is it wrong to try to build a criminal Empire?

"Fireball!" All For One unleashed a massive ball of fire, obliterating the first wave of killer ants that closed in on them.

'My "mind" has improved.' he thought while watching the flames burn away the Ants to Ashes.

He turned to meet Welf's worried face. "Stay back. That heavy sword will be your death in a battle of Endurance," All For One instructed, calm and commanding, as the second wave of ants scurried toward them, mandibles clicking.

Welf's face twisted with worry. "But what about you? You seriously can't expect to handle all of them!" He gripped his heavy sword tighter, unwilling to lose a companion on their first day together.

All For One met the advancing swarm with narrowed eyes, gripping his blade. "Don't worry. I'm strong." Without waiting for a response, he leapt into the thick of the swarm, his sword cleaving through a line of ants before sweeping outward to bisect a lone attacker.

Another ant lunged at his leg. Sidestepping, he slashed downward into its eye, feeling the crunch as his blade sank deep. Yet they were relentless—more ants closed in, seemingly endless in number.

"Fireball!" he cast, summoning another massive blaze. The light burst forth in a blinding flash, vaporizing the second wave and stalling the third's advance.

Without a moment to waste, All For One, seeing the remnants of the third wave still distant, vaulted back to Welf, catching three ants with a sweep of his blade. They crumbled to dust. He spun, driving his heel into an ant behind him, sending it crashing into a group and halting their advance, if only momentarily.

He could feel his mind pool dwindling, he can't reach for the Mind motion on his bag, he'll get cornered instantly,

The swarm was growing larger. 'Damn it, they keep coming.' He gritted his teeth, ducking just as a set of mandibles snapped inches from his shoulder. He retaliated with a powerful upward slash that split the attacker. Another lunged from his left, and he countered with a brutal headbutt, relishing the crack of its shell.

He glanced back. Welf was flagging, barely able to keep his sword up. 'He's too worn out from the earlier fights... I'll have to handle this, or we both die.'

Just then, Welf missed a swing, giving an ant the opening to lunge at his arm and sink its mandibles into him.

"Agh!" Welf cried out. All For One's heightened senses honed in, and he bolted forward, throwing his sword. It struck the ant's exoskeleton, killing it instantly. He retrieved his weapon from the crumbling carcass, spinning with deadly precision to slice through the ants around Welf until only lifeless bodies remained.

Welf lay unconscious but breathing. But All For One didn't have a moment's rest; the ground trembled as a new wave of ants surged forward.

His gaze shifted to the hole where the sack had fallen from—an opening that led back to the surface. it might be the only way out. If he could collapse the passage, burying the ants, they might just survive.

Channeling the last of his energy, he raised his hand, focusing everything into one final, explosive spell.

"Fireball!" This one was larger than any before, blazing so brightly that even the ants hesitated, to approach the bright Death. He launched it at the walls opening, watching it slam into the cavern with a thunderous impact.

The price was steep. Pain ripped through his head, consciousness Fading but he kept standing, as he watched his gamble unfold. The ground shook violently as cracks splintered outward, rocks crashing down in a landslide that buried the ants and sealed the path to the eighth floor. As dust filled the air, All For One staggered. His mind pool was almost zero. But he refused to stand down, he still has unfinished business.

Slowly, with deep breaths, he made his way to Welf's unconscious body, patched his hand with a makeshift bandages from welfs sleeve, then picked him by the collar, and dragged him slowly towards his next target.

"I'll make sure you pay for this dearly" he muttered under deep breaths.

---

It was over!

Lili was thrilled—she was finally going to be free! And all it cost her was yet another sin to add to her countless others.

But it was worth it!

Making her way toward the sixth floor, she had already relayed the location of her temporary companions through the strange mental link her benefactor had established to communicate. Slowly, she slipped away from her support position, allowing them to pass her without suspicion as she made her escape. Everything had gone perfectly!

The payment was already done, too! She just needed to get out, and she'd finally live a normal life.

As she rounded a corner, a sword handle struck her square in the nose, dislocating it and knocking her to the ground.

"Agh!" she cried in pain and confusion. What was happening? Had she been double-crossed? But the payment had already been made!

Tears welled in her eyes from the pain, blood dripping from her nose. She managed to look up and saw her attacker: a black-haired human with a katana.

"Doran! I found our little mouse!" he shouted, glancing behind him. There, approaching, was the dwarf who had hired her for the job.

The dwarf walked closer, looking down at her with a sharp gaze. "Tell me, did you say anything to them about us?" he asked, his voice edged with menace.

Frantically, Lili shook her head. "L-Lili didn't say anything! S-She just wants to leave. She won't tell anyone about anything!" she choked out. They could easily snap her in half—better to cooperate.

Doran stared silently for a few moments, then finally spoke. "Good. You did your job well, but now we don't need you." Turning his back, he added, "Haruto, finish her off so we can get out of this shithole."

Lili's heart sank. "W-Why are you doing this?" she sobbed, blood mixing with her tears. "You already paid for the job! What more do you want from Lili?!"

The dwarf glanced back, expression cold. "I want silence, and the best way to get that is with a corpse. Dead mortals tell no tales." With a dry chuckle, he repeated his command. "Finish her."

The black-haired man, Haruto, stepped forward, katana raised for the final blow.

Lili couldn't believe her own stupidity. After all the torment she had endured, she was about to die a pathetic death at the hands of the very people who hired her to trap some innocent adventurers.

'How fitting,' she thought bitterly.

Haruto moved to strike, but was forced to leap back as a wall of flames materialized between them.

"What the hell?!" he shouted, taken aback by the unexpected attack.

From his safer distance, the dwarf noticed. "A magic sword? I didn't expect a runt like you to have one," he observed.

Lili struggled to her feet, trembling. "S-Stay back, or else!" she threatened. If she was going down, she'd take one of them with her!

"Doran! What should we do?!" Haruto called, hesitating now that his opponent wielded a magic sword.

"Idiot. Just dodge until the sword's spent. It'll break soon enough," Doran instructed calmly.

"Oh, right." Haruto prepared to attack again.

Lili doubted the sword would last more than a few strikes, but she wasn't about to give up so easily!

Haruto charged at her, chanting, "Storm-bringer, grant my steps the speed of light."

Lili swung her magic sword, another wall of flames surging toward Haruto, who narrowly dodged to the side.

"Through thunder's roar and tempest's gale, guide me swift—I shall not fail!" he finished, calling out "Raijin!" as blue lightning enveloped his legs.

Lili barely registered what happened next. One moment, she was swinging her magic sword, its blade cracking, losing color. She saw the flames engulf Haruto.

Then suddenly, he was beside her, delivering a brutal kick to her head, his leg crackling with blue lightning. She was thrown against the dungeon wall, knocked unconscious, unable to stand.

"Too easy. Guess I didn't need to waste my Mind on this," Haruto sneered, laughing as he looked down at her.

"Just finish it already," Doran sighed.

"Yeah, yeah, I'm on it. Can't wait to get out of here, can you?" Haruto started toward Lili but stopped abruptly as his eye caught movement.

Turning, he saw a white-haired kid—Their Target—approaching, a dark expression on his face, dragging an unconscious red-haired man by his collar.

"What the...?" Haruto muttered, stunned that their target had managed to get through the horde of killer ants so quickly.

Doran sneered, "It seems we underestimated you, 'Sensei,'" he said mockingly.

In response, 'sensei' released his grip on his companion's collar and readied himself for a fight.

"Oh yes! I'm going to enjoy making you pay!" Haruto exclaimed, almost delighted.

---

All For One followed the path where he sensed four abilities: two from the supporter likely, and two from the unknown assailants who had trapped him with a horde of killer ants.

Dragging Welf by the collar, conserving stamina by not carrying him fully, he retrieved the mind potion he'd bought before this dive, he wanted to make sure he'll reach the ninth floor today, but plans have changed.

He downed it all in one go, ensuring his magic reserves would last for another fight, and tossed the empty container aside.

He'd need a new strategy. Facing two unknown enemies without knowing their abilities would be reckless.

Glancing at Welf, he felt the two abilities within him, All For One recalled their earlier conversation.

Flashback

"Do you have any spells, Welf?" he asked, already aware of the answer but curious to hear more.

They were taking a break, watching Miss Arde gather monster cores from the wave they'd just cleared.

Welf glanced at him and replied, "technically I shouldn't answer that because it's a familia only knowledge, but as we're in a party, you'll find out soon enough."

He grinned, continuing, "I have a spell that causes an 'Ignis Fatuus'—it's what happens when a mage messes up their chanting and loses focus. Their spell literally blows up in their face!" He gestured with a dramatic flourish.

An anti-magic spell? Very useful. Pity he needed Welf alive; otherwise, he'd have taken it right now.

"Interesting. How does it work? Mine only needs me to shout 'Fireball.'" He was genuinely curious about the differences between spells.

"Yes, I noticed that," Welf nodded. "Mine's a short incantation like yours. Here, let me show you, though without the magic." He faced forward.

"Burn out, dark magics! Will-o'-wisp!" He extended his hand—nothing happened, of course.

He glanced back, grinning. "If someone's preparing a spell, they're as good as done."

End of flashback

Convenient, All For One thought.

He gently grasped Welf's head, careful not to injure him, and extracted both abilities, he wasn't sure which is which. The process, more delicate than his usual brutal approach, took longer, but there was no need to cripple Welf.

Finishing the extraction, he felt the presence of two new abilities within him. The incantation engraved into his Mind,

'so it's not a requirement to learn the incantation' he thought, reliefed that he isn't forced to waste time torturing people to teach him their incantation.

Hopefully, welfs spell would be his edge in the upcoming battle.

As he closed the distance to where he sensed the other abilities, sounds of fighting echoed from ahead.

So, the little supporter was putting up a fight? Adorable.

He arrived just as the sounds ceased. There, unconscious and slammed against the wall, was Lili. Opposite her stood a human And a dwarf further away in the back.

"It seems we underestimated you, 'Sensei'" the dwarf sneered.

These were the masterminds? A stout midget and a wannabe samurai? How disappointing.

He dropped Welf's collar and took up a combat stance.

"Oh, I'm going to enjoy making you pay for killing our members!" the ronin sneered, drawing his katana with a slow, threatening arc. A katana—so they existed here, too.

So this was about revenge? Irrational.

Without further delay, both of them charged, weapons clashing with a deafening ring as sparks flew between them. The force of their blows sent dust flying through the cave.

"You're stronger than you look," the ronin taunted, pushing off to leap back and immediately spring forward with a spinning slash. All For One deflected it, sliding back from the impact, and countered with a low swing aimed at the ronin's legs.

The ronin twisted, narrowly evading the strike and retaliating with a downward slash aimed at All For One's shoulder. He parried just in time, their weapons locking in a fierce struggle. The ronin grinned wickedly, pushing forward with a surge of strength, forcing All For One to give ground.

"Fireball," All For One muttered, his free hand glowing as a sphere of fire launched toward the ronin's face. The ronin ducked, narrowly avoiding it, and rolled to the side with a laugh.

'he's fast,' all for one thought grimly.

"That spell...it's almost identical to Russell's!" the ronin sneered, stabilizing himself and charging again, this time feinting a high slash before twisting into a thrust aimed at All For One's midsection.

All For One sidestepped, slashing downward, but the ronin spun away and countered with a roundhouse kick to All For One's side, sending him staggering.

The ronin quickly raised his katana again. "This is where you die!" He slashed wildly, a series of rapid, deadly strikes that forced All For One to stay on the defensive. He dodged, blocked, and parried, each blow heavier than the last.

He casted "Fireball!" Forcing the ronin to jump back again.

'I just need one opening.' all for one thought

"Tch, I'll show you!" The ronin shouted, annoyed. Then began chanting "Storm-bringer, grant my steps the speed of light!" the ronin chanted.

All For One saw his opportunity and Smiled darkly, 'oh it seems today is my lucky day!'

chanting his own spell, he muttered, "Burn out, dark magics. Will-o'-wisp" A faint wind snaked toward the ronin's feet, unnoticed as the ronin continued his barrage.

"Through thunder's roar and tempest's gale, guide me swi—" The ronin was in mid-sentence when the spell took effect, igniting his legs in a burst of blue flames.

"Aghaaa! What the hell?!" the ronin screamed as his legs crumbled to charred bones, his katana slipping from his grasp.

From the back, the dwarf sighed in irritation. "Fucking Idiot."

All For One seized the moment, dashing forward and ruthlessly grabbing the ronin's head.

Dark lightning crackled around his hand as he activated his power to it's fullest extent, the ronin's screams turning to gasps as his spell was being torn from him in a wave of pure agony. With a final shudder, the ronin slumped.

All For One, quickly Slashing the ronin's throat with his sword, dropped the body and faced the dwarf, who remained unfazed, pulling his massive axe from his back.

"Quite the terrifying gift you wield," the dwarf said calmly. "To strip others of their strength and make it your own. Poor Russell and Fang."

All For One's eyes narrowed. 'This one knew too much. But it wouldn't matter—he wouldn't live to spread that knowledge.'

The dwarf's calm demeanor shifted, and with a single bound, he was upon All For One, swinging his axe with brutal speed. All For One barely dodged, the axe grazing his shoulder and carving into the stone floor as he rolled out of reach. The dwarf followed with a second swing, then a third, each strike a thunderous blow that shook the cave.

'he's strong!' All for one thought while feigned a retreat, drawing the dwarf into a fast-paced exchange. Blades clashed, sparks flying as he narrowly parried the dwarf's attacks. Each impact jarred his arms, but he used the dwarf's momentum against him, sidestepping and landing a quick cut across the dwarf's arm.

The dwarf grunted, momentarily thrown off balance, but quickly retaliated, sweeping his axe in a low arc. All For One leaped over it, twisting midair to bring his sword down at the dwarf's exposed shoulder. The dwarf blocked with his arm, wincing as the blade sliced a deep gash.

'Strong, but not fast enough!' All For One began a mental incantation 'Storm-bringer, grant my steps the speed of light.' He charged again, this time aiming a feint to the dwarf's right, then ducking under a retaliatory swing and aiming for the dwarf's legs. The dwarf, surprisingly agile, pivoted, slamming a fist into All For One's side, sending him skidding across the ground.

The pain was intense, but he continued the incantation in his head, keeping his focus. 'Through thunder's roar and tempest's gale, guide me swift—I shall not fail.'

As the dwarf charged, All For One finished his spell, shouting, "Raijin!" His legs burst into black lightning, and he shot forward, closing the distance in an instant. He struck the dwarf from multiple angles, leaving trails of searing black lightning with each pass.

The dwarf staggered, blood seeping from several new wounds, but he grinned through the pain. "Chanting in your mind? Impressive."

All For One dashed in, delivering a flurry of rapid strikes, each one aimed at the dwarf's vitals. The dwarf blocked or parried most of them, but the speed was beginning to wear him down. A vicious uppercut from All For One's blade slashed the dwarf's cheek, drawing blood, and a quick sidestep allowed him to carve a deep gash across the dwarf's thigh.

Grimacing, the dwarf lashed out with a kick, but All For One dodged, countering with a point-blank fireball that exploded against the dwarf's torso. The force of the blast left him momentarily stunned, and All For One took advantage, lunging with a powerful downward strike that severed the dwarf's arm cleanly from his body.

The dwarf staggered, barely able to stand, but he raised his axe with his remaining hand. "Still… standing…" he muttered, defiant to the end.

All For One moved in for the final blow, kicking the dwarf hard in the chest and sending him crashing into the wall. The last of his black lightning faded as exhaustion caught up with him, but he forced himself forward, placing a hand on the dwarf's head to extract his abilities.

The dwarf coughed, blood dripping from his mouth as he smirked weakly. "You… win," he rasped, and before All For One could interrogate him, the dwarf bit down hard, choking as he ended his own life.

All For One stepped back, watching as the dwarf died.

'Loyalty until the bitter end.' he can respect that.

He took a shaky step back, intending to check on Welf. But before he could make it far, his legs buckled, and he collapsed, exhaustion finally claiming him.

Damn it...

---

AN: this took forever to write, Had to research a lot of fighting stances and read a lot of fights for inspiration for it too.

I'm actually not sure if it's a good chapter or not, do leave a review of it if you think it's not good, I tried to make it more action this time.