Appearing this suddenly, at this exact moment… there was no doubt in his mind that this man had overheard everything. Their entire plan was likely exposed.
But the man who looked like Gerald, Thunderbird, simply tilted his head, a hint of disappointment in his voice. "Have I done something to deserve such disrespect? You won't even call me 'teacher' anymore?"
Sebastian scoffed, his eyes never leaving the intruder. "Teacher? After you drank that elixir, after you threw away everything we believed in, how could you still be our teacher?"
Gerald, rather, Alex in disguise, sighed, as if wounded by the remark. "So in your eyes, I've gone mad."
His expression was unreadable as he pulled out a chair and casually sat down across from them.
"Relax. Sit. Let's talk." He gestured calmly to the seats. "I heard everything you two said. If I really wanted to kill you, neither of you would've gotten the chance to speak."
Sebastian and Martin exchanged a look, troubled but understanding the truth in his words. If this was the real Gerald, the dueling master of the Saints, then yes, they wouldn't have lasted a second against him if he meant them harm.
And he wouldn't have bothered with conversation.
Still tense, the two of them slowly sat down, never taking their eyes off the man in front of them. The weight of his presence was crushing, a silent reminder of their complete lack of options.
"You don't need to be this nervous," Gerald said with a calm, measured tone. "I'm not here to kill anyone today."
But neither Martin nor Sebastian relaxed. Their expressions remained stone-cold, filled with doubt and unease.
"If you've got something to say, say it," Martin snapped. "We're listening."
Gerald gave a slight nod and finally got to the point. "I'm here to propose a partnership."
Sebastian raised an eyebrow. "Partnership? For what?"
"To get rid of Horned Basilisk," Gerald said plainly, as if the idea were the most natural thing in the world. "I heard what you told Martin. Honestly, Sebastian, I'm glad to see you haven't been blinded by that false promise of eternal life."
Sebastian's eyes narrowed. "You're serious? You'd turn on him? But the elixir's formula is in his hands. As far as I know, he controls your life. You expect me to believe this isn't some kind of setup?"
There was real bitterness in his voice, he couldn't bring himself to trust anyone who'd already swallowed the potion.
Gerald chuckled darkly, leaning back. "Believe me or don't. That's your choice. But the fact I'm standing here should tell you I've already made my decision."
His tone dropped a degree colder. "If you're willing to work with me, we move forward. If not…"
A glint of something dangerous flashed in his eyes. "…then I'll just have to make you cooperate."
As soon as Gerald finished speaking, a violent surge of magical power erupted from him.
In that instant, Sebastian and Martin felt as if they were trapped beneath the crushing depths of the sea, tens of meters underwater. The very air around them turned heavy, like dense water pressing down on every inch of their bodies. Breathing became a struggle, their limbs stiff, as though bound by invisible chains.
Both of them wore horrified expressions. The strength Gerald, no, Thunderbird, was displaying far exceeded anything they had imagined. Against power like this, they didn't even have the chance to put up a fight.
"You... are you serious?" Sebastian finally choked out, still shaken. The realization hit him hard, Gerald wasn't joking. If he had meant to kill them, they would've already been dead before they could blink.
"Nonsense!" Alex snapped, mimicking Thunderbird's familiar tone with a scornful twist in his voice.
"You think I'm some soft-hearted idiot? You two were just sitting there scheming about how to get rid of the 'Horned Basilisk', and what, you think I'd waste my time chatting instead of turning you in or killing you right now if I was loyal to him?"
'You? Merciful? Give me a break...'
Sebastian and Martin cursed inwardly at the same time, both realizing that Gerald, Thunderbird, meant every word.
"Why?" Martin asked, still in disbelief. "You of all people should know what happens to those who betray the 'Horned Basilisk.' I already thought Sebastian was mad for even thinking about going against the leader, but you? You've already..."
"Already taken the elixir, right?" Gerald cut him off with a bitter laugh. "So by now, I should have no choice but to obey, because my life's already tied to that monster?"
His voice turned cold, his eyes distant. "But what if I told you I've already seen through everything? That I've stopped fearing death altogether, would you believe me?"
Sebastian flinched at that. But the more he thought about it, the more sense it made. Gerald had always been proud, too proud, really. And now, reduced to being someone's puppet? That must've been eating him alive.
"You... you're not willing to accept it either?" Sebastian asked carefully. He knew how volatile Gerald could be, one wrong word could set him off like a firecracker.
"It's way more than that!" Gerald's expression twisted into a snarl.
"Look at you, really look at yourself, Sebastian. You used to be fearless! But now? You're hesitating at every turn. You've turned into some tamed creature. A tiger with its fangs ripped out."
He stood tall, his voice rising with each word. "The 'Horned Basilisk' didn't just take our freedom. He stole everything, our ideals, our dignity, even our courage.
But I've had enough. I'd rather die on my feet than live crawling in his shadow. I've found my spine again. My question is, have you?"
"Dignity and courage..." Sebastian murmured, his eyes dropping.
Gerald's words hit deep, like he'd pierced right through Sebastian's defenses. He had talked so much about wanting to break away from the Silver Wand, from the Horned Basilisk's control.
But deep down, he knew it wasn't just about justice. He hated being used, but he also feared losing the comfortable life he'd built under their system. His power. His status.
And that was the part he couldn't admit, even to himself.
To be honest, even if killing the leader was out of the question, Sebastian probably wouldn't choose to die fighting. As Martin had said, his final decision might just be to disappear quietly, find a hole to hide in and wait out the storm.
"It seems we've underestimated you, Professor," Sebastian finally said with a long sigh. He looked up at Gerald, eyes serious, clearly shaken by the man's resolve.
But Martin, still stuck in the middle of all this, looked at the two of them like they'd lost their minds. "Great. Just great. So you've both found your backbone, why drag me into it?" he muttered with a helpless frown.
"If you want to charge off and play hero, fine. But don't lump me in. I was never one of your Silver Wand followers in the first place."
"Hmph!" Gerald gave Martin a hard glare. "So many of our former comrades are still out there, people who once stood beside us. And you're just going to sit back and watch them get used like disposable tools?
Watch them fall deeper into that abyss? Why did Gellert ever accept someone like you? And why the hell did I ever waste time teaching you?"