dead.
Amidst the bodies collapsing, the sounds of my steps echoed as I slowly began to approach them from behind.
They noticed me instantly.
But from sheer wariness and fear, they didn't attack me.
I didn't attack them either.
Instead, I glanced at Reyna.
She was still in her seat.
Not a drop of blood landed on her.
Although she didn't turn to look at me, I knew for a fact she knew I was here.
So I approached her and sat down beside her.
As I crossed my legs, I glanced up at the stage above.
"You can see the stage much better now that there aren't as many people."
Reyna sighed.
"It's very bold of you to not only kill my men in front of me, but also sit beside me as you gloat. Perhaps you've got a screw or two loose?"
I shrugged.
"Leave this place with whoever's left. I'll be taking the slaves back with me."
"And if I refuse?"
I turned to her, meeting her ocean-blue eyes.
"Then you, and every single one of your remaining men, will die."
"..."
It was hard to read her expression, since she wasn't someone whose expression cracked under pressure.
If anything... I should be the one who's worried.
We should be around the same Grade.
...But she has the Light Manipulation Gift.
So her speed and power were something I'd prefer to not go up against.
But then again, I'm not living in a fairyland.
"Hahaha..."
"It would be silly of you to think I would just back off after you threaten me like that."
Reyna rose from her seat.
She was surprisingly tall.
With bulky clothes all over her, she suddenly pulled out a flintlock pistol and pressed it against my forehead.
Instead of saying anything, we just stared at each other for a few moments.
But it was like the calm before the storm.
She seemed to know that too.
So after just five seconds, she raised her hand and suddenly put her finger over the trigger.
And that alone told me everything I needed to know.
BANG!
BOOOOOOOM!
I deflected her light-infused bullet and made it ricochet off my shoulder.
Then, I glanced over at the 16 other pirates.
They were all at least Grade 20.
They were powerful.
But...
I was stronger.
CRAAAAAAACK!
POP! POP! POP!
Their heads popped like balloons.
I stood up in an instant and met Reyna's gaze.
She seemed unbothered despite all of her men dying.
So she reloaded her flintlock pistol and shot at me again.
I redirected it easily with my Telekinesis.
But she did it again, and again... and again.
Each time, the bullet came faster.
And each time, I saw the corners of her lips lift further.
Until finally, she ran out of bullets.
"Hmm... What did you say your name was again?"
"I didn't."
"Ah. Right. I'll just call you Telekinesis boy."
The moment she uttered those words, she disappeared.
Before I could react, I was sent hurtling straight into the cave wall.
As I was about to get pierced by one of the sharp rocks, I stopped myself.
But just then, Reyna returned and slammed my body forward, making me sink into the sharp rocks.
...Or that was what was supposed to happen.
Instead, the moment the sharp rocks pierced my clothes, they crumbled when they came into contact with my skin.
I turned around and saw Reyna hovering a few meters away from me.
She looked amused by my durability.
So with another smile, she vanished.
Just this time, I didn't only get hit once.
I got hit tens, if not hundreds of times in a fraction of a second.
And I only realized I was hit when I crashed into the ground and formed a small crater.
I only had a few bruises, which would regenerate soon.
So I stood up.
Reyna attacked in an instant.
However, unlike the beating I took a moment ago, the moment she got within my range, I slowed her down to the point she couldn't move anymore.
But right as I was about to snap her neck, two beams of light burst from her eyes and knocked me back.
I lost control over my Telekinetic field, and so she managed to escape.
This fight was ridiculous.
Ridiculously annoying...
Several beams of light bombarded me from all sides, causing the ceiling of the cave to slightly tremble.
I knew that any more and we might bring this whole place down.
Maybe that's why she's holding back as much as I am.
Nonetheless, I dashed out of another crater and arrived in the very center of the massacred auction house.
Then, I enveloped the whole cave in Telekinesis until finally, I found Reyna.
I tried to control her, but to my surprise, by surrounding herself in light, it made it impossible for me to latch onto her.
But although I couldn't freeze her, there was something else I could do.
With a single thought, I used Mass Manipulation.
Though instead of increasing weight, I significantly decreased it to the point she became as light as a feather.
And as expected, the next move she made...
BOOOOOM!
Caused her to crash straight into a wall.
I turned into lightning and appeared in front of her.
She was there for a split second before vanishing.
With her body still being completely weightless, I managed to predict her next move.
And so, the moment she crashed into another wall, a powerful arc of lightning struck her.
CRACKLE!
BOOOOOOM!
It actually felt like I hit her this time.
But it seemed like I severely underestimated her.
She reappeared behind me, and before I could fully envelop her in my Telekinesis, she covered her hand in light and cut my left hand clean off before swiftly vanishing into light particles once again.
I caught my arm and swiftly brought it to the stump.
My regeneration kicked in, and within a few seconds, my arm was back... though still a little numb.
I wish I could go all out.
But I didn't want to risk accidentally killing Clementine's father.
Still, there was one strategy I wanted to use.
This one is both stupid and smart.
In the blink of an eye, I increased the gravity of the whole cave by several dozen times.
But I left a single, barely noticeable gap.
And clearly, Reyna fell for it as I felt her enter that small gap to avoid the increased gravity.
I was glad I knew her well enough to know she wouldn't hide behind the slaves.
But that mentality was exactly what I wanted.
The moment Reyna entered that small pocket, I suddenly reversed the gravity of the whole cave, and then controlled my Telekinesis to create a powerful electromagnetic barrier around Reyna.
Except for the faint crackling, it was practically invisible.
But no matter how many times she struck it, the electromagnetic barrier would bounce her back.
I turned into lightning, then reappeared before Reyna.
We met eyes, and for a moment, I saw a trace of fear in her expression.
She opened her mouth, yet I couldn't hear a word she said.
I tapped the barrier and shrank it.
Once, twice... several times.
She had to crouch down, then kneel, and lastly lay flat on her stomach as I crushed her slowly.
It's a little funny to me.
Why do all speedsters slow down, then attack?
Why not just use the momentum to beat the shit out of their opponents.
Because if she did that, I would've probably been knocked out in the first couple punches.
Anyway...
I should finish her off.
"Wait!"
Her panicked voice finally snapped me out of my thoughts.
And that was when all the sound returned again.
RUUUUUMBLEEEEE!
The whole cave was making strange noises, and it seemed like it was only a matter of time before it collapsed.
But beyond that...
TOOOOOOOOOOT!
Horns blaring from above.
I bet the whole city's defenses have gathered here after I killed the barkeep.
Though I bet they'll be pleasantly surprised to find all these slaves down here.
"H-Hey! You bastard, do you hear me!? I said wait!"
Oh, right.
Reyna.
"Yes?"
"Do you even know who I am? If you kill me, my master is going to hunt you down!"
I rolled my eyes.
"And how's she going to do that?"
"She...? Wait, so you do know who I am!"
Reyna pouted as she stared at me in fury.
"Listen here, brat. I can give you riches and more. In fact, I'll pardon everything you did today if you just let me go."
A bunch of bullshit.
As much as I didn't want to kill a heroine, I felt like a few had to go.
So with that thought in mind, I continued shrinking the barrier, to the point she was nearly squished.
But just then, I saw a man jump down from the stage and fall to his knees in front of me.
"Savior, please spare this woman. If not for her arriving when she did, we'd all be dead. The pirates wanted to kill us, but she convinced them to put us into slavery instead."
"..."
I was going to ignore the man's words.
But as I stared at his bruised face, it coincidentally overlapped with the same face I saw on the walls inside Clementine's house.
Clementine's father...
This is him.
I felt like a massive weight was lifted off my shoulders.
The worry I felt...
And the despair I would've gone through had he actually been killed...
I'm glad he's okay.
I also felt the bloodlust I had for Reyna suddenly vanish.
So with that in mind, I gave him a slight smile.
"Since you said so, then I won't kill her."
Future father in law.