Chapter 320 The Red Lotus Lounge (15)
He had raised Anderson since birth, held him when he was just a little bundle and had watched him grow up and become a strong and capable young man. Now, just like that, he was gone, his future ripped apart. Carl felt like he was in a nightmare he couldn't wake up from.
Carl couldn't help but think of all the things he would never get to do with Anderson—all the conversations they would never have and the memories they would never create. The thought was unbearable.
His pain was indescribable, his heart aching with deep, all-consuming grief that threatened to swallow him whole. He had lost everything that mattered to him at that moment, all because of a single man.
As he watched the other people fight fiercely against the other thugs, Carl felt a wave of anger wash over him.
These people had taken his son from him; they had destroyed his life and the lives of everyone who knew Anderson.
He wanted to make them pay for what they had done and make them feel the same pain his son had felt.
A red haze descended over Carl's vision, and he felt a surge of adrenaline coursing through his veins. He wanted to lash out, to hurt someone, anyone, to make them feel even a fraction of the pain that he was experiencing.
But it was Kevin who was responsible for all of this, and Carl's fury was directed solely at him. Carl had failed to protect his son, and now he would make the man who killed him pay for it.
He took a step forward, his fists clenched so tightly that his knuckles turned white, and he evaded his current opponents' attacks and immediately headed to Kevin while taking Anderson's claymore from the ground.
Anderson's killer found this man in front of him, his eyes full of scorn as he stared back at him, who towered over him. There was silence for a moment as both men sized each other up.
And then, in a sudden burst of motion, Carl launched himself at Kevin, his rage fueling his every move. He swung a mighty swing, aiming for Kevin's face, but the other man dodged it, albeit barely.
"What the…?" Kevin shouted. Only now did he understand that if this man had been able to fight against five people at once, there must have been a reason.
Kevin tried to back away, but Carl was relentless, pushing forward with a ferocity that was terrifying to behold.
He landed several blows, the claymore connecting with Kevin's body with sickening sounds. The other man grunted with each slash but had pride that refused to go down.
At a certain moment, the two men circled each other, each looking for an opening and waiting for the other to make a mistake, but Kevin was in an ugly shape.
The other fighters and hostages occasionally glanced at the fight only to remain shocked by the situation unfolding as Carl unleashed his fury on Kevin. The two's weapons clashed, with Carl's strikes fueled by a fit of intense anger and determination to avenge his son.
The man's eyes burned with a fierce intensity as he landed blow after blow on Kevin's defense once more, his grief and fury pushing him beyond his limits.
Kevin, caught off guard by a sudden barrage of attacks, struggled to keep up with the older man's relentless assault.
The sound of their weapons clashing echoed through the Red Lotus Lounge as Carl continued his onslaught, fueled by his rage and sorrow.
Anderson's father didn't care if he lived or died in this fight at that point; he only cared about making Kevin pay for what he had done.
Their swords locked together momentarily, and Carl used the opportunity to get in close and deliver a powerful punch to Kevin's stomach.
Kevin doubled over in pain, and Carl brought his sword down toward him with all his might. But Kevin quickly reacted and managed to block the strike at the last second.
"WAIT! WAIT! WE CAN TALK ABOUT THIS!" Kevin said in a vain attempt to save himself.
The two men separated, panting heavily and covered in sweat. Carl's eyes never left Kevin's as he readied himself for another attack. The two circled each other again, their weapons at the ready.
Carl's rage had not diminished in the slightest, and he was determined to take Kevin down no matter what.
As they clashed once again, Carl's thoughts turned to his son. He could see Anderson's face in his mind's eye, and his heart swelled with grief and anger. He would make sure that Kevin never hurt anyone else again.
"C'MON, MAN! I WAS JUST LISTENING TO ORDERS!" Kevin said again.
At that moment, everything around Carl's vision seemed to fade away. The sounds of fighting and chaos in the club became muted, the flashing lights dimmed, and the people around him were nothing but distant figures.
All he could see was Kevin, the man who had taken away his son.
With a roar, Carl charged at Kevin; his eyes locked on his target. Kevin tried to defend himself with his mana spear, but Carl was fueled by a fierce determination and burning anger that made him unstoppable.
He dodged and weaved through Kevin's thrusts, his movements fueled by pure adrenaline.
Carl closed the distance between them. He swung his claymore with all his might, striking Kevin's spear and knocking it out of his hand. Kevin stumbled backward, momentarily defenseless.
In a sudden burst of motion, Carl lunged forward, aiming a kick at Kevin's midsection.
It connected with a sickening thud, and Kevin flew backward, landing hard on the ground.
For a moment, Carl hesitated. Was this what his son would have wanted? But then, the memory of Anderson's lifeless body flashed through his mind, and his fury returned in full force. Carl stopped hesitating.
He raised his sword high and brought it down with a savage force, slicing through Kevin's shoulder and burying the blade deep into his chest. Kevin let out a guttural scream as he fell to the ground, his life slipping away.
Anderson's father stood over the killer, his chest heaving and his eyes ablaze with fury. For a moment, he was satisfied. He had avenged his son's death, but he wasn't feeling better.
The man stood over him, breathing heavily, his chest heaving with exertion. He looked down at his son's killer, who lay there, gasping for breath, blood oozing from his nose.
However, as he stood over Kevin's lifeless body, his chest heaving with rage and sorrow, he knew he was not finished. He turned to face the ongoing battle between his son's friends and the remaining thugs.
He saw Gwen and Amber fighting a man who had a wicked grin on his face as he dodged their attacks.
Without hesitation, Carl charged toward Justin; his claymore raised high. The man's grin faltered as he turned to face the enraged parent.
He held his daggers high, but Carl was too quick, and he knocked the weapon out of his hand with a swift strike of his son's claymore.
Justin stumbled backward, tripping over a chair as he tried to regain his balance. Carl seized the opportunity and lunged forward, his blade piercing Justin's side.
The thug let out a scream of pain as blood gushed from the wound. Carl twisted the blade, making the wound deeper and more fatal.
Gwen and Amber stopped for a second as they saw Carl finish off Justin. They couldn't help but feel a mix of shock and awe at the ferocity with which he attacked. Everything happened in a couple of seconds.
Carl turned to face them, his eyes burning with fiery intensity. "I won't let anyone else die," he said, his voice low and menacing. "I won't let any more innocent people suffer because of these thugs and their twisted morality."
Now that Carl had just taken Justin down, he turned his attention to Daniel, who was still locked in combat with Benedict. Carl knew he had to act fast before the man could use his power to restrain Benedict and kill him or any of the others.
He charged toward the man, his anger and grief fueling his movements. Daniel turned towards Carl, his face contorting in surprise and fear.
Without hesitation, Carl swung his claymore at Daniel, who barely managed to dodge in time. The tip of the sword grazed his arm, drawing blood.
Daniel summoned his rope, hoping to trap Carl, but Anderson's father was too quick. He sidestepped the rope and swung his son's claymore again, this time landing a blow on Daniel's side.
The thug stumbled back, clutching his side in pain. Carl didn't give him a moment to recover.
He charged forward; his sword raised high. Daniel tried to summon his rope again, but this time he was too slow. Anderson's father was already on him and brought his sword down with all his might, cleaving Daniel in two.
As the thug's body fell to the ground, Carl let out a roar of triumph mixed with grief.
He had avenged his son's death and saved some of his friends, but that didn't make him feel better again, mainly because he saw two more hostages die. He felt a sense of emptiness inside as if his soul had been ripped apart along with his son's life.