Back at the bar, Davis and his men were drowning in liquor. Empty glasses littered the table, the air thick with booze, sweat, and cheap bravado.
"You roughed her up real good, Captain," one of them laughed, raising his drink.
"Yeah," another smirked. "Finally used that power of yours. 'Bout damn time."
Laughter erupted.
"Too bad we had to kill Sammy to get it," someone added.
The table exploded into maniacal laughter.
'Sick bastards… killing your own for power,' a patron nearby thought, pretending not to listen.
"Hey! Waiter!" one of them shouted. "Another round for the Captain! You know who we are, right?"
He leaned in, voice dropping. "Still… we lost a lot of good men tonight."
"I didn't think she'd be that strong," another muttered, rubbing his jaw.
Davis leaned back, staring into his drink.
"If it gets that bastard's attention," he said quietly, "then it was worth it."
"I just wish you hadn't let her go," one man said with a twisted grin. "I wanted to play with her a little longer."
Laughter again.
Davis slammed his glass down.
"Enough. We're done here."
Jaxon stood, pulling on his coat. "He's right."
"Tomorrow, we hit Guild HQ," Davis added. "We need another job. Funds are running low."
"Yes, Captain!" the group shouted, filing out into the night.
"Man… I'm dead tired," one muttered as they entered the forest. "Hope I get some sleep before sunrise."
They were halfway through when the trees began to thin.
Moonlight spilled into a clearing—silver, quiet, wrong.
That's when they saw him.
A lone figure sat atop a rock, perfectly still, bathed in moonlight.
"…Yo," one man whispered.
"What's with that guy?"
"No idea," another replied, hand drifting to his weapon.
They stepped closer.
The figure didn't move.
But his eyes locked onto them—unblinking. Waiting.
The air shifted. Heavy.
Suffocating.
Then a voice cut through the silence, low and ice-cold.
"Was it you?"
The stare carried pure bloodlust.
Davis's lips curled into a grin.
"Well, look who finally showed up," he mocked.
"Took your sweet time, didn't you?"
Boros stepped forward slowly, eyes never leaving them.
"Answer me," he said.
"Was it you?"
One of the men opened his mouth. "Nah, man, you got it wro—"
He never finished.
But he didn't get to finish. From the shadows, Boros emerged, his presence shutting down the noise like a switch flipped. He stepped between them and locked eyes with the man.
"Who gave you permission to speak."
"…human?" He growled, his voice low and deadly laced with pure bloodlust.
His hand tore through the man's throat.
The body collapsed, convulsing, blood bubbling from ruined flesh.
Boros frowned down at him.
"Stop making that sound," he muttered.
The convulsing continued.
"I said shut up."
Then he knelt down and crushed the man's skull with one hand.
Silence.
"W-When did he—?" Davis stumbled back. "How the hell did he get past me?!"
Panic snapped into rage.
"He's insane! Everyone—ATTACK!"
One man stepped forward, focused.
"Clear the area. I've got this—Crystal Crush!"
A hundred glowing crystal spears formed midair, blazing like stars.
With a single motion, they rained down.
The impact shook the forest. The earth screamed.
Dust swallowed everything.
Silence.
"D-Did we get him?" Davis whispered.
The haze cleared.
Boros stood there—riddled with holes, bleeding freely—still upright.
A grin split his face.
"Humans really are weak," he said calmly.
Steam rose from his wounds as he stepped forward.
"Did you honestly think that would kill me?"
"…Pathetic."
Davis couldn't breathe.
"He took it," he whispered. "All of it… and didn't even flinch."
His voice cracked.
"He let it hit him… like it was nothing. Like I'm... nothing."
"No one just – takes that. No one stands up after that... what the hell is he?"
Boros's eyes glowed faintly.
"You celebrate your victory over one woman?" he asked, walking closer.
"Humans truly are filth."
The pressure in the air became unbearable.
'This wasn't the plan,' Davis thought.
'She was bait. I broke her so he'd come. So I could kill him.
But now he's here… and I can't move.'
'Shit!'
"You know," Boros said softly.
"I enjoy seeing people weep in despair. The crying. The begging."
"But you lot….."He glanced around at the frozen men.
"You're too scared to even move."
"I'll be generous," he added.
"I'll give you a head start."
For a second, no one moved.
Davis's men glanced at each other, silently begging someone else to make the first move.
Their captain wouldn't run.
He never did.
Deserting meant death.
Then Davis bolted, No warning, No orders. Just turned and ran like the devil himself had grabbed his spine.
That was enough.
Panic detonated.
The others scattered, crashing through the forest. Screams echoed—short, brutal, final.
'I –I have to live,' Davis thought, lungs burning, 'I don't care what happens to them, I just have to survive.'
"Captain! Help—!"
"Don't call me!" Davis screamed back. "Just run!"
Boros stepped through blood and bodies, laughing softly.
"Yes, this is how it's supposed to feel." He stepped through blood and broken bodies, like it was art. He let out a low, twisted laugh that built into a scream of delight.
"Cry louder! I want to hear it! Scream like your souls are being ripped out!"
Another of Davis's men tried to crawl away. Boros grabbed him by the ankle and dragged him back, grinning ear to ear. "Beg me…Lie to me…Pray."
"None of it matters. You're already dead – you just haven't realized it yet." He leaned in close, whispering in the man's ear before ending him.
"Embrace it….Fear…Pain…Nothing else is real…Only this…."
"Only me."
Then he rose, soaked in blood, grinning like a man who'd seen the face of god – and decided to burn it.
"That leaves two." He said as he gazed towards the area, Davis and Jaxon ran to.
"It got real quiet all of a sudden…." Jaxon said, glancing over his shoulder.
Davis's voice trembled. "N-No way…..you think he killed them all?"
"Shit. Shit! Why me? All I did was kill one girl!"
A voice cut him off – calm, sharp and uncomfortably close.
"Then It should be fine if I kill you right?"
They froze. Standing ahead of them, somehow already there was Boros. His grin twisted like something carved into his face with a knife.
"Why do you run?" he asked, stepping forward.
"Those who deal death, should embrace it when it's their turn right?"
But the words meant nothing as Davis and Jaxon were too scared to even hear him.
Jaxon pointed with a trembling finger. "Y-You're a monster…." In a blink, Boros was gone – and then right in front of him.
"Human," he whispered, eyes cold and merciless. "Who said you were allowed to breathe?" Boros slammed his palm over Jaxon's face – and crushed it like glass.
Blood sprayed as he flicked the mess from his fingers.
He turned slowly to Davis.
"Ahhh!" Davis screamed, falling back, scrambling in the dirt.
"Please! Please!, I'm sorry!" Tears streamed down his face. His voice cracked under the weight of sheer terror.
'Lower your head and obey him…Don't do anything without his permission. That what all my instincts are screaming right now. Shit….I can't move.'
Boros crouched to meet him eye to eye, his voice smooth and cold.
"Across every solar system, in every corner of every universe….humans are the weakest species."
Davis trembled as Boros leaned in closer.
"Do you know what I hate most?" Boros whispered.
"Humans who pretend they're powerful. Who puff their chest like they matter. But in reality?" he tapped his temple with two fingers. "You're nothing but gravel under the feet of giants. You can't even imagine what true power looks like."
"What true power...feels like."
"Do you understand?" Boros asked with his eyes locking with Davis.
Davis nodded frantically. "Y-Yeah. I get it. Please…. Can I go?"
Boros smiled manically.
"Yeah... I'll let you go –"
A pause.
" – to hell."
Boros pressed two fingers against Davis's neck like a vice.
"AHHH! Please! Let me go! Somebody – please!" Davis screamed, his voice breaking. Boros tilted his head almost curious.
"Feel that?" he said calmly.
"It's like icy needles are passing through your veins right?" Davis sobbed, his body twitching.
"Please…..it hurts….."
Boros leaned in, his breath cold against Davis's ear.
"I just arrived," he whispered, "and you're about to leave. Don't you think it's an exquisite contrast? It's almost like a painting."
"Help…." Davis whispered, barely able to speak.
Boros chuckled softly. "Don't be like that. Weren't you happy to see me before? What was it you said?" He feigned a thoughtful pause.
"Oh right – 'Took your sweet time, didn't you?' "
Davis eyes widened.
"W-Who….no…. what are you?
The smile vanished from Boros's face.
"A monster."