Chapter 42: One Shot Chapter 42: One Shot ---The restaurant--- [A few minutes ago] Sera was packing the last of the boxes, humming softly to drown her anxiety about James, Leo, and Lily. The quiet clatter of dishes was the only sound—until the main door exploded open, shattering the lock and her calm with it. Her breath hitched. The scent of splintered wood filled the air. As she peeked from the kitchen, her blood turned to ice. Zerek. He stood at the entrance with three men, arrogance dripping from his smirk as his eyes scanned the room like a vulture over a carcass. "She must be here somewhere," Zerek drawled, voice smooth yet venomous. "Bring her to me." Sera’s trembling hand darted for the kitchen knife. The glint caught Zerek’s eye. His grin widened, cruel and amused. Panic surged—she bolted, slamming the storage door shut, shoving crates and boxes against it with shaking hands. Her heartbeat pounded in her ears. "J–James..." she whispered, tears stinging her eyes. Outside, Zerek chuckled—a low, sick sound that made her skin crawl. "Are you going to keep hiding, Sera?" he mocked, voice laced with mock tenderness. "Come now... I came all this way to give you a gift. I’m sure James will be thrilled when he sees it." Even through the thick door, his words dripped with filth. Sera pressed her hand over her mouth to stop a sob. Behind him, Jerom’s lips twisted into a depraved smile."Lord Zerek," he snickered, "when you’re done, I’d like to leave him a little souvenir, too." --- Leo zipped through the streets at a staggering pace. Even though he’d slowed down considerably, every sharp turn splintered the floor beneath him. Some people didn’t even see him pass—only the sudden cracks and broken ground left behind. Soon, the restaurant came into view. His heart nearly dropped when he saw the shattered lock. "Shit! Don’t let me be late." BAM! He stopped himself by grabbing the doorframe, cracks spiderwebbing from the force, his handprints embedding deep into the wood. "Lord Zerek, I didn’t think she had a knife in her hand. Who would’ve thought she’d stab her own heart out of despair..." Jerom muttered, clutching his bleeding wrist—Sera had slashed him when he tried to restrain her. "But she’s still alive for a bit," his smile filled with malice "That much time should be enough for us—" Jerom froze as a deafening crash echoed near the door. "Miss Sera!" Leo shouted as he burst in. What he saw made his blood run cold. Sera lay sprawled on the floor near the kitchen, blood pooling beneath her. Her hair was tousled, and crimson streaks ran from the back of her head—someone had slammed her against the wall. A knife still jutted out from her chest, blood still fresh and flowing. Hope flickered in his chest. Maybe... maybe she could still be saved. He didn’t even register the faces of the men around her. His mind had room for only one thought—heal her. "Heh. Look who’s back. That brat," Jerom sneered, his face twisting in hate as he remembered the punch Leo had given him. Zerek chuckled. "Hoho... isn’t he the pink-haired woman’s son? Shame I couldn’t—" Pruccchhh! Leo appeared before him in a blink, his hand gleaming. Zerek’s head exploded—brains splattering across the wall. The Baron was dead in a single strike. Jerom, who had been loud moments ago, shrank back in terror. His face contorted, his knees shaking. The other two men collapsed onto their asses, horror-struck. They had doted on Zerek’s strength to beat him, but all it took him to kill was on shot. "W-what d-did he do?! I didn’t even see anything!" Ish screamed. "Shyra! Seloria! Deal with them!" Leo roared. Shyra appeared instantly, while Seloria detached from his body, her figure materialising in full. Jerom barely had time to breathe before Shyra’s fist smashed into his face—[Critical Strike] triggered. Despite being only a Peak 1-Star beast, the 500% damage boost hit with the force of a Peak 2-Star. Jerom died on the spot. Leo didn’t even look their way. He was already kneeling beside Sera, hands glowing as he used [Nature’s Heal], carefully pulling out the knife. Sera’s face had gone pale—lifeless—but Leo could still feel it: faint and fragile signs of life. Without hesitation, he pulled out a petal of Elysian Bloom and pressed it to her wound. Then, sensing her fading vitality, he summoned Niri, who appeared instantly—awakened by Shyra when she was sent back. Niri didn’t need instructions. She knelt beside Sera, placing her hand gently on the woman’s chest. "Come on... come on, damn it..." he whispered, voice cracking. Niri light blooming like dawn. The flower’s power surged, intertwining with Niri’s essence. The air shimmered with green and gold. --- "Damn it! Please be alright, Sera..." James muttered, his face twisted with worry. Each second that passed only deepened the dread in his chest. It felt like something inside him was being torn away—slowly, painfully—and all he could do was watch it drift beyond reach. Lily ran beside him, matching his pace. She could see it clearly—the tension carved into James’s face. Never, in all her time with him, had she seen him this shaken. Not even when he’d spoken about the assassination attempt on his life. That alone told her how much Sera meant to him. "Master James, please don’t worry. You saw Leo, right? With that speed, he must’ve already reached Miss Sera," she said, trying to encourage him. James nodded faintly. Then, all of a sudden, warmth spread through his chest—like someone had poured hot water into his frozen heart. His breathing eased just a little. Lily caught the shift. "What happened?" James forced out a shaky laugh."Haha... looks like you were right..." As they ran, the destruction along the road stunned them—cracked stone, splintered wood, gouges in the ground. Leo’s trail. The path of someone who’d thrown everything aside. 𝐟𝕣𝗲𝕖𝕨𝗲𝐛𝗻𝗼𝐯𝗲𝚕.𝗰𝚘𝐦 When they reached the restaurant, the sight made James’s blood run cold. The doorframe was cracked, and the wall nearby was fractured from impact. He didn’t say anything—just prayed silently. Please, let her be alright. Inside, the air reeked of iron and death. Four bodies littered the floor—two headless, two mutilated. Lily exhaled in relief when she didn’t see Leo among them. But James froze, his eyes locking on one of the headless corpses. His voice came out in disbelief. "T-That’s... Zerek." Lily’s eyes widened. "The Baron!?" Before either could process further, a faint golden glow flickered from the kitchen area. James’s heart plummeted. His voice cracked as he stumbled forward."No... Sera!"