Orion’s POV: 

I jolted awake at the sudden hostile mana signatures approaching fast. Thinking it was just Farroth and his goons I stretched slowly looking around rubbing the blurriness out of my eyes. I looked to where Shiro was supposed to be sitting training her mana heart but she was nowhere to be found. 

I felt the presence of two people approaching me and fast. They were still too far away to tell who it was. Panicked that Shiro was gone and the people approaching and I drew my blade, parrying the swift attack aimed at my throat. 

The sound of metal clanging rang throughout the forest. Aiden jumped back after he was blocked making distance between us, before rushing me again. He blinked around bouncing from tree to tree at breakneck speeds before rushing at me, he slashed at my neck but I ducked his blade but using the momentum he spun and roundhouse kicked me in the side of the ribs breaking a few. 

I grunted from the pain, and clutched my ribs feeling how many broke from the impact. Only three of them were cracked. I took a deep breath and barely managed to dodge a long sword slash from Kael. “This is a problem.” I sighed standing up after kicking him, knocking him a few feet back.

They stood side by side and nodded at each other before rushing at me, Aiden was a bit faster but he slowed down to team up with Kael. Aiden attacked me first, spinning on his heel and using the momentum to stab my head, but I grabbed his wrist and crushed it before kneeing him in the chest sending him flying into Kael. 

He stepped out of the way letting his brother skid across the ground. I clashed blades with Kael, he was a lot stronger than his brother but I maneuvered my blade and threw his blade upwards before slashing his chest causing a deep wound. Before he could recover I punched him in the solar plexus causing him to go down to one knee and coughed up blood. I kneed him in the face before bringing my elbow onto the back of his head. Knocking him unconscious, not wanting to kill him.

Aiden recovered afterwards and dashed at me and cut up my arms as I wasn’t able to bring up my sword fast enough. I jumped a few feet back to gain some distance. I heard a loud boom back where the village was. I was able to see a large lightning storm, the lightning was an azure purple the same color as Farroth’s.

Farroth. Of course he was behind this. I looked at Aiden. “Why are you doing this?” I demanded.  

He flinched at my words. “Farroth demanded it, he got some strange power, and,” He paused. “And he threatened us. He said if we didn’t bring you to him he would kill us and our family.” He spoke softly, but scared. 

“And what’s his plan?” I asked my tone harsh. 

He looked at me then his brother who was just waking up before taking a deep breath. “He wants to kill you and your family, and I think he has already started.” His words tore through me like a blade. 

I clenched my fists so hard that my fingernails dug into my skin causing my hands to bleed. All the sound in the forest went silent as I looked at Kael who got up and rushed me with his blade. The approaching heavy footsteps of Kael was the only thing I could hear.

In one quick movement, one quick slash Kael’s head fell to the ground. Before Aiden realized what happened, dark crimson lightning enveloped my legs bursting forward, I stabbed Aiden in the chest. “This is the price you pay, when you harm my family.” I said in a cold tone. 

He looked at me with shocked eyes with tears developing in his eyes. I tore my blade out of his chest and in one quick movement I cleaned the blade by slashing towards the ground splattering the ground with blood.

I grabbed Kael’s body and hurried back home, I dragged Kael’s body as I got to the foot of the mountain. Seeing Farroth, his skin had a slight grayish tone to it. He was getting power in exchange for something. Was it his life Force? 

 I looked past him to see my mother’s lifeless corpse, she was missing one of her arms and half of her face was missing. Laying next to her clutching her corpse was my father, he looked dead but I wasn’t too sure. Half of his body was scorched beyond recognition and there was a hole in his chest. 

With his last dying breath he comforted my mother, that’s the kind of man my father was, and I respect him for that.

I locked eyes with Farroth. “Little boy wonder finally joining the party?” He yelled at me. 

I stayed quiet, the amount of rage and pain that was going through me was dangerous. “I already killed your parents!” He laughed in a mocking tone. “Your precious sister is next!” 

He grabbed Shiro by her hair and lifted her up. Mana surged outwards from my Mana Heart, everything within a ten meter radius of me was set ablaze with pitch black flames. I walked towards him, each step turned the ground into molten rock under my foot. 

Farroth raised his hand and a lightning bolt struck, I waved my hand and smacked the lightning bolt to the ground. He threw Shiro to the ground behind him and I looked at her. She was covered in mud, dirt and blood. I took a deep breath and glared at Farroth.

He took a step back, before looking at me. I stepped towards him, challenging him. I can see the sweat pool on his forehead. “Farroth.” My voice was in a cold tone.

I spoke towards Farroth with such authority and murderous intent in my voice everyone that was gathered around crumpled to their knees. “Ha, you think that is enough to scare me?” He scoffed. “What a weak display of power!” He said his voice shook as he took a step forward. 

“I thought of you as a nuisance, one deemed unworthy to kill, like a bug in the jungle, but every now and then a hunter swats away a mosquito.” I said taking a step forward, challenging him once more. 

I started walking towards him, at this point I was only five meters away from him. In that split second he lunged at me drawing his blade as crimson red flames exploded around his blade. Quickly I sidestepped and grabbed his sword by the blade. He tried prying it out of my hand but instead I crushed it. 

The sound of metal hitting the stone path was loud. He kicked me in the chest but it felt as if he was throwing stuffed animals at me. “Is that all?” I asked in a mocking tone before I grabbed his leg.

I picked him up and threw him into the nearest wall. He stood up and looked at me with a hint of fear in his eyes. I started to walk towards my little sister who was still on the ground. 

I kneeled down next to her and picked her up to listen to her heart beat. It was slow but still beating thankfully. I wiped the blood from her mouth and sighed from relief. I stood up and leaned her up against the wall. I kissed her forehead. 

A loud crack of lightning echoed through the village, it was as if everything was in slow motion. I looked up and surrounded my hand in a crimson red lightning and caught the lightning bolt and threw it at him. Aiming for his heart. I missed and hit his left shoulder. 

He threw up a pool of blood before looking at me with fear in his eyes. He staggered forward a bit before standing up straight and looking confused before smirking. I can see steam coming out from his shoulder. 

Was he healing? That fast? He stretched his shoulder and laughed. “Now I can’t lose.” He laughed maniacally. 

He must have super regeneration to be laughing like that. He rushed at me full of openings, I unsheathed my sword and swung at him but he blocked with his arm. It cut deep into his flesh and almost cleaved his arm off. 

He swung his fist but I ducked under it countering with an uppercut to his jaw. I felt a barrier between him and my fist. He looked down and smirked. “Is that all?” He asked, mocking me. 

I jumped back to gain some distance. I couldn't pull my sword out of his arm so I let go of it. He yanked it out with a wince, and it immediately started to heal, his arm where my sword was lodged into his arm started to steam before the wound started to close.

I sighed, this was going to be annoying. I thought to myself. He crushed the blade of my sword and threw the hilt to the ground. He rushed at me again and swung his fist relentlessly, dodging most of them and only having to block only a few of his punches.

I back stepped his right hook and swung at his jaw once more, I could feel the barrier around him start to quake. I went on the offensive and swung. Right, left, right, left, and finally I swung my fist  with all of my strength. 

I could feel the barrier shatter under my fist and it connected with his jaw and sent the bottom half of his jaw across the ground. He paused and looked at me. 

I cracked my knuckles.

I rushed him for the first time in this fight and grabbed him by the hair. I could see the fear in his eyes once more as it was taking more than a few seconds to heal his jaw. 

I slammed his face into my knee breaking his nose, he grunted from the pain, it was as if he wanted to talk but couldn’t because the lower half of his mouth was gone. 

Picking him up by his hair I threw him to the ground before black flames exploded from my elbow speeding up my punch to his stomach. He threw up a pool of blood and his eyes were going cloudy. 

No he couldn’t die just yet, I’m not done with him yet.

His jaw finally regenerated and he began to speak. “Is that all you can do boy wonder!” He shouted. 

I kicked him in the ribs, sending him into the nearest wall. He got up and rushed at me once more, his fists were ignited in crimson flames, he swung his fists at me wildly. I parried or blocked all of them. 

I grabbed his wrist and snapped it in half. I then ripped off his arm as he screamed in pain. 

I guess I should end this now. I wrapped my fist in crimson red lightning. “You have lightning too?” He shouted, clutching his missing arm as it slowly grew back. 

“Yes.” I said dead pan as I flattened my hand and bisected his head from his shoulders.

As his head fell to the ground he looked at me in shock and fear, before the light faded from his eyes. I stomped on his head, crushing it. 

 I waited a few minutes to make sure he wasn’t coming back alive before looking around everyone looked at me with fear, everyone was hesitant. I walked over to Shiro to make sure she was ok, she was still unconscious but asleep instead of knocked out. 

I sighed and walked over to where my parents' corpses were. I knelt down and my fathers eyes slowly. He looked at me and smiled.  

I turned to the onlookers. “Can anyone use healing!” I yelled at them. 

Nobody moved.

I could feel tears building up on my eyelashes. My father reached up and wiped the tears from my eyes. “Don’t cry Orion, be strong.” he said, grabbing my hand, his hand was shaking and he gave me the pendant that he always had on. 

“I’m sorry, I couldn’t protect you guys.” I apologized.

His smile was soft. “I’m proud of you.” He paused, he was slowly losing his voice.

“I can now die knowing that my son is strong, protect your sister for us.” He said before closing his eyes. 

I could feel the tears streaming down my face. I placed my forehead on his. “I will.” Someone placed their hand on my shoulder “There was nothing we could’ve done” The man spoke in a soft tone. I just looked at him and with one swipe of my hands pitch black flames engulfed him. 

By the time the flames dispersed he was nothing but ash. I stood up and wiped the tears from my face, no more I gotta be strong. Everyone took a step back. 

“Honey!” a young woman came running over to the ashes. “You dirty Half Blo-“ she couldn’t finish her sentence before her head hit the ground using my hand as a blade like I did with Farroth. 

Her body slumped next to her head and I moved to the next target. With lightning infused into my feet I was moving around at lightning speed, killing all of those in front of me. They don’t deserve to live, not after all of this. Everyone took off into a sprint away from me. One man started to run in the direction of Shiro. He managed to get there and grab her before I made it to him. “Take one more step and she dies!” He yelled at me. 

I paused, do I trust my speed? 

Of course I do, he was around fifteen meters away in the blink of an eye I was in range and his head fell off his shoulders.

The sounds of lightning and screams filled the air echoing through the mountains. It was a matter of mere minutes before I killed everyone in the village. My arm was covered in blood and my clothes were now destroyed. 

I walked over to Shiro who was still asleep thankfully, I didn't want her to see what happened. I picked her up and kicked in the door of a random house that was still intact. I set her down and took a shower to clean all of the blood off of me. 

I walked into a room to look for some clothes and came across a tan cotton shirt with a hood and put it on. It was a little big but that was fine. 

I went into the living room to check on Shiro, she was still asleep so I got a rag and cleaned up her face a bit and waited for her to wake up. Around an hour later she opened her eyes slowly. 

“Orion? You ok?” She asked. 

“Yeah, don’t worry about me.” I ruffled her hair. “How are you feeling?” 

She closed her eyes like she was trying to remember what happened. “I don’t remember what happened, last thing I remember was focusing on my mana heart, then everything after that is a blank.”

“Don’t worry about what happened then, I’ll tell you later.” I got up and motioned her to the door. “Let’s get going.” 

“To where, we have to go home to mom and dad.” She asked confusedly. 

I took a deep breath, now is not the time. “They already left, when you passed out because um.” I paused trying to think of the right words. “ Your mana heart overloaded, yeah that’s why.”

She scratched her chin and it looked like she believed me. Thankfully she hasn’t noticed we were in a different house and not ours. “Where did they go?” She asked. 

“To the capitol.” I answered without thinking. “But they said they wanted to meet when you are able to use magic.” 

“Oh.” She looked down. 

“Don’t worry about it, you’ll learn magic in no time.” I wasn’t to sure with the amount of progress, but I had to be hopeful. For her sake. “I’ll be teaching you myself, and name anybody who is better than me.” I spoke in an arrogant tone, hopefully hiding my uncertainty.

While Shiro was out cold I buried our parents and said my goodbye’s. I know I should give Shiro a chance to say goodbye, but I don’t want to tell her just yet. 

“Are you ok, you look a little pale.” I lied, I have to knock her out for a bit so she doesn’t see the carnage that’s outside. 

“I feel fine why?” She asked.

“It’s probably a side effect of you training so hard.” I quickly chopped the back of her neck to knock her out. I caught her and put her on my back carrying her out of town. I l looked back at the town, if you could even call it that and it was still ablaze, it will probably spread to the Forrest’s, but that’s not my problem anymore. 

Good bye Mom, Dad. 

I headed west in hopes of finding a town close by.