The Titled Mage

Beyond the seemingly solid wall lay a stark contrast to the grimy sewer. Kaito and Epsilon stepped into what unmistakably resembled a dungeon. The familiar brickwork of the sewer tunnels was still present, but here, it felt different. It was as if existing sewer sections had been crudely patched together, stretched out and expanded rather than newly constructed. The air, though still damp, carried a faint, metallic tang instead of the sewer's putrid stench. Torches flickered atop crudely fashioned support columns, casting dancing shadows on the rough-hewn walls.

Scarcely had they taken a few steps when a figure in simple, dark robes rounded a corner. The man, startled by their sudden appearance, squinted. "Who goes there?" he demanded, his hand instinctively reaching inside his robe. Upon seeing the unfamiliar faces of Kaito and the metallic-eyed Epsilon, his eyes widened in alarm. "Intru—"

Before the shout could fully echo, Epsilon moved with blinding speed. She seemed to blur, instantly appearing behind the wizard and delivering a precise chop to the back of his neck. The man crumpled to the ground, his outcry cut short as he fell into unconsciousness.

Epsilon turned to Kaito, her expression impassive. "I intercepted a minor magical warning spell the subject attempted to cast," she stated, her synthesized voice calm. "It will not alert others directly, but his prolonged absence will likely be noted soon. We must proceed with haste."

Even as she spoke, Epsilon extended her palm. A faint blue light flickered to life, solidifying into a holographic map that began to build itself in real-time, intricate lines and contours emerging from her hand as she moved. "My advanced echolocation is mapping the surrounding structure," she explained. "Preliminary analysis indicates this location, marked by the red dot, possesses the spatial characteristics of a holding cell or prisoner confinement area."

Kaito nodded grimly, his hand instinctively resting on the hilt of Durandal. No further explanation was needed. The urgency in Epsilon's voice was palpable. Without another word, he started moving towards the red dot on the holographic projection, Epsilon silently falling into step beside him, her internal sensors undoubtedly providing a far more detailed picture of their surroundings than he could perceive.

_________________________________________________________________

Meanwhile, deeper within the makeshift dungeon, a scene of weary vigilance unfolded. A wizard, strikingly similar in appearance to the one Kaito had faced in his apartment weeks ago, sat nonchalantly at a nearby desk. He scrolled through his phone, looking more like a bored warden than a formidable magic-user. The other prisoner cells along the corridor were empty, save for one.

Inside that single occupied cell sat a woman with long, blonde hair. Her eyes, though tired, burned with an intense contempt as she stared directly at the wizard.

Noticing her unwavering gaze, the wizard sighed, visibly annoyed. "Can you give it a break already?" he called out, his voice dripping with exasperation. "No matter how much you stare, you can't kill someone. I swear, why did I out of all the clones and wizards here get tasked with this?"

The woman, Maria, responded with a silent, desperate psychic flare, a pulse of mental energy directed not at the wizard, but inward, at herself.

Sighing again, the wizard flicked a finger, muttering a low incantation. The psychic phenomenon abruptly ceased. "Can you stop killing yourself?" he groaned, rubbing his temples. "I swear, I don't like being here that much either. I'd much prefer to be in a workshop, advancing my alchemy like the others. So, for my sake, pretend to sleep at least. Not like I can even force you to with my sleep spell."

Suddenly, the wizard's attention snapped, his eyes narrowing as he sensed something new approaching. "Oh," he drawled, a smirk playing on his lips. "It looks like your boyfriend has arrived."

Maria's head lifted slightly, her eyes widening. She tried to speak, but her mouth was sealed shut with magic, preventing any sound from escaping. The wizard watched her struggle for a moment, an amused glint in his eye.

"I better prepare to welcome the guest." The wizard got up with a theatrical yawn, stretching leisurely. With a casual wave of his hand, he cast a spell that distorted the light within Maria's cell, making it shimmer and warp, as if slowing down time within its confined space.

_______________________________________________________________

Kaito moved through the dungeon, a low hum of adrenaline in his ears. They'd encountered a few more wizards, moving about the corridors with an air of casual vigilance. Each time, however, the confrontations were swift and decisive. The wizards, whether caught off guard or attempting to cast spells, were no match for Epsilon. She moved like a phantom, appearing behind them, a precise neck chop rendering them unconscious before they could even fully register their presence.

'These guys... some of them look exactly like the wizard I fought at my apartment,' Kaito thought, Durandal feeling heavy and alive in his hand. Clones? And they seem similarly powerful too. But Epsilon just handles them all the same, no matter how prepared they are.

Not only that, the dungeon was riddled with traps—pressure plates, tripwires, faint magical wards—but Epsilon seemed to glide through them effortlessly, disarming or bypassing each one as if it were child's play. It's actually kind of scary, Kaito thought, a shiver running down his spine despite the damp warmth of the dungeon. If Chloe's 'Association' has personnel this powerful, just how strong is the organization itself?

His thoughts were cut short as Epsilon suddenly lunged forward, her foot connecting with a heavy wooden door. With a splintering crash, it burst inward, revealing a large chamber beyond.

Standing in the center of the room, a smirk on his face, was a familiar wizard in appearance. The red dot on Epsilon's holographic map pulsed steadily, indicating the holding cell lay just past this room.

"I have been expecting you, wielder of Durandal," the wizard drawled, a languid stretch accompanying his words. "It took you long enough. I was starting to lose my patience and look for you myself. Not only that, but you also brought help. A creation of the Free Masons, perhaps? How unexpected. I haven't seen a maid unit of their works before. Must be a newer model. Nevertheless, scrap is scrap. Don't expect to survive just because of it."

Kaito's grip tightened on Durandal. This was it.

"Danger level: High," Epsilon remarked, her voice devoid of emotion, yet her form undergoing a startling transformation. Her elegant maid uniform seemed to retract and shift, revealing intricate components beneath. One arm elongated, transforming into a gleaming, long blade extension. Her other arm became a formidable barrel, resembling a very large gun. Her entire body began to emit steam, and small, glowing blue circuit-like lines pulsed across her metallic frame. "Switching to combat mode."

The wizard, a sneer twisting his lips, extended a hand in a theatrical gesture. "Before you utter your last breath, allow me to introduce myself. I am Valerius, The Mage of Sanguine Tear, a titled mage of the Veiled Circle." His eyes, cold and assessing, swept over Kaito and Epsilon. "A clone of the original as I may be, consider me vastly superior to those… lesser versions you have encountered prior. I assure you."

Without another word, Epsilon reacted, her barrel-like arm glowing intensely. A blue, swirling projectile, crackling with what looked like pure plasma, shot from it, hurtling towards Valerius. The projectile screamed through the air, but Valerius remained perfectly calm. As it came within reach, he simply extended a bare hand and grasped the spiraling energy. The plasma whirled in his palm for a single moment before, with a casual clench of his fist, he crushed it into nothingness.

Kaito, having seen Epsilon's immediate action, had already charged from behind. Durandal was a gleaming arc, aiming for Valerius's back. But before he could connect, a shadow seemed to erupt from the dungeon floor, snaking around Kaito's feet with impossible speed. It lashed out, seizing him, and flung him violently upward towards the low ceiling.

Kaito reacted instantly, slashing Durandal through the clinging darkness, severing the shadowy tendril. But as he freed himself, Valerius, with his other hand, had already pointed skyward. A bright red fireball erupted from his fingertips, growing rapidly as it ascended towards the suspended Kaito. Kaito brought Durandal up to block, bracing for impact. However, the fireball suddenly split in two, veering sharply around his defense and homing in on his back.

The twin explosions ripped through the air, slamming into Kaito with brutal force. He cried out, falling heavily to the ground, his clothing charred and smoldering, the acrid smell of burnt fabric filling his nostrils. Pain flared across his back, but a surge of primal defiance coursed through him. He landed awkwardly, rolled, and pushed himself back onto his feet, Durandal still gripped tightly in his hand.

Without hesitation, Kaito charged again, a growl escaping his lips. Simultaneously, Epsilon, her blade extension now fully deployed, launched herself forward, a silent, deadly blur.

Valerius, seemingly unfazed by the synchronized assault, merely chuckled. A magic circle flared into existence at his feet, and in a ripple of distorted air, he teleported a few yards away, effortlessly dodging both Durandal's furious swing and Epsilon's extended blade.

"Predictable," he mocked, his voice echoing slightly in the chamber. "This is my home field advantage, you see. All the prep-time needed to implement whatever I feel like." He snapped his fingers, a massive zweihänder forged of pure lightning coalesced in his hand. Simultaneously, the entire room—walls, ceiling, and even the very air itself—began to glow as countless magic circles flickered into visibility, arrayed like constellations across every surface.

Valerius vanished, only to reappear in a blur, delivering a blinding flurry of blows. He teleported, appearing and disappearing with dizzying speed, making it nearly impossible to predict his next attack or counter effectively. Epsilon, reacting with incredible precision, managed to block most of his strikes, her blade extension clashing against the crackling lightning zweihänder with sharp, explosive pops.

Kaito, however, was having a much harder time. He acted on pure instinct, Durandal flashing to parry what he could, but he still took several jarring hits. A paralytic numbness began to spread through his body, and with a grimace, he noticed a faint, glowing sigil etched onto his clothing where Valerius's blade had touched him.

Then, a sudden, sharp snap of fingers sounded from directly behind Kaito. Before he could turn, the world erupted. Kaito was engulfed in an explosion, a deafening roar followed by a searing wave of heat.

He emerged from the smoke, coughing, his breath labored, but his determination remained firm. His clothes were singed, and the paralytic sensation intensified, but he pushed through it

"Kaito," Epsilon's synthesized voice cut through the ringing in his ears, surprisingly direct. "I plan to destroy this entire room. It may result in the collapse of this section of the dungeon. I strongly advise you to rescue Maria before I execute the maneuver."

"What about you?" Kaito gasped, fear for his robotic companion warring with the urgent need to save Maria.

"Worry not," Epsilon stated, her glowing circuits flaring brighter. "This is my mission."

Kaito stared at her for a brief moment, knowing he couldn't convince her or offer an alternative. She was an automaton, built for purpose, and her resolve was absolute. With a heavy heart, and a surge of renewed focus, he turned and rushed through the door that Epsilon's map indicated led directly to Maria's cell.

"Leaving so soon?" Valerius's taunting voice echoed as Kaito burst through the doorway. The mage instantly teleported to block the prison door, a triumphant sneer on his face.

But before Valerius could intercept Kaito, Epsilon was there, a shimmering blur. She crashed into the mage, her mechanical strength intercepting his teleportation.

"How annoying," Valerius spat, pushing back against Epsilon's powerful frame. "I'm too old to be playing with dolls."

Epsilon said nothing in response. More steam exhaled from her glowing frame, her blue circuits pulsing with increased intensity, ready to unleash her destructive capability. The air in the chamber crackled with latent energy.