The last flash of light from the electrical waves died out, leaving only pitch darkness and Volt's evil laughter still echoing in Leon and Shion's ears. Both of them collapsed to the floor, bodies numb and twitching uncontrollably. Their consciousness started fading completely.
"Crafter... never changes, does it..." Volt's voice rang out in the darkness, his tone dripping with contempt and disgust. "Nothing but weaklings, letting someone like Kim Min-sae lead them around by the nose."
"Who... who are you really..." Shion managed to force the words out with difficulty, trying to fight through the pain and numbness spreading through her body.
"Shut up, you idiot!" Volt snapped. His shadowy figure lunged forward in the darkness! Heavy footsteps stomped down on Shion's helpless body!
"Ugh!" Shion cried out in pain. What little consciousness she had left was about to fade completely.
"Besides that Xiao Yan guy... that place is full of nothing but brain-dead morons!" Volt said with disdain.
"You... you know Master Xiao Yan too?" Leon, who still had some awareness left, asked weakly but with clear surprise.
"Of course! Someone that strong, it'd be weird if I didn't know him!" Volt laughed mockingly. "But no matter how skilled he is, he's just another fool clinging to rotten ideals. As for everyone else in Crafter... just a bunch of cowards who don't dare do anything beyond their orders, letting the world go to hell!"
"You... bastard..." Shion forced the words out again with great difficulty, each one filled with rage.
"Hm? Still running your mouth, little girl?" Volt strutted over to Shion. He bent down and grabbed her by the collar! Then he started pummeling her face and body over and over without mercy!
Thud! Smack! Thud!
The sickening sound of flesh hitting flesh rang out! Blood sprayed from Shion's mouth and nose! The girl's body went limp like a rag doll being beaten! Her pained groans came nonstop before gradually getting weaker... until they went completely silent...
"You're tougher than I thought..." Volt grumbled in annoyance before dropping Shion's unconscious form to the floor like garbage.
"What... what do you really want..." Leon asked with a trembling voice, trying to gather what consciousness he had left. He watched Volt's brutal actions with rage burning in his chest.
"What I want?" Volt turned to look at Leon with gleaming evil eyes. "To create a new world, of course!"
"A new world... I see..." Leon muttered. Images of the white-haired woman and green-haired young man who'd visited him in the recovery room flashed through his mind. "You're... you're with that green-haired guy and white-haired woman!"
"Oh ho... you've met them before?" Volt raised an eyebrow in surprised amusement. "That's really surprising that they let you live this long."
"Since you two both seem pretty stubborn..." Volt grinned wickedly. "Let me try out my new equipment on you!"
After saying that, Volt walked over to grab a device from his desk. It looked like a large metal arm guard with wires running all through it. When he put it on one of his arms, strange sounds came out along with blue electrical sparks crackling from the device!
"You know what, kid..." Volt turned to look at Leon with creepy eyes. "This isn't ordinary elemental power..."
The moment he finished speaking!
Bzzzzzz!!!
All the electronic equipment and light bulbs throughout the mansion started shaking violently! The lights flickered rapidly! Then all the electricity in Sunstone Town went out at once! Leaving only darkness even thicker than before!
Leon, who was closest to Volt, could feel some kind of intense energy wave that made his consciousness blur immediately! Even though he tried to fight it with all his strength, his eyes started getting heavy...
"Hmm... looks like it only works once. How disappointing," Volt's voice came out sounding annoyed. He looked at the metal arm guard where the electrical sparks had died out.
"But even so... you're pretty tough, I'll give you that. I really respect your endurance, kid." Volt walked over and stopped right in front of Leon, who was about to lose consciousness. Then he raised his fist with the metal guard high...
Crack!!!
His heavy fist slammed into Leon's face with full force! The young man's consciousness went out instantly!
...
Time passed—how long, impossible to know...
In the midst of pitch darkness and silence... a voice calling his name gradually drifted into his blurred hearing...
"Leon!... Leon!... Wake up already! You idiot!!!"
Leon slowly opened his eyes bit by bit. Pain throbbed throughout his body. Everything in front of him was still blurry. He blinked rapidly, trying to focus... then he saw a girl's face... a familiar face... but now it was covered in bruises and dried bloodstains...
It was Shion! She was tied to a pillar in a room that was pitch black and damp! She looked completely worn out and weak!