欲望酒店

[Raven's POV]

"Ervin Donovan, I request a duel to you."

Ervin said to me with a clear and unwavering voice.

His voice doesn't contain any ill intention.

"Raven Obadiah, I accept the duel."

So, I casually accepted the duel.

And immediately after I accepted, I placed my left foot forward and crouched down.

Then I placed [Emmeranne] beside my left waist as if I'm in the unsheathing position.

"Aren't you gonna use that?"

Then Ervin asked me while pointing at [Nyx] in my holster, he seems displeased.

I shook my head and opened my mouth.

"Don't need to."

And I replied.

"Don't regret you're decision later."

"I hope so too."

After our short exchange of words, Ervin took his fighting stance too, and he became more intimidating.

'Ervin, in terms of fighting experience, he have more than me.'

'So I need to finish him as fast as possible.'

I concluded.

"I want to try something after all."

I mumbled to myself as an excited smile crept up to my face.

[You're slowly becoming a battle freak you know.]

Sariel told me.

'I don't care... It's exciting.'

Which I replied inside my head.

"I'll count to three, and on three, the duel start."

Ervin stated and I nodded my head as an agreement.

"One..."

When Ervin started counting.

Swoosh-

I started gathering mana all over my body.

'<Insight>'

And I activated one of my skills.

"Two..."

Bzzzt-

Swaaah-

At this time, black electric particles and strong blackish winds started appearing around me, especially around my sword and my lower body.

It's because of my wind and electric attributes.

'<Strengthen>'

'<Accelerate>'

I casted buffs on myself, then I focused at Ervin.

Raging mana is overflowing from him and he seems ready to attack any time now.

It was then... I saw him open his mouth.

'<Thought Acceleration>!'

I immediately activated a skill and tensed every muscles I can in my body.

My body, and my head, both of them hurts.

But I ignored the pain and clenched my teeth together.

I pressed my feet on the ground.

Then...

"Th...ree–"

Bam-!

SWOOOSH–

BOOM!

As soon as Ervin literally finished his last count, I kicked my feet on the ground and propelled myself toward Ervin in a terrifying speed!

Winds rippled as I move forward, then when I arrived in front of Ervin...

Swoosh–

I raised my sword above my head and swung it diagonally down from my top left with all of my strength!

At that moment, I saw Ervin's shocked face, but I also saw him raising his sword attempting to block my attack.

'What a monster...'

I thought as Ervin's response was incredible.

'Too bad I have this sword.'

'<Shadow>'

In response to Ervin's attempt to block my sword, I used [Emmeranne]'s skill, <Shadow>, in its blade.

Swoosh-

And when [Emmeranne] passed through Ervin's sword like a ghost, I immediately deactivated the skill.

SLASH-!

And cut Ervin's body into two parts.

Looks like I used too much strength as I wasn't able to stop my sword in its place...

BOOM!

Resulting it to continue and hit the ground violently.

The contact of my sword on the ground created a fairly strong force.

But I ignored that as I deactivated my skill, <Thought Acceleration>.

Then I looked down.

Ervin was looking at me with surprised eyes.

'His consciousness is still intact.'

I concluded and opened my mouth.

'I'll talk to you later.'

I mounted to Ervin before taking out a stamina and a mana potion and drinking them consecutively.

"Fuck, my body aches."

I mumbled as I massage my right hand.

"..."

Then I noticed the silence around me.

I looked around, and saw everyone looking at me with shocked faces.

'Is that all the expression they can make? I've been seeing that since earlier.'

I thought.

[You're the reason they're like that, you keep on dropping surprises after all.]

Sariel told me.

I shrugged my shoulders in response and looked at Barry and Sean.

"So? Who's next?"

Then I asked them with a smile.

***

-So? Who's next?

"He's such a dickhead."

"Yeah, I agree."

Adelle said and Aoi replied, they're watching Raven's live stream where he's clearly provoking Sean and the others.

"Well, it's Raven."

Alec added.

"Yeah, he's a jerk."

Curtis then joined in.

"Not like you can talk."

Which Blake unconsciously replied to him.

"Fuck you Blake."

Curtis got angry at Blake, but because there's a lot of people(Eve is) around, he didn't do anything.

"I'll get back at you next time."

Curtis weakly said to Blake, and that's just when Blake noticed he did something wrong.

"Anyway, what's with Raven's attack."

Then, Eve shifted the topic to where everyone is really interested.

And that's when everyone got silent and serious.

And all of them looked at Alec as he might know something about it.

Too bad, Alec shook his head.

"I don't have any idea nor clue about it, everything happened so fast and I didn't expected it too."

He said.

"But I do know he used his elemental attributes."

Alec added.

"Raven apparently used two attributes, one is wind, and the other one is..."

""Electric.""

Everyone said in unison as they looked at Raven again in their phone screens or V.Ds.

Then they saw something interesting again.

'Barry versus Raven.'

And in the background, they saw a massacre ongoing, and the others frowned because they didn't know when that happened.

"It just happened, Raven's order."

But Blake shortly explained it to them so they immediately got what happened.

***

(Going back a bit earlier...)

"So? Who's next?"

Raven arrogantly asked Sean and Barry with a wolfish smile.

He recieved no answer.

Raven looked around and saw everyone's face, no one wants to fight him.

"Well, this is boring..."

Raven mumbled to himself before raising his hand.

Then with a casual face.

"Eliminate everyone except Barry and Sean."

Raven commanded.

Swoosh-

Swoosh–

Bam-!

Not even a second after his order, countless arrows were already launched to Sean's teammates!

And some of Raven's team members came out from hiding to fight in close combat while being led by Jeanna.

"Argh...!"

"We're under attack!"

"Keukk!"

"Enemies are still coming!"

Sean's team members immediately fell into chaos, their fear toward Raven made them panic.

And because Jeanna and the others improved their team coordination earlier, even against strong enemies, if they're panicking, then it's easy.

And so, Raven's group started massacring Sean's group.

And while all of that were happening.

Tap. Tap. Tap.

Raven walked forward, towards Sean and Barry who remained in their place while their teammates are dying.

'This bitch...'

Sean thought as he saw Raven's bright smile as he walks.

'What should I do...?'

He's panicking, it's Sean's first time being in this kind of situation.

He's scared, he's nervous.

'That bitch Ervin, he should have at least put up a fight!'

So Sean blamed others, to be precise, Ervin.

'Because he died easily, I wasn't able to gain any information about Raven's skills!'

Sean angrily thought as he clenched his hands into fists.

Tap.

Then he heard Raven's audible footstep again.

Out of nervousness, Sean looked around desperately.

Then he saw someone, who can ease his problem even for a bit.

And with a devilish smile.

Push-

He pushed Barry toward Raven.

Because Barry didn't expect Sean to do such thing, he fell on the ground easily and stopped few meters away from Raven.

As soon as Barry realized what happened.

"What are you doing?!"

He got angry at Sean.

"You dog like bitch, I'm telling you to fight."

"Do this and I'll reward you later, I don't care if you lose, just fight."

Sean replied to Barry casually as he regained his calm.

'There's no way Raven is in his top form right now, Barry might have a chance.'

Sean thought.

"But–"

"Shut the fuck up Barry and just fight!"

Barry was about to refute but Sean didn't let him.

"Fuck..."

In the end, Barry mumbled out of annoyance and finally stood up from the ground and faced Raven.

He doesn't have a choice but to fight.

"!"

Few meters away from him, Barry saw Raven looking at him with cold eyes.

Making him flinch as cold sweats covered his back.

'I don't want to fight him!'

Barry thought, he just know he wouldn't win.

So he started thinking of a way to not fight Raven.

"!"

Then Barry's eyes lit up when he thought of one!

"Wait, Raven, let me join to your side!"

Barry immediately exclaimed as he bowed his head!

"I don't want to be with Sean anymore, he treats me like a dog and he doesn't care for me, look, I was forced to fight you, I don't want to be like this anymore."

Barry said as he acted pitifully.

"You son of a bitch!"

He can hear Sean from his back but Barry ignored him.

'I'll backstab you too bitch.'

Barry thought as he smiled inwardly.

Barry then peeked at Raven.

He saw Raven stop walking forward.

Shhh-

Click-

Then Raven sheathed his sword.

'Oh... That's a good sign! He's gonna accept my offer! What a pushover!'

'Maybe with my money, I can even make Raven obedient, he doesn't have much of that after all.'

Barry thought as a smile crept up to his face.

But then...

Swoosh–

He felt a sudden chill all over his body and a feeling of being crushed by pressure followed afterwards!

"Keuk..."

Barry couldn't lift his head up and beads of sweat started forming on his forehead.

'What's happening...?!'

He can't even talk.

"Barry Leigh."

Then Raven called his name.

Raven's cold voice made Barry flinch again as chills washed all over his body.

"You uses your family's power to abuse anyone you don't like, for simple reasons like because they're better looking than you."

"Gurhg!"

Raven stated and Barry groaned.

At every Raven's word, the pressure pressing on Barry gets stronger!

"In short, you're a bitch."

Tap. Tap. Tap.

Raven continued as he walked toward Barry again.

"And what else..."

This time, anger can be felt in Raven's voice and Barry couldn't breathe properly anymore.

"You use your power to r*pe women who have lower status than you."

Bam-!

"GRAAAG!!!"

When Raven's words finished, the pressure Barry was under in became overwhelming.

Forcing his knees and hands to slam on the ground.

"I hate people like you."

Raven declared.

~~~~~

[Drei05]: Any thoughts about the chapter?