The Exalted One loomed closer towards Adelia as she wept.
Henry desperately tried to move, but he couldn't.
Adelia, fearful, backed away to a counter and pleaded, "Don't come near us! Stay away!" Her mouth was so dry that she swallowed with a painful, hollow click. With a hand, she grasped a kitchen knife from the counter and swung.
The Exalted One grasped her wrist and smirked.
Adelia's eyes widened. She held Ana as far as possible, over the counter.
The Exalted One twisted her arm and grinned widely.
"It hurts," Adelia screamed and winced in pain. She dropped the knife. With determination in her eyes, she hit him with an unexpected low kick.
The Exalted One flinched and glanced down. He was startled by what he witnessed next.
The knife spun towards the ground until it was kicked back into the air by Adelia. It pierced through the arm of The Exalted One.
The Exalted One let go and groaned in pain. He hunched over and pulled out the knife. He threw it aside and stared at Adelia with wide eyes and clenched teeth.
Adelia's body radiated with energy. She jumped on the counter behind her and launched herself. She kneed him in the face and flipped over.
The Exalted One stumbled back. Not deterred enough, he reached up and grabbed her ankle. He slammed her back into the counter.
Part of the counter crumbled.
Imbedded, Adelia spluttered out blood. She held her baby close to her chest and whimpered.
Henry reached for her. His vision blurred.
The Exalted One yanked off Ana by her swaddle. "You're a martial artist like your husband, aren't you? I see," he inquired and chuckled in realization
"Don't you dare harm my baby," Adelia murmured softly. Her eyes were barely opened.
"I kept you alive for a couple more minutes. Now, do what I ask of you, former queen," The Exalted One threatened and smirked. He displayed Ana like a reward out of her reach.
Hesitant, Adelia breathed heavily, and she didn't care what she was called. She stared at Ana, and her vision occasionally blurred. Tears rolled down her face.
Ana glanced at The Exalted One. Then, she innocently stared at her mother.
"The best thing for your family is for you to do as you're told," The Exalted One emphasized.
Ana kept her stare towards her mother. She felt like she was suffocating or maybe drowning as if their feelings were intertwined. At that moment, she reached for her mom.
The Exalted One noticed. He let go of the swaddle and held her from her head. He demanded, "Obey, or I'll crush your precious daughter's head in front of you!"
As he threatened to squeeze the life out of Ana, Adelia gasped, and she slowly and painfully sat up. "I'll do it! Please no more," she finally agreed and complied. "I'm sorry," she cried and apologized.
Ana blinked and looked around with her eyes. She kept her arms and legs close. Then, she continued to stare at her mother. She sensed her mother's fear and sadness.
Henry opened his jaw wide and bit down on Sabre's forearm.
Sabre yelped in pain and loosened his hold a tiny bit.
"Leave my daughter alone! Leave her and my wife out of this," Henry screamed.
The Exalted One turned around and sneered. He approached and teased him with his daughter. He laughed.
Ana stared at Henry and reached for him with her tiny arms. She frequently closed her hands.
Sabre chuckled until his nose activated. "Ugh! Take that awful stench away," he sniffed and complained due to the adverse effect, "It reminds me of that terrible day on our village."
The Exalted One obliged. He glanced at Adelia. "Hurry up. If you disobey me, we'll kill your husband and your daughter."
Henry erratically tried to escape. "Don't do it, Adelia! He won't harm anyone as long as I," he announced and almost slipped out of the hold.
Sabre tightened his grip and groaned in frustration. "Fool! I won't hesitate to kill you without my brother's consent if you continue to resist! Do you not understand," he interrogated.
Henry continued to protest as it got harder to breathe. His vision blurred even more, and his mind became foggy.
Adelia managed to stand up. She panted and leaned against the wall. "Don't hurt my husband," she urgently requested.
Henry kicked Sabre's shin. He also smashed Sabre's nose with the back of his skull.
Frustrated over the top, Sabre ignored Adelia's request and giggled. His claws punctured the skin of Henry.
As they threatened, The Exalted One and Sabre did not notice an otherworldly sensation in The Sacred Forest.
A new emotion stirred inside Ana. She became serious and wailed. For the first time, she felt traumatized. In an instant, intense energy radiated from her.
"Stop! What are you doing to her," Adelia, horrified, demanded to know. Her eyes were wide with desperation.
Ana's wail grew louder, and it unleashed a powerful and deafening cry. It became more than crying. Her intense energy surrounded the house.
A force of nature released in the home. A strong gale swept through the room, knocking over things. It even knocked down Adelia.
"What's going on," Adelia, in terror, questioned.
The Exalted One stared at Ana with concern in his eyes. His hand, holding up Ana, forcefully opened, and his eyes opened wide. "I can't tell. I don't know! Just who! Who is this baby," he frantically blurted out without an answer.
The intensity grew, and the dining table flipped over. The chairs, among other things, stuck to the walls.
Sabre lost his hold on Henry. He groaned in pain and rubbed his eyes. He stumbled back and forth.
Henry crawled on his hand and knees and coughed harshly. He rubbed his throat.
As he was pushed back, The Exalted One squinted and coughed out blood. He finally let go of Ana.
Ana shook her head and tilted it back. She wailed louder. A bright light shone from her.
Simultaneously, Hafen stood tall outside with his hands stretched out. He smirked and fired a warning shot from one of the guns that he controlled.
"He's a freak," a soldier alleged and ducked to cover.
Just then, energy from the house radiated throughout the entirety of The Sacred Forest. A powerful gale of wind deterred Hafen and threw the weapons onto the ground.
The soldiers were worried.
Hafen retrieved his balance and turned around. He stared at an immense source of light, and his eyes grew wide.
The house shook, and its walls cracked in multiple places.
Stark also looked. "What," he stammered in confusion.
Alarmed, Hafen rushed towards his house.
Stark followed suit.
Nearby, Matteo watched the spectacle with awe and a gunshot wound in his head. "Is our house alive," he asked with a stutter and tilted his head. Blood gushed out. "Ow," he screamed and clutched his head.
Back inside the house, The Exalted One and Sabre struggled against the strong force.
The Exalted One covered his face with his arms and muttered, "We're supposed to be the strongest, yet..." He remembered his words to the three brothers. "No, there's no way there is still someone stronger in this world and a mere baby," he refused to believe. His jaw forcefully opened, and his limbs moved on its own.
Adelia took her hands off of her face and looked at her daughter.
Ana, in a fetal position, floated in the air. She emitted an enormous amount of light which overtook The Exalted One and Sabre.
Then, Adelia examined Sabre and The Exalted One.
The Exalted One and Sabre also floated in the air. However, it looked like their limbs were being pulled apart. Their mouths remained wide open. In addition, their eyes rolled back, and a bright light shone through the holes in their heads.
Perplexed, Adelia observed without comprehending what was going on. Her wounds slowly healed.
Henry gasped for air on the ground. His wounds slowly healed, too.
Adelia crawled towards her husband and inquired, "Are you in pain?"
Henry rubbed his chest. "I guess the cut was not deep," he murmured. He smiled reassuringly and added, "I'll be fine."
"Your bruises are also gone," Adelia pointed out and caressed his cheek. She embraced him and sighed in relief. "I'm so glad," she expressed with a soft and gentle voice.
Henry hugged her back and patted her lower back. He looked at the spectacle.
Adelia joined him. "What is that," she questioned.
Henry looked at her with a blank stare and admitted, "I have no idea."
The Exalted One and Sabre yelled.
On the floor, Adelia and Henry flinched, and they braced themselves.
A large explosion occurred and covered the dining room with a blinding light.
While Ana stopped crying, the energy subsided, and the light slowly dimmed.
Adelia and Henry looked around.
Everything was broken. Broken walls. Pieces of wood and broken glass were scattered across the floor.
The Exalted One and Sabre unconsciously laid on the floor with blood pouring out from their eyes and mouths.
"Are they alive," Adelia, astonished, questioned.
"They're breathing but knocked out cold," Henry noted as he leaned forward for a closer look.
Ana slowly descended onto the floor.
Adelia noticed and reacted quickly. She stood up, and she reached her hands out.
Ana, asleep, landed in her arms. Her light subsided completely.
Adelia teared up and sighed in relief. She took a deep breath and sniffled, "Oh, my baby."
Henry got up, and he furrowed his eyebrows. "Is she alright," he sought to know. His breathing became unsteady and thick with anxiety.
Adelia gave him a calm smile and a reassuring nod.
Ana was safe and sound.
Henry chuckled with joy. He stood with purpose and asserted, "I'll go check on our sons. Hopefully, they didn't give the soldiers a rough time."
Adelia looked away and remembered what she saw through the window. She laughed nervously, "Well, they're fighting. Don't let them get taken."
Henry affirmed and headed towards the front door.
With The Exalted One and Sabre defeated, how will The Fisher Family deal with the military?