"Well. Fuck."

I cursed as Iris transformed into a thick cloud of darkness the moment my sword sliced through her.

A doppelganger. Not good at all.

"Who's cleaving who again?" Iris's voice taunted from behind, making the hairs on the back of my neck stand on end.

Before I could react, she materialized out of the lingering wisps of darkness, her legs wrapping around my torso, and the cold blade of her black dagger pressed against my cheek.

"Surprise," her voice tickled my ear, sending shivers down my spine.

"Doppelganger and a position switch," I guessed with a calm smile, "Very impressive."

She giggled. "I know, right? It was fun seeing you guys chasing after that doppelganger."

"Glad we entertained you," I smirked.

Suddenly, a blood tentacle shot toward her eye. Instinctively, she moved her head to the side, narrowly avoiding the attack.

The crystallized tip of the tentacle still managed to graze her ear, and she quickly jumped off my back.

"Ooh, that was a close one," she remarked, touching her bleeding ear with a grin before disappearing into thin air.

I shifted my sword to the right, deflecting a powerful strike from her dagger. She vanished again, reappearing behind me as if she had teleported.

Without glancing back, my blood appendages shot toward her, blocking her continuous dagger slashes and counterattacking.

"Looks like you've learned a new trick! Just a month ago, you couldn't even sense my attacks," Iris remarked, appearing before me in a burst of darkness and jabbing at my face.

I smiled as I parried the attack and immediately countered with a slash toward her stomach. The black and white blades clashed in a flurry of sparks as she blocked my strike.

In the blink of an eye, a sharp appendage of solid darkness shot out from behind Iris, heading straight for my eyes.

I swiftly sidestepped to avoid it, jumping back as it curved, following my movement with uncanny precision.

A homing tentacle? When did she learn that?

As I dodged the incoming attack, I caught a glint of metal from my right. Reacting instinctively, I raised my sword to block a ferocious strike from Iris aimed at my neck.

The tip of the black appendage appeared in my peripheral vision as I exchanged deadly blows with Iris.

Transcendence.

Time seemed to slow around me, allowing me a moment to pause and react. Harnessing the power of Haema, six blood appendages materialized on my back and surged toward Iris.

She clicked her tongue as she swiftly slashed through them, turning them into bloody ribbons.

But I didn’t dwell on her reaction. With a flick of my wrist, I sliced through the approaching black tentacle, dispersing it into wisps of smoky darkness.

My six appendages reformed, swaying with a life of their own as I turned to face Iris. She smirked, her eyes glinting with mischief, as six jagged appendages of darkness materialized behind her, each menacingly curving its pointed tips toward me.

I raised my eyes and quipped, "A guy, a girl, and tentacles. Sounds like the beginning of a porno."

"Or a smutty dark fantasy novel involving octopi," Iris retorted with a smirk, her tone teasing.

I shrugged casually. "Or that. But it's not right for us to enjoy it alone."

As if on cue, buildings on both sides of the road collapsed in a storm of lightning and silver flames, effectively sealing off both ends.

Artemis’s voice cut through the tension, "That was an odd comparison, Vice Cap," she remarked, her words accompanied by the sound of tough black threads enveloping Iris’s limbs and neck.

"Huh?" Iris exclaimed in surprise as the wires tightened, pinning her in place.

Artemis hopped beside me, her hand firmly clasped around her yoyo.

"Underground recon, huh?" I raised my eyebrows at her. "This city has an overhead commuter train system."

"Someone had to be in the shadows to strike at the best moment," she winked. "Plus, I brought reinforcements."

The temperature suddenly dropped, and ice swiftly encased Iris’s lower body, further restricting her movements.

I sensed multiple auras approaching, accompanied by the crackling of lightning and the roar of flames.

Despite being restrained, Iris maintained her composure, flashing us a confident smile.

If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it.

"This is going to be quite the spectacle," she remarked with glee.

*******

"Well. That was a bloody massacre."

Iris remarked as she playfully skipped beside me.

I scoffed, "More like crimes against humanity."

"It wasn't that bad," she defended.

I stared at her incredulously, "Wasn't that bad? Iris, you rammed a rod of darkness so far up Apollo's rear that the tip came out of his mouth!"

"He tried to skewer me with a water spear!" Iris countered.

"Oh? And what about Krystal? You slow-cooked the lower half of her body with your black flames while slapping her in the face multiple times," I pointed out.

"She froze me into the ground!"

I sighed, shaking my head, "Goodness, you're quite sadistic."

Iris grinned mischievously, her eyes glinting as she gave a small shrug, "Of course I am. It's a good thing Minerva significantly reduced the pain threshold."

"That's because she knows you," I replied, sighing once more as we made our way to the elevator.

"That battle was a loss on both sides though," she pointed out.

I nodded, "Yeah. We kind of cleaved each other in half."

"Well, that was kind of exciting," Iris replied with a sly smile.

I couldn't help but roll my eyes, "Bloody weirdo."

She grinned. "I am your bloody weirdo."

"Yes you are," I replied with a chuckle.

Anyway. Enough of Iris's brutal tendencies.

Today was the day of Gawain's and Guinevere's visit, and Kay had instructed me to arrive at one of the side entrances of the Shield.

Given the potential commotion their arrival could cause, they wouldn't be entering through the main entrance.

Most Deathwalkers weren't even aware that members of the Royal Family were coming.

According to Minerva, they would be escorted to Kay's office via a private corridor, and then to a restaurant booked for the entire day.

As we reached the ground floor, we stood before a painting depicting a battle between an ancient knight in gold armor and a dragon.

Without making a single sound, the painting sank into the wall with an eerie smoothness, revealing another corridor.

"This place never ceases to amaze me," I remarked as we entered the corridor.

It was well-lit, with a soft purple carpet and light panels depicting a golden sunrise sky along with more ornate paintings.

"So this is the rumored Royal Corridor," I mused as we turned right and made our way to the double doors at the end of the corridor.

"I bet there are a lot more places like this," I remarked as we reached the double doors.

Iris nodded in agreement, "Indeed. The Shield has its many secrets."

Glancing at her curiously, I asked, "By the way. Why are you here? Aren't you supposed to be welcoming newbies?"

"Yes, I will be, but first, the High Queen requested to see me," she explained.

I raised an eyebrow in surprise, "Whoa. Why?"

With a sheepish smile, Iris revealed, "Well, I suppose it's because I'm somewhat like the foster daughter of the Commander."

I blinked and stared at her, "What?"

"It's unofficial, and he told me not to reveal it too much. The Commander became my legal guardian after he learned of my unique circumstances," Iris explained.

"Huh. I guess that explains why he always has that fatherly vibe whenever he's with you," I replied, a thoughtful tone creeping into my voice.

"And perhaps why he glares at me whenever he catches us together," I added, a realization dawning on me.

Iris nodded knowingly. "Precisely. After all, we are dating. Plus, we are quite the troublemakers."

"Are you two going to stand there like decorative statues, or are you coming in?" Kay's voice interrupted from behind the doors.

That guy has good senses.

Oh. Did he hear the conversation we just had?

Shit.

With a playful grin, Iris stuck out her tongue at me, "Oops."

This girl...

She pushed the door open, and we entered a rather lavish lounge area.

The room was filled with simple yet luxurious furniture, the kind that invited sinking into.

Kay reclined on a couch, exuding an air of authority in his resplendent grey suit. His salt and pepper hair was now longer, and he even had a beard, making him look more regal and intimidating.

His piercing blue eyes gazed at us knowingly, and I knew he had overheard our conversation.

"I assume you heard everything?" I ventured, trying to keep my tone light.

He simply nodded in response.

"So it's true, then?" I sought confirmation.

Another nod followed.

Feeling a mix of nerves and determination, I pledged, "I'll do everything in my power to make her happy, sir."

Kay grunted in acknowledgment, "You better."

Iris sighed, touching my arm lightly as if to diffuse the tension, "Did you really have to pull that, Commander?"

"Of course. You're dating my nephew, who can be quite the handful," Kay replied calmly.

Even after three years, Kay's imposing presence still managed to unnerve me. Despite all these years, something about Kay’s presence still made the air feel heavier.

Though our relationship had evolved considerably during that time, his stern gaze never failed to command respect.

Surprisingly, he had even taken an interest in refining my already proficient swordsmanship, which greatly surprised and impressed him.

My swordsmanship intrigued him so much that he asked me to show him a few moves.

In the end, Kay is the very strict but supportive uncle we all have.

I looked at him, "So. When are they arriving?"

Kay looked at his watch and leaned in casually on the couch.

"Right about now."

As if on cue, the double doors on the opposite side of the room burst open, and Queen Guinevere strode in with a radiant smile.

"Hey hey, Kay! It's been some time, Commander Grouch!"

Her sparkling blue eyes immediately found me, and she pounced without hesitation.

"Mordred! Come here!"