Is it wrong to try to build a criminal Empire?

chapter 10

"If you win, you live. If you lose, you die. If you don’t fight, you can’t win!"

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Two weeks and three days since joining hestia familia.

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All For One unleashed a massive fireball, its blazing light consuming a group of killer ants as they closed in relentlessly. The acrid scent of charred carapace filled the air, but there was no time for respite.

He turned toward Welf, whose face was tight with worry. "Stay back," All For One commanded, his voice calm yet firm, cutting through the tension like a blade. The clicking mandibles of the ants echoed in the cavern, drawing closer.

Welf's grip tightened on his heavy sword, his knuckles whitening. "But what about you? You seriously can't expect to handle all of them alone!" His tone betrayed his uneasiness, though his stance remained defiant. He had no intention of losing a companion on their first day together.

All For One met Welf's gaze briefly before focusing on the approaching swarm. "Don't worry. I'm strong," he stated with unshakable certainty. There was no room for argument. Without hesitation, he leapt into the fray, his sword slicing through the first line of ants in one sweeping arc. He pivoted and bisected another with precision.

A particularly large ant lunged toward his leg, mandibles snapping. All For One sidestepped with practiced ease, driving his blade downward into the creature’s eye. A satisfying crunch followed as fluid spilled from its crushed head. Yet, the swarm pressed on, unrelenting and seemingly endless.

"Fireball!" he cast again, a massive orb of fire exploding from his hands. The cavern lit up in a dazzling flash, the heat searing and vaporizing another group of advancing ants. Despite their losses, more surged forward, undeterred by the fate of their comrades.

All For One spun, reacting to a sudden threat behind him. He drove his heel into an ant, the force sending it crashing into several others and momentarily stalling their advance. The reprieve was short-lived. His mind pool was running dangerously low, the telltale ache behind his eyes warning him of his limits. He couldn't risk reaching for a potion—doing so would leave him vulnerable and cornered.

Gritting his teeth, he sidestepped a pair of snapping mandibles that came perilously close to his shoulder. He retaliated by cleaving the attacker in two. Another ant lunged at his leg, but he countered with a crushing blow from his sword hilt, the crack of its shell a satisfying music to his ears.

"Agh!" Welf's cry of pain sounded behind him—he had missed a swing, leaving himself exposed. An ant seized the opportunity, its mandibles sinking deep into his arm.

All For One bolted toward him, his enhanced senses locking onto the threat. Without hesitation, he threw his sword, the blade impaling the ant biting down on Welf's arm. He dashed forward, retrieving his weapon in a fluid motion and spinning to dispatch the remaining ants around Welf with surgical precision. Carcasses piled at their feet, but the swarm continued to pour in.

Welf collapsed, unconscious but still breathing. All For One barely had a moment to assess the situation before the ground beneath them began to tremble. A fresh wave of ants surged forward, their numbers seemingly endless.

His eyes darted toward a gaping hole in the cavern—a passage leading deeper to the Ninth Floor. If he could collapse it, burying the swarm, they might have a chance at survival.

Summoning the last reserves of his mind, All For One raised a trembling hand. He funneled every ounce of remaining energy into one final, explosive spell.

"Fireball!" This one was larger than any he’d cast before, its blinding intensity forcing even the ants to hesitate. The blazing orb streaked toward the cavern wall, slamming into it with a thunderous explosion.