- POV Hestia -

Several small insects were standing in front of me waving their weapons in the belief that their numbers would change their fate. It was hilarious and I had to keep in mind the determination in their eyes to make the finale even more incredible. For 10 minutes we had been as quiet as possible but now things were really starting to get interesting and more than exciting.

[Let's see how I can fight with this gift while being aware of what I am doing]

For the first time since the merchant ship I was going to fight with my gift activated and conscious. The last time I had been so angry that I couldn't really understand what I was doing and I was almost a spectator of my own actions. So I was even more excited at the idea of being able to kill, break and cut while feeling every emotion that it gave me.

"Well that's not all but we are in a hurry. So ? Are we going to fuck each other up or what ?”

I didn't lose sight of our objective because I wanted our mission to last no more than an hour and it had already been 15 minutes since we entered the domain. The map was here but we still had to go and find the kid who was at that moment I don't know where. 24 men and 5 mutts, we could finish quickly, I was sure that Bug and Dog would be up to the task, so seeing that no one was moving I opened the ball.

[Let's start with two]

Placing my right foot slightly back, still with my gift activated, I charged straight at the two youngest and most rearward soldiers. I was not at all used to this speed, which required me to concentrate every second, which was very tiring for me mentally. It made my head hurt and to master it completely I still had to train seriously.

However, I could use my speed for a few seconds and a few meters while being sure that I wouldn't feel like throwing up. So I grabbed the face of the two boys before crushing them on the marble floor, exploding the tiles in the process, making thousands of pieces fly. The feeling of power was divine although I still had to get used to it, realizing that I had moved more than 20 meters.

[Yup, I definitely need to practice or one day I'll end up crashing into a wall...poor wall and hello ridiculous]

"GO !!!"

Getting up I shook my blood soaked hands, all my rings now turned scarlet red with annoyance. But I didn't have time to wipe them off as already 5 dogs were being thrown at me followed by 12 men while the other 10 placed themselves in front of Douggy and Buggy. It was easy to tell that they had decided to target the most powerful in numbers without suspecting that this was great news for me.

"Seth, are you ready ?"

"Hiiiissss~"

I could feel my snake was just as excited as I was and as he slid out of my cloak to run along my shoulders I asked him if he was ready. In the few days I had been training we had found a way to fight together with and without my gift. For the first time I didn't want to put Seth under the same mental pressure as I was, so I retracted my natural energy to regain my natural abilities.

[Let's try it like this first]

Launching myself straight at those in front of me, I already ran into two dogs who immediately jumped up to rip my throat out. Fortunately, even without my gift I was fast enough and thanks to hunting, my reflexes against animals were almost perfect. I was far from flexible and even though Lucas was always telling me to work on that, I made up for it with my sheer strength.

"My pets are tigers, I've faced bulls, bears and wolves with my bare hands so it's not old dogs that are going to hurt me hahaha~"

Instead of dodging, I let them come at me, running into them at full speed, propelling them against the ground with yelps of pain. Still continuing in my momentum I passed the other dogs who had begun to hesitate in front of the fate of their companions. I finally arrived at the level of the 12 guards who undoubtedly wanted to kill me in spite of the adorable fear that could be seen in their eyes.

Immediately a rain of blades fell on me but I managed to block them all with one powerful movement forward with my sword. I ended up being surrounded but the sight made me shiver as I heard Seth hissing his fangs out and ready to bite. I felt like laughing madly again, I couldn't help it, it was just beginning but my fucking euphoria was only growing.

Laughing, I couldn't help but smile wildly as I launched myself first at those I deemed weakest. In one blow I sent two swords flying, cutting the hands of their owners and spurting blood from their severed limbs. Taking advantage of their cries of pain, I turned around to dodge the attack of a man who had arrived at my back before piercing his stomach with my blade.

Three people were already out of harm's way but it wasn't enough, as always I wanted more and I felt my sadistic and murderous impulses coming back. Suddenly Seth around me propelled himself off my shoulders to wrap himself around the neck of a man who had come too close. Taking this as an opportunity, I swung my black blade in his direction before it could be stopped.

Despite my snake being in the process of strangling him, the officer had not released his grip on his sword and had even managed to block mine. It was a surprise and it was for moments like that that I loved to fight, those moments when everything is possible and everything can change. But hey, what I loved more than anything was taking life away especially when my opponents felt like they were growing wings after surviving one of my attacks.

"Surprise~"

*BANG*

Underneath my bloodstained cloak, I had grabbed my pistol with my left hand and stuck it against the man's chin before firing. That thousandth of a second when he realized he was fucked up was short but was the best. Twirling my pistol in my fingers I aimed successively at three more guards behind me while Seth came back to stand around my shoulders satisfied.

*BANG BANG BANG*

[Only five more to go, aaaa~ it goes by so fast~]

Turning around feeling the same wild madness come over me once again, I headed towards the last remaining officers. In my rush I grabbed the blade of my weapon while concentrating again to unleash my gift, my speed and my strength. Flowing my natural energy into my sword, like the last time, it became heavier, longer, thicker and more devastating.

Without wasting a second, I threw it straight in front of me, controlling my power so as not to collapse the ceiling of the room on us. Spinning at an unstoppable speed, the next moment it sank into the bodies of two of the three men, crossing them and nailing them to the pillar. The impact had shaken the whole room but since I had been careful there was no need to worry about the ceiling.

"Hehehehehe~"

As I now aimed at the last three, I heard a sadistic chuckle ringing in my ears before I realized that it was actually my own laughter. The officers in front of me were terrified and wanted to surrender but I was not in the habit of leaving survivors. Controlling my speed as best I could, I came up right behind them, not even giving them time to speak or beg.

I grabbed the head of the first one and snapped his neck with a sharp blow, bringing out his spine in a funny way. Sliding towards the second one, I grabbed his neck not to break it but to lift him up before plunging my right arm to his heart. It was still warm as I pulled it out of his chest before licking it strangely enjoying the taste of blood I exploded it with a simple finger pressure.

"Meat is meat."

"N-NO...I..."

"I'm just kidding."

There was only one left, not counting the other two whose hands I had cut off and who were still alive, although not for much longer. Cracking my neck to finish, I dived on him while Seth went to take care of the two men on the ground. Grabbing both of his arms, I placed my foot on his torso before firing a sharp and powerful shot. With a scream, the last guard had his arms ripped off killing him instantly.

"Wow, *huff huff*..."

I was out of breath, but if it had only been a few minutes, I had used my natural energy several times, turning it on and off very quickly. For all of us it was quite exhausting but I knew that the more we controlled our gifts, the more we would not have to deal with this kind of inconvenience. Taking a deep breath, I was calming my natural energy swirling around in my body when suddenly.

"GRRRRRRR !!!!!"

[Oya~?]

The three dogs I hadn't killed were standing in front of me with their paws in blood, their tails between their legs but all fangs out. Raising an eyebrow at this scene that was more amusing than terrifying, I faced them, waiting patiently for one of the three to pounce on me. Very quickly, the one who was in the middle and seemed to be the leader was the first to attack but unfortunately for it, it was a very bad idea.

It had its mouth wide open, drool was coming out of its mouth and it was coming straight to my left arm to rip it off in one go. I had fought many wild beasts on Coven Island that were much more dangerous so this attack was not scary at all. In one motion I grabbed both parts of its jaw before pulling with all my might separating it in two spilling its entrails on my boots. 

"Tch !"

Throwing the body far behind me, I removed my blood soaked cloak before turning to the two remaining dogs. They were no longer growling, paralyzed and bowing in submission to show me they no longer wished to fight. Leaning back slowly, my blond hair covered with blood falling in front of my eyes, I started to growl at them, showing my fangs in a threatening way.

*WHINE WHINE*

The next moment they were running away leaving three of their companions dead in the middle of the great treasure room. I could see them running off to the far left, exiting through what appeared to be a small open door leading to who knows where. We had our exit point and as I turned to my sword, I couldn't help but think that I was crazy for acting like a wild animal on purpose.

[The worst part is that it was almost natural, the moment I wanted to give them the message to leave, it was the first thing that came to mind. Well, at least I spared two of them even though I know Kali might talk about it for years if she finds out I killed doggos haha~ ]

Walking to the nearest pillar, I grabbed the handle of my sword which had become more than huge, I unhooked the bodies of the two impaled men. I had finished and even enjoyed myself, but what about the two brothers ? Remembering that I had not come alone, I turned my head towards the front door before seeing 10 men lying on the ground and two gorillas covered in blood and out of breath like oxen. 

"I fucking forgot to look !"

I hadn't seen anything of their fight much too caught up in the euphoria of my own and hadn't seen what their fighting style was or how ferocious they were. All I could see was the result which was rather to my taste, barbaric, bloody and messy. But it didn't really matter, the main thing was that we were done and we could enjoy the few minutes we had left to loot this place as it should be. 

______

"Are we good to go ?"

"Yes, Captain !"

"Aye !"

We had only stayed five minutes but we had packed as much as we could which was handy since between the three of us we had the strength of at least 10 men. I was dressed in a new all-black hooded cloak that I had found and barrels of alcohol from different continents lay at my feet. I also carried two huge bags full of coins and exceptional jewelry.

Douggy and Buggy were just as loaded as I was and had a childish grin on their faces that was funny to see considering their repulsive faces and physique. We were ready to leave, the map I had found with ease was in my pocket and all the bags had been packed. As the large iron door began to open, my companions and I snuck out the door where the dogs had run away.

"FIND THEM !!!"

We had no idea where this door would lead us, but the corridors seemed almost deserted, with guards coming in and out of the iron door. So we walked through the cobwebs and dust while the officers searched the treasure room. Soon we found ourselves in front of a fabricated dead end, bricks condemning the path with a hole in the ground big enough for a dog.

"So that's where they went, so much the better that means there's an exit !"

*BOOM*

Giving a violent kick in the brick wall, I shattered it making the whole corridor shake, which seemed to go up slowly towards the normal level of the earth. In fact, the more we advanced, the more walls we had to break down, destabilizing the very structure of the corridor. Suddenly, behind us, everything was starting to collapse while we were going further and further, feeling the cool night air tickling our faces already.

"FAST !"

Pieces of stone were falling bigger and bigger, everything was collapsing, this passageway was too old to be able to withstand the destruction of its walls. We had to move fast, we were loaded which slowed us down but we kept running to finally reach the surface. We had only time to throw ourselves on the fresh grass that the passage condemned itself in a dull and shattering noise followed by a great silence. 

"PFFHAHAHAHA~ Now that's what I call discretion !"

Having landed on the grass nothing was broken but once again we had made quite a mess and a noise not possible that required our immediate departure. Getting up I rushed to the alcohol barrels hoping that they were not sinking. Seeing that all was well, I ordered the others to hurry up and leave while taking with delicacy my precious barrels that I could not wait to taste.

"Let's not dawdle...and you, come to mama~"

I could already hear the sound of footsteps from the mansion's guards circling to reach our position and intercept us with our loot. Fortunately we had the night at our advantage and being behind the building we could easily slip away to the back of the estate. So without delay we left the place, too busy being discreet to think about the other thing we had come for.

_____

We were back in front of the opening I had made in the big barred fence of the mansion only 40 minutes ago. We passed the last of the bags through the large opening before passing ourselves hidden by the surrounding vegetation. As I poked my head through first, I could suddenly hear the foliage outside the property suddenly moving as if something or someone was there.

"Ssshhh."

Motioning for Buggy and Douggy to stop what they were doing, pulling out my sword and silently waiting for whatever was hiding behind the bushes to come out. It was dark, the town was bustling like the mansion so I couldn't see what might be waiting lurking in the shadows. The brothers and I had also passed through a place that was hard to find, if not impossible, unless we went along the fence.

Suddenly, as I squinted my eyes, two shapes emerged from the shadows and came at me at full speed without a sound. I was about to strike when I noticed that these two forms had white and black hair, golden eyes and two teeth as long as saber. I didnt know how or when they had gotten there but my two tigers Loki and Azeil were waiting for me at the exit I had made.

"Easy boys."

Dodging their sticky hug by turning slightly to the side, I grabbed both of their furry necks as their mother would have done. Their presence was still a mystery but since they were here, they would be able to help us get all our loot to the ship, saving us time. As I petted them and prepared to explain, Seth hissed before I froze remembering the other target at last. 

"Hiiiiisss~"

"OH FUCK, THE BRAT !"