Hitman with a Badass System
chapter-1323

"End this duel before the Dark Lord arrives. Take this half elf hostage, and negotiate with the Dark Lord. Don't bet on appealing to his memories of being a student here. That ship has sailed, old man." Lane urged only to see Elidyr's lips curl in an amused smile.

Elidyr's eyes flickered with anger at Lane's suggestion. "You think you can take me hostage?" he sneered. "I'd love to see you try."

On the other hand, Wulfric knew that Lane's suggestion, while desperate, might be their only chance to avoid total destruction. But he also knew that Elidyr wouldn't go down without a fight.

"I won't take you hostage, Elidyr," Wulfric said softly, his voice steady. "But I will end this, one way or another."

"Bold words for an old man. Let's see if you can back them up," Elidyr shot back. Wulfric's calm demeanor didn't waver. He took a deep breath, preparing himself for whatever was to come. "We don't have much time. It will be too late if the Dark Lord gets here before we settle this. You know that." Lane stepped closer to Wulfric, his voice low and urgent.

"I know. But some things can't be rushed," Wulfric nodded, his eyes meeting Lane's.

The professors and graduates exchanged worried glances, their fear palpable as their eyes darted around, expecting the Dark Lord to arrive any second. "Alright, Elidyr. Let's finish this," Wulfric said, stepping forward. As Wulfric raised his hand, the air around him began to shimmer with a powerful, unseen force. A gust of wind erupted from his palm, so strong that everyone in the room had to brace themselves. The sheer power of the spell pushed them back, making it impossible for anyone to stay on their feet.

Elidyr, undeterred, lunged forward to stop him. But as he approached, he was met with an invisible force field that repelled him with brutal efficiency. It was like hitting a wall of pure energy, and no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't break through.

Meanwhile, the air grew thicker, almost tangible, as an ethereal white dragon began to take shape behind Wulfric. This dragon, akin to Azura in its majestic appearance, was the manifestation of Wulfric's most powerful spell. The dragon's presence had an almost magical effect on those in the room. The dark army soldiers, who had witnessed countless terrifying spells in their time, found themselves momentarily dazed. Their worries, concerns, and anger melted away, replaced by a strange, soothing calm.

However, Elidyr resisted the spell's mental effects. His mental fortitude was far stronger than the others, allowing him to maintain his focus. But he knew that this was just a side effect. The true power and destruction of Wulfric's spell were yet to come. The ethereal dragon's eyes glowed with an otherworldly light, and its presence alone was enough to hint at the catastrophic power it held.

Finally, as Wulfric raised his arms, the ethereal dragon coalesced into a physical form. It roared, its jaw opening wide as though it intended to devour Elidyr in one swift bite. The sheer power radiating from the dragon was enough to make everyone believe that Wulfric had gained the upper hand.

But just as the dragon lunged at Elidyr, the hall was suddenly engulfed in pitch black darkness. The radiant white dragon, once a beacon of Wulfric's power, vanished into the thick, oppressive dark that swallowed the room. The darkness was so intense that none of them could see what was in front of them; it felt almost tangible, suffocating.

The sudden shift in atmosphere, the overwhelming presence of darkness, left no doubt in anyone's mind. They all knew the Dark Lord had arrived. The dark power was unmistakable, a chilling reminder of who they were dealing with. Elidyr, despite the situation, allowed himself a grim smile. His reinforcements were here.

Gradually, the darkness cleared, revealing the Dark Lord standing between Wulfric and Elidyr. Michael's mere presence elicited gasps from Bethany and Professor Kayla. Bethany remembered how, a year ago, she met Ghost as a first-year in the Alchemy house. Then, he barely registered on her radar, but now, he was the Dark Lord, and she felt so insignificant in front of him.

Meanwhile, Diego Carter clenched his fist, his knuckles turning white as he recalled the humiliating defeat he suffered at the hands of the Dark Lord. Although none of his friends and family talked about his defeat, he could tell they were laughing at him inside. This hatred burned brighter than his fear of the Dark Lord.

"She ended up in a cage, huh?" Michael casually smirked as he raised his hand, sending a plume of dark flames at the cage surrounding Lenora. The moment the flames licked the cage, it melted like butter.

After destroying the cage like it was nothing, Michael calmly looked around at the professors and graduates. Finally, his gaze landed on Wulfric. Michael willed his mask and hood to shrink back into his armor, revealing his face.

"I wish you had returned to us under different circumstances, son…" Wulfric said with a gentle tone that belied the current situation.

"This birthmark, Wulfric's cryptic nonsense... I want answers now," Elidyr turned to Michael as the latter could see the desperation and frustration in Elidyr's eyes.

"I've had enough of secrets. It's time for some damn answers because, frankly, I'm way past being reasonable," he said, his voice low and menacing. With a sigh, Michael cracked his neck, signaling his readiness to take action. "I've had enough of secrets. It's time for answers because I'm way past the point of being reasonable."

Wulfric could see the seriousness in Michael's eyes. The Dark Lord wasn't bluffing; he was ready to beat the hell out of anyone who refused to give him the answers he sought.

Observing Michael's readiness to fight, Wulfric knew this was a serious moment. But Lane was unable to hide his disdain as sneered at Michael. "Using your powers to bully answers out of an old man, huh? You've come so far, haven't you? From a mere student to someone who kills his own brother without a second thought." Lane's voice dripped with disdain, his words meant to cut deep.

"You think you're above us, Ghost? But all I see is a boy playing with fire, burning everything around him. What would your mother say if she saw you now?" Lane continued, his sneer deepening. The venom in his voice was palpable, each word designed to provoke.

But Michael just chuckled instead of giving Lane the satisfaction of losing his calm. His chuckle was far deadlier than any action they might have expected from him.

"Professor Lane, I thought you were smarter than this… Do you think it's a good idea to piss off a god when you have those weaklings ripe for the taking as hostages?" Michael chuckled, pointing at the graduates. The youngsters, though weaker, didn't appreciate being called weaklings, not even by the God of Darkness. Thus, Elliot took a step forward and met Michael's eyes.

"You may be a god, but we are not weaklings. We will fight you with every fiber of our being. And don't forget, good always triumphs over evil," said Elliot Watson. Seeing Elliot courageous enough to face the Dark Lord without wavering in his beliefs, Professor Kayla felt a surge of pride. As the head of House Warriors, witnessing her students stand up to the Dark Lord himself made her nothing but proud.

"Seriously? Out of everything you could have done and said, you took the cliché route…" Michael laughed.

"Buddy… even if hundreds of you come to fight me, I'll still beat the hell out of you," Michael snickered before raising his hand. Elliot couldn't even react before a powerful gust of wind shot out of the Dark Lord's hand, sending him flying like a dummy in a storm.

"Elliot!" Bethany shouted as Elliot hit the wall with enough force to form cracks before falling to the ground.

When Deacon saw his best friend sent flying, the enmity between the houses disappeared. He lunged forward as a student of Mazeroth with no hesitation. But Michael sent him flying too with a slap that knocked the air out of his lungs.

"Now, Headmaster… Tell me about the birthmark Elidyr asked about, or you will have to bury your favorite students… Regret is a bitch, Headmaster…" Michael said, cracking his neck.

"I actually agree with the Dark Lord. Regret is worthless if you have the chance to save the lives of your students. Yet, here you are, valuing your secrets above their lives," Lane snickered but then said, Wulfric's eyes flickered with worry, concern, and desperation, which only made Michael more curious about what he was hiding. Casually cracking his fist, black lightning bolts began to dance around his hand as he looked at Diego with a devilish grin. The sight sent chills down Diego's spine. He couldn't help but think if the Dark Lord still held a grudge about their past.

"Wulfric, what are you hiding?" Michael coldly asked.

Meanwhile, Kayla Martin stepped toward Wulfric, shaking him by the shoulders. "Tell him what he wants to hear, Wulfric!" she demanded, her voice tinged with frustration and urgency.

After what felt like an eternity, Wulfric took a deep breath and looked at Elidyr. He had always been a man of secrets, but he knew better than anyone that secrets had a way of making matters worse. At that moment, he had no choice but to reveal the truth if he wanted to save the lives of his students.

"Elidyr… he… he is my brother," Wulfric admitted. When these words came out of Wulfric's mouth, they hit Elidyr like a punch to the gut, leaving him reeling.