Oliver and Enzo watched Calix carefully as he looked down at the floor.
His face showed no expression, but they both knew their boss well enough to recognize that he had not given up. Calix was not the type to surrender easily, and they feared he might try to attack Edsel again at any moment.
But then Calix walked towards Edsel and fell to his knees.
THUD—
"Boss, I am deeply sorry for trying to sneak attack you tonight!" Calix declared with his head bowed low.
Oliver and Enzo's eyes widened in shock. Even Edsel raised an eyebrow, not expecting to tame the larger boy so easily.
Oliver could not believe what he was witnessing. This was the worst thing that could happen in his eyes, seeing the boy who had once saved him from bullies now kneeling before another bully. He could not bear it any longer.
Oliver started to protest.
"Boss, you can't just give up like this! You are better than—"
"It is okay, Oliver. Everything will be fine."
Calix smiled warmly at Oliver and gave him a thumbs up.
That single gesture triggered a flood of memories for both Oliver and Enzo.
They remembered the days back in the Phelan territory when they were commoners living on the streets. Both of them had been bullied constantly by the other children until the young master of Baron Phelan, Calix himself, had come to their rescue. He had fought off their bullies and made them a promise. If they followed his path and served him faithfully, no one would ever bully them again.
Oliver stood up suddenly, his fists clenched at his sides.
"No, boss! I will not allow you to be bullied by anyone!" He glared directly at Edsel with defiance in his eyes.
Edsel raised an eyebrow at the sudden outburst. "~Oh?~ What do you think you are doing?"
Calix's expression shifted to panic. "You fool, do you not understand what will happen if you—"
Before Calix could finish his warning, Oliver rushed towards Edsel with his fist raised.
Edsel moved faster. His hand shot out and wrapped around Oliver's throat, cutting off his words.
His nails dug deep into the skin, and blood began to trickle down Oliver's neck.
"Ugh!" Oliver choked while grabbing at Edsel's wrist. His legs kicked wildly, trying to find any purchase, but nothing worked.
Enzo lowered his head to the floor and trembled violently. He could not move, could not speak, could not even look up at what was happening.
Calix felt the familiar terror rising in his chest again. Edsel was far worse than he had ever been, and the realization made him sick.
"Are you going to kill him right here?" Calix asked while his voice cracked. "Please, just spare him. I beg you. I will do anything you want. Just let him go!"
Oliver could not breathe. His face was turning purple, and tears streamed down his cheeks as his body started to go limp. He was dying, and there was nothing he could do to stop it.
Calix grabbed onto Edsel's pants and pressed his forehead against the floor. "I am begging you! Please, just let him go! I will do whatever you ask! Whatever you want! Just please spare him!" Tears flowed freely down his face as he begged.
Edsel looked down at Calix's trembling form and then at the nearly unconscious Oliver in his grip. "Anything I want, you say?"
He released his grip, and Oliver collapsed to the ground gasping for air. Before Oliver could recover, Edsel stomped on his head with brutal force, slamming it against the floor until the boy went completely still. Oliver lay half conscious on the ground, barely breathing.
Enzo, who had been watching the entire scene unfold, finally lost control. His pants soaked with urine as his mind gave way, and he fainted on the spot.
Edsel looked down at the two fallen subordinates and then at the wet stain spreading beneath Enzo's body.
"Disgusting," he muttered while stepping away from them.
"Now, let us talk properly, my dear friend," Edsel said while crouching down to Calix's level.
'Friend? My foot, you monster,' Calix thought while clenching his fists so tightly that his knuckles turned white. But he could not do anything.
He glanced back and saw his own friends lying unconscious on the floor, and there was nothing he could do to help them. He was a complete failure as a leader.
He raised his head high and looked at the ceiling, then let out a bitter laugh.
"Hahaha, I am as pathetic as all those commoners I used to look down on. I guess this is my karma for bullying all those kids back then. So what are you going to do with me now, Mr. Hero?"
Edsel smiled, though the expression did not reach his eyes.
"Who said that I was here to stop you from doing anything?"
Calix frowned in confusion.
"What do you mean by that?" He sat down and folded his legs while staring at Edsel. "What the hell do you want me to do, then?"
"You know Edwin, correct?"
"Edwin? Of course I know that bastard. He is the goody two shoes of our class from last semester." Calix paused and then smirked. "Don't tell me... hehehe, you want me to beat him up because he stole Fiora from you?"
"Not quite, dear friend."
Calix's expression hardened.
"I am not your friend, you monster. Look behind you! You beat up my friends and nearly killed them, and you have the audacity to call me a friend? No matter what you do to me, I will not follow your ways. Just beat me up or kill me already and get it over with!"
Edsel sat down beside him and placed a hand on Calix's shoulder.
His grip tightened gradually, and Calix felt his bones beginning to strain under the pressure.
"AAAAAAAAAAAH !"
Calix screamed in agony.
"Don't worry, friend. You will definitely serve me in the end. I don't need your permission for that."
The Authority Chains of the Black Covenant activated immediately. Black chains erupted from the ground and pierced through Enzo and Oliver's unconscious bodies, wrapping around their cores.
Calix's eyes widened in terror.
"What are those chains? What did you do to them?"
Before he could react, more chains rose from behind him and pierced through his back.
"Ugh!"
Calix grunted while his body convulsed.
His eyes flickered to purple for a moment and then returned to their normal color.
Edsel studied him carefully.
"Hello, friend."
"Damn it, I told you that I am not your friend! And what the hell was that just now?"
Calix demanded while clutching his chest.
Edsel frowned in thought.
"How is this possible?" He looked at the two unconscious bodies on the floor. "Enzo, Oliver, get up."
"Yes, my lord," Enzo and Oliver responded simultaneously. They rose to their feet with their eyes glowing purple, completely devoid of their previous personalities.
Calix stared at them in disbelief.
"What the hell is happening? They were unconscious just a moment ago! What is wrong with them? Why are they acting like zombies? And did they just call you 'my lord'?"
His voice cracked with panic.
Edsel started laughing while observing the difference between the three subjects.
"I see now. I finally understand how this power works. It only fully takes over when the person has a weak will. That is why Les still retains his own personality, and why Calix is still himself as well."
"What the hell are you laughing about?"
Calix looked down and finally noticed the chains piercing his chest, connected directly to Edsel's wrist.
"What did you do to me? What is this thing attached to my body?"
Edsel stood up and looked down at him with a satisfied smile. "Okay, now let us talk about our plan properly, dear friend."
Calix nodded against his own will. His body no longer listened to his commands. He felt like some massive entity was using him like a puppet with strings, pulling and directing his every movement without his consent.