While Max's mind was racing, he felt sucked in by Professor Warren's dangerously narrowed eyes.
Yet, to his surprise, she didn't immediately push him aside or call for security.
…Or rather, knowing her nature, apprehend him.
Instead, she assessed him coolly.
"Bold choice," she said quietly, her tone neutral despite the situation. "I hope this is all part of the 'performance,' yes?"
Max chose the wise choice to not respond to her, ignoring the weight of her gaze that was piercing through him.
"She is the first victim!"
Max declared, carefully positioning himself so the pursuing students had to navigate the narrow rows of seats to reach him.
"ALL SHALL SERVE THE DARKNESS!"
Professor Warren sighed audibly.
"If we must participate in this... performance, at least try not to damage the seating. Academy funds are limited."
Her unexpected remark threw Max momentarily, but he recovered quickly. Continuing the wise choice to ignore her.
Out of all the people here, I had to choose her.
On the platform at the back of the theater, Director Taellon was holding back the urge to scream. He was physically restraining himself from yanking out his own hair.
Beside him sat Professor Michael, a senior faculty member. His presence was supposed to be a professional courtesy.
A simple favor.
Instead, it had transformed into a front-row seat to Taellon's career suicide.
"This is... an unconventional interpretation," Professor Michael said dryly.
"It's... experimental theater," Taellon managed to choke out.
His face was pale with horror.
Back in the audience, Lucan was closing in. He had nearly reached Max and his captive. Max watched and waited.
Just as the hero got within striking distance, Max shoved Professor Warren aside. Then, he dove between two rows of seats.
Finally got rid of her.
"Too slow! Too slow! HERO!" Max taunted, throwing exaggerated arm swings as he scrambled through the bewildered audience.
As he moved, Max spotted another potential hostage.
It was a middle-aged nobleman who looked too shocked to react. With a quick grab, Max pulled the man to his feet and positioned him as a human shield.
"Another falls into my grasp!"
The nobleman, unlike Professor Warren, was far less composed.
"Unhand me at once!" he sputtered, face reddening with indignation. "Do you have any idea who I am?"
"A MEATSHIELD FOR THE DARK LORD!"
Junior, his patience on the verge of going berserk, shoved past the startled spectators, who recoiled in fear at his monstrous appearance and outstretched claws.
"Enough of these games! Give me the crystal or I'll tear you apart!"
The nobleman hostage turned from red to purple at the sight of Junior's monstrous appearance.
"What manner of creature is that?" he gasped, genuinely terrified.
"My disloyal dog!"
"And he thinks you look good to eat!"
Before Max could say anything else, the nobleman went completely limp.
He had fainted on the spot.
Similar scenes continued for several minutes.
Max seizing random audience members as temporary meat shields, Lucan heroically 'rescuing' them, and Junior and his five lackeys growing increasingly crazy in their pursuit.
The theater had descended into complete chaos. Some audience members shrunk back in fear while others even stepped up to watch closer in their excitement.
Max was running out of options and mana when he spotted a small figure in the side aisle. It was a child of perhaps ten years, dressed in such finely tailored clothes that his nobility was unmistakable. More importantly, was the distinctive silver color of the clothing.
That's a noble child for sure, but the color silver…?
Max instinctively scrutinized more following the embellishment patterns and saw it flow into a shape of a unique insignia.
It was the insignia from House Irofarn.
One of the Eight Illustrious Pillars, great noble houses that wielded immense power in the kingdom, just under the three dukes. Taking such a hostage, even in a theatrical context, could have serious repercussions.
For Max this was…
Perfect!
Max eyes gleamed like a wolf, finding prey.
With a dramatic pounce, he landed beside the noble child and quickly positioned himself behind the boy, hands on his shoulders.
"My last victim! Are you all surprised?"
Max laughed wildly.
A collective gasp swept through the audience, followed by shocked whispers.
"That's young Lord Irofarn!"
"How dare he!"
"Does he know who that child belongs to?"
A familiar voice righteously called out from the crowd:
"Y-You, you even dare lay hands on a scion of the Eight Illustrious Pillars?"
Max, realizing he'd crossed a significant line but unable to back down now, doubled down on his performance.
"Of course I dare! The nobility shall fall first in my conquest for destruction!"
"YOU!"
Junior's face contorted with fury beyond anything Max had seen before. The entitled scion had finally reached his breaking point.
No, he was already way past that.
He was just unable to keep up with Max's pace.
With a monstrous roar, he charged forward, magical energy crackling around his green transformed hands.
"I'LL KILL YOU!"
The young Irofarn heir, surprisingly, seemed more fascinated than frightened by the unfolding drama.
He looked up at Max with curious eyes.
"Are you really a Dark Lord?" he whispered. "My father once said they don't exist anymore."
"Of course they exist," Max whispered back quickly. "Now just play along kiddo."
Watching his pursuers come close, Max swung his staff, stopping right before the child's neck.
"Come any closer and the noble blood SPILLS!"
They all stopped.
Even Junior, growling through his teeth.
But if Max was holding a different hostage, it would be hard to say if Junior would.
Lucan thrust out his sword in defiance.
"This has gone too far, Dark Lord! Release the child!"
Max began backing toward the stage, carefully guiding the young noble with him. Junior followed, his eyes fixed with murderous intent, while the other five transformed students spread out in an attempt to cut off Max's escape routes.
"YOU MUST CHOOSE, HERO! SAVE THE CHILD... OR SAVE YOUR BEASTS!"
Lucan froze, completely baffled.
His expression said: Since when were those beasts mine? Aren't they yours?
Max gestured toward Junior and the others.
"You boasted you would FREE THEM from MY CONTROL! …But can you protect the innocent at the same time?"
The audience was completely silent now, captivated by the moral dilemma presented to their hero.
"But that's…"
Lucan hesitated, his expression troubled as he looked between the noble child and the transformed students.
"A Hero's burden is choice!"
Max continued, backing up the steps to the stage.
"Who deserves to be the one saved at the end of the day? The many or the one? The beasts who might be redeemed or the innocent who never sinned?"
There was something profound in Max's casual but stern tone which caused everyone to fall silent.
But there was one exception.
Junior, beyond reason now, lunged forward with a spell forming at his fingertips.
"DIE!"
Max dodged to the side, pulling the child with him.
This caused Junior's spell to blast a smoking hole in the stage floor.
The audience gasped.
"Would you sacrifice one life to save many?"
He looked at the Lucan in the eye.
For what felt like a long time.
"Or risk many to protect one?"
"What kind of hero are you?"
These questions were not just for hyping up the drama.
Max was genuinely curious about Lucan's character.
How would this self-proclaimed hero respond when faced with an impossible choice?
Lucan's expression hardened with resolve.
"I reject your false choice, Dark Lord!"
He took a bold step forward.
"A true hero saves everyone—even those who don't deserve it. Even you."
The conviction in his voice was startling.
Beyond the performance, Lucan truly believed in the heroic ideals he was expressing.
Max let out a laugh.
A laugh mixed with amusement and appreciation.
In a world soon to be torn apart by forces of darkness and turmoil, such unwavering belief in good seemed almost painfully naive.
And yet in a fantasy-like world from a novel, it felt very fitting.
And admirable.
But how far would Lucan go to maintain his principles?
"Pretty words, HERO!"
Max scoffed.
"BUT EMPTY WITHOUT ACTION!"
Releasing the noble child with a gentle push toward safety, Max charged directly at Lucan, staff raised for a killing blow.
Junior, recovered enough and seeing his opportunity, cast another spell that struck Max from behind, sending a wave of pain through his shoulder.
Max staggered, the injury not entirely feigned. Blood trickled from his mouth. The metallic taste filled his mouth as he stumbled toward Lucan.
"FINISH IT, HERO!"
Voice ragged with real pain.
"PROVE YOUR WORDS WITH STEEL!"
Lucan raised his sword defensively, cautious of what Max had next in store. Max threw himself forward onto the blade, controlling the impact so the prop weapon appeared to penetrate his chest while actually passing safely under his arm.
THWUCK!
The audience gasped as Max coughed, spitting blood onto the stage.
He collapsed to his knees, the staff falling from his hands.
"Brother..."
he whispered, loud enough for the audience to hear.
Lucan froze, sword still extended.
"What did you call me?"