Chapter 305: Vanishing Away

*Whoosh.*

The air rippled like water for a split second. One moment my seven Shadow Mystics were standing right behind me—Alpha with her calm stare, Beta bouncing on her toes, the others ready—and the next, they were gone. Vanished into thin air like smoke caught in the wind. Not a sound, not a footprint left in the sand. Perfect.

I stood alone now on the wrecked beach, hood still pulled low over my face, hands loose at my sides.

"Heh," I muttered to myself, lips curling into a smirk. "The wild one is coming here."

High above the waves, a red streak shot through the sky.

"AAAAAAA! ZEROOOO!"

The Queen’s voice boomed like thunder rolling in from the sea. She flew straight at me—red aura blazing around her body like living fire, long red hair whipping behind her like flames. Her sword was already out, gripped tight in both hands, eyes locked on me with pure fury.

"YOU ARE DEAD!!"

She dropped like a meteor, sword swinging down toward my head in a killing arc.

*CLANGG!*

Our blades met dead center. Sparks exploded outward—bright white flashes that lit up the sand for a heartbeat. The impact rang out loud and sharp, vibrating up my arms. She pushed down hard, trying to drive me into the ground. I held firm, boots sinking a little into the soft beach.

"Heheh," I said, voice low and teasing. "What’s the rush, girl? Don’t tell me you missed me so much."

My hood stayed up, shadowing most of my face, but she could probably see the smirk anyway.

"Shut the fuck up!" she snarled, face inches from mine now, green eyes burning. "It’s always you whenever there’s chaos. It’s you who is responsible for it all!"

Our swords stayed locked—steel grinding against steel, tiny sparks popping between the edges.

"Woah, woah there," I shot back, calm as ever. "More like I save people when you and your knights are busy sleeping."

Her face twisted even more.

"Shut up, you vigilante!"

She spun mid-air—fast, graceful, deadly. Her blade whipped around in a circle, red fire-like aura exploding off the edge like a whip of flame. It roared toward me, hot enough to singe the air.

But I was already gone.

One blink and I teleported—slipping behind her in a puff of dark shadow.

She froze for half a second, realizing I wasn’t in front anymore.

I leaned in close from behind, right over her shoulder. My voice dropped low, almost a whisper against her ear.

"I would love to have a rematch with you," I said, "but now’s definitely not the time...Miss Beautiful." Before she could react, I pressed a soft, quick kiss to her cheek.

"Arghhhhhhh!" She spun around fast—sword slashing wildly through the empty air where I’d just been. The blade cut nothing but wind. Red aura flared brighter in frustration, scorching the sand in a wide circle.

I was already gone—vanished completely, like I’d never been there at all.

She landed hard on the beach, boots slamming down, kicking up sand. Her chest rose and fell fast, sword still gripped tight. She scanned left, right, up—searching for any sign of me.

"ZERO!!" she yelled again, voice cracking with anger. "Get back here, you coward!"

But the beach was quiet now. Just the soft crash of waves, the distant shouts from her knights jumping off the boats, and the faint cheers still coming from the last few people who hadn’t run off yet.

She stood there alone for a moment, red hair messy from the wind, cheeks flushed—not just from the fight.

One hand touched the spot on her cheek where I’d kissed her.

"Damn you..." she muttered under her breath.

Then she straightened up, sword lowering slowly.

The beach felt strangely quiet after the flash of shadows and my disappearance. The waves kept rolling in, soft and steady, but the air still carried the sharp smell of burnt sand and monster blood. The last bits of red aura from the Queen’s attack faded into nothing, leaving faint scorch marks on the ground where we’d clashed.

Queen stood there alone in the center of it all, sword still raised, chest rising and falling fast. She spun once, eyes darting left and right, scanning every shadow, every face in the crowd.

"Where did he...?" she asked out loud, voice tight with frustration. She looked around again—nothing. Just empty sand where I’d been standing a second ago, and a crowd of wide-eyed people staring back at her.

"Queen, are you alright?" A knight in heavy silver armor jumped down from one of the smaller boats that had just pulled up to shore. Water splashed around his boots as he ran toward her, cape flapping behind him.

She lowered her sword slowly. One hand came up to press against her cheek—the spot where I’d kissed her. Her fingers stayed there for a second, then dropped away like the touch burned.

"Yeah... I’m fine," she said, voice flat. She stepped down fully onto the sand, boots sinking in a little. Her red hair was messy from the wind and the fight, strands sticking to her sweaty forehead. She rubbed her face hard with one hand, irritation and anger mixing on her features.

"He ran away again..." she muttered under her breath, so quiet only she could hear it.

Then her head snapped up. She looked straight at the sky, fists clenched at her sides.

"AAAAAAA!!!"

The scream ripped out of her—raw, furious. Red aura exploded around her body again, flaring bright and hot like a bonfire. Sand swirled up in a mini whirlwind around her feet. The crowd flinched back a step, some people covering their ears.

"Oye, Queen looks furious," one guy from the crowd whispered to his friend, eyes wide.

She heard him.

Her head turned sharply toward the group of people still lingering on the beach. Their hands were shaking now. The playful mood from earlier was gone.

"Apprehend them all!" she commanded, voice cutting through the air like a whip. She pointed her sword straight at the crowd, tip steady.

The knights snapped to attention. Boots thumped on sand as they moved in from the boats and the edges of the beach, forming a loose circle around the civilians.

"Ehhh? Why?" a young woman in the front row asked, voice high with confusion. She clutched her beach towel tighter to her chest.

The knights’ commander stepped forward. He was older—gray hair under his helmet, lines around his eyes, a scar running down one cheek. He walked with the slow, sure steps of someone who’d done this too many times.

"Why?" he repeated, almost amused. "Why, you ask?"

He stopped a few feet from the crowd, hands resting on the pommel of his sword.

"The entire island is illegal," he said clearly. "Illegal drug trade. Immoral secrets. Underground fights. You all knew what was happening here and yet you stayed. You watched. You enjoyed your little vacation while chaos ran wild."

"Ohh no..." someone muttered from the back.

A few people turned to run—half-hearted steps toward the tree line.

Knights moved faster. They stepped in front, blocking every path with crossed spears and raised shields. Metal clinked. No one was getting through.

"You all are not going anywhere," the commander continued, voice calm but final. "We will be doing a thorough inquiry of the whole island now. Every hotel, every boat, every hidden corner. No one leaves until we say so."