Safari stomped through the rocks, his piercing gaze scanning the area.
He froze when he saw the familiar figure ā the exhausted fairy slumped against the stones.
But what drew his immediate attention were the three lanky weirdos who were still gleefully clinging to her.
Safari: (blinking in disbelief)
"What. The hell. Is that?"
Angeleva locked eyes with him, a flicker of recognition followed by dread.
Angeleva: (under her breath)
"Oh noā¦"
The last thing she wanted was to be seen in this state ā drained, defeated, and humiliated. But there he was. Safari. Of all people.
Weirdo 1: (pointing eagerly)
"Ooooh! Whoās that? He looks tough!"
Weirdo 2: (smiling)
"Maybe he wants to join our cuddle party!"
Safariās eyes twitched. He cracked his knuckles.
Safari: (growling)
"Cuddle party? Thatās it. Iāve seen enough."
He stomped forward, his intimidating aura sending a chill through the air. The weirdos, however, seemed utterly unphased.
Angeleva: (whispering)
"I swear, if you say one wordā"
Safari: (grinning)
"Having fun, huh?"
Angeleva: (flustered)
"Shut up!"
Safari: (mocking)
"The great fairy warrior, reduced toā¦ this. Pathetic."
Angelevaās cheeks flushed. She gritted her teeth, trying to summon whatever sliver of pride she had left.
Angeleva: (hissing)
"Get rid of them. Now."
Safari's grin widened. He had no intention of letting this go anytime soon.
Safari: (chuckling)
"Oh, I will. But Iām enjoying this."
Safari's laughter echoed through the mountains, his towering figure radiating satisfaction as he watched Angeleva squirm under the weight of his words.
He stepped closer, his deep voice laced with amusement.
Safari: (mocking)
"That's what you get for using your cheap fairy tricks."
Though his words seemed vague, Angeleva knew exactly what he meant. He was calling out her seductive tactics ā something that had worked on many but failed miserably against him.
Angeleva: (scowling)
"Itās got nothing to do with seduction!"
The weirdos, however, reacted excitedly.
Weirdo 1: (grinning)
"Seduction? Ooh! Can you do that for us?!"
Weirdo 2: (giggling)
"Yeah! Show us! Show us!"
Weirdo 3: (nodding eagerly)
"Fairy powers are the best!"
Angeleva's face paled. The mere thought of using her powers on these creeps made her skin crawl.
Safari roared with laughter, enjoying her misery.
Safari: (grinning smugly)
"Go on, fairy. Why not? Youāre the master of seduction, arenāt you? Seems like youāve found your perfect audience."
Angeleva's voice cracked.
Angeleva: (softly)
"Stop it."
But Safari continued, relishing his dominance.
Safari: (mocking)
"And to think you even tried it on me. Pathetic. Too bad I donāt fall for cheap tricks."
He sneered.
Safari: (pointing to the weirdos)
"You and these guys? A perfect match. You can seduce them all day."
Angeleva clenched her fists tightly, trembling. Every word was like a dagger to her pride. But the worst part was how powerless she felt. Safari wasnāt just humiliating her ā he was crushing her spirit.
Weirdo 1: (cheerfully)
"Yay! We can be her fans!"
Weirdo 2: (giggling)
"Letās follow her everywhere!"
Weirdo 3: (grinning)
"Sheāll be our eternal fairy queen!"
Angelevaās lip quivered. It was unbearable.
Angeleva: (voice breaking)
"Stop itā¦ please."
But Safari ignored her plea. He wasnāt done.
Safari: (mocking)
"Thatās what you get for standing in my way. Youāve been an annoyance since day one."
Her legs buckled, but she forced herself to stand. Then, the tears came.
Angeleva: (crying)
"Iā¦ Iām not your enemy."
Safariās grin faltered for a moment, but his pride prevented him from stopping.
Safari: (gruffly)
"Crying like a child when things donāt go your way? You must be younger than I thought."
The weirdos perked up.
Weirdo 1: (excitedly)
"How old is she?"
Weirdo 2: (giggling)
"Tell us, tell us!"
Angeleva's voice cracked as she answered.
Angeleva: (sobbing)
"Iāmā¦ 22."
Safari smirked.
Safari: (mocking)
"An older crybaby. How fitting."
The weirdos burst into laughter, their amusement pushing Angeleva further into despair.
Weirdo 3: (smiling)
"And how old are you, mister tough guy?"
Safari: (smirking proudly)
"Iām 24. That makes me your senior. Means you should listen to me more, fairy."
Angeleva's spirit shattered further. She was hopeless. No witty comeback. No fight left. She simply stood there, trembling. The weirdos giggled uncontrollably, clinging to her tighter.
Weirdo 1: (grinning)
"Then youāre our senior too!"
Weirdo 2: (smiling)
"Youāre our master now!"
Safari grinned, enjoying the twisted respect.
Weirdo 3: (innocently)
"Can we have some private time with her?"
Safari: (smirking, without thinking)
"Do as you like."
He turned away, smugly satisfied. But as he walked further, something gnawed at him. Then, he heard it.
The sound of laughter ā but not hers. And then, the unmistakable sound of sobbing.
Safariās steps slowed.
He glanced back, his eyes narrowing as he saw the weirdos gleefully tugging at Angelevaās hair, smearing dirt and makeup on her face like she was a doll. Her wings were bent unnaturally, her arms limp.
But what struck him the most were the tears. Silent tears rolling down her cheeks as the weirdos played with her like a lifeless puppet.
Safari: (thinking)
"Sheās not even fighting back."
Then he heard it ā a soft, broken sob.
Angeleva: (whispering)
"Pleaseā¦ stop."
Safariās chest tightened. The sight stirred something in him, something he hadnāt felt in a long time.
Guilt.
He clenched his fists.
Safari: (thinking)
"I went too far."
The weirdos kept giggling, their laughter ringing in his ears.
Weirdo 1: (cheerfully)
"Yay! Letās make her even prettier!"
Weirdo 2: (grinning)
"Sheās our little doll now!"
Safariās eyes burned. Heād seen enough.
Safari: (growling)
"Let. Her. Go."
The weirdos froze, surprised by the sudden shift in his tone.
Weirdo 3: (confused)
"Butā¦ you said we couldā"
Safari: (roaring)
"I changed my mind!"
But the weirdos only clung to her tighter. Safari's eyes darkened.
Safari: (coldly)
"You dare defy me?"
He raised his hammer, dark energy crackling around it.
Safari: (voice deepening)
"Devil Hammer Shock."
A powerful shockwave blasted outward, the very ground trembling beneath his might. The weirdos stumbled, but their grip on Angeleva remained firm.
Safariās expression darkened further. Then, in a low, threatening voice, he made his next move.
Safari: (coldly)
"Sheās my enemy. A fairy and a devil canāt coexist. Iāll kill her myself."
The weirdos blinked, stunned.
Weirdo 1: (nervously)
"Waitā¦ seriously?"
Safari lifted his hammer and aimed directly at Angeleva. She barely flinched, her spirit already shattered.
Safari: (growling)
"Move. Or you die with her."
Panic struck the weirdos. In a flash, they leaped away from her, trembling.
Weirdo 2: (whimpering)
"Heās insane!"
Weirdo 3: (screaming)
"Run!"
The three fled, disappearing into the mountains. But Safari didn't lower his hammer. Instead, he swung it downward.
Safari: (shouting)
"Devil Hammer Strike!"
A wave of dark energy blasted the weirdos from afar, sending them flying. Satisfied, Safari turned to Angeleva.
Her frail figure remained on the ground, trembling.
Without a word, he knelt and gently lifted her onto his back.
Angeleva: (sobbing softly)
"Whyā¦?"
Safari didnāt answer. He only walked. The guilt was already crushing him.
Safari: (thinking)
"I went too far. I was a monster."
But for now, he could only carry her away from the pain.