Enigma of Sin

Kayn's Mana Sense was telling him that there were at least three 5th stage, several 4th stage, and a small platoon of 3rd stage individuals waiting for him in a large room after which there were doors to the prisons and warehouse.

What really surprised him though was the large presence that he felt coming from what he could only assume was a rune beast at this point and at minimum it had to be a SS-class.

'How did I not notice this before!?' Kayn screamed in his head as this was not a fight that he could win, even if he used all of his mana on Extinction Flames and Lightning.

Plus, he had to maintain the integrity of the building in order to save the slaves. Destroying the place would be counterproductive as the slaves would all die instead of being rescued alive and well.

Kayn decided that it was best to call for backup, so he activated the distress crystal around his neck and slowed his pace down. He didn't stop completely or turn around as there was no way these people were going to let him escape or rest. So, the only option he had was to continue going towards them, even knowing it was probably a trap.

As Kayn arrived in front of the room, he opened the door, but didn't take the last step inside just yet. The group of guards stared at Kayn and he too examined the group. At the very front were three individuals that stood apart from the rest as well as a wolf that was small for a rune beast of its class, but still twice the size of a regular wolf.

One of the 5th stage people had on a set of armor that matched the guards of the auction house, indicating that he was most likely the head of security. The second was wearing a black three-piece suit and held a smug look on his face.

The last of the three, who was also petting the wolf to her side, was wearing a robe with the colors and emblem of the Carnet Empire. She had a mocking look on her face as she couldn't wait to see the person behind the mask that was attacking the DeMarco Auction House.

The human male in the three-piece suit standing in the middle of the three finally broke the silence, "That's quite far enough. I, Phillip DeMarco, will not stand for further disruption to my business or our generous patrons. You will be captured and then you will be tortured, there is no if. Are you going to come willingly or do you want to suffer a miserable defeat first?"

"I'll give you a counter offer," Kayn replied. "How about you all lay down your weapons, cancel any spells you're holding, and surrender nicely. Then maybe, just maybe, you won't suffer miserable deaths. Except for you," Kayn pointed at the woman from the Carnet Empire. "You will suffer a miserable death regardless."

The entire group gave Kayn odd looks at this point. They had all heard that the intruder only had a 4th stage core, they weren't aware of him defeating Maneet at this point, but most of them didn't even know Maneet was in the 5th stage.

"Hahahahaha!" The woman laughed boisterously while holding her stomach. "Clearly, you don't know the situation you're in. Look around you! What is a 4th stage going to do against us? My precious Fenar could kill you before you even blink, of course he would then eat you."

The woman continued laughing, plainly indicating that she didn't take Kayn's threat seriously or even wonder why he had singled her out of the entire group.

Kayn only shrugged as he responded nonchalantly, "Whatever, you guys can dig your own graves for all I care."

Kayn received a subtle tap on his shoulder at this point, but it didn't appear that the other side realized that he wasn't alone yet. He understood that a combination of elements was used to mask his groups' presence and Yelena was most likely casting a seamless illusion to hide the group from their sight.

Understanding his role, Kayn took the last step forward to enter into the room. As soon as his foot touched the floor, chains erupted from the ground, wrapping around his arms, legs, and torso.

The wolf, Fenar, then moved into action upon the instruction of the woman. Kayn's eyes could barely keep up with the wolf's speed, but as it was about to bite down on him, a spear suddenly impaled the wolf's head killing it instantly.

"Fe-Fe-Fenar?" The woman started muttering with a horrified look on her face as she saw a group of individuals appearing out of thin air behind the intruder that by all means should be in the jaws of her wolf right now.

She watched as her precious companion was thrown off the spear and to the side of the room like the person was throwing out yesterday's lunch. Her face began to twist as fury was evident from her expressions. 

"I WILL NOT FORGIVE YOU!" She yelled as she launched a torrent of flame straight at the spear user. Kayn watched as Yelena, who was the spear user, stood there without a single movement, not worried about the fire launched from a 5th stage mage in the slightest.

The next moment, Kayn understood why as a bright barrier made of flame and light appeared in front of his entire group, blocking the massive torrent of flames like it was child's play. Kayn looked to his side and noticed Charlotte walking forward with both of her hands up giving Kayn an odd look since he was still chained up.

"Are you okay?" she asked.

"Hmm? Oh yeah, I'm fine. I'll be free in a matter of moments." Kayn spoke without a care in the world, his emotions clearly back in his control. "I have a request, don't kill that woman over there. I'd like a word with her if you don't mind."

Charlotte raised an eyebrow, but upon looking at the emblem on the woman's clothing she understood. "You heard him everyone, let's get to work. Keep that woman and the man in the suit alive, the others can die."

A massive grin appeared on Yelena's face as she prepared to charge in, the weaker members of the guard group started retreated back instinctively upon seeing this. Fortunately for them, they were not her target as she directly appeared before the head of security jabbing her spear forward towards his heart.

The rest of the group was not far behind her in their actions as several cast long range spells while others rushed into combat as well. Most of them were only at the 5th stage or beginning of the 6th, but both Yelena and Charlotte were peak existences in this world, it didn't take long for the outcome of the battle to be determined.

The man wearing the suit known as Phillip DeMarco had silently tried to retreat into another secret passage, but he was blocked by Yelena before he could even try to open the door. When he glanced over his shoulder at his head of security, he was missing his head or rather it had been separated from his body, truly a head of security now.

Upon seeing that the ambassador from the Carnet Empire was also on the losing end of a battle between her and two other 5th stage individuals, he hesitated on what to do. The woman in front of him was immensely powerful, he had no idea what her actual strength was, but it was clear he wasn't her match.

Resigning to his fate, he raised his hands up in the air and kneeled down on the ground with his head down.

"Well, you're no fun." Yelena complained as she began pouting that one of the stronger opponents had given up before she even got to fight them, granted for her it wouldn't be much of a fight. As she moved to tie him up with special rope meant to seal one's core, Phillip suddenly threw something onto the ground which released a bright light and loud sound, incapacitating Yelena for the short moment he would need to escape.

…Or so he thought until a spear blade made its way straight through his gut from behind his back. He looked up in surprise as the woman who was making motions to tie him up vanished. He looked over his shoulder once again only to notice the same woman smirking as she held the spear that he was currently impaled on.

Not long after Phillip was stabbed through, Charlotte showed up behind Yelena. "I thought I told you not to kill him?" she chastised.

"Who said he's going to die? We have basically the best healer in the entire world here, if you can't heal him from this minor wound, that would be quite the shock." Yelena replied in a snarky voice.

Charlotte sighed and bound Phillip with the core sealing rope. She then proceeded to heal his wound so that he wouldn't die from it. The two then watched the rest of the chaos unfold.

The fight was completely one sided as it truly showed the difference between core stages. Kayn was an oddity. This battle was how fights between those of different stages was supposed to go. Overwhelming and utter domination.