It didn't take long for Jay to recognize one of them, the man who had unleashed lightning during the troll fight. The other, though unfamiliar, carried the same smug confidence that seemed to radiate from all of Damon's followers.
The lightning user grinned when he noticed the trio. "Yo, you were those guys who decided to stay at the plane, right?"
Jay immediately felt tension crawl up his spine. He stepped forward cautiously. "Who are you?"
"I'm Maxton," the man said with a grin. He then gestured to the other. "And this here is Connor. We're here to have a little fun."
"Fun?" Shiro repeated, his tone flat.
"Yeah," Maxton continued, his gaze shifting toward Yumina. "Turns out this girl right here is the only powerless woman who made it out alive. Truly a shame. There were way prettier powerless girls, but they died to the troll."
Jay's jaw tightened. "So what?"
Maxton chuckled, stepping forward. "So… since she's weak and wouldn't survive without protection, we figured we'd offer her some." He paused, his smile twisting into something vile. "In exchange, she becomes our sex slave. Fair trade, don't you think?"
The words hit like a thunderclap. For a moment, Jay couldn't even respond. His mind blanked, unable to process the depravity he'd just heard. Then, rage boiled over.
"You're insane," he spat, his voice trembling with fury. He lunged forward, raising his fist, aiming straight for Maxton's smirking face.
But Maxton was faster. He raised a finger lazily and snapped it. Two bolts of lightning burst forth.
Miraculously, Jay managed to instinctively dodge the first one, but the second struck his chest squarely, sending him flying into a nearby tree. The impact cracked the bark and left him gasping for air.
"Jay!" Yumina shouted, rushing to his side.
Shiro clenched his teeth. "Control CV!" he shouted, slamming his hand to the ground. Walls of earth shot up around Maxton and Connor, boxing them in.
Maxton sneered. "Cute trick." He flicked his wrist, and a surge of lightning exploded from his hand, shattering the earthen walls like glass.
But Shiro wasn't done. As the debris still fell through the air, he raised a finger, eyes glowing faintly blue. "Control CV!" he shouted again. This time, electricity surged from his fingertip, lightning bolts mirroring Maxton's own attack.
Caught off guard, Maxton barely had time to brace himself. The bolts struck his chest, sparks flying as he stumbled backward.
"You bastard!" he roared, his grin twisting into a snarl.
Before Shiro could press his advantage, chains burst from the ground, wrapping around his arms and torso. They constricted with crushing force, the sound of bones straining echoing in the air. Shiro gasped in pain and fell to his knees.
Connor grinned. "You're not the only one with tricks, pal."
Maxton staggered upright, still smoking from the attack, his eyes burning with fury. "You… copied my lightning, didn't you?" he said, glaring at Shiro. "That's what your little 'Control CV' does, huh? Copies abilities? Doesn't matter." He cracked his neck. "It's a good thing I'm resistant to lightning. You're not gonna kill me with my own power."
He turned his gaze toward Yumina, his expression darkening. "I'm so pissed off, I might just have to take it out on this girl." He began walking toward her slowly, menace in every step. "I'm gonna rape this bitch right in front of you two while you can't do a damn thing about it. And then I'll kill you both."
Yumina straightened her posture, her face utterly emotionless. "Try to touch me, and you're dead," she said softly.
Maxton stopped for a second, and then burst out laughing. "That's the funniest bluff I've ever heard. You don't have powers, sweetheart. You're just a weak girl pretending to be tough."
He reached forward to grab her.
"Die," Yumina said quietly.
*THUD*
Maxton's body hit the ground face-first, his hand inches away from her. No struggle. No sound. No sign of breath. Just silence.
Connor froze, his eyes wide. "What… what the hell?"
He took a cautious step back. "What did you do?" he demanded.
Yumina tilted her head. "I told him he'd die if he tried to touch me. He tried. He died. Simple, isn't it?"
Connor felt his stomach twist. This wasn't normal. There was no visible attack, no aura, no movement. The man was simply dead.
He realized then, she wasn't powerless. Not at all.
He clenched his fists, silently weaving his power. From beneath the soil, thick metal chains began to snake forward, silent and unseen, making their way toward Yumina's feet. He didn't know what her ability was, but he trusted one thing: if he could land a single, crushing blow on her head, she'd die like anyone else.
He just had to make it fast.
"Do not do it," Yumina said without turning. "If you try anything funny, you'll die too."
Connor froze. How could she possibly know? The chains were underground, completely hidden from sight. He hadn't even moved his hands.
But no, there was no way she could have seen it. He has not shown this move to anyone before. It had to be a bluff. A coincidence. There was no such thing as omniscience.
He swallowed hard, forcing himself to stay calm. "Don't underestimate me just because you got lucky," he said, shaking with forced confidence. "You think you can scare me with words?"
The chains reached their mark beneath her. With one last breath, he gave the command.
"Kill h-"
A dull thud interrupted him.
Connor's eyes rolled back. His body went limp. He collapsed to the ground, lifeless, just like Maxton.
Yumina exhaled slowly, brushing a strand of hair from her face. "I warned him," she said softly.
Shiro and Jay, still recovering from their injuries, stared in stunned silence.
Jay's hands trembled as he pushed himself upright. "But… how? You said you didn't have powers," he said in disbelief.
Shiro's voice was quiet, analytical. "What did you do to them?"
Yumina turned to face them with an unreadable expression. "They're dead," she said plainly. "I can kill anything I want just by willing it."
Jay blinked, as if trying to process what he'd just heard. "You mean… you can just… decide someone dies, and they die?"
"Yes."
"But… you said you didn't have any special powers when Allot asked," Shiro said, frowning.
"I don't," she replied. "At least, not one given by this world. This power is something I've always had. Even before being brought here."
The words struck them like thunder. Here was something more inconceivable than anything else they experienced today.
For the first time since arriving in this strange world, Shiro realized something truly terrifying.
The most dangerous person among them…wasn't the troll.
It was Yumina.