My Borderline Supervillain-Slash-Hero System
Chapter 72 – Flicks of Doom

Chapter 72: Chapter 72 – Flicks of Doom

Time was running out. Zane knew it.

His Demonification state had only minutes left—and he needed to finish this.

With a burst of phantom-like speed, he closed the distance. One second he was there—then gone—then reappeared beside the beast.

The werewolf growled, baring its fangs.

Zane calmly raised a single finger and flicked it right against the beast’s forehead.

Crack!

The force sent the towering creature skidding backward, rolling violently across the grassland.

Sebastian, still conscious within his monstrous form, roared in fury and lunged. His massive jaws opened wide, aiming to rip Zane apart with one brutal bite.

Too slow.

Zane vanished again and reappeared at the same spot—flick—another precise hit on the forehead.

And again.

And again.

Flick. Flick. Flick.

Each strike landed in the exact same place—relentless, precise, and terrifyingly powerful.

The werewolf staggered, losing momentum. Blood trickled from the targeted spot, soaking its fur.

Eren, watching from afar, couldn’t just stand by. With a quick gesture, the hanging mirror flared.

Beams of searing white light rained down on Zane.

But Zane didn’t flinch.

The beams struck his skin, but the damage was laughable—his regeneration was outpacing the attacks. He didn’t even glance at Eren.

His sole focus was the wolf.

Flick. Flick. Flick.

Each one a drumbeat of despair echoing in Sebastian’s mind. The pain was excruciating, but worse was the helplessness.

No matter what movement techniques he used, no matter how fast he tried to dodge—Zane was already there, already waiting, already flicking.

It was maddening.

The proud prince of the Southern Alpha Kingdom—brought low by a single human’s finger.

Sebastian let out a guttural, defeated howl. The psychological pressure mounted with each blow. He had underestimated this foe.

This wasn’t a fight anymore. It was a lesson.

And he was the student.

Humiliated and cornered, Sebastian made the only logical decision left—flee.

He turned and bolted.

But Zane was faster.

Much faster.

Flick. Flick. Flick.

Every attempt to escape was met with another crushing blow to the same bruised, bloodied spot.

It felt like a nightmare loop, one he couldn’t wake from.

Eren watched the spectacle with growing horror. His master—the Celestial Wolf King—was being toyed with.

He gritted his teeth, realizing the cold truth.

"This human..." he muttered, "he’s a monster."

Then he made a desperate decision. "Your Highness! He’s out of our league!" Eren shouted. "There’ll be another time. We need to survive. I’ll activate that thing. Get ready!"

Zane heard it clearly.

He sneered, eyes glowing like embers. "Trying to run now? That’s not gonna happen."

Zane lunged again, his flicks striking with even more intensity. Sebastian, still in his beast form, scrambled away—tail tucked, eyes bloodshot and dripping with crimson from the repeated blows.

Nearby, Eren reached into his shirt and pulled out a small piece of tissue paper inscribed with arcane symbols and diagrams. Zane glanced at it with narrowed eyes, his All-Seeing Almighty Vision still active. He immediately saw the immense mana sealed within its lines.

Eren snapped his fingers, and the talisman ignited, burning into ash.

Nothing happened.

Zane cocked his head. "That’s it?"

Then—whoosh!

A surge of chaotic mana spiraled upward, pulling wind and debris into the air. A swirling black portal tore open beside Eren, its rim glowing like burning coal. The mana it radiated felt ancient and unstable.

Zane clicked his tongue. "Teleportation talisman, huh? Cute. But you’re not getting away that easy."

He vanished, reappearing beside the battered wolf, flicking toward the same wounded spot once more—

—but this time, his target vanished mid-flick.

A flash.

Eren had moved. His hands blurred into a series of seals as the magical mirror suspended in the air above him spun wildly, then cracked.

"Body Replacement Technique!" he shouted.

The mirror shattered. A puff of smoke followed—and Zane’s flick crushed nothing but a wooden dummy, exploding it into splinters.

Zane immediately turned, spotting Eren now dragging the unconscious Sebastian by the collar, retreating toward the portal. Eren’s feet were already inside the dark doorway.

Zane moved at his best speed. However he knew he was not going to make it in time.

Just as Eren began to pull the beast through, a shadow fell over him.

Boom!

A massive foot descended from above—Shelby’s.

With a single stomp, he crushed the portal like glass.

BANG!

A thunderous explosion followed, the impact creating a massive shockwave that shook the earth. A giant crater split the ground open, dust and energy ripping through the air. Even Tussar Lake reacted, waves bursting upward and spraying into the air as if reacting to the force.

When the dust settled, Zane looked on in disbelief.

At the crater’s center stood Shelby, calm and unmoving, his foot still embedded into the cracked earth. Beside him lay the unconscious Sebastian, now partly reverted back to human form.

Zane stepped forward, raising his hand for a finishing blow.

Shelby caught his wrist. "That’s enough. The mission’s done," he said. "Let’s take him alive."

Zane hesitated. Then nodded.

Just then, the werewolf prince groaned, slowly shrinking back to full human form. His body was beaten, bloodied, but breathing.

Zane suddenly stumbled. His body buckled under pain—his Demonification had timed out. The side-effects hit instantly: muscle cramps, drained mana, overwhelming fatigue.

He collapsed.

Shelby caught him mid-fall.

"Congrats," he said, his voice unusually warm. "You’ve finally passed my training, Zane Carter. You’re officially qualified to enter the Fresher Ranking Tournament. Don’t let me down."

Zane opened his mouth to speak, but another voice cut through the trees.

"Zane!"

Erlin rushed forward, her expression pale with worry. Shelby smirked and shoved Zane toward her. "Here comes your Sugar Mama."

Zane barely kept his balance as Erlin caught him, hugging him tightly. She didn’t say a word—her trembling hands moving over his face, shoulders, arms, checking for wounds. Her eyes said everything.

Zane looked up at his mentor. "You saw me use that skill..." he said quietly. "Are you going to report me to the Academy?"

Shelby’s smile widened. "Report what? I didn’t see a damn thing."

He winked.

"Now go patch yourself up," Shelby added, walking toward the unconscious Sebastian. "I’ve got some loose ends to tie."