An Understated Dominance by Marina Vittori

Leander was sent flying, and for a heartbeat, everyone in the yard stood in stunned silence. Weapons slipped from soldiers’ hands and clattered to the ground, and their eyes widened in terror. Many instinctively stepped back and bumped against the wooden fence, but no one dared look down.

Nathaniel’s sword gave a sharp, buzzing tremor. He tightened his grip on the hilt, holding it so hard that the red marks of his fingertips were left on the scabbard.

The child’s earlier punch had been nothing but a blur. The small, chubby fist seemed harmless, yet when it struck Leander’s chest, it landed like a meteor.

Nathaniel saw Leander’s black armor cave in. He heard the sharp crack of ribs breaking, the grinding of bone scraping against bone.

“Captain Grimsby…”

A guard trembled as he tried to step forward and help Leander, but he froze after only two steps.

Leander, curled up beneath the fence, choked as black blood bubbled from his throat. Each breath was more ragged than the last, and his sunken chest writhed as if something were crawling beneath the skin.

The most terrifying part was his eyes. They bulged as though ready to pop out from their sockets, but his eyes were still fixed on the child on the swing. Even in death, his pupils were frozen in fear.

The child pumped his legs as the swing rose to its peak. His short jacket lifted in the wind, showing his chubby arm with soft rolls.

glories on the wooden fence. Suddenly, he pointed at one half-opened bud and said, “That one’s about

hit everyone like a punch to the gut. Nathaniel broke out in a cold sweat. His battle robe clung to his wounds, and the wet fabric biting into him with sharp

immortals and demons were indistinguishable, how could a child wandering so freely

was probably more terrifying than the Dreadkraken

mean to disturb you. Please forgive us,” he said, dropping to one knee. He was unable to hide the tremor

and dropped to their knees. The armor clattered loudly and sharply in the stillness of the

best fighters, couldn’t even withstand a single punch from this child, what kind of being were

sturdy branches creaked softly. The child seemed oblivious to Nathaniel’s apology, or perhaps simply didn’t bother to

clouds while humming that tuneless nursery rhyme again. Strange as it was, the

gritted his teeth and looked

he began. He was about to say something when he saw the child suddenly raise

an instant, a violent wind swept from deep within the grove. It carried countless leaves that sliced

a tremendous force slam into his chest. He was thrown backward

everyone was swept away like dust before an invisible broom. They tumbled outside

trunks, splitting their heads open instantly. Others tripped over vines and rolled down the

a blue stone, and his vision went black. He struggled to lift his head just in time to see