Apocalypse Baby

Ralph shuddered as Alex's words settled in.

Fear wasn't something he experienced often—not in this world, nor the one before it. But this? This was different.

This was the kind of fear that clawed at his gut, whispering that he had made a mistake.

But Ralph wasn't the type to back down.

Fear was just another wall to break through. Another obstacle to carve apart.

He tightened his grip on his sword, ready to unsheathe it in a single, fluid motion. His instincts screamed at him—attack first, think later.

But then—he felt it.

The sensation crept up his spine like ice water, sending a violent shiver through his body.

A presence.

No… not just a presence. A force.

Death itself lingered around him, unseen but undeniably real. It coiled around his limbs, pressed against his throat, as if invisible hands were waiting to squeeze the life out of him the moment he made the wrong move.

Ralph's breath hitched. His pulse pounded in his ears.

His entire body froze.

This wasn't intimidation.

This was a death trap.

One step. One wrong move—and it would end him.

His fingers twitched near his sword hilt, but for the first time in his life, he hesitated.

What… what the hell is this?!

Onigi slowly lifted his head, his gaze locking onto Alex.

The young man hadn't moved an inch.

His hands were still stuffed casually in his pockets. Eyes sharp, unwavering.

Yet, despite Alex's relaxed posture, the weight pressing down on Onigi hadn't lessened. If anything, it had grown heavier.

It wasn't just power.

It was the presence of a monster.

A beast that didn't need to bare its fangs to remind you that you were prey.

Onigi exhaled slowly, then unsheathed his sword with a steady hand.

Alex's eyes narrowed.

But instead of attacking, Onigi did something unexpected.

He bowed his head slightly.

"I apologize, young man."

Alex blinked. "Eh?"

"I failed to see how powerful you truly are," Onigi continued, his voice calm, and steady. "I hope you forgive me and my clan for challenging you."

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Alex's brow twitched.

"Eh?"

He hadn't expected that.

One second, the old man had been radiating killing intent.

The next, he was surrendering?

Alex studied Onigi carefully. The old man's previous hostility was gone. The grudge, the resentment—it had vanished like smoke.

But something else remained.

A lingering battle will.

Like a fire barely contained, waiting for the right moment to burn again.

Yet, for some reason, Onigi held himself back.

And that was the part that truly made Alex curious.

Alex smirked as he casually dismissed the explosion he had been ready to unleash on Onigi. At the same time, the [Petrify] holding the old man's men in place faded away.

The moment they regained control of their bodies, one of them—eyes burning with rage—rushed forward.

His sword blazed with fire, heat radiating off the blade in scorching waves.

With a furious roar, he raised his weapon high and swung down with all his strength.

"Die!"

The sword cut through the air, a flaming arc trailing behind it.

But Alex was faster.

With a smooth step to the side, he avoided the strike completely. The flames exploded against the ground where he had just stood, tearing through the earth and leaving a scorched crater.

Before the attacker could recover, Alex snapped his hand forward.

A single slap.

CRACK.

The impact sent the man soaring backward, tumbling through the air like a broken doll. He crashed into a rocky wall with a sickening thud.

"Kato!"

The others gasped in shock, watching their comrade slump to the ground.

Anger flared in their eyes, and in an instant, they were ready to strike back.

But before they could charge, Onigi's voice cut through the tension.

"Enough... we're done here."

His tone left no room for argument.

"But sir—!" one of his men protested.

"Get Kato," Onigi ordered, his gaze locked onto Alex. "And leave."

The warriors hesitated but ultimately obeyed, rushing over to retrieve their fallen comrade.

Onigi's words were law to his men. They didn't dare disobey.

The warriors stepped back without hesitation. Two of them rushed over, grabbing Kato by the arms and dragging him away, his body limp from the impact.

Meanwhile, Onigi took slow, deliberate steps toward Alex.

The tension hadn't disappeared completely, but there was no hostility in his eyes—only something deeper, more calculating.

As he stopped in front of Alex, he spoke in a calm, measured tone:

"Forgive my son-in-law. The one Dorion killed was his fiancée. His anger is still fresh."

Alex furrowed his brows.

"And you're not angry?"

Onigi's lips curled into a bitter smirk.

"I am... but I realized my anger was misplaced."

Alex raised an eyebrow.

"Oh? And what made you come to that realization?"

Onigi exhaled, his gaze unwavering.

"Death. It didn't matter what I did. There was no escaping what you were about to do."

For a moment, the air was silent.

Then, Alex's eyes narrowed, his lips curving into a grin.

This old man was more interesting than he thought.

Onigi met his gaze without flinching and continued:@@novelbin@@

"If you don't mind, I'd like to battle you one-on-one when the time is right."

Alex tilted his head, amused.

"What happened to 'enemy by association'?"

Onigi chuckled.

"Honestly? I was just looking for a scapegoat to quench my anger. But instead, I ended up finding someone... more. A demon, perhaps?"

Alex smirked.

"People call me a monster sometimes."

Onigi nodded, his expression unreadable.

"It's fitting."

There was a moment of mutual understanding between the two before Alex suddenly extended his hand.

He wanted to test Onigi.

Could he really detect [Exploding Touch] or did he just had good danger sense?

"You're quite the monster yourself. Which is exactly why I'd love to fight you after this as well."

Onigi paused for a moment, staring at Alex's outstretched hand. His gaze was steady, unreadable. Then, suddenly—

He burst into laughter.

His deep, rumbling chuckles echoed through the battlefield, breaking the tension.

"Forgive me," Onigi said, amusement lacing his voice. "But I cannot shake your hand unless I want to die."

Alex smirked.

He knows.