Chapter 7: Chapter 7: The Arrival of Ashton
Philips, the executor of all tragedies. If James is the origin of all mistakes, then Philips is the biggest catalyst for exacerbating these tragedies.
To say he is disgusting would actually be an insult to the word disgusting.
Leo looked at Philips standing in front of him. He did not choose to leave but decided to wait and see.
At this moment, Philips silently walked over and knocked on the door of Henry's house.
Dong dong dong.
As the door opened, Marry stepped out with Oliver and Alex.
Don't ask where James was—he was probably still suffering in the old bug's lair.
"Hehehe," the old bug chuckled gloomily. "Miss Marry? Where is James? I'm here to take little Alex, as promised."
Philips looked at James's family with evident delight. Alex, this little girl he had been eyeing for a long time, had a physique of nothingness, making her the perfect candidate for his plans.
At this moment, looking at little Alex before him, the old bug silently reached out to grab her small hand.
Seeing Philips getting closer, Alex hid behind Zampa in fear. She didn't know what would happen next, but she knew one thing—the old man before her looked terrifying.
It was unfortunate that she was just a child. How could she possibly escape the old bug's grasp? And at that moment…
Slap!
Suddenly, with a crisp sound, Philips's hand was struck away.
And it was none other than Zampa, who had stepped forward to protect her sister.
"Old bug! I absolutely won't let you take Alex away!"
Zampa stood firmly before Philips, her expression unwavering. She had seen the live broadcast and knew what would happen if the old bug succeeded in taking Alex away.
In the future, she would blame herself endlessly. How could she let the tragedy repeat itself?
"Hehehe, little girl, do you think you can stop me? This was already agreed upon with James!" The old bug's face turned gloomier. His plan was mere steps away from completion—he would not allow it to fail now.
"Little girl, step aside!"
The old bug attempted to frighten Zampa into submission, but she did not budge. Instead, she held Alex's small hand tightly, trembling but determined.
No, I can't let him take Alex. But... Father is still trapped. Who can help us?
"Mr. Philips, James is not at home. Can we wait for him to return before deciding?" Marry pleaded.
Unfortunately, Philips had no intention of listening. He reached out once more to grab Alex.
Seeing this, Zampa made a bold decision.
No! Run! At least until Father comes back!
Whoosh!
The next second, Zampa took Alex's hand and dashed away.
She didn't know where she was running to, but she knew she had to run. Unfortunately, how could two young girls possibly outrun the old bug?
"Run? Where do you think you can run?"
Philips struck his cane against the ground, and a swarm of dark insects surged toward them. Seeing the wave of insects closing in, Zampa bit her lip. She had to find help—someone powerful enough to stop Philips.
Wait a minute! Hadn't she encountered a group of powerful masters earlier? If one of them was nearby, maybe—just maybe—they could save them!
With no other choice, Zampa opened the live broadcast.
"I'm running from the old bug with Alex! Can anyone help us?"
[Live Chat Room]
Asher: "Are you being attacked by the old bug? Unfortunately, I haven't been summoned yet. Otherwise, I would help you."
Asher couldn't bear it. The kind-hearted king wished to help the two sisters, but she lacked the means.
Ryan: "Hey, kids? I like them the most."
Weber: "Pervert alert! Anyway, I'm at the Clock Tower. Director John Milton is giving a lecture, and we can't leave..."
Irisviel: "I'm... I'm abroad."
Holder: "Although I want to save my junior sister, I obviously don't have time."
Seeing these responses, Zampa's eyes dimmed with despair.
Was it really impossible to save her sister?
Was this tragic fate unchangeable?
Just as she was about to lose all hope, a new message popped up in the chat.
Leo: "Fighting the old bug? That sounds interesting. @Zampa, do you need help?"
Zampa's heart pounded as she saw the message.
"Yes! Please help us!"
[Back to Reality]
Leo smirked as he read Zampa's message.
"An old bug, huh? Sounds fun."
Without hesitation, he activated his abilities and vanished from his location.
Meanwhile, Philips was closing in on the two girls.
"You can't run," he sneered.
Just as he was about to grab them—
Boom!
A golden burst of energy shot through the air, splitting the swarm of insects in half.
A figure emerged from the explosion, standing tall before Philips.
Leo had arrived.
"You know," Leo said, smirking, "I really hate bugs."
Philips narrowed his eyes. "Who are you?"
"Leo." He cracked his knuckles. "And I'm here to beat the crap out of you."
Philips scoffed. "You think you can stop me?"
Leo didn't answer. Instead, he summoned his weapon. A surge of energy pulsed around him, shaking the ground beneath them.
The battle had begun.
[Live Chat Room]
Asher: "Leo actually went?! Hahaha, old bug, you're dead!"
Weber: "Damn, I need popcorn for this."
Irisviel: "Leo, be careful!"
Ryan: "Who cares about the guy? Let's talk about the little girls instead—"
[User 'Ryan' has been kicked from the chat.]
Zampa watched in awe as Leo faced Philips. Hope returned to her eyes.
Maybe—just maybe—this time, things would be different.
[Battle Scene]
Philips launched a wave of insects toward Leo.
With a single swing, Leo unleashed a golden shockwave, disintegrating the insects instantly.
Philips frowned. "What...?"
Leo smirked. "Surprised?"
He vanished and reappeared before Philips in an instant. Before the old bug could react—
BAM!
Leo's punch sent him flying.
Philips crashed into the ground, coughing up blood. He gritted his teeth in rage.
"You brat...!"
Leo cracked his knuckles. "Oh, I'm just getting started."
Philips attempted to retaliate, but Leo was too fast. Blow after blow, the old bug was overpowered.
Realizing he was losing, Philips tried to retreat.
But Leo wouldn't let him escape.
Summoning his strongest attack, he unleashed a final, devastating strike.
BOOM!
A blinding explosion erupted, shaking the entire area.
When the dust settled, Philips was barely conscious. He had lost.
Leo stood over him. "Next time, don't mess with kids."
With that, he turned to Zampa and Alex.
"You two okay?"
Zampa, still in shock, nodded.
"You... saved us," she whispered.
Leo grinned. "Of course. That's what heroes do."
As he reached out his hand, Zampa hesitated for a moment before taking it.
For the first time in a long while, she felt safe.
The tragedy had been rewritten.
And this time, fate had changed.