"Blitz!"

I cry out a battle cry to activate the Haste Rune and plant a suggestion to myself to go faster. Without a doubt, the sudden acceleration never failed as I shoot straight into the tentacle lady with a horizontal slash ready. My body utilizes the speed from my charge as I slash with all my might.

I feel my strike connect but it isn't on the woman's body. One of her black tentacles blocks my strike as I see the woman's lip curl up with a bone-chilling smile of a yandere stalker.

Her body swivels like all her joints are ball joints, doing something straight out of Kyushu Ghoul- her body jumps while curled weirdly as four of her tentacles lash out into my body which was left wide open by my previous attack.

The woman's attack sends me flying for about a 5 meters before I am able to grip again the ground properly. Fortunately, the pain I anticipated is severely toned so I was able to stand up very quickly.

(Master! She's coming, dora!)

Looking up, she closed in the distant nearly in an instant. Tentacle one strikes, I block it with my sword successfully-

Her body twists in a way I can predict because I saw the Kyushu Ghoul anime but her tempo is way off than what I expect. Tentacle two moved with number three but I am somehow able to stop them with my katana-

Crunch!

I feel something akin to a big needle is stabbed deep into my chest and I am sent flying for 10 meters this time but vertically- that bitch must've kicked me or something. Damn, how many of my magical ribs did she break?

(Just use Chronostasis, dora! We are getting beat!)

Never! I won't do it, Fey!

She chases me into the air with a leap- I subconsciously close my eyes in anticipation of pain. I kept waiting for what seems an eternity until I my face gets pricked by a lot of needles. Her attack never came that I just fell into the ground again...

(Keep calm, dora... Try breathing several times before continuing-)

I quickly turn my body only to see the monster that beat me frozen midair- I... I just used it... I am-

Everything goes into a blur as all I can hear right now is static- just like what old analog TVs sound on invalid channels. Just what is this?

(RAIN??? Listen to me, dora! Run away, quick!)

The unbeatable ghoul of a woman starts moving again as she looks for me midair. After she reaches the peak of her jump, she looks and spots me, defenseless.

Ah, Fey... This is hopeless-

(Dora? What are you saying? There is still hope, dora!)

I'm sorry for being such a useless master...

The monster aims towards me as her sharp gaze eyes her prey. I'm sorry, Bob. I am such a terrible son-

(Rain, what are you doing? Whatever you are doing, stop!!!)

I take the fedora off my head to cover my face as I feel my tears soaking it. Mom, I know you can't come right now...

My hands grip my fedora tightly as I feel all my emotions flow out into the grip. I am already done for.

(There is still hope! Roll to the right, dora!!!)

She lands into me as her fingers did deep into my neck. She lifts me as my hands that cover my face unveil her sneering face. She begins moving her mouth but I am unable to hear anything but static as my heart slowly eats itself away.

Ah, you're right- there is hope. Fey, at least live on for me...

(DORAAAAAAAAA!!!)

The fedora in my hand suddenly turns into an orb of light as it flies away into the horizon faster than a bullet. My Mysticlad form vanishes as I felt the full pain of having someone's fingers dig into your neck.

...

Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.

Fey's PoV:

Rain forcefully ejects me to send me out of the Lair. The despair flowing into me abruptly gets cut right after. My fedora body lands into some building overlooking the large Lair which can only be seen by Nobles and people related to their world.

I... I fucked up really badly... I-I am supposed to help Rain- to help myself! Instead, I got too into the moment and lost it when it mattered so much.

I should have explained how Mirror Invocations work exactly so that he won't fall next time he uses them.

I should have been more honest with him when I met him so that I could get along with him quicker.

I...

(-DORAAAAAAAAAAA!!!)

(What right do I have to exist if I can't even help you!)

My mental scream echoes into the void which used to be the mental link between me, further reinforcing the feelings of loneliness and regret. Damn, this is hopeless. I need to somehow find Bob and rescue Rain. It might be very hard but-

(Zel? Are you a new Guardian around this area?)

A voice similar yet a bit deeper compared to mine echoes in what used to be our mental link. I... I screwed up again-

(Where are you right now, zel?)

I should not have screamed into the open Mindscape- Our existence must not be known by the other other Nobles right now or else Rain-

(Whatever problems you are experiencing, we will come to help you, zel!)

... I must not-

(You might have doubts on my abilities but I have three strong Nobles under me, zel. They are pretty much invincible when together, zel!)

Oh, I get it now... We can just slaughter them away after using them- we have Chronostasis, we have Bob, nothing can go wrong-

(My only Noble lost to a Contracted Witch, dora. He is being corrupted right now. Come quick, dora!)

I said in a flustered manner. I made sure to pump in extra impatience and worry for Rain to my lie and what came out was a flawless "truth".

(Really, zel? This is serious. We will be there, zel!)

I'm sorry but this must be done. Blame your kindness for trusting us...

...

Bob's PoV:

I was able to escape very quickly thanks to Rain. As soon as I get out of the Lair into a dark alley, I quickly open my flip phone to call my ex-wife. That Witch is probably too strong for everyone I know except her.

"Oh, you called?"

Her cold voice announced that I am unneeded right now. Damn this bitch! She actually broke my son and still, her way of speaking has never changed. I always wondered for the past years why was I so foolish to believe her for the since our marriage?

"Listen, I need your help-"

I am about to tell him about Rain but knowing her:

"If it's about your 'love' for me then, I don't need any of it right now~ I mean, I am quite sure you will gut me on first sight, hahaha. I'm quite busy right now so-"

She will ridicule me based on how I can't possibly track her right now. However, I still know something that will compel her to act.

"It's about Rain, Stacie..."

I feel her ridicule suddenly shift into a purely malicious aura from the other side of the phone call. After all, Stacie is a person who is quite protective of her toys. Even if that includes my son.

"Oh, my little doll? What of him? Did you finally break my charm on him?"

A brief trace of a familiar energy begin crawling out of my phone. Heh, tracking me already? That's fine that works handsomely on my end.

"He was captured by a Witch and-"

Supernatural electricity begin cracking from phone as I felt my ears being stung for a bit.

"Just how desperate are you to remove his charm to use a Witch? You can't just leave after messing with with what's mine, you will pay for this foolishness, Bob!"

Wait... If Stacie didn't help Title Rain as Noble with her methods then- how could Rain be a Noble right now? He shouldn't be one. His soul is mangled by Stacie in her experiment while she was bearing Rain in her womb. Even if she stuffed in The Light in the remaining empty space of Rain's vessel, a Noble would require a full soul to do it.

"Wait, Stacie-"

"You are courting death!"

She's not listening anymore- I quickly crush the flip phone I have been using for quite some time. I can't have her shooting lightning out of it. Damn, this is terrible- if Stacie finds out Rain is a Noble, she would experiment on him again without a doubt.

...

Fey's PoV:

As I glide downwards into the edge of the Lair, I luckily find a familiar brown-haired pretty man in a white suit. He is looking down from a short building's roof as if he is waiting for a not-so-friendly acquaintance.

(Doraaaaaa! Bob-)

He suddenly vanishes and the next thing I know is that I am pinned on the building's wall behind me with a Chinese sword pinning me down.

"Did Stacie send you? You must be her new Guardian. That woman always changes her personnel every year-"

Bob said to me in a voice that can freeze someone solid if words could affect reality.

(No, dora! I am with Rain, do you remember Rain's Mysticlad form, dora?)

Bob's face eases up as he releases me before putting me on his head but his hand never left my body. He... Isn't planning on letting me go...

"So, you are the reason Rain is a Noble... Why would you Title him? Why did you make him the same as that woman?"

(Dora... You can say that Rain and I are once one person-)

His cold atmosphere returned once more and his eyes become sharp like daggers. Did I mention something bad? No, I am not seeking death right now!

"You- are you Stacie's 'mother?'"

(Dora? Who's Stacie? I only want to be whole with Rain, dora!)

I immediately cracked the truth but the second part of my sentence sounds kinda worrying because I worded it badly.

(Rain will die early unless I become one with him, dora. I need to save him but other Nobles must not know of it or else-)

Bob's grip on me loosened as his face turns pale in worry.

"- they would experiment on him again..."

(That's right, dora! That's why we need you, dora! Rain might hate you outside, Bob but deep in his heart he still has that spark of love for you.)

"... Really? I thought it was so weird for him to say those words earlier today."

Bob smiles as he tears of joy flows through his face. Looks like I can trust Bob. He truly cares about Rain after all.

(Actually dora, it was the weird incestuous eros for you that kept his love for his father intact. Honestly, Rain's so weird in that aspect, dora~)

"Thank you, whoever you are- now, I think I can break Stacie's curse on him..."

And so, we spend the next few minutes scheming to take Rain after the Nobles we called finish their jobs.