CHAPTER 91: DON’T KILL ME

A part of Theo didn’t want to kill more UMS. They were still human, after all, just like him. Maybe they were only following orders, trying to survive in this cruel, broken world. But another part of him, burning with fury, wanted to end them. They had a choice.

Everyone had a choice. And they chose this dark path, choosing to become tools for monsters like that older man now pointing a gun at Aries, as if her life was the only thing keeping him alive.

Theo was on his own, and he couldn’t afford to take any chances. If the two remaining UMS chose to walk away, he could rescue Aries and Beatrice without more bloodshed. The leader was just a regular human, holding a gun to his sister’s head, while one of the last two UMS gripped Beatrice tightly.

"Theo! Behind you!" Aries suddenly screamed.

Theo instinctively twisted his body and saw it.

A blast of fire, surging toward him from a man at the far end of the warehouse. Without hesitation, he activated Shadow Step. His figure vanished in a blur of darkness just before the flames could consume him.

He reappeared behind the attacker, landing a heavy blow to the man’s neck. The man crumpled instantly.

But there was no time to breathe. Suddenly, more armed men stormed into the warehouse. Theo’s eyes darted around... three, maybe four, all with assault rifles aimed straight at him.

One of the thugs roughly yanked Beatrice away from the UMS who had been holding her, pressing a gun firmly against her temple.

Across the room, the gang leader, Kravo, shouted in irritation, "Rolf! What the hell took you so long?!"

Rolf, still recovering from Theo’s earlier attack, stumbled upright, his shoulder scorched and smoking from the Ember blast. He looked furious and panicked as he barked back, "Fvck, Kravo! He’s just one guy, but he fights like five! We need to get out of here, now, with the women!"

Kravo’s eyes flared with hatred. His jaw clenched and his hand twitched toward his weapon as he glared at Theo, still standing over the fallen UMS.

"I’m not leaving until I watch that bastard die," he growled. "Then we’ll take the girls and vanish."

Theo’s gaze flicked to Beatrice, fear in her eyes but defiance in her stance and then to Aries, bruised but standing tall. His blood burned hotter.

"You’re not taking anyone," Theo muttered, voice low and deadly.

Kravo snarled and pointed toward Theo. "Kill him already!" he roared at the two remaining UMS. "Rip him apart!"

The two stepped forward, their hands curled into claws, jaws tightening as they began to encircle Theo.

Meanwhile, Rolf, still holding his scorched shoulder, stomped toward the man holding Beatrice. "Give her to me!" he snapped.

The man hesitated for a second, then released Beatrice into Rolf’s grip. She struggled, but Rolf yanked her closer, holding her tight with one arm as he pulled his gun out with the other.

"We don’t have time for this ego trip, Kravo! You wanna die here, fine but I’m not letting our prize go to waste!"

Kravo didn’t answer, eyes locked on Theo like a mad dog. "I said, kill him!"

Theo watched Rolf dragging Beatrice toward the back exit. His jaw clenched, but he couldn’t pursue, not yet. The two UMS now flanked him, closing the gap fast.

"I didn’t come here to kill more people. I told you two to just leave," Theo muttered under his breath, activating his Granite Skin with a surge of heat rolling through his limbs, "but if you make me-"

The UMS on the left lunged, claws extended, aiming for Theo’s ribs. With a twist of his body and a flash of Predator’s Reflex, Theo ducked low and drove his elbow into the attacker’s gut, enhanced by the crushing strength of Bonebreaker Frame.

A sharp crack echoed as the man flew into a nearby steel shelf, crashing through it.

The second UMS didn’t hesitate, roaring as he slammed a reinforced leg toward Theo’s side.

But Theo activated Aero Dash, sliding to the side with wind bursting beneath his boots. He spun, chaining it into a Pyre Burst, flames exploding outward to throw the second man off balance.

With his vision locked on both targets, Theo narrowed his eyes. "I gave you a choice," he muttered.

The first UMS groaned, crawling from the rubble, while the second wiped blood from his mouth and laughed.

"You’re strong, but you’re still alone," he spat. "This is your grave."

Theo’s expression remained unreadable. But deep inside, the burning fury hadn’t faded. Especially not with Rolf dragging Beatrice further away and Kravo still gripping Aries with that smug, bloodthirsty look.

"Then let’s see who’s buried first." Theo didn’t hesitate.

He ducked under another slash from the first UMS, then drove his fist, empowered by Bonebreaker Frame and Blood Tempo, straight into the man’s sternum. A sickening crack echoed as ribs shattered. The man gasped, blood spurting from his mouth before he collapsed, barely breathing.

The second UMS lunged again, but Theo activated Gale Fangs, slicing wind erupting from his sweeping kick and slashing deep across the attacker’s chest. With a follow-up Ember Step, he vanished and reappeared behind the man, elbow crashing into the base of his neck.

The UMS dropped, convulsing as Theo towered over her, chest heaving.

They weren’t dead. But they were out of the fight. He was about to finish them off so they would no longer mutate when a scream echoed down the corridor.

Beatrice.

Theo’s blood turned cold. He spun, sprinting toward the sound, blazing past crates and rusted equipment. He burst into a hallway where dim emergency lights flickered, just in time to see Rolf dragging Beatrice by the arm, her feet scraping the floor as she struggled.

"Let go of her!" Theo shouted.

Rolf turned, panic flashing in his eyes. He shoved Beatrice forward and fired. Flashstep.

In an instant, Theo disappeared in a burst of lightning and reappeared behind Rolf, grabbing the man’s wrist and twisting it until the gun clattered to the floor. Rolf screamed in pain, dropping to his knees.

"No-please! I surrender!" he begged, clutching his mangled wrist. "Don’t kill me. I was just following Kravo’s orders! I didn’t mean to hurt anyone!"

Theo stood over him, jaw clenched, fists shaking. He was about to respond-

[Ding! DARK SYSTEM ALERT - Hostile Signature Identified]

Active Meteorite Core Detected: Stage 1 Fusion Instability

[WARNING: Subject may undergo Mutation within the next 3 minutes]

Theo froze. His eyes shifted toward Beatrice, who was still trying to steady herself against the wall. Then he remembered Aries was still back there with Kravo. Both women were vulnerable.

And he was alone.

"I’m begging you," Rolf sobbed, blood pooling beneath him. "I’ll disappear.

I won’t use my powers again. Just... don’t kill me, man."