Different ways

After Ava got changed, Seth teleported them both back to the inn.

Ava messed up her hair and clothes while saying: “So, you said something about having Dan move away from the beaten path. What is that about? Make it quick since he must be already waiting for me to return.”

“I’ll need to fight and defeat him, but since Pain has such a large population, the roads will constantly have people moving back and forth. To ensure no one finds out about my plan, I’ll need you to propose to him that you’ll take a shortcut.”

As he spoke, Seth created a map where he marked a path they could take to reach the port faster. “When he asks why you were late, tell him you blew off some steam with one of the locals in a bar and show him the map. Tell him that the local knew the kingdom better and that this path will be much shorter.”

Ava took the map and furled it before asking: “I’ll try. Anything else? Will you need me to fight him as well?”

Seth shook his head: “No. I alone am enough to take care of him. You can stand by the side and watch.”

“Alright. I’m going.” Said Ava before placing her map in her chest and running out of the inn door.

Seth watched her run away and disappeared as well, observing her encounter with Dan using the system.

Dan looked pissed at her being late. They got into a little argument before eventually mounting their horses, saying their goodbyes to the kings, and departing.

With Ava’s insistence, Dan eventually agreed to the new path. After traveling for a few hours, they left the main road and headed for the course Seth had prepared.

Seth started following them from a distance using the system, ensuring he didn’t get too close to them.

After they were far enough from the main road and the system informed him there were no other people who could disturb them, Seth teleported ahead and waited patiently.

In a few minutes, both Ava and Dan appeared from over a small hill, ridding their horses at full speed. Noticing someone waiting for them, Ava had a nervous expression while Dan started frowning.

“Didn’t you say this path had no people traveling on it?” asked Dan in an irritated tone.

Ava shook her head, feigning ignorance, and said: “I don’t know. That’s what that local told me. Maybe is just another local that knew the way? Let’s pass him.”

Dan frowned and said: “I don’t like it. It feels like he’s been waiting for us.”

As Ava was starting to panic, seeing Dan’s horse slow down, Seth disappeared from the middle of the road. He appeared next to Dan, his foot covered in destruction energy and heading straight for Dan’s head.

Dan quickly reacted by channeling destruction energy in his fist and punching back at Seth’s foot while at the same time jumping off Seth’s back.

When his fist met Seth’s leg, he felt Seth’s energy and smiled, knowing he was stronger. He also had an ally, the energy coming from Ava already starting to head towards Seth.

As he smiled cruelly and got ready to follow up Ava’s attack, her energy turned mid-air, hitting him in the back. He barely had time to protect his back. Still, her attack was too unexpected, and he was propelled forward, leaving himself open for Seth to deliver another kick.

After barely blocking Seth’s attack, Dan glided across the ground for more than 30 feet and stopped when he hit a large tree. His back had a massive hole in his clothes, and even a few layers of skin were missing, while one of his ears was utterly obliterated.

Still, he looked angrier than he was in pain as he said: “Ava, you dare?”

Ava lowered her head and said: “Sorry, Dan. I had no choice.”

“Haha, after my father took you in and raised you as if you were his daughter. I even took care of you like you were my sister. Now you betray us? For this man?”

Ava’s body shook, and she looked up, no less angry than Dan: “What raised me like I was his daughter? He took me in because I was an ascended and turned me into a slave of the kingdom. What care? I kept being sent on mission after mission since the moment I became an ascended. I couldn’t even visit my lands and check on the people in my village.”

“I was an orphan, but I still had people who cared for me and friends there. When I visited home again, they were all old and frail. I couldn’t even gather the courage to go and talk to them. You took my life away and forced a new one upon me, and as if that was not enough, you also took away my freedom.”

Dan looked even more furious: “You know that father also has no choice. You ungrateful bitch, even if I die today, I’ll take you with me.”

“No choice?” asked Ava back: “He had a choice. When he passed by my village, he could have just ignored me and let me live my life there as a normal human. Why did he have to report my affinity and take me as his disciple?”

“We all have a duty to our kingdom. Don’t you - “

“That enough.” Yelled Seth, stopping Dan’s words as he slowly walked towards him.

Dan snorted and looked towards Seth: “Who gave you the right to speak, fourth shell? Are you the one who put these stupid thoughts in my sister’s mind?”

Seth raised a hand to stop Ava from speaking: “I already told you, Ava, that I’ll deal with him. Just sit there and watch. It will be quite entertaining.”

Ava stopped channeling her energy and stared daggers at Dan.

“Empty words.” Scoffed Dan, charging toward Seth, his entire body covered in destruction energy. As he got close, he waved his left hand, sending a destruction blade toward Seth’s waist while his other hand created a destruction sword which he swung at Seth’s neck.

Seth stopped and watched as the two destruction attacks approached his body. The same incident with Arseus repeated itself and the energy deactivated as it passed through Seth’s body.

As Dan was astonished by what was happening, Seth punched him straight in the face. A simple punch with no kind of energy involved.

Before Dan could sit up, Seth went forward and started kicking him. Dan kept trying to use his energy to fight back, but it was as if his energy no longer listened to his commands. The more he attacked, the more his source started spinning out of control.

As desperation started to set in, realizing that he couldn’t even fight back for some reason, a crazed look appeared in his eyes, and he moved to detonate his source.

Seth snorted when he felt the activity inside Dan’s source and placed his hand on Dan’s forehead, feeding his body with perception energy.

A fierce struggle appeared in Dan’s eyes, and Seth could feel he was slowly fighting off his perception energy.

Knowing he couldn’t allow him to focus on repelling his brainwash, Seth raised his foot before stepping hard between his legs. Dan’s eyes widened as tears appeared in them, and Seth’s perception energy started working again.

The struggle in his eyes was soon replaced by pure pain before eventually even that went away, and he was left with a dull look. His source also stopped trying to detonate, and Seth removed his hand from his forehead.

“It’s done.” He said, feeling Ava approaching from the back.

Ava looked at the blood flowing out of Dan’s crotch and said: “What’s done? Also, was that necessary?”

“It was.” Replied Seth with a nod. “Watch.”

Slowly, a mark started appearing on Dan’s forehead. The mark resembled two stars, one golden and one black, swimming in a circle. It was completely different than Ava’s, prompting her to ask: “What does that do?”

“It will make it impossible for him to disobey my orders. Actually, that’s not exactly true. It will seal his will away and replace it with a will of my source, which will look to follow every one of my instructions. It also allows me to see through his eyes, read his memories and feel whatever he’s feeling, even if the distance I can do that is not that big.”

Ava took a hand to her belly and asked with a look of realization: “You planned to do the same to me, didn’t you?”

Seth nodded, not hiding it from her: “I did, yes, but accidents happened.”

Ava lowered her head and didn’t say anything, but Seth could feel the sadness coming from her. Sighing, he said: “Don’t take it the wrong way. We were enemies, and that was the cleanest way to ensure you followed my plan.”

Ava nodded: “I understand.”

The two then sat down and waited for the brainwash to be complete. Seth also started looking through Dan’s memories as they flooded his mind while Ava cultivated by the side.

After Dan finally woke up, he fell on one knee in front of Seth.

“Master.”

Ava looked at the man she had known as her step-brother for a long time and couldn’t believe what she was seeing. She was terrified of Seth’s power and wondered if the same fate awaited her.

She didn’t realize that Seth could hear her thoughts through their link, but he didn’t say anything either. There was nothing he could say to clear her doubts, and he could only wait for her to see for herself.

After giving Dan his orders, Seth turned towards Ava.

“This is where we part ways. He will listen to your orders if anything happens, so do your best to fix the situation. I’ll leave everything in your care, and we’ll meet again in Endora.”

“I understand.” Replied Ava, sitting up and walking towards her horse. Dan also stood up and followed after her.

After she mounted her horse again, Seth looked at her and said: “Ava, I know my words don’t mean much right now, but I do plan on keeping my end of the deal. When everything is over, let’s have another drink.”

Ava didn’t reply and continued riding away with Dan, leaving Seth no choice but to sigh and teleport away, heading back towards Pain’s capital.