Chapter 237 – Floor 42: Part 4

  Mathew rushed up the bare concrete stairs of the unfinished building, his boots echoing loudly with each step he took. By the time he reached the top floor, the sounds of combat had ceased. But he had no trouble finding the Villains; he just needed to follow the trail of blood and destruction.

  Exiting the stairwell, he walked out into the open sky. The floor was unfinished; there was nothing but concrete and rebar along with some scaffolding that had been erected on the sides. The wind swept past him, carrying the sounds of police sirens.

  Mathew’s boots crunched against the dust and debris that littered the unfinished floor, the sound harsh in the silence. The building was a skeleton, but the destruction had ruined what little had been built. Broken steel beams lay on the ground, and cracked concrete made sections of the floor uncrossable.

  But it was what was waiting for him on the other side of the open expanse that drew his attention.

  Blitz and Gale were kneeling on the ground, side by side. They were unbound, their injuries so severe that the Villains in front of them knew the pair wouldn’t be able to escape. It was clear that the majority of the blood had come from them.

  Lumina, however, was unharmed.

  She was standing on the far side of the floor, flanked by two familiar figures. Titaness had her arms crossed, a frown on her face as if she found this entire thing pointless and would rather be fighting. Ironclad, however, was taking an interest in their surroundings.

  The Villains stood in a line, with the two battered heroes on the ground in front of them and Lumina trapped in their midst. Mathew recognized Ironclad and Titaness and the beautiful Obsidian who was in the group's center, but the others' identities were a mystery.

  “Mr. Larson, so good of you to join us. I was worried you had lost your way, even after I had gone into trouble with having Ghost message your Headquarters with an anonymous tip about our whereabouts.” Obsidian said, her red lips curving into a friendly smile at the sight of Mathew walking toward them.

  Mathew didn’t answer. Instead, his eyes flicked around the surroundings. Something seemed off about the situation. There was no way that the gathering of Villains, all Locals to this Floor, would be able to set off the ‘Buzz’ to such a degree.

  Obsidian was the most powerful Villain here, and even she hadn’t warranted much of a reaction from the ‘Buzz.’ There was someone else here, but they were staying out of sight for the moment.

  Seeing that he couldn’t find the source anytime soon, Mathew focused his attention back on Obsidian. If she was offended by his lack of interest in her, she didn’t show it.

  “I believe introductions are in order. We all know you, of course, but I think it is only polite that you know who we are. You have already met Titaness and Ironclad, our Rank 5 and 6. This is ‘Ghost,’ our specialist in…information gathering.” Obsidian explained as she gestured to a woman next to her with white hair and a ‘mist-like’ appearance.

  “Then we have Lady Vortex; her powers involve transportation and infiltration.” Obsidian described the flamboyantly dressed young woman on her opposite side.

  Her bright clothing clashed with her even brighter hair, making her easily stand out in the crowd. She gave Mathew a small, playful wave and a smile.

  “Then we have-”

  “I don’t care. Who did you bring with you from the Tower?” Mathew interrupted Obsidian impatiently, his face turning grim and hard. He was tense, and it was clear to everyone that he was on edge and ready for a fight.

  “Tower? I’m afraid I don’t-” Obsidian was taken off guard by his abrupt and aggressive interruption, only for Mathew to cut her off again.

  “Shift.” Mathew spoke the Word of Power, and the two kneeling heroes and Lumina disappeared, only for a few blocks of concrete to take their place. The three heroes reappeared behind Mathew in an instant.

  “Mathew, you need to run!” Lumina said, finally free of whatever power had kept her captive and silent. Instead, Mathew tossed a pair of red vials at her that he had pulled from his pocket.

  A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.

  “Stay quiet and make them drink those. Don’t move from that spot. Sanctuary.” A bright white barrier sprang into existence around the three heroes. Knowing that it was useless to argue, Lumina knelt down and fed the strange potions to Blitz and Gale, trusting that something Mathew gave her was probably safe and helpful.

  Indeed, His wounds began to heal as soon as she had tipped the red liquid into Blitz’s mouth.

  Mathew raised his right hand and pointed at Obsidian.

  “Last chance. Who did Mischievous Depravity bring here?” Mathew growled, and Lumina felt her blood run cold at the sound of his voice. To her surprise, Obsidian smiled.

  “Oh, Mathew, you know that your powers are useless against me. My Patron has granted me the ability to stop your attacks. Besides, you’re a hero! Threatening violence against us isn’t very heroic, Mathew. And it certainly isn’t effective when we know you won’t follow through. You Heroes have a code, don’t you.” Obsidian replied.

  “I’m not really a Hero. Annihilation!”

  First used by the Spectre, Nadar, on the 16th Floor, the spell had been used to wipe tens of thousands of people from existence while the creature had possessed Mathew’s body. While the spirit of Nadar had been obliterated, its memories remained in Mathew’s mind.

  His time on the Celestial’s world had let him understand more about the Words of Power and the Celestial Language, and Mathew discovered that Annihilation was a destructive spell derived from the Words of Power.

  It was only natural that Lunara would have had him practice it. His mentor had forced him to overcome any feelings of aversion he may have had regarding its use. The spell was a tool, nothing more. And an incredibly destructive one at that.

  The devastating energy rose like a wave in front of Mathew and began to sweep forward. Everything it touched wasn’t just destroyed; it ceased to be. The energy ate away at reality, devouring the concrete and debris, the steel beams and everything in sight as it swept toward the waiting Villains.

  Almost casually, Obsidian gestured to the ground in front of them.

  A pillar of black stone broke through the floor, stretching into the sky above and spreading out like a wall protectively. Strange energy swirled within it, and Obsidian looked confidently as the destructive energies Mathew had unleashed struck the pillar. It held for a moment before shattering.

  For the first time, Lumina saw the look of confidence and self-assurance on Obsidian face crack and shatter, just as her protective pillar had done.

  Annihilation kept pushing forward and was only a few feet from the Villains when another wave of energy, this one a bright crimson, collided with it. The two forces fought for a moment, opposing each other in a clash of mana, before they both subsided.

  “Mathew, I never expected you to become so violent! It’s refreshing; I’m oh so proud of you!” A female voice rang out in the sudden silence. Lumina and the others all turned to look as two figures walked out of the shadows in the corner.

  The first was Shade, the Villain who had been recently rescued from the League of Heroes and possessed the ability to control shadows. The second was someone unfamiliar to Lumina.

  She had short, black hair and bloodshot eyes. Wearing a pair of tight leather pants and a motorcycle jacket, she reminded Lumina of a punk rocker mixed with a goth. But there was something incredibly unsettling about the young woman.

  Worse, Mathew seemed to know her. His expression changed from hard and grim to downright murderous.

  “Mercy. I thought you were dead.” Mathew stated harshly, his voice low and stiff.

  “You thought wrong. After that little scuffle we had on the 9th Floor, my master made me an offer I couldn’t refuse. And here I am, good as new! No thanks to you and yours.” Mercy replied with a smile that didn’t reach her eyes.

  “Mischievous Depravity.” Mathew stated, and Mercy nodded. Throwing her arms wide as if she were presenting herself for inspection, she replied.

  “I am Mercy, The Demon-Blooded. Apostle to the god of Mischievous Depravity! The greatest of Deities!” Mercy shouted, and Lumina was convinced that this young woman was absolutely insane.

  ‘What the hell was she talking about?’ Lumina thought, looking away from the young woman to Mathew.

  “You’re here to gain control of this world?” Mathew guessed, although he already knew the answer. Mercy grinned and lowered her arms.

  “Partially. I’m mostly here to have fun! Killing you and taking control of this world for Mischievous Depravity is like a side benefit.” Mercy responded before pausing. Her smile faded, and a vicious look appeared on her face.

  “You’re going to die here, Mathew. There are no friends waiting to help you, and there are no sudden interventions by allies to stop me. You’ve got no one but a handful of locals, and they’re worthless.”

  “Look at this group! I can’t believe you had trouble with them! They’re weak as shit!” Mercy taunted as she approached Obsidian and threw an arm over the beautiful woman’s shoulders.

  “They aren’t like you and me, Mathew. They haven’t been through hell and back. Did you tell that pretty hero there about your adventures, about the things you’ve done?

  “I bet you have stories! How many people have you killed, do you think? Do you keep track? I do; at least I try. Let’s see, if we are just talking about humans; I would have to say I’m up to about ten thousand or so. They start to blend together after awhile.” Mercy continued, and Lumina looked at Mathew in shock.

  Mercy was about to keep talking when Mathew responded.

  “Lumina, Obsidian, I would suggest you all leave here as quickly as possible. You have no idea what you’ve gotten yourselves involved in.” Mathew said, looking at Obsidian as he said so. The Villains obviously had some idea, with the group casting quick and uncertain glances at Mercy.

  “Run along, all of you. Mommy and Daddy need to have a chat.” Mercy replied as she stared at Mathew with murder in her eyes.