Don't judge a book by its cover pt1

The streets of Astria were draped in silence, the gentle night breeze weaving through narrow alleys and empty paths. Yet, beneath the calm exterior, something stirred. Shadows flickered — too fluid, too purposeful to belong to the wind. Only those with trained eyes would notice the unnatural movement.

Ryuko walked with unhurried steps, his gaze locked on the path ahead leading toward the Carnage estate. The weight of the night pressed upon his shoulders, yet it was not the darkness itself that made him wary — it was the presence hiding within it.

A faint whisper of metal slicing through the air reached his ears, and without turning, his hand shot out, fingers closing effortlessly around the hilt of a dagger.

"Who's foolish enough to—" His words halted the moment his eyes fell upon the object in his grip. A flickering seal, etched in crimson ink, glowed along the blade's surface.

"Tch."

The explosion roared to life, shattering the quiet night and engulfing Ryuko in a surge of flame and smoke.

From the rooftops above, Coy Slytherin's twisted laugh echoed through the night air, the sound grating like nails scraping against glass.

"One down... how disappointing. Seems the Carnage bloodline has lost all of its edge. How pathetic."

The smoke parted, and from within the cloud, Ryuko emerged — coat slightly singed, but his expression was that of mild irritation rather than pain. He waved a hand, dispersing the lingering dust with a flick of his wrist.

"Coy... you've grown since the last time I saw you." His voice was almost conversational, laced with a sigh of resignation. "I told Ryomen to end this mess back then, but seem like my son was always too merciful with your lot." His golden gaze sharpened. "Now tell me… what's all this noise about the Carnage family losing its touch?"

Coy's smirk faltered for just a moment, a flicker of unease crossing his face. This wasn't going to be as easy as he'd expected.

--

At the Carnage Estate, under the Starlit Sky

Touka stood alone in the garden, her gaze lifted toward the heavens, her eyes tracing the constellations scattered across the velvet sky. A soft sigh escaped her lips.

"Dazai's off somewhere again… probably with that insufferable maid of his." Her voice was light, though there was a subtle weight beneath it. "That boy's been far too quiet these days. If only his sister were here — she'd wring the truth out of him in seconds."

Lost in thought, she almost didn't notice the faint whisper of something slicing through the air. Almost. A dagger tore through the edge of her dress, leaving the fabric hanging loose at her thigh.

Touka's smile remained, though her eyes darkened with slow-building irritation.

"Really now… who would be foolish enough to attack someone as fragile as me?"

Two figures emerged from the shadows, their bodies cloaked in writhing black mist. Their presence was heavy, but Touka's expression didn't shift.

"Our orders are clear," one of the shadowed assassins intoned. "Erase the Carnage bloodline. Wipe your family from history."

Touka tilted her head slightly, her smile never wavering.

"Erase us?" Her voice held a lilt of amusement, though her violet eyes glimmered with something colder. "I'm afraid all I see is your death — nothing more, nothing less."

Without another word, the assassins melted into the shadows once more, their bodies shifting into liquid silhouettes against the ground. Their movements were methodical, patterns forming in the darkness as they encircled Touka.

The spell closed in, a circle of pure void constricting around her feet.

Touka's midnight hair shimmered faintly before darkening to an abyssal black, her lips staining to match. The gentle smile faded, replaced by something sharper, predatory.

"Tch. Bugs."

The assassins struck, their hands wrapped in blackened mana, their aim perfect.

"It's over!"

Their triumph was short-lived. A pulse of mana erupted from Touka's form — a violent wave of violet energy that threw them back, shattering the encroaching spell. Her dress melted into a tailored black suit, sharp and refined, clinging to her frame like a second skin.

She spat on the ground, her face twisted into an expression of utter disdain.

"I was in the middle of admiring the stars, and you rats dare interrupt me?"

The shift in her aura was undeniable. Gone was the elegant noblewoman; in her place stood something darker, something ancient.

The assassins hesitated, recalculating. The next move could cost them everything.

---

Somewhere Within Astria's Capital

In a lavish bedroom, the air was thick with the lingering scent of expensive perfume and faint traces of jasmine. Moonlight spilled through an open window, illuminating the curves of a woman half-buried beneath silken sheets.

A shadow crept closer, a figure cloaked in silence, dagger in hand, eyes locked on the prone form in the bed.

Before the assassin could take another step, the air itself froze — a thin sheen of black ice spreading from the floor to the ceiling. The dagger-wielding hand stiffened, then cracked, the frost biting into bone and sinew.

The intruder's eyes widened in mute horror, but there was no escape.

The sheets shifted, and from beneath them, a woman stirred — dark blue hair cascading like liquid midnight, framing a face both beautiful and utterly cold. Her violet eyes glowed faintly in the dim room, settling on the frozen would-be assassin.

"A lowly insect daring to crawl into my den…" her voice was soft, but the venom in it was unmistakable. "Pathetic."

The assassin tried to move, to flee — but the ice had already taken hold, creeping up their throat like a lover's caress.

"Don't ever take a Carnage lightly."

With a dismissive flick of her fingers, the ice shattered, taking the intruder with it — leaving only a faint mist and a smear of frost upon the floor.