Chapter 136: True Bad

Derek’s eyes darted around as five people surrounded them from different directions, with Barry standing in the middle of the group. A dark expression covered Barry’s face, and his gaze lingered on Robin with an unsettling interest that made Derek tense. He instinctively shifted his position, placing himself between the girl and the approaching troublemakers.

Barry glanced at his five companions before giving them a small nod. A cruel smile spread across his face as he pointed toward Derek.

“All of you should handle the junior. Leave Robin to me.”

His companions exchanged mischievous smiles. They seemed pleased with the arrangement, especially since they had a chance to show off their abilities against someone they had already decided to underestimate. They began spreading out, their expressions changing as they prepared to attack.

Derek watched them with growing irritation. He had no intention of allowing any of them to get close to Robin without going through him first. Behind him, Robin stood frozen, clutching the edges of her red cloak. Her breathing became uneven as the five boys began activating the Echo abilities inherited from their respective summons.

The changes were immediate. One boy’s eyes flashed as sharp, feather-like features appeared along his arms. Another’s body grew heavier and broader, while a third developed rough, reptilian scales. Their appearances shifted in different ways, each transformation revealing the nature of the summon whose traits they had inherited.

Robin let out an involuntary scream.

Derek heard her and glanced over his shoulder. “Stay behind me, Robin. Don’t move too close to them.”

“But there are so many of them!” she whispered.

“I can count. Five against one isn’t exactly my idea of a pleasant afternoon, but I’ve managed worse.”

His casual remark was meant to reassure her, though his eyes remained focused on the attackers. He knew better than to let his confidence become carelessness. Five opponents could overwhelm him if he failed to pay attention, especially with Robin standing so close to the confrontation.

Derek activated his own Echo.

A soft green radiance spread across his arms before crystalline armor formed over them. The material resembled polished emeralds, its angular surfaces catching the surrounding light. Each section fitted over his forearms and hands, reinforcing them with a solid protective layer. As he clenched his fists, the crystal plates shifted slightly, producing a faint, ringing sound.

He continued the transformation by generating a cuirass over his upper chest and protective greaves around his lower legs. The armor covered the areas most exposed to incoming blows, giving him a sturdier appearance without completely restricting his movements.

Light twinkled across the crystal surfaces whenever he moved. For a moment, the gloomy street reflected a brilliant green shimmer, making Derek look more imposing than the five boys had expected.

One of them gave a short whistle.

“Well, look at that. The junior brought his own armour.”

Derek tilted his head. “And you brought your own bad manners. Looks like we’re both prepared.”

His remark earned a few irritated looks, but he paid them little attention. Instead, he glanced back at Robin, expecting her to prepare her own Echo or at least make some attempt to defend herself.

To his surprise, she had done nothing.

Her hands remained clenched around her cloak, and her eyes moved frantically between the boys. There was no sign of an activated Echo. She looked as though she wanted to disappear into the ground.

“Robin,” Derek said quietly, “are you going to do something, or what?”

She shook her head sharply.

“No, I can’t. I’m not specialised in combat. I’m just a weak specialist-class girl who does nothing but sing and play.”

Her voice faltered toward the end. She lowered her eyes, ashamed of her helplessness, and tightened her grip on the cloak as if it could protect her from everything around her.

Derek’s expression softened for a moment.

“Hey, don’t say that about yourself.”

Robin looked up slightly.

“You don’t have to be good at fighting to be useful. And being a specialist doesn’t mean you’re weak. Everyone has something they can do, even if it isn’t punching somebody in the face.”

“But I can’t fight them like you can.”

“Maybe not. That doesn’t mean you’re useless.” Derek turned his attention toward the five approaching boys again. “You have your own abilities, don’t you? Just because they aren’t designed for combat doesn’t mean they don’t matter.”

Robin hesitated. His words seemed to reach her, but the fear inside her had not disappeared.

“What if I make everything worse?” she asked.

“Then we’ll deal with it together. Right now, just stay alert and don’t let Barry convince you that you can’t do anything.”

For a brief moment, Robin seemed to consider his words. She wanted to believe him, but the sight of Barry waiting nearby made the familiar fear return. She remembered how often he had humiliated her, how easily he had turned her attempts to avoid trouble into another reason to torment her.

Barry’s patience finally ran out.

“Are you two finished with your little heart-to-heart?” he called. “Get him!”

The five boys lunged.

Derek moved forward immediately, drawing their attention away from Robin. He had no intention of letting the fight spill directly onto her. The first attacker came at him with the speed and sharp movements of a bird of prey. Taloned fingers flashed toward Derek’s upper body, forcing him to turn aside before the strike could land.

Derek answered with a quick punch aimed at the boy’s guarded torso. The attacker stumbled back, surprised by the force behind the crystalline fist.

“That’s one,” Derek muttered.

“Don’t start counting yet!” the boy snapped.

The second opponent charged before Derek could settle into a comfortable rhythm. His body had become thick and heavy, with features resembling those of a giant rat. He swung with surprising strength, forcing Derek to bring his arm up to protect himself.

The impact rang against his crystal armor.

Derek slid half a step backward, then used the opening to push his opponent away with a firm kick. The boy staggered, his shoes scraping against the pavement as he fought to regain his balance.

“Two,” Derek said.

“Will you stop doing that?” the rat-echoed boy shouted.

“Would you prefer that I count backwards?”

The boy’s furious expression suggested that he would prefer several things, none of which Derek intended to provide.

A third attacker approached from the side. Reptilian features covered his arms and neck, and a thick tail moved behind him as he tried to catch Derek off guard. Derek turned just in time to avoid a sweeping strike from the tail. He jumped back, his greaves flashing green as he landed.

The reptilian boy pressed forward, apparently believing that Derek’s retreat meant he had gained the advantage.

That was a mistake.

Derek’s left arm changed shape. The green crystal covering it extended and narrowed, forming a sleek, gleaming blade. At the same time, his right fist enlarged into a broad, hammer-like shape.

The transformation demonstrated his Item Construction technique, an ability that allowed specialised matter users to form solid structures by influencing the arrangement of molecules in the material they controlled. Rather than relying on an ordinary weapon, Derek could reshape his crystal armour into different tools suited to the situation.

He kept the crystal blade angled away from the boy and used it to intercept the next incoming strike. The impact sent a brief vibration through his arm. Before his opponent could press the advantage, Derek drove his enlarged fist forward, landing a forceful blow against the boy’s guarded side.

The reptilian attacker stumbled away with a startled grunt.

“That’s enough!” Derek said. “I don’t want to spend the whole day entertaining you people.”

“Then stop standing there and let us win!” the boy retorted.

Derek gave him an incredulous look. “That’s not how winning works.”

A sudden movement behind him warned Derek that another opponent had joined the fight. He began turning, but the fourth boy was already close enough to land a heavy blow against his side.

The attacker possessed the traits of a bear summon. His broad shoulders, thick arms, and hulking frame made him look considerably heavier than the others. His hairy body added to the intimidating appearance, and his strength was immediately apparent when his strike connected.

Derek was thrown off balance. He crashed onto the pavement and rolled several times before managing to slow himself down. His crystal-covered hands struck the ground, and he pushed against the surface to halt his momentum. A few tiny sparks flickered where the hard crystal scraped across the pavement.

For a moment, he remained crouched with one knee close to the ground.

“Are you all right?” Robin called anxiously.

Derek coughed once and lifted his head.

“Still alive. Still handsome. Nothing important has changed.”

“You’re joking at a time like this?” Robin asked, bewildered.

“Especially at a time like this.”

He rose to his feet, checking his armor with a quick glance. The crystal covering his side had taken the impact, though the force had still left him uncomfortable. He rolled one shoulder and faced the bear-echoed opponent.

“That was a decent hit,” Derek admitted. “For a learner.”

The boy’s face tightened.

“Keep talking. I’ll knock that smile off your face!”

“You’re welcome to try.”

Derek charged forward, his crystal armor shining as he moved. The bear-echoed boy braced himself, while the others hurried to join him. The confrontation became a chaotic struggle of shifting abilities, hurried movements, and sharp exchanges. Derek defended himself with his reinforced arms, avoiding the worst of their attacks while looking for opportunities to push them back.

He was outnumbered, and he knew it. Every time he focused on one opponent, another tried to catch him from a different direction. The fight demanded more attention than he wanted to admit, and his growing irritation did nothing to make the situation easier.

Still, he refused to give them the satisfaction of seeing him panic.

“Is that all you’ve got?” he called as he blocked another strike. “Barry must have recruited you from the bottom of the class.”

“Shut your mouth!” one of them yelled.

“Make me.”

The boy rushed at him again.

While the five attackers concentrated on Derek, Robin found herself standing alone with Barry. The distance between them suddenly felt much greater than it had moments earlier. The sounds of the fight seemed to fade whenever she looked at him, leaving her painfully aware of the smile on his face.

Barry watched her as if the entire confrontation had been arranged for his personal amusement.

Robin looked around desperately. She wanted to help Derek, but she did not know how to enter the fight without getting in his way. Her Echo was not built for direct combat, and she had never been confident about using her abilities under pressure.

Barry noticed her uncertainty.

“What’s wrong, little Red?” he asked. “Where did all that confidence go? You were quite brave when you thought you could hide behind your friend.”

Robin swallowed.

“Leave me alone, Barry.”

He tilted his head as though he had heard something amusing.

“Leave you alone? After all the trouble you’ve caused me?”

“I haven’t done anything to you!”

“That’s where you’re wrong. You keep acting as though you can ignore me whenever you want.”

Robin’s fingers trembled. “I just want to go home.”

Barry’s smile widened.

“And I want to have a little conversation with you. Is that so unreasonable?”

“Yes,” she answered before she could stop herself.

For a second, Barry’s expression became blank. Then his eyes narrowed.

“Careful, Robin. You’re starting to sound brave.”

She wanted to step away, but her legs seemed reluctant to obey her. Her attention darted toward Derek, who was still struggling against the five attackers. She could not ask him to abandon his own fight to rescue her. He had already put himself in danger because of her, and the thought made her feel both guilty and frightened.

Barry took another step closer.

“Now, why don’t you come over here?”

Robin shook her head.

“No.”

The simple answer appeared to irritate him more than an argument would have. He moved with sudden speed, vanishing from her immediate view before she could understand what had happened.

Robin gasped.

Barry appeared behind her, his dark presence seeming to close around her. She froze, her eyes widening as she realised how quickly he had crossed the small distance between them.

“Hello, dear,” he whispered. “Wouldn’t want to lose my favourite, would I?”

Before she could move away, he seized her wrist and pulled her toward him.

Robin screamed and twisted in his grip. Panic surged through her, but beneath it came a sudden spark of defiance. She had spent too long letting fear decide what she could and could not do.

Without thinking twice, she leaned forward and bit down on Barry’s hand.

He recoiled in surprise.

“What the heck?”

His grip loosened involuntarily, giving Robin the chance she needed. She wrenched her wrist free and stumbled away from him, immediately putting some distance between them.

Barry stared at his hand, then slowly looked back at her.

“Did you just bite me?”

Robin’s breathing was fast, and she looked just as surprised by her own action as he did. Yet she did not apologise. For once, she had managed to resist him instead of simply enduring his threats.

Barry’s expression darkened.