Is it wrong to try to build a criminal Empire?

chapter 10

"Fireball!" All For One unleashed a massive ball of fire, obliterating the first wave of killer ants that closed in on them.

'My "mind" has improved.' he thought while watching the flames burn away the Ants to Ashes.

He turned to meet Welf’s worried face. "Stay back. That heavy sword will be your death in a battle of Endurance," All For One instructed, calm and commanding, as the second wave of ants scurried toward them, mandibles clicking.

Welf’s face twisted with worry. "But what about you? You seriously can't expect to handle all of them!" He gripped his heavy sword tighter, unwilling to lose a companion on their first day together.

All For One met the advancing swarm with narrowed eyes, gripping his blade. "Don't worry. I'm strong." Without waiting for a response, he leapt into the thick of the swarm, his sword cleaving through a line of ants before sweeping outward to bisect a lone attacker.

Another ant lunged at his leg. Sidestepping, he slashed downward into its eye, feeling the crunch as his blade sank deep. Yet they were relentless—more ants closed in, seemingly endless in number.

"Fireball!" he cast, summoning another massive blaze. The light burst forth in a blinding flash, vaporizing the second wave and stalling the third's advance.

Without a moment to waste, All For One, seeing the remnants of the third wave still distant, vaulted back to Welf, catching three ants with a sweep of his blade. They crumbled to dust. He spun, driving his heel into an ant behind him, sending it crashing into a group and halting their advance, if only momentarily.

He could feel his mind pool dwindling, he can't reach for the Mind motion on his bag, he'll get cornered instantly,

The swarm was growing larger. 'Damn it, they keep coming.' He gritted his teeth, ducking just as a set of mandibles snapped inches from his shoulder. He retaliated with a powerful upward slash that split the attacker. Another lunged from his left, and he countered with a brutal headbutt, relishing the crack of its shell.

He glanced back. Welf was flagging, barely able to keep his sword up. 'He's too worn out from the earlier fights... I'll have to handle this, or we both die.'

Just then, Welf missed a swing, giving an ant the opening to lunge at his arm and sink its mandibles into him.

"Agh!" Welf cried out. All For One's heightened senses honed in, and he bolted forward, throwing his sword. It struck the ant's exoskeleton, killing it instantly. He retrieved his weapon from the crumbling carcass, spinning with deadly precision to slice through the ants around Welf until only lifeless bodies remained.

Welf lay unconscious but breathing. But All For One didn't have a moment's rest; the ground trembled as a new wave of ants surged forward.

His gaze shifted to the hole where the sack had fallen from—an opening that led back to the surface. it might be the only way out. If he could collapse the passage, burying the ants, they might just survive.

Channeling the last of his energy, he raised his hand, focusing everything into one final, explosive spell.

"Fireball!" This one was larger than any before, blazing so brightly that even the ants hesitated, to approach the bright Death. He launched it at the walls opening, watching it slam into the cavern with a thunderous impact.

The price was steep. Pain ripped through his head, consciousness Fading but he kept standing, as he watched his gamble unfold. The ground shook violently as cracks splintered outward, rocks crashing down in a landslide that buried the ants and sealed the path to the eighth floor. As dust filled the air, All For One staggered. His mind pool was almost zero. But he refused to stand down, he still has unfinished business.