The old vampire was still confused. "Then what is your Plan B, kid?"
The young boy only smiled. He crouched down on one knee and placed a knife in the hands of the clan lord. The elder looked down at the blade, raising his head afterward to stare at his grandson. "What is this for?"
"If I don't make it, then at least you have something to defend yourself, or you can unalive yourself," the young boy said flatly.
The vampire gripped the knife tightly, his knuckles turning white. "Are you not confident in yourself that you can kill all of them?"
John slowly stood up, feeling the heavy strain of exhaustion in every muscle. "I told you, old geezer, I am not a killer."
He then turned around and walked toward the man with the knife.
"Hehehe, I am going to take your teeth after I cut you up, little boy," the bandit with the knife sneered, slowly rubbing his index finger across the blade. He wore black leather boots and brown pants with a long brown belt. On the upper part of his body, the man wore a white long-sleeve shirt that fluttered slightly in the breeze.
As the man with the knife deliberately took his time walking toward the young boy, he heard the man with the pernach call out to him from the bridge. "Hurry up and kill the boy already. I want to get back to drinking!"
The bandit then grinned and began to dash at full speed to attack the young man, however, stood completely still as he watched the man get closer. His heart started to beat faster, but he calmed himself by slowly breathing in and out, centering his focus.
Under the cover of his movement, the young boy secretly retrieved the Elemental Water Stone from his storage ring. He kept his fingers curled tightly around the gem, hiding it from view. The bandit, fueled by greed and overconfidence, had no idea the hybrid boy was holding an elemental catalyst in his palm. He was charging blindly into a trap, unaware that the stone was the key to the young boy's plan.
"Come closer, you stupid bastard," the young boy muttered to himself.
The hybrid boy began to smirk as the Elemental Water Stone started to pulsate with a blue glow in his hand. The three bandits still standing by the bridge entrance wondered why the boy was standing still. Cory began to chuckle. "The boy is probably so afraid that he cannot even move a muscle; he is probably pissing his pants, hahahaha."
As the man with the knife was five steps away from John, something unexpected happened. The man was suddenly struck by a huge, forceful shot of water from the young man's hand. The bandit was confused for a moment. He looked at his clothes, which were instantly drenched with water. He wiped some of the water from his face as he stared angrily at the hybrid boy. "Was that supposed to hurt me?"
"Nope," the John replied, smoothly sliding the Water Elemental Stone into the right side of his jean's pocket.
"But this will."
John then quickly dashed toward the man with the knife, and at the same time, he retrieved the Lightning Elemental Stone. The hybrid boy's movement was fast and fluid as he closed the distance between himself and the bandit. The man, staggered by the sudden speed, could barely register the blur. He realized, too late, the boy hadn't been lying about being a vampire.
Before the man could even raise his knife, the young man unleashed the Lightning Stone, which was already crackling with furious electric energy. He used his index finger to fire an electric bolt. Because the bandit was soaked through, the electric shock coursed through his body with lethal efficiency, instantly causing him to convulse and rendering him unconscious.
The remaining three bandits froze, shocked; the entire sequence had been too fast for their human eyes to comprehend. Cory scowled, his face tight with irritation. He turned his head to the man with the pernach. "Bam Bam, it's your turn. Go kill the boy and don't disappoint me."
"I will be your next opponent, kid; however, I will not be easily defeated like my friend Joe."
While John was waiting for Bam Bam, he looked at Leonidas, and they both made eye contact. The hybrid boy then smiled and gave him a thumbs up.
The eye of Leonidas twitched with a mix of disbelief and growing frustration. Fuk is wrong with this boy, the clan lord thought as he watched the blatant disrespect.
"Focus! Don't make the same mistake you did in the cave!" Leonidas shouted, his voice cutting through the tense air of the clearing like a whip.
John did not respond. He just showed Leonidas the middle finger.
The clan lord's face turned red. He gritted his teeth, his anger intense as he watched the young boy's hand. The hybrid boy would clinch his hand into a fist, then mimic the action of a skilled fisherman, deftly uncoiling an invisible fishing line from a reel. The young boy's middle finger would then slowly extend from his clenched fist, further infuriating the clan lord. None of his children or grandchildren had ever shown him such blatant disrespect. This boy needs a good beating, he thought.
The young boy then quickly moved Joe's unconscious body aside, clearing the space as he prepared for the upcoming battle.
Cory then called out to the mace-wielding bandit. "Bam, do you need help with the boy?"
Bam Bam looked back at his leader, Cory. "Hell no! What would the people think if they found out that the great Bam Bam could not even defeat a boy by himself? Sit back and watch me send this child to the afterlife."
Cory grinned at the answer. He then looked at the man with the big nose next to him and said, "If Bam Bam loses, then we kill the boy together."
The man with the big nose had no objection. "Yes, boss."
Bam Bam was wearing a leather cap, a brown short-sleeve shirt, and a steel cuirass, a piece of chest armor, without a back. Moreover, he wore black pants with black leather boots.
The bandit walked slowly toward John, lightly tapping the pernach against his left hand. "I wonder what this boy did to beat Joe… No matter, I'll ask Joe myself after I kill this boy, hehehe."
The young man then paused to stretch his aching arms high over his head. The joints in the shoulders of John popped with a dull, audible sound, and the hybrid boy winced as the movement pulled at the sensitive skin of his mending ribs. He was trying to shake off the stiffness, preparing his weary body for one more life or death struggle.
Bam Bam walked slowly, continuing tapping his weapon. He noticed that John turned his back on him. John quickly placed the Lightning Stone in his pocket and reached for the Water Stone again.
He turned to see the bandit approaching. Bam Bam readied his grip. "I am going to take your head off."
Just as he was about to enter striking range, John suddenly changed directions. He began running circles around Bam Bam. Leonidas was confused. "Why is he running in a circle?"
John felt his heart racing. He looks too focused; I can't waste this opportunity. The hybrid boy kept running until his legs felt heavy. Then, he held his palm upward and shot two powerful water blasts into the sky directly above the bandit.
The water rained down rapidly, covering Bam Bam. His steel cuirass and clothes were instantly soaked. John began to celebrate, jumping up and throwing his fist in the air. "Yes, I did it!"
Fury rose inside Bam Bam's heart. "Does this boy think that this is a game?" He gritted his teeth and quickly dashed to where John was standing.
John noticed Bam Bam coming toward him; this was exactly what he wanted. However, John struggled desperately to retrieve the lightning stone from his jean's pocket. His pocket was tight, and the young boy had a hard time pulling it out. When the hybrid boy finally wrenched the Elemental Lightning Stone free, it was already too late.
Bam Bam struck John from the right side. When the pernach made sickening contact with John's right arm, he felt something inside crack, and the force sent John flying. The Elemental Lightning Stone also fell from his hand when the young man crashed onto the ground.
"Aaaaaah!" John screamed in agony, clutching his fractured right arm.
The clan lord screamed at John. "Get up, boy!" Leonidas then noticed something lying on the ground not far from where he was sitting.
John looked up and saw Bam Bam walking toward him. He gritted his teeth and forced himself to stand. He quickly scanned the ground, looking for the lost lightning stone, but John couldn't find it. Bam Bam attacked again, swinging the pernach in a heavy horizontal strike, aiming for the young boy's head.
John managed to react instantly, ducking under the incoming attack just in time. The vampire boy then seized the chance for a counterattack; he quickly rose from the crouched position. John viciously glared at Bam Bam before extending his right leg outward, executing a horizontal kick that hit the man squarely in the face, knocking him backward.
Not wanting to give the man space to breathe, John quickly bolted to Bam Bam. The hybrid boy jumped into the air, extending his leg and hitting the man straight in the face with a devastating jumping kick. The blow broke Bam Bam's nose and knocked him down onto the ground, where the bandit lay motionless.
Cory and the man who was standing next to him could not believe what they were seeing. "What the fu*k just happened?"
The man with the big nose's mouth was agape. "I don't know, boss."
Bam Bam's right hand touched his face, and he felt the sharp pain radiating from his broken nose. He looked down at his hand, stained crimson with blood, his face a mask of shock and disbelief. He then looked up to see John standing above him, injured but defiant. "Get up," John commanded.
Leonidas had a slight, half smile on his face. "It's about time, brat," the elder thought.
"You just made the biggest mistake of your life, kid," Bam Bam growled. He staggered to his feet, humiliation burning away the pain. The young boy had broken his nose and knocked him down, a disrespect the bandit could not tolerate. He gripped the pernach with both hands. "Die!"
Bam Bam jumped into the air and came down with a crushing vertical strike. John's left eye began to glow red, and John shifted his body just enough to the side, perfectly dodging the mace. John immediately cocked his left arm back, clenching his hand tightly into a fist.
"I didn't want to fight, but you left me with no choice," John snapped. John unleashed a devastating punch, drilling into Bam Bam's face and knocking a few teeth out in the process.
Bam Bam was instantly knocked backward, landing straight on his back. He was nearly knocked unconscious but bit down hard on his tongue to stay awake.
"Come on, big man, hurry up; you're making me late for my appointment," John taunted, refusing to allow the bandit any recovery time.
Cory couldn't believe the raw, unexpected strength of John. The leader's face hardened. "Nose, take out your bow and shoot the boy."
The man named Nose was shocked. "Boss, but what about what Bam Bam said?"
Cory's face became rigid with irritation. "I don't give a fuk what Bam Bam said; you do what I say! Now take out your fuking bow and shoot the boy!"
Nose did not question Cory any further. He quickly retrieved the bow hanging on his back, took an arrow from his quiver, and aimed at John.
Bam Bam, still dazed, could not stand up. John decided to end the battle with a finishing blow. He walked up to the bandit, but just as the vampire boy prepared to stomp the man on the ground, he felt a sharp, agonizing sensation piercing his skin.
The hybrid boy looked to his left and saw an arrow buried deep inside his left shoulder. He glanced toward the bridge and noticed the man named Nose holding a bow. The young man looked back at the wound as warm blood began to drip rapidly onto the ground. He tried to reach for the arrow, but as soon as his movement shifted his weight, he felt a searing pain jolting through his entire upper body.
While the vampire boy was still in shock from the arrow piercing his left shoulder, he did not expect his opponent to recover so quickly. "Take this!" the bandit roared. Bam Bam swung the pernach mace straight into the stomach of the hybrid boy, sending him tumbling back like a piece of dead wood. The young man coughed out a mouthful of blood, the impact rattling his very core.
The clan lord was still crawling on the night chilled ground. Leonidas gritted his teeth, frustrated at being powerless to do anything. The young man lay on the ground, breathing hard, trying to gather his strength. He only lifted his head up a bit and saw the massive bandit coming toward him, looking like an angry lion ready to devour his flesh. I need more time, dammit, the hybrid boy thought to himself.
Suddenly, something dropped right next to the head of the young man. He looked at the object and turned his attention to where it came from. He saw Leonidas with his arm extended, flashing him the middle finger.
The young man giggled lightly, despite the white hot pain. Gritting his teeth against the fracture in his right arm, he reached out with his right hand to snatch the Lightning Elemental Stone. Every inch of movement sent a spike of agony through his shattered bone, but the vampire boy refused to let go. He quickly placed the stone into his left hand, concealing it completely beneath his palm even though the arrow was still buried deep in that left shoulder.
The hybrid boy then got up a little, fighting the immense pain while laying on the ground. He leaned his weight onto his left elbow, a move that forced the arrow deeper into his shoulder and made his vision swim with agony. While propped up on that injured side, he reached out with his right arm, extending his fractured limb toward his attacker in a weak, trembling gesture. There was no glow and no sparks; the power was hidden, coursing silently within him.
"Please don't kill me," the vampire boy said, his voice trembling and mockingly pathetic despite the blood in his mouth.
The bandit had no pity. His nose and mouth were still dripping with crimson. He was pure anger. The man loomed over the young man, slowly lifting his mace, convinced he was looking at a defeated child. He prepared to end the life of the hybrid boy with one final blow. "Hehehe, go to hell, you fu*king monster," the bandit spat.
The attacker was just about to bring the mace down when the trap snapped shut. The young man's expression flipped instantly from fake terror to a wicked grin.
"POWER!" he shouted.
Only then did the hidden energy explode. The right hand, which had looked so weak a second ago, became the barrel of a cannon. Tendrils of lightning crawled through the air at super speed toward the soaked bandit, enveloping him in a web of electrical energy. Five bolts of lightning surged through his body and his steel cuirass, causing him to cry and convulse in agonizing pain.
The two men still standing near the bridge were caught completely off guard. "How is he doing that?" Nose cried out.
"Bam Bam!" Cory shouted, his voice laced with shock as he watched his strongest fighter get fried by a boy he thought was begging for mercy.
The clan lord watched the scene unfold with a slow grin spreading across his face. "Not bad, kid," Leonidas muttered, his respect for the young man finally beginning to outweigh his irritation.
As Bam Bam was still convulsing in the middle of the attack, the heavy pernach slipped from both of his hands and clattered onto the dirt. The bandit was no longer an aggressor; he was merely a conductor for the raw energy John was funneling through his own broken body.
The vampire boy, who was still on the ground, continued to project electricity from his fingertips. He maintained total control over the fierce attack, his voice rising above the crackle of the lightning. "I HAVE BOTTOMLESS POWER! Hahahahaha!"
As the electrical attack intensified, the massive bandit could not handle the onslaught anymore. Bam Bam collapsed unwillingly to the ground. The lightning finally dissipated as the man was rendered unconscious from the sheer force of the shock.
John rose slowly from the ground. The electrical energy had already faded from his fingertips, leaving the air smelling of ozone. The hybrid boy stood tall, his silhouette sharp against the bridge. With his left eye glowing a deep, intense red, he looked completely triumphant.
The young man then turned his attention to the two men still standing near the bridge. His gaze was cold and unwavering. "Who's next?"