bloody fate

Outside the tavern.

Dario rolled his shoulders. "Enough of this."

The mercenary smirked. "hahaha, Yeah? What are you gonna.."

Dario's fist slammed into his ribs. A loud crack. The man crumpled, gasping for air.

The laughter died instantly.

"Hmph, a bunch of second level mercenaries".

Another mercenary lunged. Dario caught his wrist mid-strike and twisted. Bone snapped. A scream tore through the air.

Someone swung at his back. Dario raised his shield without looking. The impact barely made him flinch. He drove the shield forward, smashing the attacker's face. Blood splattered onto the ground.

Axel didn't care about the fight. His hand was already around another mercenary's throat, lifting him off the ground. "Talk."

The man's fingers clawed at Axel's grip. "Y-your friend… he's as good as dead by now, hahaha..."

Axel's expression didn't change. His fingers tightened.

A sharp crack. The body went limp.

The others barely had time to react before Grim Scythe moved.

A single swing.

Bodies fell apart. Blood painted the street. No screams. No time for them.

Axel flicked the blood off his blade. "We're done here, I think I know what's going on..."

Dario stepped over what was left without a glance. The tavern was silent. No one looked at them.

They climbed the stairs. Axel pushed open the door.

The room was red. Metallic spiderwebs stretched across the ceiling and walls, dripping with blood.

Dario's fists clenched. "What the hell?"

The dancer hung in the webs, unmoving. Then the strands twitched.

A sharp snap. The web collapsed, crushing the body before detonating into a spray of red mist.

Axel and Dario didn't move, but his inner thoughts were racing, 'what happened here that he actually killed her in such a brutal way ?'

Matias was gone.

First Claus. Now this.

Axel pulled out the guild badge. "Matias."

Nothing.

Again. "Matias, answer."

Silence.

Dario exhaled sharply. "What now?"

Axel put the badge away. "We're going to the hotel."

No more words. They left.

--------

Troy pushed through the hotel doors, barely acknowledging the staff as he made his way straight to Aeris' room. Empty. No guards, no Aeris, no Mia. His stomach tightened.

He grabbed the nearest attendant. "Where are they?"

The man blinked, startled. "L-Lady Aeris and her maid? They're in the garden, sir."

Troy let out a sharp breath. He muttered something under his breath and headed straight for the garden.

---

Mia chuckled as Aeris ran her fingers through her hair, inspecting the strands with a critical eye.

"You have nice hair," Aeris said. "Soft, smooth."

Mia raised a brow. "Yours is longer."

"Yours is better."

"You're literally a noble. Pretty sure that means yours wins by default."

Aeris smirked but said nothing.

"Thank god you're okay," Troy's voice interrupted.

They turned to see him approaching, his expression tense.

Aeris frowned. "What do you mean? Did something happen?"

Troy hesitated. "No, just—"

A sharp intake of breath. His body jerked.

Mia's eyes dropped to the dagger buried in his back.

Aeris took a step back. "Troy?"

Troy groaned as the blade was pulled free. Blood dripped onto the ground as he staggered forward, then collapsed to his knees.

Mia clamped a hand over her mouth. "No…"

Claus materialized behind him, dagger still in hand.

Aeris' voice cracked. "Troy!"

Mia's hands trembled. "It's you… but… why?"

Claus met her eyes, voice steady. "I have no choice."

Before they could react, he moved. Fast.

Then he stopped.

His breath hitched as thin, metallic strands caught the moonlight. Nearly invisible, blocking his path.

A voice came from the shadows. "Knew you were up to something. Didn't think it'd be this."

Claus turned sharply. His grip on the dagger tightened.

Matias stepped forward, gaze unreadable.

Mia's voice was barely above a whisper. "Mat, stop him! He—"

Matias didn't look at her. "Relax. He won't be getting what he came for."

Moonlight reflected off the twin daggers in his hands, the faint glow of magic pulsing along their edges.

Claus exhaled slowly. "You survived."

Matias smirked. "Yeah, turns out I saw that one coming."

Claus' eyes flicked to the strands of metal web between them. His expression darkened.

Matias took another step forward. "Let's not waste time, Claus. You already know how this ends."

Matias cracked his neck, rolling his shoulders as he kept his eyes on Claus. "Tavern woman tried to kill me," he said, voice casual despite the tension in the air. "Thought she had the upper hand." He tilted his head slightly, smirking. "Shame she didn't realize I was already ahead of her."

Claus remained silent, his expression unreadable.

"Then I noticed you slipped away." Matias twirled a dagger between his fingers, watching Claus carefully. "Figured I'd check on the girls. And here we are." His smirk faded. "So, want to explain, or do we skip to the part where we try to kill each other?"

No answer.

Matias sighed. "Figures."

Then Claus vanished.

Matias barely dodged the first strike, twisting away as a blade sliced through the air where his ribs had been. A thin strand of webbing shot from his sleeve, sticking to Claus' boot—

Gone.

Matias blinked. The strand cut mid-air. Another rush of movement. A second strike from the opposite side. Matias blocked, countered, missed.

Claus' speed was unnatural. But Matias wasn't slow.

The girls were watching barely able to track the movements .

A second web shot out, a trap this time. Claus dodged left. Another web snapped up to meet him. Claus twisted, blade slicing through, barely escaping.

"You're getting predictable," Matias muttered, shifting his stance.

Claus didn't answer. He lunged again, vanishing and reappearing in erratic patterns, but Matias' webs followed, mapping his movements, closing in.

Then

Lightning cracked through the air.

Pain exploded through Matias' body as the bolt struck him, locking his muscles for a fraction of a second—just enough.

Claus struck.

Matias barely twisted out of the way, but the next strike landed, his dagger clashing against Claus' before sliding past his guard, slicing a shallow cut across Matias' side. He gritted his teeth, forcing himself back, eyes darting to the source of the attack.

A figure in dark robes. A mage.

Aeris let out a short gasp as the mage grabbed her, dragging her back.

Mia stepped forward, hesitation in her eyes—her hands clenched into fists, useless in a fight like this.

Matias pushed himself up, but Claus was already on him. Another strike, another flash of lightning. His body screamed in protest, but he forced himself forward.

Too slow.

The mage was already moving. Aeris was gone.

Claus' gaze flicked toward the fleeing figure. His grip on his dagger tightened. Then, without a word, he turned and sprinted after them, vanishing into the night.

Matias staggered, blood dripping from a cut across his arm. He exhaled, eyes narrowing as he watched them disappear.

Mia's voice wavered. "Mat, you can't—"

He didn't stop.

She turned back, kneeling beside Troy, hands glowing as she pressed them against his wound. He groaned but was still breathing.

Matias took a deep breath, wiped the blood from his mouth, and moved in the direction of Aeris.

____

Axel arrived at the scene with Dario, his eyes scanning the area as he took in the bloodstains on the ground and the tense atmosphere. Mia was still kneeling by Troy, her hands glowing with healing magic, while Troy groaned, still barely conscious. There was no sign of Matias, no sign of Aeris.

Axel's voice cut through the quiet, sharp and direct. "What happened?"

Mia didn't look up as she focused on her healing. "Claus attacked. Stabbed Troy in the back. Then a mage showed up and grabbed Aeris. Mat tried to stop them. They fought, but the mage hit him hard. Claus chased after the mage and Aeris. Mat tried to follow."

Dario frowned, looking down at Troy. "If it wasn't for Mat, she might've been dead, that bastard Claus, I swear I will make him pay."

Axel nodded, his expression hard. He moved closer, glancing around. "Then we get her back."

Dario crossed his arms, his face serious. "You can't go alone. It's too dangerous. We don't know what else is out there."

Axel's lips curled into a smirk, a glint of amusement in his eyes. "Who says I'm alone?"

Before Dario could respond, Axel raised a hand. A dark, swirling shadow appeared on the ground in front of them, and a massive undead ape stepped out of it. The ape was enormous, its muscles bulging under its decayed skin, a huge hammer in one hand. It let out a low growl, towering over the group.

Axel's gaze never left Dario as he spoke, his tone casual. "This ape will stay here with you. If anything happens, it'll take care of you. I'll handle the rest."

Dario's eyes widened slightly as the ape knelt before Axel. He couldn't hide his admiration for the sheer size and power of it. "Damn... that's something."

Axel gave him a half-smile, his eyes narrowing slightly. "Don't get too comfortable with it. It's not here for fun."

Dario shook his head, still staring at the creature. "Just... don't get yourself killed, alright?"

Axel's smirk deepened as he turned toward the dark path, his voice carrying over his shoulder. "That's not how tonight goes."

Then, without another word, he vanished into the shadows.

----

The cold night carried a stillness that felt unnatural. The moon cast a pale glow over the clearing, shadows stretching long and thin. In the center, Aeris stood motionless, bound by unseen forces. Beside her, a mage in dark robes held his staff at the ready, and three other figures in white robes stood nearby one of them clutching a strange compass that pulsed with eerie light.

"The readings are clear," the man with the compass murmured, his voice filled with a sick sort of satisfaction. "She's close to awakening. The fluctuations are strong. Whatever lies within her… it's of high quality."

Claus exhaled, rolling his shoulders like he was shaking off an invisible weight. "Don't care," he said flatly. "My job's done. I got her here so you wouldn't have to risk exposing yourselves. I nearly got killed for it, too." His gaze darkened. "Now. My reward."

The robed man nodded and pulled out a small, ornate box. He extended it toward Claus. But just as Claus reached for it, a sharp chill crawled up his spine.

A dagger of ice pierced through his chest.

Claus staggered, breath hitching, eyes wide in disbelief. He turned his head, his voice barely a whisper. "Why?" Blood dripped from his lips. "I did everything you asked."

The robed figure met his gaze with indifference. "Yes. And that's why you die here."

Claus coughed, knees buckling. His body trembled as he tried to speak, but no words came. Then, his strength gave out, and he collapsed onto the frost covered ground.

A slow clap echoed through the clearing.

"Damn," Matias stepped into view, arms crossed, eyes filled with something between amusement and pity. "All that work, all that backstabbing, just to get backstabbed yourself. That's gotta sting."

The robed figures turned sharply. The mage tensed, gripping his staff.

Matias tilted his head. "Oh? Not even a moment of silence for your dear accomplice? Cold bastards." He sighed. "Fine. Let's get to it then."

The mage wasted no time, raising his staff. A massive fireball roared to life above him before launching toward Matias.

Matias was already moving. His body blurred, sidestepping just as the flames scorched past him. He closed the distance in an instant, daggers flashing. The clash was immediate, fast, precise—Matias weaving through attacks, striking at angles that forced the robed figures onto the defensive.

Then, something changed.

A strange pressure filled the air.

The mage froze mid-motion, eyes widening as Aeris was suddenly yanked from his grasp by an invisible force.

"What ?" His voice cut off as a presence loomed behind him.

He turned.

A massive goblin, battle-scarred and hulking, stood there. Its breath was slow, measured.

Then, with terrifying speed, the goblin's bat crashed into the mage's face.

The mage's body crumpled instantly.

The figure with the compass took a sharp step back, heart pounding. He looked past the goblin past Aeris, now shielded by an elemental barrier. His focus snapped to the approaching figure, cloaked in shadows.

Axel.

Aeris let out a breath she didn't realize she was holding. "You're here." Relief flooded her voice.

Axel's expression remained unreadable. "For once, I'm not late." He glanced at the shaman goblin beside her. "Stay close to him. He'll keep you safe."

Then, he stepped forward.

The robed figure's grip on the compass tightened.

"You think these creatures will be enough?" His voice wavered only slightly. "I am a Protector-rank . You're wasting your time."

Axel gave him a slow, lazy smirk. "Yeah?"

The air grew heavy. The goblin champion snarled as the robed man rushed forward, swinging with inhuman force, cracking like thunder.

Axel barely moved.

A ghostly blue fire ignited in his hand.

The moment the chains neared him, Axel simply lifted his fingers

and the fire lashed out, striking not the man's body, but something deeper, accompanied by a wave of soul attack.

A guttural scream tore from the robed man's throat. He staggered back, clutching at his own chest, his face contorted in raw agony.

His soul burning.

Axel's voice was almost casual. "Feels bad, doesn't it?"

The goblin champion wasted no time. It surged forward, a massive club raised high. The man, still reeling, barely managed to dodge, but four huge trolls moved in next four towering brutes, their sheer presence.

Axel cracked his neck, stepping closer. "This is gonna be hard."

Meanwhile, Matias fought with the remaining two figures, daggers clashing in rapid strikes. He was quick, relentless.