The Talentless Inheritor

"Scorching Dance."

Sebastian moved first.

"Leave him to me."

"Our orders are to—"

"It's fine, just leave him to me already! I wanna see what kind of person can stand up in the presence of bro's ability!"

The third person stopped the second person and leaped toward Sebastian.

DING DING DING

Sebastian and the man used several attacks at once. With Sebastian's unpredictable footwork, the man couldn't do anything other than block and attack with no intent to wound.

The man clicked his tongue and retreated.

"You're putting up a fight, I'll give you that."

Contrary to the man's attitude, Sebastian didn't put him in his eyes at all.

'He's not my opponent.'

Sebastian turned his eyes away from his opponent and looked at the two people in the back.

"Don't ignore me!"

The man who he had clashed blades with just a few moments ago charged at him like a rabid animal.

"Huup—"

Sebastian sharply inhaled and then stepped forward.

The assassin who could use gravity realized it one step too late.

"AGHHH!"

The man screamed in pain. In just one exchange, Sebastian cut several of his joints and scorched him with a sea of flames.

"Aak...!"

The man's throat couldn't let out anything other than incoherent noises.

Sebastian showed no mercy. Aiming for him is one thing, but if they were to try aiming for Sana and Amy, he wouldn't know what he'd do.

That's why he decided to pick them off right here.

"That fool!"

The second man cursed out.

Just as Sebastian was about to approach them, the first man, the assassin who used gravity spoke.

"Gravity."

Sebastian felt a giant force pulling him to the side and he crashed into the wall.

"Urk..."

The pressure kept on increasing until Sebastian broke through the wall completely.

"Hyaaa!"

"Ahhhh!"

The cries and screams of the nearby civilians deafened Sebastian's ears. He had broken through several walls and was launched straight onto the street.

Though it would've made a normal person unconscious or at the very least, out of commission for combat, Sebastian stood up immediately.

"Everyone, please vacate the area! There are assassins after my life and I can't guarantee anyone's safety! Call the guards too!"

A few civilians had already began running away and some went to find guards. Sebastian took his daggers and launched himself using flames.

With most of the civilians out of the way, he could somewhat let loose.

"Burn!"

Though it it wasn't necessary, Sebastian still yelled it out. From his hands, flames as tall as the buildings slipped into the alley and burned everything inside to a crisp.

Though it took a hefty amount of energy, he didn't hesitate to use a move that powerful if it meant defeating his opponents.

Unfortunately, it wasn't that easy.

Sebastian could only make the flames last for around a quarter of a minute and when the flames dispersed, he could see that the two assassins were safe.

Though everything else in the alley was either charred or melted, the ground around them hadn't been touched at all.

Sebastian clicked his tongue in exasperation and leaped away. As far as he could tell, the gravity that the assassin used could only be used in a specified area and distance.

After increasing the stigma's output to strengthen only his legs, Sebastian dashed.

"He became faster."

"It's just like you said."

The second assassin moved towards Sebastian. As expected of an assassin, he was swift and reached Sebastian in no time.

"?!"

Sebastian's eyes widened. He crouched and a spray of liquid passed by him.

PSSSHHH

Sebastian turned his head. The wall behind him was melted, and quite severely too.

"Good instincts."

The assassin didn't hesitate to use another spray of liquid. Sebastian raised his arms and covered them in flames.

The liquid melted before they could reach Sebastian's skin.

"Tch."

The assassin retreated while firing a few more droplets from his hands. Sebastian continued to block them by evaporating them before they could reach him.

"Gravity."

"...!"

Before the first assassin's words finished, Sebastian had already launched himself backward with an explosion.

'If I could just use another element...'

Though he was proficient in fire the most, the advantage of the stigma is its versatility. Unfortunately, he could only use his other elements if he was sure nobody would be able to see him.

"Agh..."

Because of the constant barrage from both the assassins, Sebastian's shoulder had gotten hit by the acid.

Though his skin was red and he felt the pain, it hadn't melted.

"Hm? You're tougher than you look."

The second assassin had commented after seeing Sebastian's shoulder.

Sebastian clicked his tongue and took a vial from his vambrace. There was a pocket inside and Sebastian put in several vials along with the bolts. He had made sure they wouldn't break inside too.

Sebastian threw the vial at a force enough to create a gust of air at the second assassin.

"Oil?!"

The second assassin could tell what the substance was immediately after smelling it and retreated.

Sebastian snapped his fingers and the spot next to the second assassin exploded in flames and accompanying that, the assassin as well.

"Agh!"

The second assassin removed his burning cloak as quickly as possible and threw it away.

"Gravity!"

The first assassin cut in and stopped Sebastian from advancing.

Sebastian flashed an evil grin.

"Too late."

"AAAAGH!"

The second assassin suddenly burst into flames. The first assassin used his ability to put out the flames quickly but it was too late. The man's mouth was wide open and smoke was coming out of it.

The inside of his body was scorched to a crisp.

"Gravity."

With his comrades dead, there was only one assassin left.

Sebastian raised his arms in front of him. He could feel the direction that he'd he hit by the gravity.

As expected, the direction this time was from the front. Sebastian smashed into the window of a weapon shop but that was it.

'Both his output and frequency have become lower!'

Sebastian didn't waste his chance. He scanned the shop for a spear without caring about its quality and charged out of the shop.

"Monochrome Flame Thrust!"

"Gravity Shield!"

Sebastian's spear struck the empty air as if it had hit an invisible wall but his flames didn't die out.

"Haaaa!"

BOOM

"AGH!"

Sebastian was hit by an explosion from the side and was blown away.

"Are you alright? Where are the other two?"

"Dead."

"Tch."

Several cloaked figures appeared beside the assassin who used gravity.

Sebastian frowned as he stood up. He hadn't suffered many injuries but his stamina and energy were running low.

"Sebastian!"

Just then, Amy arrived from the air right next to Sebastian. She was surrounded by a bright light and there were angelic wings on her back.

"The House of Luna's heir is here too now."

"That's going to be troublesome."

A couple of the cloaked figures began talking to each other but they didn't let down their guard at all.

"Sebastian, are they part of the ones who attacked you before?"

"The one on the left with the torn cloak is the one who manipulates gravity."

Amy glared at the man pointed out by Sebastian.

"Most of them are Apprentices but one of them is an Adept. We need to retreat."

"I know."

"Don't even think about moving away."

Suddenly, giant plants began sprouting from the ground and covered Sebastian and Amy's retreat in just a few moments.

"Sebastian, we're going to fly."

Amy took Sebastian's hand and flapped her wings.

"Gravity...!"

Just as her feet left the ground, Amy fell. Sebastian caught her but was forced down on his knee to prevent Amy's fall.

The gravity soon dispersed and the assassin who used gravity fell on all fours.

"He's exhausted. Using his ability takes more energy than he can handle."

Sebastian put Amy back at his side and stood up. He brandished his spear at them while rousing what little left there was of his energy.

"We can't escape. The others haven't even revealed their abilities. Our only choice is to fight until reinforcements arrive."

"Then, let me take the lead. You're already exhausted."

"I'm more durable than you think. I'll leave it to you to support me from the rear."

Amy stared at his back for a few seconds.

The person she was trying to protect, his back and shoulders seemed especially wide today.

"Got it. I'll trust in you. Don't get too hurt."

"I won't."

CRACK CRACK

Sebastian and Amy reacted immediately. The ground beneath them cracked and a giant plant emerged. Amy dodged while Sebastian stood atop it. He wrapped his fist in flames and hit the plant.

A giant cone of flame emerged from his fist and turned the plant to ashes. Then, he turned his eyes to the assassins and leaped.

"Monochrome Flame Thrust!"

He used his strongest move as an opening. It didn't take much energy but produced insane firepower.

Needless to say, the assassins chose to dodge.

Sebastian stopped his attack near the end and turned his body.

"Agh!"

One of them were hit. They didn't think Sebastian would've been able to stop with the speed he used.

Just then, a thin white beam of light shot through the assassin Sebastian hit and ended his life immediately.

Amy had her finger pointed at the assassins. Using just one of those beams drained a lot. It provided piercing firepower in exchange for ample amounts of energy. The other downside to it would be the low fire rate, she needed to gather the energy required to shoot each time.

Sebastian didn't pause and continued to attack the assassins. If any of them used their daggers, he would create some distance using his spear and when Amy's attacks landed before he could corner anyone, he would immediately switch targets.

"Shit! Get the girl first!"

After the third man fell, the assassins couldn't afford to focus on their primary target anymore.

"Your opponent is me!"

Sebastian roared and created a giant dragon out of flames to swallow the assassins whole.

"Grand Judgment!"

Just as the flame dragon swallowed two assassins, Amy's Grand Judgment landed and finished them off.

Half of the assassins were eliminated.

"Get out of here, we'll deal with them."

The assassin who could use gravity was only dead weight for them at this point and retreated. Sebastian had no time to mind him while he was surrounded.

'My energy is nearly depleted...!'

He couldn't use anymore of his techniques, he had to save them for strengthening his body.

"Die!"

"Sebastian, careful! He's the Adept!"

"Ugh?!"

Sebastian used his spear to block the assassin's fist but instead, the spear broke in half and the assassin's fist landed on Sebastian's c.h.e.s.t.

He crashed into the wall then dropped down.

"Kahak!"

Sebastian coughed up some blood. If not for his energy covering him, that fist would've made a hole in his body.

"Sebastian, dodge!"

Though Sebastian's vision was blurry, it wasn't the first time he had fought in such a sorry state. He quickly did as he was told and dodged away from the Adept.

Amy arrived in a beam of light and crashed into the Adept. She flew fast enough to break through a few houses, even.

Sebastian stood up with shaky steps. He spit out some blood that gathered in his mouth and faced the remaining assassins.

They all looked at him like they would a prey.

Sebastian took a step forward.