Thomas opened his inventory with a ntal call; he didn’t need to make any hand gestures. He shifted his attention toward the inventory and looked at the Binding Petition he still had.
His eyes opened wide as the wind whipped through his white hair.
’That’s right! I got it the day I tad Elvira’s bitch. Thank you, past Thomas, for not wasting it back then!’
With the ntal call, the petition appeared with a flash in front of him... and the wind ripped it out of his reach before he could react.
’Shit! Back to the inventory!’
The item vanished and returned to his storage. Thomas released a deep breath, recovering his oxygen. He felt extre fear and relief in less than a second. Then he moved his wrist as best he could and extended his fingers.
"Co out," he thought.
The sphere fell again.
’Back. Once more... co out. Back. Out. Back. Out. Back. Out. Shit, back! Co on... out. Damn it! Back.’
He struggled to adjust his position, but the tentacles held him firmly in place. Freja laughed under her breath and spoke to him while glancing sideways.
"Don’t rush. We’re almost there, and you’ll be able to stretch your muscles soon."
Thomas tilted his head upward, looking at the local police building about ten blocks away.
’Damn it, I have to get out of this. Alright... calm down. Calculate everything carefully. Out... back. Out. Back. Out. Back... co on, Thomas... co on, one more ti.’
He stretched his wrist as far as he could and, tensing every muscle in his body, thought:
’Out.’
The sphere appeared with a pale blue light. The wind pushed it downward again... but this ti Thomas caught it tightly. The ecstasy of victory made him burst into triumphant laughter.
"Um?" Freja murmured, looking back. "What are you looking at?"
’Good luck. No one can see system items. Now I just have to say it out loud.’
"Freja Krakenheart!"
"Huh? Again? I already told you nothing will make let go of you."
"I need you to change course right now and take to the outskirts of Sector J, far from the city! Then calmly teach how to count to ten thousand, and until I reach that number, please don’t leave the area!"
"What?" Freja asked, confused.
At that instant sothing invisible squeezed her chest.
Her pupils dilated and her body landed on a rooftop, stopping her movent.
’M-my body... it won’t respond,’ Freja thought.
Unable to resist, she changed direction and began jumping toward the outskirts of Sector J. Evelyne and Seraphine watched this, bewildered.
"Where is she going now?" Seraphine asked, like an involuntary question she didn’t expect anyone to answer.
"We have an order, so let’s follow it," Evelyne said.
They went after Freja, jumping between buildings.
Back with Freja and Thomas, he watched as the police building grew farther and farther away. He could only laugh from all the excitent building inside him.
"Ha, ha, ha, damn it! I almost screwed myself!"
Thomas began moving the interface of his system with his mind, searching for the petitions section. Freja kept her gaze fixed on the hill outside Sector J, but her thoughts wandered.
’What did he do to ? Manipulation? I’ve seen abilities like this before, but... why does a man have it? Aren’t they supposed to be useless? Damn it... even if I try to move with... all my strength... I can’t break free. What an intense power.’
◇◆◇
When they reached an area filled with trees and dirt, right on top of a hill, Freja set Thomas down and let him fall to his knees. Then she spoke.
"Alright, I will patiently teach you how to count. Are you ready?"
’What the hell am I saying?! I can’t even control my own voice?!’
"A-ah, yes... go ahead," Thomas replied with effort while wiping the sweat from his face.
"Good. Oooone," she said, raising her hand like an invitation.
"O-one..."
"Twooo..."
"Two."
"Threeee..."
’Damn it, please get here quickly.’
◇◆◇
Leaving the building area behind, Evelyne landed on the ground, leaning on her knees in exhaustion.
"I can’t go on... this is my limit."
"Eve," Seraphine said, approaching to support her.
"Forget it. My ability isn’t like yours or that woman’s... it tires out a lot. You go. I’ll catch up as soon as I get my breath back."
"Alright," she replied, and leapt in long distances into the forest.
Evelyne knelt on one knee and wiped her sweat with the arm opposite her prosthetic.
"I’m definitely rusty... but she won’t be able to handle that woman alone. I need to catch up soon."
◇◆◇
"Nine hundred and eighty-twooo..."
"Nine hundred and eighty-two," Thomas replied with boredom.
He was now sitting on the ground with his legs crossed, resting his chin on his hand. His eyelids grew heavier and heavier, as if he might fall asleep at any mont.
"Nine hundred and eighty-threeee..."
Thomas yawned and grabbed his head with both hands as he let it drop.
’God, I’m so sleepy...’
anwhile, inside Freja’s mind:
’They should just kill already. What kind of damn torture is this?’
Seraphine burst out of the trees, snapping branches and leaves in the process. She landed sliding her boots across the dirt. Her dark eyes widened in surprise when she found him. Thomas looked at her, straightening his back.
"Finally."
Seraphine was still under Thomas’s previous order, so she didn’t waste ti; she lunged at Freja, spinning in the process to build montum and deliver a powerful kick to her cheek.
Freja took it without defending herself. Her body was launched away and crashed into a tree, stopping abruptly. Blood flowed from her lip and eyebrow on the sa side. She stood back up while thinking:
’Damn... that hurt way too much. And my damn body still won’t obey !’
Freja’s gaze was calm, almost distant and empty. She walked to Thomas and said:
"We cannot interrupt your learning. Count with again, please. Nine hund—"
Seraphine delivered a front kick to her stomach, sending her flying back into the tree beside him, but this ti straight through it with her body. Thomas stood up, watching the scene with concern.
Seraphine climbed over Freja’s body. Freja comnted calmly:
"Allow to help the civilian count, ple—"
A punch landed. Then another, and another. Freja’s head snapped back and forth with each blow. Thomas felt pity at the sight and hurried toward Seraphine, saying:
"Wait, stop. Don’t hit her anymore..."
"Um? Master?" Seraphine murmured, looking at him calmly over her shoulder.
Freja was bleeding from her lips, nose, and eyebrows. A bruise had already ford over her right eye. She looked at Thomas with a smile and said:
"Please allow to help you count."
Thomas looked at her, feeling genuinely awful. Then Freja pronounced the next number, waiting for Thomas’s response. Seraphine sat on Freja’s stomach, looking at Thomas.
Thomas sighed and answered the number Freja was teaching. As it continued, he thought:
’I can’t ta her unless she accepts voluntarily. If I release her from the Binding Petition, I’m pretty sure she won’t allow herself to be tad by contract and could endanger Seraphine and Evelyne. She needs to be incapacitated and yield.’
He opened his system and made sure to carefully review the specifications. No matter how slowly he read everything, he couldn’t find any loophole. It had to be exactly as he had planned.
Seraphine straightened her back slightly and asked:
"What would you like to do, master?"
Thomas didn’t answer her. He scratched his hair and then said:
"Freja, I’m truly sorry. I know you can hear . I promise that after this I’ll take you to heal all your injuries and sohow compensate for the situation."
Freja smiled at him, her gaze empty, and continued saying:
"Nine hundred and ninety-twooo..."
Thomas closed his eyes, stepped back twice, and said:
"Keep hitting her, but... not the face. Only hurt her body and make sure you don’t break her bones."
Seraphine said in a subtle, simple tone:
"Monster."
And obeying, she stood up and began kicking her in the abdon, legs, arms, ribs, and any area that would prevent her from standing.
Thomas looked away and forced himself not to watch, listening only to the gasps of pain, the complaints, and the muffled groans.
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