While the battle goes on in Mouve...

Liu Town

The butler

“Faster, fatty. You in the way!”

"Sorry, Granny Zhi,” I said as I carried a chest full of pungent pills and put it at the edge of the store.

“Getting awfully familiar, aren't you?” The doctor rushed through the store, picking different ingredients to use.

“It's because of your amiable personality.” I chuckled.

The doctor kissed her teeth with a small smile. “Get me that over there.” She pointed to the shelf above me and took the jar from the high shelf to give to her.”

“So, big man.”

“Charles.” I picked up another chest of ingredients.

“Who cares.” Adding water to the grided materials, she ground some more. “Your boss not coming?”

“He is very interested. But he has some business to attend to.”

“Mmm. So you came alone... You’re curious, about my skills?”

“Very.”

Zhi put down her grinding bowl to look at me.

“You're smart; you learned the code after one look. You listen well and respond well. Obedient, which I like very much. You know how to read, which is a huge addition in this idiotic city. But you can't read liuen.”

So close so far.

“Are you willing to learn?”

I brought my head up, feeling ecstatic.

“Willing and able.”

Zhi hit her thighs and grinned. “Good! Cos’ I sense your boss has aloooooot money to spend.”

Mouve

The receptionist

“Get the wounded away and let the guard do their thing,” I ordered my people.

“Understood, Ma’am,” Scuffy and sweaty from battle, they walked away, glimpsing at the statuesque Duke with awe. Once outmanned, the battle had completely turned on his side with the guard. The frost knight and his band of warriors overran the horn’s man. Seeing their men slaughtered and their leader running, the mercs retreated with their one way out, the black shade.

“GREYSTON! GREYSTONE! GREYSTON! GREYSTONE!” rang through the red light district. Voices of every creed and age shouted from the windows and street afar. But those cheers fall on deaf ears as their recipient's focus is elsewhere. Eyes full of longing, he looked at his family from afar. Tears made marks on his bloody face as he decided. He saluted his brother and uncle across the battlefield and there was a change. The Duke I met in the carriage appeared again. The man who unscrolled my life with such detail. I quivered in his presence, feeling the intense energy emanating from the Duke. Burnt and bruised to hell, he stood as confident as ever, commanding the guard to do his bidding.

“TO THE BLACK SHADE. TAKEOVER FROM ABOVE AS I GO BELOW.” He bellowed to the crowd of warriors. “Jimmy, bring Beta with you and don't leave Vanessa alone. Kurt, Beatrice, with me.”

He looked at me. “Let's go and end this. Once and for all.”

Ominous ruby eyes stared at me as we walked. The whites of his eyes had turned as black as night. His irises had become slits. His lizard-like glare bored into me as if a god had descended into our realm.

With his greatsword strapped to his back, the duke scanned for threats in the brothel and found them scared to death. With their swords up, the duke took the challenge and brought hell to the brothel halls. Black power cut and cut. With his weapon, he sliced down weeds with no issue. We ventured down the bar, leaving ten bodies behind to stain the brothel floor and the duke’s bodyguard hardly having to lift his sword.

“Over here,” I said, pointing to a wall with a candle stand mounted to it.

I pulled the candle stand, locks clanked and I pushed a wall in. I pointed to the cellar door inside. Four of us descend, the three ravens obviously disturbed by the smell. Lanterns

lit our way and we were greeted by cages along the sides, full of prisoners too weak to move and too young to escape. A gust blew and I turned around to see a man enraged. Black mana brought my hair up straight and I nearly kneeled out of fear.

“Under my nose. This whole time…”

His power raged. The stone floor under him was chiselled by his mana, and the ground crumbled.

Like the quiet after the storm, his power ceased. The man was stone cold, yet his eyes burned with a fire the hells would be envious of.

“Kurt. Get help. Free them and escort them out safely.”

“Yes, Your Grace!”

While the blue eyes saw to the locks, my eyes lay on prisoners hiding in the corner. “I would sneak in here with whatever food I could scrounge up, feeling guilty every time I went back to my desk. I was doing it to survive. But that just wasn't enough…”

The duke closed his eyes with great pain in his expression. Never I would never thought a man with power close to a king and the strength of an army could be so sympathetic.

“Your Grace,” I said to him. “You're helping now and that's all that matters.”

Eyes of black and red looked down at me and, with a short nod, smiled at me. His sword moved in a flash of black light and the cages were slashed on both sides. Metal poles fall into chopped pieces. Prisoners tepidly stepped out of the filth-covered stalls but two women rushed to hug me.

“Bieye!” A dark-skinned girl squeezed me tight with tears in my eyes. The blonde wipes her tears, praying. Kissing the girls’ heads, I said, “I told you.”

Ana cried more and I let go of Sian. “Come with me and the stone-faced guard will protect you.”

I faced my boss. “Walk down the tunnel and it will go straight to his bunker under his residence.”

“You are coming with us.”

“What?”

“Knife.”

Beatrice appeared from behind to hand me a dagger with a peculiar smile.

“The madam needs revenge.”

Black Shade

The Pimp.

I rested in my room with my rare wares and collectables around me, aching from sores and pains all over my body. It should be the perfect place to stay put while I rest. They should be almost done with the traps. They have to work. They have to…

“Boss.” An old priest was pushed to the floor to kneel. “Here’s the bastard.” Sebastian's shoulder healed in his short time away.

Did he drink some?

"Fjord! What's going on? I thought you would have ended it by now.” The priest pleads on the floor.

“Ran into the duke. Priest.The water.” I demanded.

My hired man had given me the satchel. Gugging until the satchel was completed, I wiped my mouth off the delicious nectar of the gods.

“That was all we have for the month…” the Priest cried.

To think the church could be keeping this elixir all to themselves. Loaded with a flurry of energy, I felt power fill my veins and my pain lessened. This is the boost I needed to deal with the cocky noble. That strange power… Just another noble getting what he doesn’t deserve. But that changes tonight.

Aghast, the priest slouched on the floor. “S-surely you w-won?”

I stayed silent and I weighed my options as one of the men burst into my room to give news. “An army is approaching! They have surrounded all exits! Lord Laron has taken charge.”

It's all over.

“Priest! Any word from them?” The priest shook his head.

I wobbled to a chair to sit, rubbing my tattoo. thoughts rushed into my mind.

“The duke?”

The hired merc points to the ground.

“I will hold him back.” I looked up with my head between my hands and Sebastian slyly smiled.

“For extra coin.”

I rushed up and picked up a coin purse from a drawer and threw it to the checkered teeth man. With a tip of the hat, he left the room with new knives and swords hovering around him.

I hoped he would at least give me a few more minutes.

Lands above… Why did I accept his deal…?

In the tunnels.

The Duke.

The last man in my way split in two as me, Beatrice, and Bieye walked down the dark tunnel. I could feel malice and hatred of years of abuse and torture clinging to the wall.

Status.

Nothing.

The pimp was right. This was my fault. I was too hasty to prove myself. Too impatient to get stronger. Although full of power, my chest felt empty. All my work, training, and meditation. All were thrown away because of my foolishness. Only by the grace of literal gods, I am alive. But for how long? I kept remembering the notification. Time is limited. What did it mean by bloodline?

Thank you. I pray to the lands above.

Walking through the tunnels, I asked, “How far?” My voice resonated like a thousand stacked together; what else had changed?

“No more than two more minutes to walk. We just need to follow the wires on the walls.” Beiye said, with her arms linked to Beatrice, who carried a lantern. I sensed something more going on with them than just a snitch and her assigned Umbra.

“That’s what you pulled before. An Alarm?”

Beiye nodded but turned away as she looked into my eyes. ”They should lead us to the right-”

“Stay Back.” I unsheathed my blade, enveloped in black.

I heard the many footsteps of foolish men racing through the tunnel. Their speed told me they were seconds and thirds. Out of the dark, the screams reverberated underground and like flies they died without me moving my blade. They hit the stone with blades and knives behind the backs that wiggle and float back to the master.

An ugly face grinned with his slim hands in his pockets in the middle. Swords and knives bob around him. “Fancy meeting you again.” He bowed exaggeratedly. “Your Grace.”

I stepped forward for battle and the jester backed away. ”Woah, woah, woah there! I ain't here to fight. Just tryna do you a favour.”

I kept walking.

“I am just a mercenary! Killer for pay. I have no allegiance to the bald fool.” He stepped to the side, gesturing for us to pass. “He is that way-”

I swung and a crescent of black mana shot out of my greatsword’s edge.

The jester collapsed to the ground, his bycocket slipped off his matted head, and weapons fell from the air, clattering on the floor. “What…” He said, bewildered. The mercenary looked at calves separated from his knee, gushing.

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“Thank you for killing your mates for me.”

“AAaAAAaAhHGH!” Seba holds his legs in agony. “WHY! ARGH. WHY!” His voice squeaked.

“But I need more than a favour. I need payback.”

I went to him and kneeled down to pick up one of his knives.

“It was here, right?” I grabbed his hair and pointed the knife to his temple.

“For Anton, for Six”

I pushed the blade slowly into the mercenary’s forehead

“Please! PLEASE!!!”

The black mana-coated knife pierced through blue armour and into skin. The merc hyperventilated, trying to hold my arm back.

“NO NO NO.” The jester's face became even uglier and wet with tears as I felt bone and pushed further.

“AAAaaAaaaHHH.”

With one more push, Seba’s arms went limp, then silence.

With his knife deep into his skull from point to hilt, I drop his head, leaving the dead to rot in the tunnels.

“Let’s move.”

How long do I have?

We walked further into the tunnel with no more distractions on the way and we reached the door where the wires and pulleys end.

An enormous amount of energy was felt behind the door. “Move back.” At my order, Beatrice took the madam out of the way with haste.

Fireballs shot from the wooden door like hail. I raised my hand to create a mana shield wide enough for all three of us.

A war hammer slammed onto the floor and a wave of flame flowed outward. Beatrice carried the madam away, and I coated myself in the mysterious black mana.

“DIE!!” The pimp rushed forward, swinging his mighty hammer from the right. Sword and hammer met and the air boomed from the impact. His incredible strength is nothing but tap with this new power of mine. His hammer glowed brightly and exploded, pushing me an inch to the side.

His injuries. Holy water?

I used my greatsword to bring his hammer up around me and down to my right to slash at his open body. Fjord brought up his warhammer pole to block and he was hit back into his bunker.

I rest my blade on my shoulder.

“I need answers. Who gave you Kuwei?”

“Why ask me and not that bitch in the castle?!”

“Umm…Good Idea. Then maybe I won't have to let you leave alive.”

I closed the distance in a moment, and my greatsword scraped on the stone floor as I slashed up. The pole of Fjord protected him and his weapon rang like a bell. I slashed down, and the horn intercepted. My power brought him to his knees. His arm trembled to hold me back. Mana repulsed from the sole of my boot as I kicked the horn in the chest. Vomit and blood spurted from his damaged lungs and he rebounded off the wall.

I thrust and felt bound.

“HAHAHA. Finally!”

Veins of purple wrap around me. I looked up. Runes glowed with the spell Entangle and the vine descended to tie around my body. I looked down to meet eyes with the confident fool.

“Why does a foreigner like you traffic your people?”

“MY PEOPLE?” The pimp spit his words out like venom. “HAHAHA, maybe to a noble we are all the same. But the toys I buy, sell, and collect are not of my people. This right here-” The trafficker pointed to his tattoo on his head. “Should've told you that I am unlike them. I am a Horn! Thee horn of Mouve! Why would a horse tamer care about the foals he sells? Now…” Fjord’s wahammer heated up while I was stuck. Mana coursed in his veins enough to be visible through his skin. He pulled his weapon back, so sure that this was the last blow.

“Good try. Would have enough for a fifth circle.”

I snapped the purple vines of mana with ease, leaving the pimp shocked.

“I have none.”

The pimp smashed the floor in a panic. The ground, covered in hidden runes, exploded. Mana armour of black left me unscathed. I watched the flames around me. My head got woozy and drenched with sweat. My breath became laboured. I looked around for an exit. I feel trapped and constricted, my heart beats uncontrollably.

“Greystone!” Bieye held my arm. “Are you…?” She said, with concern.

I shook my head to straighten my mind. I pulsed my mana and the flames died down.

“I am alright. Thank you.”

“I told you it is ‘Your Grace’!” Beatrice chided.

“I don't think he cares! By the way, He's gone up the stairs.” I looked around and saw that the big bastard had left.

I exhaled. “Right, Right…”

I burst forward, leaving a gust behind me. Up the stairs in a step, I broke the door into a room so gaudy the tiger king would call it repugnant. Full of furs and horns, necklaces of gold, and rare stones. I see a few skulls among the ‘treasures’ and a scared man holding his weapon like a whipped child.

“Okay, OKAY!!” Every step I took, Fjord took one back. I twitched my sword hand.

“HODGE!”

I stopped.

“HODGE HIRED ME TO GET RID OF YOU. GAVE ME THE POISON TO HURT YOUR UNCLE TOO!”

Ah… Did he give it to the Dowager too? If so, how long have they been working together?

“I didn't want to involve myself in this-”

I swung down. Hammer broken, the pimp’s eyes widened as blood squirted from his belly to his left shoulder.

“I NEED ANSWERS.” I swung again. And the horn bled again as he flew to the wall, destroying the priceless things he so carefully hung and dropped his hammer. He peeled off the wall to fall on his face. With my sword jabbed into the floor and with my left hand, I picked him up by his only braid.

His grimy hand tried to pry me off as I pelted him.

One, two, three, seven, sixteen, twenty-four punches, and the pimp's feet drag on the nice carpet with no strength. I avoided too much damage to his mouth so he could speak.

“Who did you sell women to a few weeks ago?”

“How can remember-”

I add more to the twenty-four to fix his memory straight.

“One man wanted all the stock that I held!” He muffled with broken teeth. “Said he needed them urgently and they should be young.” Fjord's left fist blazed as he struck. I caught the attack by his forearm and gripped. As easy to crack as bamboo, I let his broken arm flop so I could enjoy the screaming. I turned back to two women climbing up the stairs.

“Enjoying this, Bieye.”

The madam's smile could disturb the most evil man and I saw Fjord and knew it did.

“Name.”

“Hymir!” He rushed to say. “That is what he called himself. Although from a different clan, he is a shaved one like myself.”

I let the braid go.

“Hallowed eyes. A scarf?”

Fjord crawled on the floor, mumbling. I kicked his ribs.

“UURRGH!” Fjord hacked blood. “YES, YES!.”

“Was he injured?”

“When he first came to me he limped-”

I stomped.

Feeling his spine on my boot, I stomped again with mana. With that his ability to move and manipulate mana was destroyed. His cry, like a bawling wolf, blood-curdling scream came from a cocky fool. Such delight. Such satisfaction. All the pent-up frustration I had broiling deep in me exploded in orgasmic sadism.

I leaned down to look at the pimp's face and laughed.

“Is that… tears I see? HAHAHA HAHAHA” I saw more tears flow and laughed some more.

I walked over to the madam, brought her over by her arm and pointed at the bastard as I jokingly goaded her. Her kicking began soft, then harder, until thumps could be heard. I heard an old man crying in the corner with a full view of our madness. With my eyes gesturing, Beatrice took the hint to restrain the priest.

Back to laughing at the pimp, Bieye found the hammer.

“Please, Bieye please…”

Bieye thrashed him again and again and in a mix of glee and madness, she laughed with me. Our loud joy could be heard for a while, as were the pimp's screams and curses. I stomped again.

I got a lead. Bloody finally…The man in the avalanche and the spiders. Both connected. It was not for nothing.

In the middle of my euphoria, a shiny shield caught my attention. I faced my reflection, and I saw that my eyes had become peculiar.

Black, eyes like a lizard. Bloodline…

I turned away.

"Okay, haha, okay,” I said, stopping the madam from kicking. “This is fun and all but it's time to end this. Bieye. Your turn. Time to sever his head.”

The Receptionist

“Are you fucking kidding?”

“HAHA, nope.” The duke did not jest despite his eerie smile.

“WHAT DO MEAN, NO!?!?!”

The pale duke, covered in his old blood, looked down at Fjord, pretending to weigh options. He went around to kneel and break another arm, then two legs.

"FUCKING BASTAAAARD!!!!!"

“He can't hurt me but you're as fragile as wheat. So-” The demon smiled at me with his hand showing me where to cut. With a cutting motion, he moved the edge of his hand on the back of Fjord's neck.

I turned back to Beatrice, who held the priest, and with a sombre voice, she said, “First blood is always the hardest. But it's the only blood you will need to take.”

One life for the prosperity of all in Mouve...

I thought about the numerous names I gave away. Most of them died the next day. It was easier when their names were struck out on a piece of paper. Today brought me back to reality.

“You don't need to.” The duke’s hand glowed black. “But do you want it? Are you satisfied?”

I slid the knife from my back and gulped.

“NO.”

The duke backed away, leaving me space.

I kneeled before my owner. Broken like his many toys. As broken as my soul felt. I looked at his wet and bloodshot eyes, hoping to see regret.

I saw a sad, weak man.

“BIEYE!! BIEYE!!!! Please remember all the good times we had!! The cosy night’s together!!”

I started cutting.

20 minutes later.

The duke.

I chose the right woman. Her arm bloody and her face full of pride, Bieye held up the head of her capturer. The streets cheer her name, scream her title, and shout for the ravens. Empathy and ruthlessness. Respect brought by glory. She won't be a simple underboss I had planned to control, but an underdog hero, of whom songs will be written.

I leaned on the door of the brothel, which my brother loved so much, looking out to the men and women celebrating while the blood was still wet on the stone. The last of the prisoners were carried out to be helped and the priest followed them with his hand tied behind his back My guard finished the last remnants of the mercenaries and the survivors who surrendered were tied and escorted to prison to wait for their sentence and to be questioned.

I hear my brother inside, speaking words of concern for the couple I met before. After a hug goodbye, he walked up to me in his uniform, which fitted him better than this morning.

“Joshua. Uncle?”

“Poison wrecked him. But he is being sent back home to take the medicine you recommended. Stubborn as hell but he listened.”

“Good. He always listened to you, you were his favourite.”

“Fuck off, haha.”

In the middle of his chuckle, Joshua saw my changes.

“Your eyes…”

“I know.”

I came off the wall and hugged my brother. “Thank you, Joshua. Thank you so much.” I embraced him harder, feeling tears well up. “If you weren't there…”

“It is my duty as an officer of the guard and man of Greystone.” Joshua pushed me back softly, with the face of a soldier.

A swift unsheath of his rapier and I felt no threat but curiosity. Weapon out, Joshua stabbed it into the ground. Kneeling on the brothel floor, a hand rested on his chest in a salute.

“As a man raised by Osberg and a man born of Greystone, I solemnly swear fealty to you. Duke Tarion Greystone, first of his name, my sword is with you forever to use and abandon as you wish, my brother.”

My heart pounded, and my tears almost fell. Kneeling with resolution burning in his eyes, I never felt so proud as now to have him as my brother.

“Wise choice.” My smile reached my ears, cheeks full and teeth shining with joy. I felt heavy. The vast power suddenly left. Every single pain it held back flooded through my senses. Blood dripped from my mouth, nose, and eyes by the cup full and my weak legs tumbled me over. The voice of my brother shouting was muted. I felt his warmth as he held me as my last comfort before the dark came for me for the second time.

Location Unknown.

The Reincarnator.

I scrolled and scrolled. My boredom brought me to the fiftieth page of my favourite manga site. I tapped on the thumbnails; none interested me. None filled this hole in me. I scrolled more. I needed to do something. I threw away my phone on my bed and it bounced off my mattress in a pile of empty cans by the windows.

I swore numerous bad words too distasteful to repeat, and with an aching back, I slid off the bed. I stood up, kicking trash in my way. The open curtains of my flat show the starless view of the bright London night, cars rushing outside my double-glazed windows and the occasional annoying ambulance. The skyscrapers of the city hurt my eyes from the harsh lights. Orange streetlights shone on the pedestrians waiting below at the bus station. I sometimes missed the overbearing heat I felt as gunfire rained around me. I cast aside those thoughts and bent down to pick up my phone, swearing some more. Phone, a little cracked, but in my hand, I stood straight, and a giant eye looked at me from the window.

"AAAAAAAH!!!" I jumped back "WHAT THE FUCK, MAN!?”, every instinct telling me to run. But my mind realised.

Where am I?

GLORY WILL COME SOON ENOUGH. WAIT AND PREPARE.

The red-slitted eye peered at me with scales as dark as obsidian.

Darkness washed over me again.

A while later...

Zhi's store.

The duke.

My weary eyes fluttered open and a warm hand grasped my mine. Light Focusing in my eyes, I saw a figure. A woman. Her tears fill me with such guilt.

“DOCTOR. HE'S AWAKE.” My wife shouted. Another hand cupped my face; my swollen skin sensitive to her touch, stung but being in her company I endured the discomfort. I tried moving my body. I sigh with relief that things still move as they should, although with a lot of pain.

“Why… Why did you have to frighten me like this?” Looking at her longer, I noticed her wearing an officer’s coat, she only wore her pyjamas.

“Because I am a fool. Sorry I lied.” I whisper.

I look behind the crying duchess above me and see pills and jars along the multiple shelves.

“Brother…?” Joshua froze by the door with no navy blue officer coat and ran to my side as I lay down. “Tarion!!”

Vanessa paused him before he could hurt me even more.

“Heh, sorry.” He apologised with his hand on my weak arm, covered in needles. “Got me worried there. Glad you awake, Your Grace.”

Seeing his smile, I ask. “Did I miss anything.” with a rough voice

“A lot!”

An old lady pushed past pots and chests to stand at the end of the bed.

The Doctor Charles mentioned?

“Your circles are completely destroyed. Your meridians and mana heart are mangled. You may never ever be able to fight again.”

I closed my eyes and gripped Vanessa's hand.

Fuck me.

“But there is still a chance for a full recovery and more."

My eyes sprung open and I saw a smiling foreigner with greed in her eyes.

"As long as you bring the coin, Mr. Duke. Oh and congratulations on killing the horn bastard but I don't know why you gave credit to the little child. She is not worth it.”