Theodore and his unit now stood amidst a scene of carnage.
The hooded figures who had surrounded them before were now nothing more than broken corpses, their bodies twisted and mangled in grotesque ways.
Some had holes blown through their chests, their insides spilling out onto the ground.
Others had their heads smashed in, their skulls crushed like eggshells.
And then there were those whose limbs had been twisted and torn off, their bodies left in unnatural, horrifying positions.
The air was thick with the metallic scent of blood, and the ground was slick with it.
The two commoners in Theodore's unit, Aaron and Lisa, stood frozen, their faces pale and their eyes wide with fear.
They had never seen anything like this before. They had heard of the cruelty the children of nobility had but what they'd witnessed from Theodore....
It was horrifying. He was beyond cruel. He was sadistic.
Even Elizabeth and Lenny, who knew the harsh realities of war due to their parents high positions in the Military, couldn't help but feel a chill run down their spines when they saw how Theodore fought.
The only surviving Fantasian was desperately crawling away, his legs destroyed and his body trembling with fear.
Tears streamed down his face as he muttered, "Monster… He's a monster… He'll kill us all…" His voice was shaky, filled with terror and despair.
But his escape was short-lived. A familiar voice cut through the air, cold and cruel, sending a shiver down his spine. "And where do you think you are going?"
The man froze, his body going rigid as he slowly turned his head to see Theodore standing over him.
The red-haired youth with black streaks in his hair was smiling, but there was no warmth in his eyes, only a chilling, sadistic glee.
The man's breath hitched, his heart pounding in his chest as he realized he was staring into the eyes of a predator.
"Come on," Theodore said, his voice deceptively gentle. "You can't just leave."
The man's voice trembled as he begged, "P-please… spare me… I'm sorry for crossing y—"
Theodore interrupted him by placing a finger over his lips. "Shush now," he said, his tone almost soothing. "That's all in the past now."
But the man wasn't fooled. There was not a single speck of gentleness in Theodore's eyes, only a sadistic glee that frightened the soldier.
Theodore then spoke again. "I'll let you go if you answer me this: Who sent you? How did you know where we were? And how did you get past security?"
The man stammered, his voice shaky. "I-I don't know… Our leader didn't tell us how he got the information… I swear, I don't know anything!"
Theodore's smile slowly vanished, replaced by a look of mild annoyance.
He arched an eyebrow, his voice taking on a dangerous edge. "Huh. Hey Lesser. Don't you fucking lie to me okay?"
He leaned in closer, his fingers hovering near the man's ears. "You have to know something," he said, his tone almost conversational.
Then, without warning, he snapped his fingers.
A shockwave erupted from his fingers, blasting the man's ears.
"Aarrgghh!"
Blood spurted out as the man screamed in agony, his hands clutching at his ruined ears. Theodore watched on as the man did so, his gleeful expression gone.
All that remained was an expression that said everything about his current mood.
Elizabeth and Lenny stood aside watching the whole thing in silence. While they were clearly uncomfortable, it was necessary.
This was most likely a well coordinated attack so the more they knew the better.
And the fact that the Fantasians had known exactly when and where the first-year cadets would be taking their test, and that they had specifically targeted the children of the ruling families and other high-ranking individuals, was definitely not a coincidence.
It all pointed to there being a traitor in their midst, someone who had leaked critical information to the enemy.
And in a place like Nublar Academy, the greatest military academy in Terra, a traitor was a threat that couldn't be ignored.
Theodore leaned in closer to the man, his grin returning as he saw the fear in his eyes. "Hey," he said, his voice dripping with malice. "You have to know something, right?"
The man whimpered as he clutched his bleeding ear, his body trembling as he pleaded for mercy.
Theodore however ignored those pleas as he sighed, his expression turning bored, before snapping his fingers again.
Another shockwave erupted, this time blasting the man's other ear.
"Aarrgghh!"
The man screamed again, his voice raw and filled with pain.
Theodore stood up, his smile returning as he looked down at the broken man. "If you don't have anything to tell me then..." he said, his tone light and almost cheerful, "...just die."
He snapped his fingers one last time, this time aiming at the man's face.
A shockwave erupted, hitting the man's head with enough force to burst it like a ripe melon.
SPLURT
Blood and bone scattered everywhere, painting the ground in a macabre display.
Theodore stepped back, brushing imaginary dust off his hands as he turned to his unit. "Well, that was fun," he said, his smile never wavering. "Let's go find more."
Elizabeth and Lenny exchanged a glance before following Theodore.
Aaron and Lisa trailed behind, their faces still pale but they dared not defy Theodore's will. They knew what would happen if they did.
And Theodore's unit walked off in search of any Fantasian unfortunate enough to cross their path.