The man's face twisted with fury, the third eye on his forehead bulging with rage. He clenched his fists so hard the veins in his arms stood out like cords.
A tense silence descended upon the entire first floor as every patron turned to watch the scene unfold.
A drunk man, surrounded by over ten empty bottles, momentarily sobered enough to mutter, "I don't kn-... know what's going on? But it's never a good—hiccup—thing to mess with that race. They're pure psychopaths, more dangerous than demons themselves." No one paid him any attention as he slumped back into his incoherent mumbling.
The giant man's two male and one female companions clearly enjoyed the unfolding chaos, their smirks widening.
The three-eyed man stepped forward and grabbed Seiichi by the collar. His grip was so powerful the fabric began to strain and tear.
Is he a Three-Eye Beast? Seiichi thought, analyzing his opponent.
The Three-Eye Beasts were renowned for their overwhelming strength and formidable defenses, capable of tanking massive damage. The third eye on their forehead was their primary weapon, massively boosting their physical power. However, they were also infamous for their explosively short tempers, igniting at the slightest inconvenience.
"You got a tongue in your mouth, or do I need to pull it out for you?" the man snarled, his grip tightening on Seiichi's collar.
Lumine stepped forward, positioning herself between Seiichi and the brute. Her voice was filled with a placating concern, a stark contrast to her usual cheerful demeanor. "We're truly sorry if we did something to anger you. If you tell us what it was, we will do our utmost to make it right so you don't feel frustrated anymore." Her voice was calm and gentle, her face a mask of serene composure.
The man looked her up and down, his intentions far from honorable. A wide, lecherous smile spread across his face, revealing a set of yellowed teeth.
"You see, this little brat," he jerked Seiichi slightly, "he was in my way. He should have seen me coming and moved aside. So I bumped into him, and that pissed me off. It's clearly his fault."
"We apologize for that. Now, could you please release my little brother?" Lumine implored, her gaze steady. "I promise this will never happen again. I will do anything for you to let him go." Her face remained perfectly calm and composed, like a seasoned diplomat expertly navigating a volatile situation.
The man's smile widened. His grip on Seiichi's collar loosened a fraction. "Aren't you a smart one? I've rarely seen women as intelligent as you," he said, licking his lips.
Lumine offered a small, polite smile. "I'm glad you think so. But please, will you release my brother now?" She took a step closer, looking him straight in his three eyes.
"Well, I'll let him go on one condition," he said, his grip loosening a little more. "You said you'd do anything for me to release him."
Lumine maintained her smile. "Yes, that's right. If you want money, I can give it to you. If you need help with something, I will assist you." Her eyes never left his.
A small, knowing smile touched Seiichi's lips, as if he were privy to a secret no one else knew. He remained perfectly calm and composed, showing no sign of panic despite the danger.
"Then, I want you to come with me," the man leered. "You've got such a fine body; it would be a shame if my friends and I didn't have a taste." He glanced over his shoulder at his two companions, who grinned back with predatory hunger. The woman with them also smiled, a similar hunger evident in her eyes.
Lumine didn't panic or flinch. She simply bowed her torso slightly in a polite refusal. "I'm sorry, but I cannot do that. I believe it is improper for a woman to be with a man she does not know or love." She straightened up. "If there is anything else I can do to help my brother, please name it."
The man's grip on Seiichi's collar tightened violently, stronger than before. "How dare you refuse me!" he roared.
Both Seiichi's and Lumine's eyes widened in shock.
The man clenched his fist, veins popping along his arm. He channeled his power and threw a devastating punch directly into Seiichi's face.
The force sent Seiichi flying across the room. He crashed into the far wall with a thunderous impact, the brickwork splintering and collapsing around him in a massive crater.
The third eye on the man's forehead began to glow a menacing red, increasing his physical power. He charged an even more powerful punch, the veins in his arm straining to the point of bursting, but he paid them no mind. He swung this fist at Lumine, connecting with her face.
The impact was colossal, shattering the floor beneath them and sending cracks racing up the walls and across the ceiling. The shockwaves from the impact traveled through the entire realm of fate, causing slight tremors that everyone felt.
Patrons screamed and scrambled for the exits, but the main door refused to budge, sealed shut by some unseen force. One man dashed toward it at blinding speed and threw his shoulder against the solid wood, but it didn't even splinter.
On the other side of the room, the three-eyed man's expression shifted from rage to pure, unadulterated shock, and then to abject terror. Lumine stood perfectly unharmed, without a single scratch on her face.
The man stumbled backward, his confidence shattered. His allies stared, their smirks replaced by looks of dread.
Lumine's gaze snapped to the crater where Seiichi had landed. "Seiichi, are you alright?" she called out, her voice laced with concern.
"I'm fine," Seiichi replied calmly. He stood up and brushed the dust from his clothes. Like his sister, he didn't have a single scratch; it was as if the attack had never happened. "That attack was weaker than I expected. It stung a bit, but not nearly as much as I thought it would."
"How is this possible?!" the man screamed, his voice cracking with fear. "How can you both be unharmed? Tell me wh—" CRACK.
The sound of shattering bone echoed through the hall before he could finish. The man vomited a torrent of blood as his eyes rolled back into his head.
Lumine had struck his stomach with a single, precise palm strike. The force was so immense it shattered every rib and bone in his torso. "Angel Martial Arts: Divine Force Palm."
Angel Martial Arts is a specialized combat form known only to angels, who begin their training at the age of five and continue until they are fifteen. The Divine Force Palm generates multiple, cascading shockwaves within an enemy's body. These shockwaves continue to break bones and rupture organs relentlessly, only ceasing when the enemy loses consciousness. The larger the foe, the more devastating the internal damage becomes.
The man crumpled to the floor like a sack of broken pottery. His allies stood frozen in sheer terror. Lumine turned her chilling gaze upon them.
"Let me tell you one thing," Lumine said, her voice cold and commanding. "We angels exist at the very top of the food chain. Remember that. Your Three-Eye race is barely above the bottom." She took a single step toward them, her eyes glowing with an intense, divine light. "Keep that in mind."
As she finished speaking, the four of them collapsed to the ground, unconscious.
Lumine let out a deep sigh and stretched her arms above her head. "It's always so exhausting to keep up the perfect, polite persona," she grumbled, her cheerful personality resurfacing as she walked back to Seiichi.
She began carefully inspecting him. "What are you doing?" he asked.
"Just making sure my little brother isn't injured. But it seems you're perfectly fine, which is a relief," Lumine said, gently ruffling his hair and messing it up.
"Well, I wouldn't be hurt by a Three-Eye Beast. After all, only 'Demons' and the 'Apostles' possess enough power to truly damage us angels," Seiichi stated, smoothing his hair back down.
"Still, I can't bear to see my little brother get hurt," Lumine replied, looking at the destruction around them. "What should we do now? I didn't want to make such a mess, but I suppose I did."
"It's alright. Let's just get out of here," Seiichi said.
"Alright," Lumine agreed. As they walked, she leaned toward him conspiratorially. "We're going to buy some new clothes for you now."
"That's the last place we're going," Seiichi affirmed.
They walked side-by-side past the stunned crowd, who could only stare blankly at the aftermath. The only one undisturbed was the drunken man, who had passed out at his table, completely unaware of the divine retribution that had just unfolded.