"Who in the hell do you think you are, you cripple!" Matt wasted no time in activating his awakened ability [Man of Fire].
He burst into a wave of flames, forcing Steven and Priscilla to put some distance from themselves and him.
"That Ability! Isn't it the B-Rank Ability belonging to Matt Flameborn, the Heir to the Flameborn Fortune!?"
An exclamation came from someone watching the show from the Hospital's 1st floor.
The rest of the spectators quickly gasped in surprise.
A B-Rank Ability!
And for it to belong to the famous Heir to the Flameborn Household??
How absurd was that!?
But more importantly, what was someone like that doing here of all places?
In truth, Matt specifically came for Von. He was what you'd call a proactive bully—and in Von's 1st life, he did everything in his power to make his life a living hell.
But this was not his 1st life anymore.
Von could honestly barely recall this flaming buffoon from his memories. He planned to ignore him again, not even considering him to be worth the trouble.
However, just as he went to take another step, Matt said something he'd soon come to regret.
"Just like your whore of a mother who slept her way into the Crow Household, you too are the lowest of the riffraff!" Matt taunted, the flames of fire raging around him.
Seeing the shadows on Von's face, Matt continued, "Angry!? Then do something about it! Are you so much of a coward that you won't even stand up for your mother!?
Then again, that woman is the lowliest of the low, not even worth becoming my pleasure toy—"
"Repeat what you just said."
Von's icy voice cut through the air.
"!!!" "!!!"
Even Matt's flames diminished a little in intensity over the sheer bone-chillingness of that hellish voice.
Those in the Hospital could also feel something creep up and down their spines. Every hair on their bodies stood on end as they instinctively backed up a few steps; even the few Awakened in the vicinity recoiled.
At that moment, they all felt it down to their very cores—
Fear.
"Did you not hear me?"
Turning his face just enough that only half of it could be seen, Von's demonic expression revealed itself.
"I told you to REPEAT what you just said."
A wave of figurative cold rushed out from Von's figure. It snuffed out the rest of Matt's flames, also quelling the ill-willed thoughts of him and his lackeys.
Currently, they were shaking in fear.
Confusion also mixed itself into the equation as this wasn't making sense.
How could that unawakened trash make them feel this way!?
It felt like an entire iceberg had been dropped on their heads!
"F-Fucker…!" Matt cursed through chattering teeth, immense rage filling his trembling gaze. "I'll kill you! I swear I'll kill you! You and your slut of a mothe—"
*Fwooosh—!*
The sound of something slicing through the air was followed by a blood-curdling scream.
As people started coming to, they were shocked to see Matt rolling around on the ground. He was hollering like a howler monkey, a result of the doctor's scalpel submerged deep in his right thigh.
"Just that much and you've become like this."
"Pathetic."
Von's indifferent voice sounded like that of the Devil himself for Matt.
As blood pooled out of his open leg wound, he glared at the messy black-haired boy walking slowly toward him.
"Y-You'll regret this, you bastard! I'll kill you and your slutty mother, then feed you to the dogs—"
*Fwoooosh—!*
"A-Ahhhh!!"
Another scream and another scalpel inserted into Matt's body—this time in his left thigh.
"You just keep on talking," Von said with a warm smile that made Steven and Priscilla stumble to the floor in fright.
"Do you not know what's good for you?"
His steps drew near.
"Do you want to die so badly??"
Matt desperately flailed, but having been sheltered his whole life, he wasn't used to pain at this level. His attempts to get up and strike back were replaced by girlish screams as he grabbed at his bloody legs.
"Answer me!"
A foot came thundering down, pushing the scalpel in Matt's left thigh even deeper into the soft flesh.
"Ahhhh—! N-No more…! P-P-Please stop!!"
Matt was practically begging at this point, with tears streaming down his eyes and a yellow liquid staining his undergarments.
"You're not very good at answering, but I'll still ask you one more time."
Von's words cut off as he crouched down to the sobbing Matt—and when those pitch black eyes met his, a repeated question threatened to tear his soul away.
"Do you want to… die?"
"!!!"
Matt's eyes rolled into the back of his head as he passed out right then and there.
Steven and Priscilla watched this scene with trembling frames. They were Awakeners too—C-Rank Ability Holders at that—but right now, they couldn't even muster up the courage to look that Devil in the eye.
The Hospital Staff and patients weren't fairing any better.
To everyone present, that seemingly harmless-looking boy looked to be holding back an abyssal demon capable of devouring the world.
And to them, that was terrifying beyond belief.