The Harder They Fall

Tears slowly rolled down the side of Countess Sugimoto's face while she was kneeling in front of a freshly mounted gravestone. Its ashen color and shape, designed to mirror the other head stones in the graveyard, was surrounded on all sides by members of the Sugimoto estate. A butler standing to the side of the kneeling woman bent down to supply a handkerchief to his Master. Although she was crying, the sounds of her servants sniffles and sobs overpowered her meager releases. The stone she was kneeling at had been etched with Lady Roxanne Delphi's name and her span of life. Beside her, Sir Delphi was also kneeling. His features were stoic, yet his emotions were clear.

The low light of early morning lit the sorrowing scene and the frost that had developed on the grass nearly overnight started to melt. Leaving the group to their final farewells, the local Priest left the site after he quoted a religious text. The old man knew of the Countess and he knew of her closeness to her maidservant Roxanne. He performed the rite free of charge and volunteered his services specifically to help ensure the procedure was done properly, allowing the poor woman to rest. When he first heard the state the woman was found in two days ago, he nearly lost what love he had for humanity. It was only after the temple received the request for a Priest that he thought he should at least send the girl away. As he exited through the graveyard gate, his eyes glanced in passing at the sight of three other mourners standing away from the main funeral. He recognized her on sight as the woman was the topic of discussion throughout the City recently, but thought no more of it and continued off the premises.

"Is this fine with you?"

"Lady Roxanne Delphi has already died, Master."

"Is that right... Will you meet with him?"

"No. He should... do his best to move on."

"Is that so..."

Hiiro listened to the exchange between the two women as he leaned against a tree. When he closed his eyes then reopened them, he was focused now on the young man exiting the graveyard by himself. The late Lady's husband, a Knight worthy of respect by all accounts, clearly held contempt in his eyes. Hiiro felt a prickling on his conscious as he watched the man walked off. The gears in his head continued turning and the sight of a carriage nearing the entrance drew a subtle smile from him. Although he told Lapis early on he would only get involved when schemes were directed at her, he couldn't help but get involved in the political situation of the City. He knew in his mind after war gaming out every scenario with different possibilities that the moment Marquess laid his eyes upon Lapis, or even heard of her exploits, that she would become his next target.

Rather than be surprised, Hiiro had planned days ago with the Countess and Mr. Redmon on how to bring the Marquess down from his position without outright killing him. Although the situation with Roxanne Delphi was a pitiful situation, it sped his plans up considerably. After discussing it with Lapis, Ruby and Aria, the current plan was tailored to pick up nearly halfway into where the original one would have been. Although it moved his time line forward, it also cut out important evidence that would have sustained the claims brought forth later. Now that the evidence was lacking, Hiiro was forced to give orders to trusted agents under Mr. Redmon's command and sent Zirco to plant evidence in more secure locations.

His eyes followed the carriage as it stopped in front of the gates and a gaudy man stepped out from the cabin. Hiiro's eyesight was enhanced with magic and he was able to clearly see the smile plastered across the man's face. After reaching the ground, he took a moment to push the smile away and fake a terribly false sad expression. The man started walking into the graveyard and passed by Sir Delphi in the process. The two simply passed by without as much as a single word or glance exchanged between the two. Hiiro could only think how simply it would be to let that young man know who it was that killed Lady Delphi and use his sense of revenge to strike the Marquess down. The idea crossed his mind after recognizing a similar situation that happened in his youth. If Countess Sugimoto hadn't rejected that idea, this entire fiasco would have ended just a moment ago. Unfortunately, the two passed by each other without even recognizing their mutual existences.

From where he stood, he was able to see the Marquess' eyes and after following his gaze, found them to be locked onto the still praying Countess. He clicked his tongue and prepared himself to step in when he felt his wrist grabbed onto. After looking at the offender, he slowly cooled his thoughts and returned to his stance against the tree. He moved his eyes to the sky and watched the orange clouds drift as soft words fell upon him.

"You are too kind Hiiro, but that woman will only become stronger in the face of adversity. We will leave this to her."

Although he wanted to refute her, the look he saw floated across Lapis' face dissuaded him. He knew that of the many leaders in the world who knew adversity and how to stand against it, this failure of a Demon Lord would probably know it best. Her expression contained a mix of anger, worry and most potently, experience. Though he could discern it, he doubted he could remain as calm as her if he were put through a similar betrayal. Rather than analyze her state of mind, he moved his attention back to the funeral site and prepared himself for the inevitable encounter. As if sensing his state of mind, Lapis smiled sardonically.

"What a terrible start to a bright future."

"I agree."

***

Wilfred slowly returned from his bow with the handkerchief still grasped. His Master continued her praying in silence before him, but her tears had finally dried up. The slight moisture on her cheeks was slowly evaporating and her pale expression was gradually returning to a healthy color. Although he too felt saddened by Lady Delphi's death, it wasn't something he was entirely inexperienced in as they were, after all, on the front line of battle and death was always nearby. Behind him, he heard murmurs and slight shuffling dragging his attention to Marquess Tabor and his escort. The man beside him maintained a stoic expression as he did when they visited Countess Sugimoto's estate previously, but the butler could somehow sense a slight disgust on the man's face. Surprisingly, it was directed not at his Master, nor at any of the estate servants, but instead directly at the Marquess himself.

Considering a Knight is a position most members take with pride, as it was granted by the King and Queen, it was rare to see a Knight allow even an ounce of disgust to leak from their countenance. The mere fact that Wilfred was able to register that slight incongruity gave him a bad premonition. Not wanting his Master to suddenly be forced into the confrontation, he knelt beside her slightly while knowing the act was rude, and whispered to her ear. Unlike what he expected though, Countess Sugimoto appeared calm and her eyes brimmed with a slight fire inside them. He watched as she raised herself to her feet and brushed off the slight dirt that accumulated within the folds of her dress and gave a silent farewell to the gravestone before turning to face the inbound Marquess.

With expectant eyes and an obvious agenda, Marquess Tabor closed the distance between himself and Countess Sugimoto. His mask of concern and worry wielded, a series of cheesy comments escaped in her direction.

"Ah, Countess Sugimoto! What a terrible situation this is. You have my greatest condolences!"

Countess Sugimoto turned to face her idol of hatred with a composed face. She felt her emotions surge and press against her throat as her gaze landed on him, but slowly swallowed those feelings to preserve them for later. She bowed slightly and returned a biting reply.

"Marquess Tabor, what a strange coincidence meeting you here, Lady Delphi never told me she knew you. If you have any business with me, please drop by the main hall or estate. If not, I'm afraid I have a criminal to capture."

Hearing the unexpected words, the Marquess' face contorted slightly. For those listening in, her intent was clear. "You shouldn't be here, leave." Her underlying intentions irked the Marquess, but her latter comments caught his attention more.

"Criminal? Who might that be?"

"You needn't worry about matters below yourself, Marquess Tabor. This 'Countess' will perform her duties admirably in good faith."

The Countess ensured her words were quite loud to attract the attention of other mourners nearby. Though she felt bad interrupting their prayers and dragging them into her scheme, she had to make the Marquess back off here in order for their plan to continue. Her less than subtle remarks hinting that the Marquess had no room to interfere with her and his rank should have its own concerns to deal with a card Nobles rarely played for how rude it was. It was a metaphorical slap to the face asking the Marquess to mind his own business and with her defiant eyes filled with more vigor than when she faced him in her own estate, the man himself appeared to cower slightly. Although he didn't want to take the insult lying down, the surroundings now held their attention on their conversation and he could no longer speak as freely as he wanted.

"Good luck in your endeavors, Countess Sugimoto. It's nice to know my fiance is so energetic, even with the death of someone so near to her. I just hope no one else is affected too."

A small smile crossed his face once again and he left behind a disguised threat as he turned to leave. His Knight maintained a stoic expression, but he couldn't hide the disgust for his Master leaking out. Countess Aria watched the man walk away from her with the eyes of a predator locked onto its prey. Her sights moved slightly after catching Lapis in the back ground moving to her position.

***

While he was about to leave the graveyard, Marquess Tabor's mind was filled with various thoughts surrounding the Countess and her heated words. He felt conviction in her tone when she said she'd capture the criminal. He ran through his preparations and each of his plans he recently executed, yet couldn't find a flaw in any of them that would allow someone to discover he was behind it. While he was lost in his thoughts, his Knight suddenly stepped in front of him blocking his path. He was about to become angry at the man, but his sights beyond the Knight stole his breath away. His eyes slowly walked the woman over from her head to her feet and his mind gradually began working again.

The woman slowly approached him with a young man in toe beside her. The man was dressed in commoner clothing, but the woman was dressed in clothing he was unfamiliar with. Her black dress contained silver etchings of petals with a blue hue fading it as the petal design deliberately reached the bottom of the dress. Her dainty arms were completely covered by the dress, but her chest revealed from her mid neck to the edges of her clavicles. The dress appeared to offer no warmth against the frigid atmosphere, yet the woman appeared comfortable and continued approaching. When he moved his gaze to her eyes, he felt that she was ignoring his very existence and instead chose to focus on the Knight protecting him. Unable to identify what was happening to him, his face slowly turned red as if in embarrassment and his hatred at the Knight before him suddenly ignited. He somehow couldn't accept that such a woman was ignoring him and instead took interest in such a low born. That feeling only grew worse and an obsessive desire to possess the woman sparked inside him after he saw her smile to the young escort beside her.

"Marquess Tabor, they are dangerous. Please stay back."

The young Knight broke the Marquess from his sights and brought him back into reality. Unsure of what just happened, he looked at the woman once more and realized the large wings attached to her back. It dawned quickly on him who the woman must be and he pushed aside the Knight who was suppose to protect him. He approached the woman whose smile was no longer visible and knelt before her eliciting a confused murmur throughout the watching crowd. Distracted by the odd behavior of the Marquess, no one in the crowd noticed the smile etching itself upon the Countess' face.

"Good morning, Ma'am. I am Marquess Tabor of Profectus City Defense Council. May I have the pleasure of your wonderful name?"

For a moment, the surroundings went silent while the woman pondered what to do. As if reaching a conclusion, she raised her right hand slightly while presenting herself.

"Good Morning Marquess Tabor of Profectus City Defense Council. I am Empress Lapis Lazuli Fardom. I am only here to visit one of the dead, there is no need for such formalities."

Though she said as such, her presented hand said otherwise and the Marquess followed her intent. Grasping her hand lightly in his, he brought it to his mouth and kissed it. As she withdrew her hand from the man, she seemed to focus her sights at the Knight still on edge beside the Marquess.

"Who might you be, Sir Knight?"

The man looked to his Master for permission before speaking. After receiving a confirming subtle nod, he slackened his defense and took a deep bow.

"I apologize for my rude behavior Empress Fardom. I am still inexperienced as a Knight. My name is Derek Coorid. I serve as Marquess Tabor's sword and shield."

"Is that so? By chance have you taken to banditry in recent times?"

Those words shocked not only the Knight, but the Marquess as well. He forced his exterior to remain calm but was frantic inside.

"I'm not sure I understand Ma'am. May I ask what brought about such questions?"

"It is no trouble. I recall seeing yourself and another Knight steal a lady from an estate.", was the whisper that escaped her mouth.

"I'm sure you're mistaken, Empress Fardom. I've often been confused with other Knights."

The woman's voice held no judgment whatsoever. Marquess Tabor was sweating bullets, but the feeling that something was completely off wouldn't leave him. In fact, he felt the woman before him asked the question in a rather expectant and excited fashion. In his mind, he could only conclude the woman was interested in similar hobbies. Such an extreme conclusion was impossible though and yet since the woman directly confronted them, yet kept her voice low, he could only assume she was either planning to extort him, or potentially ally with him. His imagination slowly turned perverse as he remembered the shape of her body on seeing her initially. Suddenly, the fears he held disappeared and he interrupted the conversation between the two.

"Empress Fardom, would you be so kind as to join me at my estate for tea? Perhaps this or next week?"

"Oh? Could I possibly join you on your ride home? I was hoping your Knight could teach my assistant a thing or two. I feel he is lacking, this would be a good opportunity to teach him mannerisms and potentially defensive techniques."

"Absolutely! I'm certain Sir Coorid could teach your assistant. Well then, would you join me in my coach?"

"Please escort my assistant there. I must still say my farewells to the little lamb."

Marquess Tabor was certain the woman knew he caused the maidservant's death and yet her playful tone of voice and the passiveness of her 'assistant' led him to believe they were of the same cloth. The Fairy walked away from him and slowly approached Countess Sugimoto, who somehow no longer seemed as beautiful in his eyes. He watched as the woman skillfully curtsied the Countess, introduced herself, then proceeded to whisper something into her ear. The Countess fell to her knees and her stoic face that shielded her from the Marquess cracked. He watched as tears gradually fell from the sides of her face and the woman turned around to walk back to them. He felt as if his heart had been stolen by the Fairy before him. Her sneer blatant across her face and her cruel visage bundled with the crying Countess behind her solidified his belief in her.

"I thought I had asked you to escort my assistant?"

"Ma'am, there was no way I could just rudely leave you behind in such a place."

He grandly bowed and the woman took his hand with a giddy laughter. The two left out the graveyard side by side with the eyes of hatred following behind them. Unbeknown to the Marquess, those eyes were directly solely at him.

***

As she watched the group leave, Countess Sugimoto returned to her feet with a smile and wiped the fake tears from her eyes. She turned to Wilfred and with a nod of her head...

"Return to the estate and prepare the paperwork. Take the servants with you and ensure they do not leave the house..."

"I understand, my Lady. However..."

She saw his eyes drift to the woman now standing beside her. Her maid attire matched with those of her estate, yet there was a red inseam that ran along the edges of the outfit and her natural disposition reflected an experience that a 'new' maid would never have. It was only natural Wilfred would suspect the appearance of a new maidservant who solely served his Master. He knew his Master wasn't the type to use and toss out people, nor was she the type to get over the death of a precious servant so quickly. His suspicion of the woman only grew further after linking those previous suspicions together in conjunction with the appearance of the characters Hiiro and Empress Fardom suddenly appearing.

Perhaps his worries showed as his Master seemed to understand his expression.

"Ruby is trustworthy... Treat her as if she were on the same level as Roxanne."

The butler widened his eyes at the overly trusting statement. He glanced once more at the dark skinned woman before accepting his Master's request with reservations.

"I understand, Countess Sugimoto. I'll proceed to prepare the necessary paperwork."

Wilfred bowed once more and proceeded to herd the surrounding servants back towards the estate. He knew today and tomorrow would be slow days to allow the maids and butlers time to finish their mourning. While leaving the site, he returned his sights once more to see his Master with a serious expression in discussion with the new maidservant, Ruby. The older man exhaled audibly and continued on to finish the task he was trusted with.

"Are you sure you want to go through with this, Ruby?"

"I'm fine with it, Master. I'll be the most tempting bait and thanks to Master's adjustments, I'm also the most qualified for self defense now."

Aria frowned slightly at hearing Ruby refer to another person as Master, but after considering how large an influence the woman was to restoring Roxanne to her new form, she simply couldn't find it in herself to be jealous.

"Then we will go present ourselves as bait now."

"Lets."

***

Trotting along the stone pavement, two horses carried behind them a large, flamboyant, carriage. Inside the carriage sat a woman dressed in black with butterfly-esk wings and a commoner placed beside her. Across the aisle sat a rather nervous Knight and a scheming Marquess. Lapis held her eyes closed, listening only to the trots of the horses and the periodic squeaks of the steel wheels. The commoner beside her remained silent with his eyes closed as well. His attentive posture prevented those looking at him to assume he was sleeping, but his calm exterior somehow exuded a form of 'always aware of his surroundings'.

Their travels lasted only a meager five minutes so far, but the Marquess had yet to come up with a topic for the two to discuss. He was enraptured by the sight of the woman across from him and the sight kept stealing his thoughts. He found it strange that he, a man who always got what he wanted, was unable to obtain the woman in front of him. It's not that he wasn't willing to try, he simply felt there was nothing he could do to obtain her. It was as if his plans failed the moment he thought of them refusing him even the ability to dream of her capture. He struggled with his thoughts, but eventually arrived on a subject he failed to ascertain earlier.

"Empress Fardom. I don't believe I caught what nation you commanded."

"Lapis, please. Let us dismiss the formalities when alone."

"I understand, Lapis. As I asked earlier then?"

"Are you familiar with the nation of Lochlea?"

"My apologies, its my first time hearing of such a place."

"No matter. It is located North of Profectus City inside the Demon Nation's territory."

The Marquess immediately widened his eyes at the realization of who Lapis might be. Despite his perverse nature, the man is still part of the Human nation and is duty bound to report threats to his King... or rather Lapis had wished that to be his stance. Rather, she felt he was eager to obtain greater rewards from the King even at the sacrifice of Profectus City. His disgusting nature that was so boldly revealed before her pressed a light smile onto her. The smile wasn't one of kindness, nor of gratitude, but instead one of finding such a cute creature before her. The man before her was so obsessive over rewards and obtaining whatever he desired that he was unable to even contain those desires within himself.

[He might make a fine Demon...], crossed her thoughts as she observed him closely and waiting for his reply.

"Empress... No, Lapis. Can I consider you a friend?"

"Well, I do believe myself to be a friend of those protecting Profectus City. I would not have assisted in its defense otherwise."

"I understand you entirely..." [I doubt you do...] "... and so I'd like to ask you about the state of the Demon Nation."

"I am afraid I cannot reveal anything that may break what little truce exists between myself and the Demon Lord. If you only desire generic information though, I do not mind providing that."

"As expected of a Empress! If you didn't value your nation first, there's no way it would have survived this long I'm sure. Generic is perfectly fine... Really, anything you can provide me is already more than Klasika is aware of."

"I... see. Well then..."

Her eyes glance across the seat to the commoner sitting beside her. He had yet to move even slightly despite the jostling of the carriage and various conversations.

"Hiiro. Give him your assessment of the Demon Nation through the eyes of a Human."

Marquess Tabor observed the man with a slight disdain. He couldn't figure out why an Empress would keep a lowly commoner by her side through her travels. Even servants are typically dressed better than him. Following those judgments, the Marquess was concerned about the quality of information the young man could provide. With his worries painted across his face, he watched as the young man opened his eyes glancing to the Empress' playful smile. The young man didn't reveal any emotions across his face and instead refocused his attention onto the Marquess. The stoic expressions drew a slight curiosity from the Knight across the way, but it was lost immediately after the young man opened his mouth.

"Marquess Tabor. The Demon Nation is, in short, currently in a state of stability. Although Demons in general do not value the same things Humans do, they still respect a power hierarchy and see value in materials. Just as in this nation, it is common to see experienced craftsmen extolling their products and selling in markets. Their food situation appears stable and they have few problems with overpopulation as their species tends to focus on strength over numbers. As far as military strength goes... Our nation has yet to be attacked by more than one General and he focused on summons similar to those your City encountered in your last fight. We were able to negotiate primarily thanks to Empress Lapis Lazuli Fardom, yet their temperament suggests the truce will not last for long."

Hiiro closed his mouth and refused to utter a single word more. He looked to Lapis who held a somewhat surprised expression. Perhaps she hadn't thought he could deliver such a fluent reply filled with key points of information without really saying anything. Oddly enough, as Lapis reviewed his comments, she realized that his entire spiel was actually a correct assessment of the Demon Nation. Although it was a stretch to declare it was in a state of stability, the fact that the Demon Lord was reigning and properly ordering conflict on the front lines suggested a degree of stability at least through the eyes of the military. After the General presented his title and revealed there were four other Generals below the current Demon Lord, an obvious conclusion would be that the Demons respect the current hierarchy since the General was willing to brag about it. The clothing and trinkets the General wore were made out of various materials, some more valuable than others, an so a functioning market could be assumed as well.

If she had to dock Hiiro on anything, it was his final statement. Because what primarily attacked Profectus this time were summoned beasts, he chose to report they valued strength over numbers. Such a statement wasn't incorrect, yet she somehow knew it was the exception rather than the rule. If anything, she predicted that General was on the front line specifically so he could throw disposable soldiers at the City without having to waste real lives. That suggested either the Demons lacked a sizable force, or they valued their soldiers lives enough to send shadows first. She had a third theory, but if it was true, it would suggest the Demons will be nearly impossible to form a peaceful treaty with so she threw it out internally until the situation cleared up more.

The carriage ran across a pothole shuffling the passengers slightly and bringing Lapis back into reality. When she looked across to the Marquess, it seemed he was also zoned out until a moment ago. She cringed internally at the thought of having similar traits to such a man.

"How much farther is your estate, Marquess Tabor? The traveling path seems to be deteriorated. I fear my constitution may not last at this rate."

"O-oh. Nothing to worry about, that dip is practically a marker these days stating we've arrived."

Both Lapis and Hiiro decided not to comment on the strange mentality of not fixing a ever widening pothole in favor for it being a marker and instead turned their attention to the side window to view the estate and its surroundings. The two were still able to feel the presence of the group who had been following them since they first arrived. An small expectant smile slowly spread across Lapis as she thought how exciting it was to be part of a plan and feel it slowly panning out. Her assessment of Hiiro rose slightly without her realizing it.

The carriage pulled around in front of a large gated entrance where two Knights verified the carriage occupants before slowly pulling the gates open. Slipping through, the carriage continued along the stone path until it curved sharply to wind around a central fountain similar to the center of town. As it continued the trail, the carriage slowed to a stop next to the steps of a large manor. Lapis and Hiiro stepped out and observed their surroundings in detail for the first time.

Various Knights seemed to patrol the area in conjunction with guard dogs. The gate surrounding the estate property was made of steel reaching nearly 5 meters atop a 1 meter tall base of concrete. The manor windows appeared to be barred along the outside and the doors seemed to be reinforced with metal along the inner and outer edges. The two followed behind Marquess Tabor and his personal Knight through the entrance doors. As late morning approached, the four figures disappeared into the inner manor while two large doors sealed the exit behind them.

***

"Hah... hah... hah... hah... hah..."

His breaths were rapid as he rounded a turn. He refused to let off the speed and pushed his lungs to their limits. His exhausted state when rounding the bend allowed physics to steal control of his body slamming him against the opposite wall of the alleyway. Ignoring the searing pain of his now dislocated arm, he broke back into a sprint knocking over the trash cans and slum residents who happened to be in his path. Every six to seven steps resulted in the man twisting his neck to look behind him. Although he saw nothing, his fear continued to rise and he maintained his sprint. As he banked another turn, he collapsed to the ground, rolling to a stop. The man attempted to right his exhausted body once again but failed and only ended up landing on his butt. He scooted his body backwards as quickly as possible with his eyes locked onto the end of the alleyway. The intersection was completely empty and in the well lit late morning light, one would call the site anything but scary and yet the man couldn't remove his sights from the exit. More specifically, his eyes were locked onto the set of fingers slowly wrapping around the corner of the intersection. Each individual finger playfully grasped the edge of the wall one at a time. As if to torment the man, the nails attached to the fingers suddenly extended tearing flakes of mortar and brick from the wall leaving long gashes.

A horribly giddy laugh broke the lingering silence perpetuated by only the man's gasps of breath.

"Ugh! Ugggh!"

The man used what little stamina he recovered to lift himself from the ground and broke into a modified sprint back the way he came yet moments before arriving at the next intersection, the pair of fingernails wrapped around the corner of the wall once again forcing him to a stop. The man gasped for air but no longer knew what to do. His flight or fight response never even considered fighting the creature gradually revealing itself before him. He backed up slowly as the terror that had been chasing him at leisure revealed itself from around the wall. His eyes widened and he lost his balance falling onto his back. The creature walked forward at its own pace deliberately closing the distance between itself and the terrified man. Unable to control himself fully, a puddle began forming underneath him and his body increased its shaking frequency.

"AAAAAARGHHHHHHH!!!"

Hearing screams originate from an alleyway, two Knights quickly broke off from the main road and moved to investigate. The two Knights slowly approached the site utilizing teamwork to cover each other's blind spots. Rounding the bend of the suspected site, the two saw nothing but an empty alleyway. Turning away from the alley, one of the Knights bent over and threw up what remained of his early lunch. The acidic smell hardly covered the smell of iron that painted the walls of the alley. Although there wasn't a body, it was clear a butcher of some sort happened and yet the body that provided the blood had completely disappeared. Bringing out a whistle, the Knight blew into it frantically to call for backup.

***

"... though the area seems nice. I was able to find quite a lot of products I would like to trade and bring home."

Lapis and Marquess Tabor were sitting in the main visitors room of the Marquess estate engaged in light banter. Lapis hardly even needed to lie to the man and simply stated her thoughts of the stores, products, tools, people, and her opinions of them. She thought it was rather easy to talk about her feelings of the area to the Marquess, yet she doubted it was due to the man's silver tongue. Although he replied often to her comments, it was rarely saddled without a compliment to her or her supposed nation Lochlea. Even though she had discussed whatever came to mind, her list of subjects to talk about were slowly drying up thanks to the mediocre discussion partner before her.

"I see. I'm sure with a dress as beautiful as what you're wearing, trade between our City and your Nation should be possible."

It was tiring really... She was exhausted maintaining such a neutral atmosphere when a knock resounded on the door to the visitors room. Lapis took notice of the sun's position outside the window and met her gaze to Hiiro. They heard a frantic shout outside the door and another, louder knock on the door.

[It must of begun.]

***

Two men walking through the main shopping were laughing and playfully hitting each other as they moved. They were currently on their way to the side business sector where the less popular stores were situated. Although the stores in this area were not necessarily doing poorly in business, they often just carried products that sold to a niche population inside Profectus. Depending on their product, the income they generated often times surpassed even the stores along the main market road.

The two entered into one of the side roads with food carts and table stalls set up along the path. At each stall along the route, they stopped to talk to the seller. In every situation when they stopped, the stall or table owner quickly took up expressions of fear or distaste. Producing a sample of their product, they'd each hand over an item to the men followed by a bag containing coins. Those unable to produce the coinage had their stalls beaten until it was partially broken or had a selection of their wares confiscated.

Although their actions were clearly deviant and often times outright illegal, the Knights patrolling the area appeared to ignore the men. When a Knight did approach them for questioning, the two men would pull an emblem from their pocket to send the Knight off. Every time the scene repeated itself, the men would laugh at the back of the retreating Knight. Those two men were Knights themselves, but they were higher ranked than those patrolling and they reported directly to one of the leaders in the city. With such a backing, the patrolling Knights could do little against them.

The men left the district and cut through the alleys making their way to the main food district. They had skipped lunch and with the sun nearly directly above them in the sky, their stomachs started growling at their mismanagement of food. The two entered a deeper alley often used by the public to cut across the main road and yet they didn't find it strange that they were the only ones to slip into the bypass.

They continued their banter while walking and snacking on the samplers they received from the shops earlier. One of the men cracked a joke sending the other into a jovial laughing fit forcing him to rest against the wall stabilizing himself. While his view was turned from his friend, he failed to notice the sudden halt of said friend's laughter. He held his stomach from the laughter and turned to continue his walk but he was no longer able to see his companion. The man chuckled a bit out loud calling for hiding man to knock off the joke, but only silence interlaced with the distance sound of commerce filled the site.

As he continued calling for his partner, the jovial atmosphere quickly faded and hints of worry started mixing into his vocals. The man quickly ran to the nearest intersection, yet was unable to find any evidence. He continued looking around until a guttural cry for help reached his ears. Recognizing the voice, the man drew his blade and dashed towards the cry he heard. It wasn't loud, but that only reassured him of the distance between himself and his companion. After moving back to where he thought the sound originated from, he ended up where his friend first disappeared. The guttural sound reached him once again, though it was much louder this time. He turned around searching for the source, but the walls of the alley only served to trick his ears with their reflections of the source's location.

"Chris!!!"

He yelled out once more focusing his ears and closing his eyes to help determine the location of the next cry. Unexpectedly, the cry responded, yet it was nearly a whisper now. Turning to face the source, he became wide eyed at the sight of a creature holding his friend's torso up by a single hand. A series of elongated nails were piercing the man's lungs and he was quickly turning pale from blood loss. The splattering noise drew his sights to the dangling appendages of his friend. Running length wise down his arms were two large gashes from which blood voluminously pumped out of with every heartbeat.

As the shock of his friend's state slowly pressed itself upon the man, he readied his blade against the beast. The wounded man was tossed against the wall erasing the final spark of life that remained inside him. With the creature in full view now, the man suddenly felt a fear he couldn't explain.

"Im... possible... Y-you..."

Unable to finish his words, a pair of sharpened nails swiped across his neck faster than he could perceive. He felt his lungs fill with blood forcing cough after cough out of him. In his last bit of clarity, he turned to run from the creature while spilling blood yet only managed to tumble into the middle of the nearest intersection. The man was able to see merchants and customers walking along the main district road, yet he was unable to call out to them. The final noise he heard was a sharp screech as a pair of nails dug into the rocks tracing a path over his neck. A tumbling head broke into the main shopping district raising screams from those unlucky enough to to be sprayed by the blood thrown from the rolling limb.

The screams of the people attracted Knights from the surroundings who then proceeded to investigate the area. The Knights came across a large pooling of blood yet were unable to find any bodies to match either the amount of blood found on site, or the decapitated head.

***

"Is something wrong?", asked Lapis with a hint of fake concern.

"No, it seems there was a murder in the City."

"Oh, was Profectus such a dangerous City?"

"The City mayor implemented some rules that enabled criminal organizations to take thorough root in the area. This is probably just one of many horrible consequences of that."

"Consequences?"

Marquess Tabor glanced at the woman sitting across from him who held an unquestionably curious gaze across her face. Unable to understand her underlying tone, he continued.

"Yeah. My fiance made some mistakes while outside my watch. The current Profectus is far less safe now because of those policies."

Lapis takes a moment to try and understand what he is trying to say. Unable to pick out any sub context, she takes what he said at face value and returns.

"I am afraid I fail to understand. When I arrived on site during the battle, I saw a mixture of adventurers, mercenaries, and criminal syndicates working together in apparent harmony to protect Profectus City to the death. Now I am not qualified to speak on the nature of a City's defensive stance, however if I may... I find it very hard to believe this City would be standing without those combined efforts prior to my arrival."

"Your assessment would normally be correct, but if she hadn't modified the policies, then each of the nations supporting Profectus would have sent resources to us long ago."

Had Lapis not already researched the history of Profectus City in the library and spoke with the historian, she might have been inclined to believe the Marquess. After all, it wouldn't be the first time a change in policy had second and third order effects that were never accounted for during planning. While her thoughts on the topic were concluding, another rapid knock at the door drew her attention. She noticed the subtle change of expression on the Marquess and lightly smiled as she reached for her tea. Marquess Tabor left the room after excusing himself momentarily leaving Lapis alone in the room with Hiiro and the Knight, Sir Coorid.

Refusing to allow the silence to devolve into awkwardness, Lapis initiated conversation.

"Tell me, Sir Coorid... Why do you hate your Master?"

Though she expected Sir Coorid to be somewhat surprised by her rather blunt question, she also saw Hiiro's expression contort slightly. Perhaps she was interfering with his plan somewhat? Well, it was too late now that she already vocalized the question. The party continued to sit in silence while the Knight calmly maintained a fixed gaze on Lapis. Her demeanor didn't change at all and she continued to sip on the hot tea. After allowing the silence to continue for nearly a minute, Lapis spoke up once again.

"Are you confused as to how I know? Or are you wondering why I asked? Oh! Or perhaps you are curious as to why I have not told your Master?"

The silence continued for a few seconds until the Knight appeared to surrender himself.

"Empress Fardom... Why would you think I hate Marquess Tabor?"

"None of the above, is it? Well, you can not win them all... I think you chose the least interesting question to ask, though. To start, it is not that I 'think' you hate that man. It is that I 'know' you hate him. Those of us with battle experience will sense your blood lust even if we tried to ignore it when we are this close."

His silence remained. Lapis continued.

"I do not care personally, but you should remove yourself from the side of that man. If you can not contain your own blood lust, you will eventually be discovered... I assure you he does not have a guaranteed future."

Hiiro recognized the man sitting across from them as well, though he noticed by the habits he observed during their stay and interactions. It was apparent to him that Lapis caught on as well which means the Marquess would have been at the end of his rope even if they had left him alone. Sir Coorid picked up on the subtle undertones spoken to him and chose his words carefully in response.

"I don't understand why his future is not guaranteed. He is a man supported by the King. I wonder though, Empress Fardom... As we are speaking frankly and subtly, please allow me the discourtesy to ask something rather rude of you. Exactly who are you? The moment Marquess Tabor and I first met you, your personality was twisted and you exuded an aura as if you were trying to get into the Marquess' good graces, even to the point of bringing Countess Sugimoto to her knees. Then on the ride over, that pretense gradually dissipated and instead was replaced by a more inquisitive personality. Finally, here you are offering me advice."

Lapis wielded a smile, yet was interrupted when she was about to respond. The door opened to show Marquess Tabor returning. He clearly appeared distressed. Lapis maintained her smile and adjusted what she was originally going to say.

"Is everything fine, Marquess Tabor? You appear pale."

"Thank you for your concern, Empress Fardom. Everything is fine... Where did we leave off at?"

"I recall you were informing me on the repercussions of your fiance's failed policies."

"Oh... Yes, then... As I was saying..."

***

"I am not sure I understand fully... Perhaps the matters of us Demons are too different from yours? I promise you I will strive to understand such decision making.", Lapis flat out lied to the man before her.

The Marquess seemed to accept her promise and moved to sip his tea. Lapis observed the man's motions carefully trying to judge his state of affairs. His complexion was slightly pale and the subtle shaking of the tea cup as it traveled from the saucer to his lips suggested the level of anxiety he was currently in. She felt the time had come to poke the bear further.

"Marquess Tabor. The night is quickly approaching. How do you feel about a bit of entertainment?"

"Entertainment?"

"Yes. Although we may appear to have been together for an extended time, Hiiro and myself are rather new to each others company. He once told me about his skills with the sword, however I have yet to see it myself. May I request a teaching duel for him with Sir Coorid?"

Plastered across her face was the sweetest and most innocent of smiles yet her aura expressed an overwhelming pressure that refused denial. Unable to understand where the pressure bearing down on him was coming from, the Marquess acquiesced.

"Wh-what a wonderful idea, Empress Fardom! Sir Coorid, prepare the training area. I could also use some entertainment."

Although hesitant, the young Knight accepted the order and left the room. Upon his return, he held a sheathed sword in his hand. Hiiro and the Knight locked eyes in mutual understanding. Rising from his seat, Hiiro moved to the Knight accepting the spare sword without a second thought and followed him out the door to the sparring ground. As they left the visitors room, Marquess Tabor stood from his seat and requested Empress Fardom's hand.

"Shall we move to the box seats, Empress Fardom?"

While lightly giggling, Lapis extended her hand to the Marquess.

"By all means, Marquess Tabor."

***

Along the outskirts of Profectus City near the South Eastern exit lay a series of businesses know primarily for their sexual services. The abundance of shops offered competing levels of service at proportional prices. Of the cheaper stores available, hybrid shops that served alcohol and provided a room for the night along with accompaniment tended to be the most popular amongst the mercenaries and criminals residing in the city. Within a particular establishment, a group of six men were nearly three pints deep each into a liquid dinner. Each held an older woman around the waist and flirted aggressively until they were interrupted by a slamming noise.

Staggering through the entrance of the establishment, the new comer tripped over himself stumbling into the men sitting at the table. It was clear by his staggered walking that the man had drunk more than his share. He fumbled around until he could no longer stay on his feet and his rapidly paling countenance signaled the women at the table to leave. Unable to contain himself any longer, the man spewed the contents of his stomach across the table ruining the jovial atmosphere, the provided food, and dirtying each of the celebrating men. Their clothes, now stained with bile and alcohol, immediately began reeking and sobered them up. As their anger flared over his actions, the teetering man managed somehow to stagger across the room and tumbled through the entrance he originally entered from.

"Fucking get him!"

Chasing after him, the men rushed the exit with dozens of eyes following after them. Each of those eyes were worried for the young man who slighted the group, though no one dared to chase after him as assist. The men who left were well known in the area and their backer was far too powerful for a simple commoner or mercenary to get involved with. Outside the establishment, the men looked around for the drunken fool who ruined their celebration only to catch a brief glimpse of him rounding a corner in the distance. Trailing after him, they entered the shaded alleyway only for the man to completely disappear from their view. Searching for him, they ended up kicking cans and shattering glass bottles against the wall in frustration. As they concluded they lost their prey, the men decided to leave the site and return to the tavern when an innocent voice called out to them.

"Are you boys looking for a bit of fun? I know I'm a bit lonely..."

Turning around to face the source, they found a tanned woman resting against the side of the alleyway corner. Her hand slowly caressed the side of the wall as she continued to invite the men with her alluring body. Her hips slowly arced to lure them further.

"If it's only the six of you, I'm sure we could find something... fun to do."

She left behind a seductive smile and dragged her hand elegantly across the wall while she turned to leave the men behind. She rounded the corner leaving their sights and forced them to make a momentary decision. Blinded by their unfulfilled lust and inhibited from the gross alcohol consumption, they dismissed any obvious suspicion and chuckled to themselves while jogging to catch up with the woman. As they rounded the corner of the intersection, each member suddenly collapsed to the ground. Unable to react in time, they fell atop each other in a pile. Groans of pain escaped from the men at the bottom of the pile, but those at the top had their sights distracted by something else entirely.

They glanced back at what tripped them only to be met by the odd sight of their shoes stuck on the ground in place. Unable to understand how their shoes left their feet, they tried to stand up only to fall over once again. The vast alcohol numbed the pain somewhat, but the gradual stinging sensation slowly etched itself into their awareness. Dropping their sights to their legs, they were unable to see their feet anywhere. Instead, spurts of blood escaping from a near perfect flat plane washed over the scene. The men were unable to accept the situation and attempted to stand once more thinking it was their imagination of the alcohol playing tricks on them, yet after stumbling a few more times the horror of their situation dawned on them. As the panic took control, the men mostly began screaming and crawling away from the site. Those who stayed behind appeared to try and reattach their foot to their leg without any luck. That same innocent voice called out once more to the men.

"Do you need help? You look hurt!"

"What do you fucking think! Go fucking get help!"

"Why?"

"Wha... why? Why the fuck ya think you dumb broad!?"

The head of the man who yelled out suddenly left his body. His torso dropped to the ground twitching slightly. The men who watched the entire scene felt an indescribable fear towards the woman. They watched her nails slowly recede from their extended state as she walked over the first corpse. Her smile gradually stretched along her face until the innocence warped into something sinister. Driving by their fear, the men tried to stand once again only to stumble over their fresh stumps. The pools of blood quickly collected across the ground drenching the site. The woman continued her pursuit of each crawling man, decapitating each of them in a playful manner.

"Zirco, this group is ready as well."

"I understand. Please continue to the next site."

"I can hardly wait."

The giddy laugh that escaped the woman's mouth belied the bloodbath surrounding her. As she left the site, Zirco got to work removing each body. Before he left, he didn't fail to mimic the screams of one of the slaughtered men to attract attention to the location. After leaving the scene, Zirco tossed a golden coin to an oddly dressed man from the slums. His attire was clearly in better shape than the rest of his body, yet if one looked closely enough, they would realize it was the same man who barged into the tavern earlier.

***

"What a wonderful view this is!"

"I'm glad you like it. I had this constructed especially so I could watch duels at leisure."

Taking her seat, Lapis couldn't help but slightly admire the construction of the viewing box. Their seating consisted of plushy red chairs lined with a metallic silver thread. The two cushions forming the back rest and slip seat appeared freshly washed. As she leaned back into the chair, the splat reinforcing the back rest pushed back against her offering a rigid support to help ease the pain of long seating. Lapis traced the outline of the seating area taking notes for the future if she ever built her own version of it. The box seating was attached to the backside of the mansion, jutting out over the outer sidewalk and provided a clear view of a large barren field no more than thirty meters away from them. Beside her, the Marquess sat down as well while eying the competitors currently walking onto the field.

"Empress Fardom, who do you believe will win?"

"It is only proper to support your own."

"Is that right? Does he stand a chance?"

"He is far stronger than I, though I would never tell him such things directly. Excessive ego is detrimental to one's growth."

"He's stronger than you? I find that an incredible claim... Did you not repulse the Demon Lord's General by yourself?"

"Oh, I apologize for misleading you. It is more accurate to say he is stronger than I in pure martial skills."

Turning her head lightly to meet the astounded gaze of the Marquess head on, Lapis broke into a bright smile while finishing her statement.

"I am simply cheating with my overly powerful magic. If I were ever to compete in a demonstration of martial skill, that boy would crush me, I am sure."

She returned her gaze to the area where the two combatants had taken their respective starting positions. Between them, another Knight acted as referee and verified their states before starting his countdown. As she listened to the countdown, Lapis' expression gradually sharpened. Sensing the change next to him, Marquess Tabor turned his attention to the woman seated beside him. He felt she was suddenly clad in an invisible shielding of fire and ice.

"Marquess Tabor. I hear from the rumors that you rather enjoy watching... aggressive... shows. Do you believe a simple tutoring spar such as this will sate you?"

Unable to comprehend her words entirely, Marquess Tabor returned as well as he could in his shaken state.

"I'm not entirely sure what you mean, but seeing two people engage each other has always been one of the highest forms of entertainment."

"Is that so?"

The curious response only confused the Marquess further, but the woman had already returned her focus to the arena before them. Reaching the end of his count, the referee dropped a knife hand and quickly distanced himself from the duel. The two combatants started circling each other maintaining a cautious distance. The slow movements and slight adjustments of their weapons easily displayed the internal battle between them. As he observed his opponent, Hiiro compared his stance against Sir Coorid and constantly measured his steps. Sensing the perfect stride length and distances between him, Hiiro kicked off his heel charging into Sir Coorid while keeping his blade low.

"May I ask you if the frequent disappearances of women during the previous skirmishes can be attributed to you?", Lapis suddenly asked in an uninterested tone while she watched the initial engagement.

Whipping his blade up from the ground, Hiiro broke Sir Coorid's defensive posture sending him back a couple steps. Refusing to allow the broken defense any time to recover, he pressed off the ground and continued his aggressive push forcing Sir Coorid to back peddle while attempting to recover his posturing.

"I advise you not to pursue this line of questioning, Empress Fardom. It could easily be taken as attempted character assassination."

Taking advantage of an over aggressive push, Sir Coorid tumbled forward allowing Hiiro's blade to freely pass above him. As he recovered his stance, he rushed back into the fight taking advantage of the opening left by Hiiro's swing. He swung down only to meet an awkwardly positioned blade that deflected his sword to the side. Refusing to allow his opponent's weak stance a chance to correct itself, Sir Coorid applied a series of lighter strikes.

"Oh, I had not known a simple question could be misconstrued as such. Thank you for your concern and advise. Will you answer my question anyhow? I am quite curious."

Accepting the light strikes against his angled blade, Hiiro deflected each strike to the side showering the scene in sparks with each block. As he accepted the final strike, he quickly closed the small gap between the two swordsmen driving the base of his handle into the chest plate of the Knight. Sir Coorid stumbled backwards off balance but quickly recovered himself. The two slowly began circling each other once again looking for any opening they could exploit.

"I've never taken what isn't mine, if that's what you're asking."

"Is that to mean those living in Profectus belong to you?"

Sensing the slightest shift in Sir Coorid's balance, Hiiro projected himself forward once more with blade held high. He closed the potential four meter separation nearly instantly surprising Sir Coorid who was forced to react entirely off instinct. The blocked blow drove the Knight's knee into the ground, but he deflected it to the side and rolled away regaining his stance.

"Who else do they belong to? It's the duty of us Nobles to lead them properly since they belong to us."

Following after the Knight, Hiiro extended his blade but had it deflected once again. The sparks showered across the arena once more as the two exchanged a series of strikes and slashes. The ebb and flow of the exchange appeared equal as they continued the dance of death. As if trading roles periodically, one would step back and take a defensive posture while matching steps to the aggressor before rotating their roles and pressing an attack with quick, returning, steps.

"I would imagine the life of an individual belongs to that being itself... Well, not that I can talk I suppose. I am just as guilty.", she replied with a wry smile as Zirco's figure flashed across her mind.

"I'm curious where this line of questioning suddenly came from."

Accepting a sharp blow to the side of his sword, Sir Coorid utilized the momentum to rotate his body landing a kick straight into Hiiro's sternum. Bracing his rotating body, the Knight resumed his defensive posture as he watched his opponent flip over himself. With the natural strength of his legs and balance, Hiiro kicked his legs up to right himself once more eliminating any opening he otherwise would have had. The two stared each other down once again. They circled each other for a third time analyzing every smudge of dirt across the skin and dent in armor. Even the slightest bruise could potentially slow their opponent's reaction and so they planned internally their next steps based off those observations.

"I am quite confident you kidnapped that Countess' maidservant. I saw it myself, so I do not believe I am wrong. May I ask why? Is she not your fiance?"

Hiiro lowered his body and lunged forward, striking his sword near the base of the Knight's body armor. Meeting him straight on, the Knight swung his sword with a single hand to deflect the strike to the side. His free hand grasped what clothing he could around Hiiro's torso and tossed the young man over his shoulder. Soaring through the air, Hiiro utilized the experience he gained from Lapis during their game of tag through the woods to calmly manipulate his center of gravity. Regaining control of his body mid air, Hiiro rotated and landed on his feet sliding slightly before accelerating back into battle. He quickly slashed at the Knight's leg and used the recoil from each failed strike to rotate around and strike from the opposite side. The aggressive push surprised the Knight as he never expected the young man to maintain such a low posture while continuing such an aggressive series of strikes.

"Countess Sugimoto might be my fiance, but she has far too much pride. Her lack of awareness is troubling to me. She is a Countess, yet she treats her servants as friends and wields her authority from the wrong people. My little prank this time should help clear out that useless pride and push a little bit of awareness into her."

"The maid's life held no value in of and of itself?"

"Of course not. Sir Delphi might have been useful as a Knight, but Lady Delphi was merely a maidservant. Such a person should be grateful she was used to teach her Master a lesson."

"I see..."

Sir Coorid managed to deflect a low strike and reverse the momentum of the fight. He pressed into Hiiro who abandoned his low posture assault only to retire into a defensive retreat. He deflected each strike with slight angles allowing Sir Coorid's strikes to glance of his sword. Each glance brought shards to the slowly dimming environment. The winter sun edged towards the horizon extending the shadows of each combatant across the field and highlighting their visage to the spectators.

"Marquess Tabor, are you familiar with the Art of War?"

"As much as any noble, why?"

Lapis smiled as she saw Hiiro finally completed his preparations.

"I am ashamed to admit I was ignorant of such teachings. Although my life up to this point has been littered by gifts delivered from the Goddess of War herself, I always managed to pull through using my overwhelming advantage in mana control. I recently suffered a great loss because of that over reliance and short sightedness. Luckily for me, I happened across a gentleman who appears to excel in such areas."

The Marquess followed the sharp gaze of the Empress. His sights landed on the young man fighting against Sir Coorid in the arena. Their match appeared to be reaching its climax. Lapis maintained her gaze and continued her curious monologue.

"In the short time I have had with that gentleman, I have slowly learned that such deep thoughts are capable of changing the world regardless of how powerful any particular entity is. Just as you advised me earlier, Marquess Tabor. It is now my turn to advise you. Preparation is one of two keys to obtaining victory against an overwhelmingly powerful opponent. Execution is another. If your preparation is perfect, yet your execution is sloppy, you are destined to be ensnared by someone else's scheme. This match will serve a good lesson in the importance of both keys. Please watch as your treasured Knight forfeits this battle."

"What?!"

Her words somehow haunted the Marquess. He felt she was talking about multiple subjects at the same time, but he was unable to discern any of them beside the obvious. He directed his attention once more at the two combatants and observed them for a moment before he noticed something was wrong. His expression twisted slightly and he caught the smile of the woman next to him grow slightly wider. She hardly contained her excitement as she explained the situation.

"'How?' I can practically feel the question echoing through your mind. You have noticed Sir Coorid's movements I take it? They have slowed greatly and his reaction time has fallen, yet he hardly appears tired. So then why has his condition deteriorated throughout this fight? Would you believe Hiiro had planned such an outcome since he first saw your Knight? It is surprising, no?"

"I find that hard to believe. We only met in person this morning."

"Formally, yes. However, though you may not have noticed, I was present in the good Countess Sugimoto's estate upon your arrival earlier this week. I happened to witness your grand display from the second floor."

"You spied on us?!"

"Hardly. You merely ignored my existence."

"That's..."

"It is fine. I take no offense. My visit was sudden for the good Countess as well. Regardless of my reasons for being there however, Hiiro was beside me and was able to take a good look at your proud Knight. It was quite a surprise when he later told me how easy it would be to defeat him. I know this may sound strange, but Hiiro's sword skills are lack luster at best. He does try his best to improve, but sadly, I have yet to find him a formal teacher. When I asked him how he could do such a thing when such a vast difference in skills exist, he only laughed at me."

"A servant... laughed at you?", asked the Marquess with a bewildered look.

"Oh yes. He is quite the tease. When I pressured him, he only said I would understand if I watched them fight. When I met you earlier today, I felt the moment was ripe to see such a thing, and I must admit, he does surprise me. Have you noticed how strong your Knight is, Marquess Tabor?"

"Well, obviously... That's why I hired the man."

"That strength of his is also a weakness. Did you know, Marquess Tabor, that the simple act of being overweight by a short five kilograms increases the force on your knees by almost twenty kilograms? Hiiro is much smaller than Sir Coorid, but that also means he has far less stress on his joints. Have you noticed the pace of the fight has been slowly increasing since the start?"

As he looked back onto the scene, the frantic exchange of slashes, dodges and blocks continued without pause.

Hiiro rarely blocked a strike completely and instead chose to deflect the strikes away from his body. Every swing he diverted forced Sir Coorid to expend effort and halt the blade itself before repositioning it for the next strike. Every strike he attempted caused searing pain to shoot through both his elbows and shoulders. When absorbing the impacts of Hiiro's strikes, he was forced to block them outright and constantly twist his torso to realign his stance with his opponent. Recently, every turn he made sent scathing pain through his knees and hips. Although Coorid wasn't losing in the exchange, he felt he wouldn't be able to continue the fight much longer.

Hiiro sped himself up further knowing his opponent was nearing his limit. His swings were becoming dull and his movements were starting to shallow, even a novice in swordsmanship like himself could see openings appear across the Knight's posture. He chose to end the fight in the next strike and accelerated himself to his natural limit rushing to the side of Sir Coorid. Seeing the maneuver, the Knight attempted to turn and received the blow properly, yet his body gave out. His knees suddenly went weak and he fell to his side. His confusion at his body's defiance to his will slackened his attention for only a moment, but within that moment, a blade was now against the side of his throat.

"A-amazing... I surrender, Sir Hiiro."

The young man released his stern expression and smiled lightly. He dropped his sword and reached a hand out to the large Knight to assist him back to his feet. In the viewing box, a certain Marquess was standing at his seat from the sudden close to the match. While he was watching the young man Hiiro assist his Knight from the ground, the two suddenly leaned together as if to hug followed by his Knight holding a strange expression, seemingly surprised at something. The woman beside him slipped out a slight giggle.

"This was very entertaining. I thank you for the display, Marquess Tabor."

"I-It's my pleasure, Empress Lapis..."

Although he managed to perform an immaculate bow portraying every ounce of noble blood inside him, Lapis was able to clearly feel the humiliation exuding from his personage. She reached her hand out and placed it against the bowing man's cheek raising his face to meet her gaze. Her giddy expressions were completely replaced. Staring through him were a pair of sharp azure eyes that drew his very soul into them. From the dainty mouth that coupled those eyes, the woman offered her last words.

"As things are, and as fundamentally they must always be, laws of man are not an absolute, but instead a subjective criticism of behavior. Such laws are forever vulnerable to amelioration, but such actions often necessitate a symbol of purity becoming defiled. I really must thank you, Marquess Tabor. I predict your actions may just have changed the world."

Lapis released the man from her gaze and moved to meet back up with Hiiro while leaving the stunned Marquess behind. As she passed through the box seat exit, two messengers frantically ran past her to deliver news to the Marquess. Although she was a fair distance away from him, his panicked shout easily reached her ears. She continued along her path with a delicate smile and sharp glint in her eyes.

***

Under the ever watching eye of the lunar bulb, dozens of men loaded a series of carriages under the silver moonlight. Their quickened breaths fogged with each exhale and their attire was designed for a long travel. Each of the coachmen were prepping the horses for the journey, brushing their sides to calm them and feeding them snacks as the carriages gradually gained weight. At the entrance to the estate, Marquess Tabor exited in a hurried fashion. He was wrapped in dense layers of clothing and wore a thick orange fox pelt as a coat. He quickly approached a lightly loaded carriage and smacked the side of the door repeatedly.

"Hurry it up! We don't have much time! We need to leave as soon as possible and report to the King!"

Heading the words of their Master, the men quickened their pace further. Some stumbled while carrying the luggage, yet the Marquess overlooked their blunders. His face was pale and it was clear to the Knights that something was wrong, however it wasn't their place to ask someone of status what was worrying them and so they only focused on their work in an attempt to appease him.

Sliding into the main cabin of the carriage, Marquess Tabor closed the door hoping to retain what heat he could inside the cabin. He rubbed his hands together and blew hot air through them with a distracted mind. He could still vividly remember the worlds of Empress Fardom before she left and those words somehow struck him with an uncanny fear. Throughout the day, he learned the men he had contracted for dirty work were slowly being eliminated one by one. Just after the Empress left him, he found out an entire group of his men were completely slaughtered. Even an idiot would realize they were being hunted at that point. He continued to rub his hands together, warming them up with a combination of friction and the warmth of his breath, yet his cabin seemed to only grow colder.

"Master, Everything is loaded!"

"Quickly, let's go!"

"Yes!"

The men quickly loaded themselves onto the extra vehicles and the coachmen took their positions at the front of each carriage. The thwacks of a whip resounded and each carriage was tugged into motion by a pair of horses. Their gallops echoed through the empty alleys along with every subtle pothole stomped onto by the carriage wheels. The group quickly exited through the South East entrance of Profectus City. In their rush, no one in the group bothered to announce their suspicions about the readily opened gates and instead became relieved at the lackluster defense of the night patrol. Behind them, a pair of crimson eyes tracked them until their caravan disappeared into the wood line path.

"Zirco... Please."

"I understand. Take your time."

The woman smiled broadly before falling over the edge of the wall. Her figure plummeted to the ground, yet landed without eliciting even the slightest of noises. She slowly started bounding as she internally tested the limits of her limbs. As she became accustomed to her new speed, she quickened her pace and continued to repeat the process until her visage became a blur and vanished into the woods. Extending his wings, Zirco launched himself from the wall and took himself high into the sky to watch the woman's progress and eventually report her state back to his Master.

Moving through the woods with an extreme agility, Ruby executed turns impossible for a normal human dodging trees and debris with minimal margins. Her movements rarely touched the forest floor and instead utilized the dense trees of the forest as footholds to kick off from. Although she was progressing rapidly, Ruby felt her body could be pushed further, but knew the dense woods was a poor location to attempt such feats. Her body heated up as she traveled and her eagerness to meet the man who watched her die for pleasure extinguished any inhibitions she might have otherwise had.

Luckily, she didn't have to wait long as the sounds of hoofs on packed dirt and the squeaks of moist steel rubbing against wet wood reached her ears. Her excitement grew further, flushing her face and bolstering her blood flow. The cold environment no longer felt cold to her and instead her senses locked in entirely on the group ahead of her. Darkness faded the color from her vision leaving only a stenciled outline of veins flowing through the creatures before her. Although her sight was filtered, she was somehow still aware of obstacles in front of her, dodging them with a hairs breadth. Extending a hand to a nearby tree, she flung herself onto the main path, lowered her torso and accelerated further.

Her sights were entirely locked onto the men inside the slowest carriage. The wooden lining of the walls failed to inhibit her sight as she could see every vein they carried and every expansion and contraction of their heart. The sight somehow hungered her. She closed her distance with them and leaped onto the back of the vehicle grasping at the luggage to maintain her footing. Her hands felt for holds and her body slowly edged to the roof of the cart. Without alerting the men inside, she drove her elongated nails through the throat of the coachman killing him instantly. As she withdrew her hand, the man fell off the edge of the seat landing under the wheels and knocking the carriage around slightly. In response, one of the men inside the carriage pounded the roof.

"Watch your fucking driving!"

Ruby recognized the voice. The flashback of Roxanne Delphi being raped quickly flowed through her mind and settled on one of the men who had beat her repeatedly. As the memory replayed itself, she could feel her body temperature rising and a slight steam began to get whipped off her body by the traveling winds. Extending both sets of nails, Ruby slashed her hands across the roof of the cart feeling them tear into more than just wood and steel. Screams of pain reached her from the insides and she continued to slash into the roof until the shredded cover fell into the cabin revealing a group of terrified men. She could feel her crimson eyes darken and the men who looked into her eyes somehow, could no longer move. With their movements frozen, Ruby hopped inside the cabin and reached for the nearest man she found. Her hunger grew more primal and the urge to eat the man overwhelmed her. She drove her teeth into the pulsing veins of the first man. As his blood flowed into her mouth, she could only think of how the sweet taste reminded her of mashed strawberries.

The joyous taste consumed her for a moment freeing the other men in the cabin. After finding their newfound freedom, they used what little space was available in the cabin to impale the monster before them with their secondary weapons. As if unaffected by the weapons, Ruby dropped the man she just consumed and used an elongated nail to shear the weapons stuck into her off. Their blades slowly slide from the open wounds to the ground and the men watched in horror as the gaping holes deliberately stitched themselves back together. Turning to the next man, she recognized him as another from her memories and her elated mood rose only further.

Knowing her time was slowly ticking away without a coachman to keep their carriage with the group, Ruby elected to use the same method of revenge her Master chose. She grasped the man by his skull and buried her teeth into his neck. The men still in the cabin had given up hope of killing the monster attacking them and were attempting to push the debris from the roof aside and reach the cabin door, but a hand reached out to grab one of the men by the foot. The man looked in fear at the monster for a moment before realizing something else entirely has grasped him. As he looked down at the hand and followed it to its owner, he began to shriek in terror, kicking the moving corpse with his free leg. Unaffected by the kicks, the corpse continued to maintain its grasp and even managed to grab hold of the second man trying to escape. Ruby dropped the second man to the ground and turned her crimson gaze to the remaining men in the dark cabin. Their panicked state sent shivers of joy through her and without thinking, she passed her hand through the chest of one man while sinking her teeth into the other. By the time she finished her meal and licked her lips, three of the four corpses in the cabin were now standing beside her moving under her own will. She mentally ordered one of the men to climb onto the coach seat and take the reins.

Although their carriage had fallen behind, it was by no means out of sight of the group. It took only minutes to catch up to the crowd and with her elation in full swing, she leaped onto the next carriage with another corpse in tow. Surprising the coachman from behind, she sank her teeth into him and waited for his convulsing body to still before letting go. She looked at the group in the previous carriage and mentally ordered them to push into the front of the pack. Turning her crimson gaze to the roof carriage she just obtained, she extended her nails once more and drove them straight down into the cabin. As they slid through, she felt a minor resistance for a moment, but it quickly stilled. Moments later, a scream resounded and her emotions once gain picked up. She tore off the roof once again and dove in.

Marquess Tabor was in the font carriage holding his hands close to a heated rod. The radiator utilized a controlled flame outside the cabin to heat the steel beam and transfer the heat into the inner cabin. Although it took time to warm up, it provided a rare amenity for the road and cost a considerable sum to install onto the carriage. As he was enjoying the warmth and finally starting to relax, he received a knock from his coachman on the roof. He reseated his gloves on his hands and returned and accepting knock followed by sliding open a communication grate at the top of the cabin.

"What is it?"

"Marquess! Some of the men behind us are catching up. Something looks wrong with them though!"

"What nonsense! Keep your eyes on the road you bumbling fool!"

"Y-Yes, Marquess. I understand..."

Sliding the grate closed, the Marquess shivered slightly from the gusts that blew through the cabin while it was open. He quickly moved to the radiator when a rapid knocking against the roof drew him to the grate once more. Flinging open the grate, the Marquess was about to shout at the man when he was interrupted by the frantic coachman.

"Can you n-."

"Sir! The men pulled ahead of us! This reminds me of a boxing maneuver!"

Hearing the unfamiliar term, Marquess Tabor exhaled sharply and moved to open the hatch at the top of the cabin and see the situation himself. As he opened the hatch and was about to poke his head out, the carriage he was in suddenly flipped over onto its side, throwing the Marquess against the inner cabin wall. In his daze, he heard screams from outside the cabin along with metal striking metal. His mind could tell orders were being barked out, but the jarring pain on the side of his head denied the clarity to know what orders were being issued. He reached for the side of his head and used the cabin wall to brace himself as he stood up. When he removed his hand, he saw the smear of blood across the otherwise white glove. He clicked his tongue then turned his attention to exiting the cabin. The sounds of battle settled and he figured whatever happened was finally resolved.

The top hatch of the cabin was slightly ajar and with a powerful kick, he managed to open it further. His final kick sent the hatch flying open fully and he could see crisp white flakes of snow ride the curtails of wind into the entrance. He braced himself and moved to the hatch, squeezing himself through before stumbling away from the overturned carriage. His consciousness was still slightly hazy, but he was able to see his men standing around. He shook his head trying to clear the haze and moved into the group to get an understanding of the situation.

"Hey! What's going on?! What happened?!"

No response. The men appeared to wobble slightly as they walked. It was as if they were husks without orders. Suddenly, the men snapped to attention and nimbly moved to surround the Marquess. Unable to understand his situation, the Marquess continued to spout questions while sending his gaze to the surrounding men. He noticed the men didn't react at all and for the first time, he suddenly felt a fear at the odd scene. The strange affair continued for minutes and the Marquess was slowly gripped further with fear. The flakes of snow melted against his body, yet it piled atop the men surrounding him. His clearing mind was able to make out swords stuck into the side of some of the men and it was clear a few were missing limbs in their entirety.

"What's going on?!? Answer me you fucking fools!"

"They can't answer you anymore, you know?", replied a soft voice from the darkness.

Marquess Tabor looked for the source of the sound and found a pair of crimson eyes buried in the shadows of the forest. He began to shiver from more than just the cold as the eyes came closer stepping into the moonlight. The silver light fell across the woman's dark skin making it appear more sinister than it would otherwise seem. Her crimson eyes pulsated between a deep shine and a dull clarity. Above all, her devilish smile whose lips were covered in a blackened liquid forced him to stumble backwards.

"Why run, my lord? You're the main entertainment today!"

The static corpses around the two broke into a chorus of clapping at her words. She stepped closer to the Marquess, her maid dress now lit by the moonlight as well. Recognizing the attire, Marquess Tabor broke into a fury.

"What...? That bitch Countess did this?! Do you know who you're dealing with?! I'm Mar-."

"Do not disparage my Master. She's worth far more than a perverted bastard like you."

Marquess Tabor couldn't speak. Ruby interrupted him not only with words, but with a swipe of her hand. Touching his face, the Marquess began panicking as the numbing cold slowly gave way to a searing pain around his jaw. As he felt with his hands, he traced his bottom jaw only to find Ruby had sliced both the muscle and skin of his cheeks. Blood was pouring from his dangling jaw and the throaty screams he released restored a smile across Ruby's face. Her gaze drifted to the cabin the man just left and a fun idea cross her mind. She issued mental orders to the minions surrounding her and they quickly moved to bind the Marquess. As Ruby walked near the cabin, she hopped lightly onto the side panel and crossed her legs to watch the show. She continued her mental orders.

The corpse of the man who first raped her moved to the Marquess and tore his clothing off. The Marquess shrieked from both the humiliation and pain as each layer of his clothing was separated from his body. Ruby slowly laughed and continued her mental orders, identifying sections of clothing to come off next and where to apply pressure while binding him. In her pleasure, she couldn't help but talk.

"Is this how it felt when you watch someone you hated receive their just rewards?"

The Marquess continued his useless struggle with a confused look in his eyes.

"Oh? Do you not recognize me? Well... I recognize you. We spent three days together after all."

Her intonation belied her bright smile and she ordered the minions to remove even more clothes. The Marquess was stripped down to his braies. His chest was in full view of the moon and the falling snowflakes teased the warmth from his body as it fell on direct skin. His fear at his situation only grew further and yet the woman attached to the crimson eyes only continued.

"Fine... It doesn't matter if you remember me anyhow. I'll be sure to let you enjoy a taste of what I experienced."

Her mental orders extended out once more and the corpse of the man tore the braies off the Marquess leaving the man in full nude. With a smile across her face, she order the corpse to caress the mans genitals before flipping him over. She wasn't sure if it'd work, but her mental order to give the corpse an erection appeared to work and her smile broke even wider. She executed her next order and listened to the man as he screamed from both pain and humiliation once again. The joyous sounds only acted as fertilizer for her sadistic desires and the potent feed elicited even more brutal ideas from that darkness. As she looked back down, she saw the disgraced Marquess sobbing with his broken jaw and yet she felt nothing but joy. She leaned back against the side of the cabin and felt a warm sensation run through her hand. When she looked down, she noticed a strange contraption that held a fire and emitted a heat through the pipe. Her desires for revenge designed another torture surrounding it and she grasped the hollow pipe firmly. She could hear her skin sizzling from the heat, but her desire for revenge overwhelmed any sense of pain she had. Tearing the pipe from its fixture, she hopped off the cabin and walked up to the Marquess. She ordered the corpse to back off and leaned down to speak softly to the Marquess.

"It's not quite the same as having your limbs torn off, but I bet your asshole has seen better days. Hahahaha! Here is my final present for you... Oh! And don't worry! I'll be sure your appearance is good and proper for the King... if he ever asks for you."

With a sinister smile latched onto her face, she drove the red hot pipe up the Marquess' rectum. The sizzling sound and the screams of the Marquess echoed through the woods. Ruby took a minor distance and ordered her minions to correct the man's posture. With the bar dangling from his asshole, they lifted him to a standing position. The final light in his eyes flickered until her final order went out. The corpses applied force to the man's shoulders, pushing him into a sitting position. The red hot bar slowly inched its way into the lower abdomen of the Marquess. The final flicker of life in him forced a final scream as the bar penetrated multiple digestive tracks and eventually broke through into the mans stomach. The flickering flame died out completely as the man vomited on himself and went limp.