"Die."
Almost as if following its wielder's command, the shield began to glow, its intensity quickly growing.
Without any thought, Zadius dashed towards the woman, closing the distance and crashing his fist into the shield. The weight of his punch launched her back a few metres.
"Crap, he's strong!" the woman cursed inwardly.
Zadius stepped over the debris from the hole in the wall. He entered a large room that seemed to be fashioned as an office of some kind.
It was fairly empty except for two wooden chairs sat in front of a wooden desk with a much nicer chair behind it. Behind the desk stood another dark-skinned man that looked similar to the muscular woman; adorned in dark robes with both his hands outstretched.
Zadius felt a connection with Law before four shards of rock formed in the air around the man's arms. Each of them brimming with animus.
In the brief moment where Zadius had looked over to the new enemy, the woman closed the distance between them and slammed her shield into Zadius' stomach.
As Zadius' body lurched forward, the woman took a half step back and raised her sword into the air before bringing it down with all her strength.
Her attack was stopped short as it clashed against both of Zadius' daggers. The exchange was short lived as the emitter's ability was already upon Zadius.
Using the woman's weight against her, Zadius angled his daggers, causing her sword to glide down and into the wooden floor; plunging deep into the wood.
Creating an opportunity, Zadius evaded the incoming attack.
***
"What was that!?" one voice sounded.
"No matter! Prepare yourselves!" a woman's voice sounded, her brimming with animus and a soft red glow encasing her.
Immediately her body moved forward with inhuman strength towards the monster in front of her.
Now rising from the rubble and raised dust was a black-haired young man with brown skin and glowing yellow eyes that betrayed the bestial smile on his face.
One of the woman's subordinate's limp body slowly slid off his blade as she approached the man.
Each step she took felt like she was stepping into the maw of death.
***
Zadius had exchanged another several blows with the muscular woman. She had long discerned that he wished to slay her emitter ally to ease the pressure on him from the man's ranged attacks.
Annoyingly, she constantly placed herself between Zadius and emitter.
Although providing him with some level of cover, their teamwork was almost as seamless as his and Xaryus'.
Cursing under his breath, Zadius parried a deadly blow and returned a flurry of strikes intended to tear the woman's throat apart. Leaning back abruptly, the woman awkwardly tried not to lose her footing.
Zadius could have used that moment to deliver several devastating blows, but instead he had to parry several shards of earth that threatened to pierce his body.
Many times, he was able to defend against both attackers but the tempo and changes between their assaults had become well executed.
Digging her heel into the ground, the woman tensed her abs and raised herself back up and finally decided to use her aspect.
Zadius' eyes went wide.
He felt a connection with Law and a surge of power flowed through the woman's body. Not only was she absurdly strong but she also possessed an ability that bolstered her strength.
The woman dropped her sword on Zadius with monstrous power. Not wanting to test his strength against hers he dodged the blow but the strength behind the attack faded.
It was a feint.
With all her monstrous strength, the woman spun around and slammed the shield into Zadius' side.
Just as it was about to make contact with him, he opened his core and flooded his body with animus.
The blow shook Zadius' entire body, sending his body through the wall, across the hallway and through another wall. He landed in a dimly lit room, crashing through a wooden bed.
Unphased, Zadius looked around for a moment.
The room was filled with eight beds that were once placed in orderly fashion but were now scattered about and stained with blood.
At the room's centre stood Xaryus, several slashed and gashed corpses laid at his feet. His foot was currently pressed against a man's neck, his eyes wide and his arms violently trying to remove Xaryus' leg.
Xaryus looked down at the man with a devilish smile, the blood splattered across his face only intensifying his unsettling appearance.
He was so engrossed in his slaughter; he had not realized that Zadius crashed into the room a few moments ago.
It was an affliction that Xaryus suffered with ever since their training with Andrew had begun. Almost like a flipped switch, his personality would warp and become more violent, almost obsessed with it. Worst of all, he tended to smile in a similar demented fashion to Andrew - Or Valon - and would be just as ruthless; Sadistic even.
Once the switch flipped, Xaryus barely remembered what transpired, sometimes it even felt like a hazed dream.
K and William guessed it was an alternate personality developed as a defence mechanism to protect his mental stability during his time with Andrew.
Sadly, a healing potion or healing ability was not capable of removing such an ailment.
"It happened again." Zadius sighed.
"Welcome back, Aryu." Zadius spoke, stepping towards his younger brother.
"Hello, brother." Xaryus responded.
Looking at him, Zadius noticed the subtle differences in expression that happened when Aryu came to the surface. A constant hint of bloodlust exuded from his brother; his body was tense as if always prepared for a fight and most prominent of all.
His eyes and smile were filled with a demented joy, yet Zadius felt that it was all a mask.
After they exchanged words, Zadius saw two figures dart across the opening Xaryus had created when he was launched into the room.
Hearing their footsteps, Aryu's head spun around with a devious smile.
Delighted to find more enemies, he dug his foot into the man's neck, crushing it. With that same motion, he darted towards the two remaining thieves.
With a sigh, Zadius followed behind.