Thud! Bang!
Jean's body hit the wall again, the impact jarring through his already battered frame, but he didn't give up. He wouldn't. He would protect Leo and Priya, even if it meant giving his very life. Every ragged breath was a desperate plea to keep fighting, every strained movement a raw act of unyielding will.
His vision swam with spots, his head a thunderous ache, yet he pushed on, a defiant flame refusing to be extinguished.
But the fight remained brutally, agonizingly one-sided.
To Jean, it seemed the Contractor, Sophia, was merely toying with him, deliberately prolonging the agony, wasting precious time.
But why? Why would she, a formidable opponent, choose to play when her objective was so clear?
This entire encounter made him question everything he knew about the nature of their cyclical existence and the power dynamics within it.
'Were Dormants like the Contractor truly stronger than previously believed? Or were Ascendants only "big by name" because they hadn't yet faced truly potent Contractors like this woman, whose abilities defied conventional understanding?'
The thought gnawed at him, a terrifying realization amidst the chaos.
Leo stood rigidly defensive beside a still, unnervingly silent Priya. She lay slumped against the plush armchair, deep in the exhaustion of her nascent power, still unconscious from the monumental effort of pausing time. Leo watched, his young eyes wide with a desperate, suppressed fury, as Jean fought relentlessly despite clearly losing ground.
The boy's small body vibrated with a contained energy, a burgeoning Aura he was barely holding in check. Leo knew, instinctively, that he couldn't risk using his own power; if he lost control, if his raw Aura erupted, he could destroy not only Sophia but also the very guest house and perhaps even harm Priya.
He could only stand, a frozen guardian, praying Jean would survive, and just maybe, impossibly, Aira would arrive on time.
"Urgggghh..."
Sophia groaned, a dramatic, almost theatrical sound, losing balance for a fraction of a second. A thin trickle of crimson appeared at the corner of her mouth. She was panting, barely, a faint sheen of sweat on her brow, a stark, infuriating contrast to Jean, who was drenched in sweat and whose every movement screamed utter exhaustion.
"Tchhh... butler, you actually managed to land a punch?" she said, her voice dripping with cutting sarcasm, her eyes narrowing in mock surprise. "How should I reward you... for such a rare display of tenacity?"
Jean gave no reply, his face set in grim defiance, his focus absolute. He ignored the pain, ignored the taunts. Instead, he channeled the last agonizing vestiges of his strength into a deadly, precisely aimed kick.
His heavy boot connected solidly with Sophia's midsection, sending the woman flying across the room, slamming her with unexpected force into the wall she'd just launched him from. The impact sent a shudder through the very foundations of the old tower.
She didn't stand up immediately. Instead, she lay slumped against the newly cracked plaster, letting out a low, drawn-out groan. Then, a slow, chilling laugh bubbled from her lips, growing in volume, a sound of disturbing amusement that filled the room.
"Ahh... The Supreme surely will be proud of me..."
The Supreme? Who the hell was that?
Jean's mind reeled with confusion. Now, the woman was not only acting bizarrely, but she was speaking in strange, cryptic riddles. A new layer of fear began to prickle at him.
Sophia still didn't rise, though the laughter subsided. Jean, seeing a desperate, fleeting opportunity, pushed himself up, every muscle screaming in protest. He staggered forward, preparing to launch a final, all-or-nothing attack, a desperate attempt to incapacitate her while she was down.
Thud!
It came like a sudden, concussive bang in the head, an unseen force slamming into him from behind. His vision doubled, then slowly became a swirling, indistinct blur. He tried to turn, to identify the new threat, his lips forming the names he cherished, the names that represented everything he fought for.
"Leo... Priya..." The words were thick, slurring in his mouth.
Apparently, the same crushing, disorienting force was affecting Leo. The young boy, standing rigidly protective over Priya, swayed for a moment, his eyes rolling back.
Then, he too immediately slumped to the ground, unconscious beside his sister.
Jean now felt the distinct presence of another person, a foreign Aura, cold and precise, emanating from directly behind him.
It was utterly distinct from Sophia's, yet equally unsettling, possessing an unnerving sense of contained power. He tried to turn, to even catch a glimpse, but his vision was completely obscured by the haze, his eyes becoming impossibly heavy with an overwhelming, sudden fatigue.
His body betrayed him, his legs buckling, and he fell to his knees, still trying desperately to gain a clearer glance at the unknown figure looming over him.
The boy figure walked up to him, his form sharp and clear even as Jean's vision faded into darkness. He was startlingly young, perhaps just a bit older than Leo, with a sleek, agile build that belied his power.
He wore a Rebellion uniform that was both practical and strikingly cool: a dark, fitted jacket with segmented armor plating subtly integrated into the shoulders and elbows, providing protection without hindering movement.
It was paired with tight, dark trousers that hugged his lean legs, tucked into high-tech, reinforced boots that seemed to absorb all sound.
A single, bold crimson stripe ran down the side of his jacket and trousers, hinting at rank or a special unit within the Rebellion. His movements were fluid, precise, almost casual, yet they carried an undeniable, effortless power that screamed danger.
"Hmmm... he's really handsome for a butler," the boy remarked, a hint of disdain and casual amusement in his voice as he looked down at Jean's defeated form.
Jean's body finally gave away completely, his last spark of consciousness flickering and dying. He slumped forward, his face hitting the cool, splintered wood of the floor with a soft thud.
"Hmm... and I can't kill him too..." the boy muttered, almost to himself, a note of slight annoyance in his tone, as if a minor inconvenience had presented itself.
"Follow orders, Eren," Sophia's voice cut in, suddenly sharp, devoid of her earlier theatrics. She had risen, seemingly fully recovered, and walked towards the boy.
Her previous groaning and laughter had been nothing more than a calculated act, a deliberate distraction to set the stage for this new attacker.
Eren scanned the surroundings with a quick, professional gaze, taking in the wrecked room and the unconscious figures. He then turned to Sophia, a playful, almost mischievous smirk on his face.
"So, you mean to tell me... an ordinary butler gave you a run for your money, Sophia?"
Sophia glared, her eyes narrowing to dangerous slits. "Shut up, Eren. It was necessary. I had to let go. We were ordered not to kill...." Her tone was cold, sharp, and utterly dismissive, the pretense of weakness completely gone.
"....So just keep shut and carry the boy."
"Why do I have to carry him?" Eren grumbled, though without real malice, more like a petulant complaint.
"I did most of the work. I had to face the scary Melanthos woman... hmm... I would have loved a longer fight with her, actually."
"Don't get too excited and just carry the boy," Sophia retorted, crossing her arms, her patience clearly wearing thin with his antics.
Her gaze flickered to the prone form of Jean, then to the silent Priya.
Eren rolled his eyes with a theatrical sigh but approached Leo. He carefully picked the unconscious boy up, adjusting him onto his back with surprising gentleness, almost as if he were carrying a valuable, fragile package.
"Hmmm... having a nice nap, prince? We'll talk later then..."
He then turned to Sophia, his smirk returning, a twinkle in his eyes. "I have a good feeling we'll be best friends, Sophia."
Sophia gave him a withering glare that perfectly conveyed her disdain: "Idiot... like I care."
Eren chuckled softly, adjusted Leo on his back one last time, and moved out of the guest house with Sophia, their footsteps fading into the rustling of the forest night.
They left Jean and Priya unconscious amidst the wreckage, the tower now eerily silent once more, a profound stillness settling over the scene of their defeat.