Yuri's eyes slowly opened, he felt the weight of his drenched clothes as the rhythmic sound of rain poured down onto the concrete floor echoing off the narrow alley walls, soaked from head to toe he paid no mind the discomfort, he only cared about one thing in that moment and that was attending the grand feast and witnessing Arthur's plan unfold, what was so important that he would leave his own disciple?

Pushing off the wall with a heavy groan, Yuri got up to his feet, the downpour made him feel twice his weight however that did not deter him whatsoever, he looked down the dark alley to see that most who were sleeping there last night had left signaling it was already at least morning, he looked up, his crimson eyes piercing the heavens however since the sky was so cloudy he couldn't tell what time it was exactly.

He scoffs. "The weather in this country is trash as always." The boy murmured in a low growl.

And that was the truth, in a country like that of Fang that is inhabited mainly by demi-humans, beastkin or whatever you wanted to call them, where the capital and most cities lay deep within the jungle, weather there was often unpredictable, even while traveling with Arthur they were caught by surprise by sudden rain showers and oppressing heat waves more than once, little did Yuri know however, just how vast and unpredictable the world truly was and that this was just the start of his adventure.

Just as he was about to exit the alleyway the boy was stopped by what looked like a group of teenage thugs as they stepped out of the shadows, they looked like your basic delinquents, jacked and tall, dumb look on their faces, obnoxious hairstyles and your classic thug clothes concealing a few weapons like daggers and brass knuckles.

"Hey, hey, hey, kiddo, why the rush? We won't bite, I promise." One of the delinquents called out, a mocking grin spreading across his face.

He was a cheetah demi-human, his appearance as menacing as it was unique, his spotted blond hair was styled into a sharp mohawk, giving him a wild, untamed look, small round ears perched on top of his head twitched slightly, while a slim deep yellow tail wagged behind him, betraying a hint of caution beneath his bravado.

His eyes zeroed in on the knife Yuri was carrying, and his grin widened. "I see you've got yourself a nice little blade there." He continued, his tone dripping with sarcasm, he extended his hand, palm up, as if he were simply asking for something that belonged to him, "Why don't you let me borrow it? I'll take real good care of it." The way he spoke left no room for misunderstanding, this was no request, it was a demand, the delinquent’s voice was laced with a derogatory edge, his posture arrogant as he leaned forward expecting compliance from the frail looking boy.

By the way, author note here, beastkin a.k.a demi-humans look basically like humans but with a few animal characteristics like you see in the animes, they are the most evolved species of the beastkin kind, there are other more animalistic ones like the kobolds you saw previously, anyways sorry for interrupting, thank you for reading my little piece of fiction and I hope you've enjoyed the story so far.

Yuri looked up at the thug, his expression shifting, his eyes that were shallow and dazed before, now flickered with a dangerous glow of insanity, a sign that the situation was about to take a darker turn, a cruel emotionless smile slowly spread across his face, sharp and unsettling, as if he were savoring the moment.

The thug's smug smirk faltered as he noticed the shift in the air as his arm lingered in the air outstretched twitched, without a word Yuri tightened gripped the knife tightly as he unsheathed it slowly, the cold blade gleaming in the dim light the t flowed from between the cloud dominated sky, the tension in the air thickened as Yuri’s smile widened, a silent promise of what was to come.....

.....

While exiting the loose alley Yuri seemed calmer than before. "That was a good stretch." He said with his face returning back to his bleak expression, "Oh I forgot." His hand reached upwards to his bubbly cheek and he wiped off a small stain of blood off of it.

The boy walked out of the alley and back into the gray street, after he emerged from the alley's exit, the outline of the bodies of thugs came into view as they lay scattered, the only appropriate way to describe it was a gruesome mess of limbs and viscera as if they had been ripped and pulled apart by a vicious beast.

Walking on the street he noticed most people were going towards one direction, towards the castle, Yuri looked up to see it in it's full glory, though still from afar, it was definitely a sight to behold, tall onyx walls, countless towers and arches overlapping one another in a way that seemed elegant and almost natural as if mother nature herself placed them there, even with the clouded sky the castles tall walls gave off a shine of safety as if it were able to protect you even during the end of the world.

"Well, I guess it’s time to head up there myself then." Yuri muttered to himself, with a decisive stride he merged with the crowd, his soaked body now more relaxed after the morning’s 'warm-up', as he moved through the throng of people, his tension eased, and a steely determination replaced it.

.....

After walking for a while with the crowd, making sure to bury his face in the scarf so as to not reveal his identity to anyone just in case, Yuri arrived at the base of the castle, standing just before its colossal walls.

Before him stretched a vast plaza guarded by thousands of well armed and alert soldiers, a shimmering field enveloped the area, though it was almost invisible to the untrained eye, shielding the area from the rain, inside, countless tables and chairs were arranged in perfect order, each table laden with an array of mouthwatering dishes, loaded succulent meats, vibrant vegetables, and exotic fruits of every kind and everyone took seats for themselves.

The air was thick with anticipation, thousands of guards stood watch, their eyes scanning the crowd of men and women seated at the tables, though the food was within arm's reach, not a single person had touched it, it was clear they were waiting for something or someone before the feast could begin.

He found an empty chair nearby and sat down, joining the other citizens in patient silence, oddly enough there were quite a few fully armed and armored adventurers scattered among the tables, most of them seated with their respective groups or adventuring parties however despite their equipment the guards remained silent, not seeming to object either the adventurers or him for carrying weapons.

After a few minutes of wait the time was finally here, the grand gates to the palace opened an out came a beautiful young woman and a few guards who seemed much better equipped than the regular guards, they're armor made fully from the black clay and so were they're weapons, she stopped at the gate and cleared her throat.

"Welcome, everyone, and thank you for joining me on this special day," Announced the beautiful young woman, her voice a captivating blend of sweetness and fierce energy; her long, wild silver hair flowed like a river in the wind, streaked with hundreds of striking black stripes, the sharp tiger-like ears atop her head twitched slightly as her piercing light blue eyes swept over the assembled crowd, taking in every face with an intense, commanding gaze. "This is truly an exhilarating time to be alive."

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She wore a dress that is an enchanting cascade of vibrant blues, blending deep sapphire with lighter turquoise hues, it features a fitted bodice adorned with sparkling embellishments, transitioning into layers of flowing translucent fabric, the skirt is multi-tiered, each layer edged with intricate white lace that adds elegance and contrast as blue roses and delicate bows are artfully placed throughout the design, she was truly the main attraction of the day.

The beautiful woman who introduced herself as Nadia Abawi, the first princess of the Fang Kingdom began delivering a speech about how excited and happy she was on this special day however, Yuri paid little attention to her words, his focus was elsewhere as his eyes darted around the tables scanning the faces of the men and women seated there, he was searching for Arthur or any of the other three, but unfortunately he couldn't spot any of them in the thick crowd.

"As you may or may not know, after the feast, tonight we shall all dance together in joy and glorious vigor for this event inside of the castle's walls where my family along with the other royal families shall be present as well."

Naturally during the feast the royals and nobles probably ate inside the castle and talked about actually important matters whilst the common folk were satisfied with just a feast, tons of alcohol and a late night dance.

"What a joke." Yuri whispered to himself as to not attract any unwanted gazes.

As the princess retreated inside the castle's heavily fortified doors, the crowd erupted into activity, the feast began in earnest, with drinks flowing endlessly and people devouring the food as if it were their last meal, the air buzzed with the clatter of dishes and the hum of conversation as the celebration erupted into full swing, with the clinking of glasses and the sound of laughter filling the air, it was as if it were a giant family reunion of hundreds of thousands of people.

Yuri ate silently small portions as to not draw eyes to himself, blending in with the crowd while keeping his eyes open continuously surveying the plaza for anything that might catch his eye, it was truly a sight to behold no that he was looking carefully, everyone was in pure bliss and joy as they ate and drank to their heart's content, even the guards joined in from time to time, little dance circles would appear from time to time as well but.....

Suddenly, his vision was overwhelmed by a horrifying scene, the vibrant plaza that was filled with joy and laughter was now engulfed in an hellish inferno and the cheerful voices of innocent citizens and the guards were drowned out by screams of terror and despair, the tables they were laden with a feast were now reduced to ashes and the air was thick with smoke and the scent of burning wood, the entire area was bathed in a sea of flames transforming the joyous celebration into a nightmare of destruction and agony.

However despite the terrifying vision before him Yuri's expression remained cold and unmoved, this wasn't the first time an image like this one had invaded his mind, a similar scene had flashed before his eyes just a week ago when he first arrived in the city, to him this scene was satisfying in a twisted and cruel way.

Seeing others suffer mirrored the turmoil he felt within, and he found a twisted sense of justice in it, he didn't wish for happiness or a peaceful ending for anyone, instead, he wanted every living soul to experience the same relentless pain, hatred and suffering that consumed him day after day, the inferno mirrored in his eyes as the screams filled the air and the sweet aroma of burning filled his nostrils.

The memory vanished as quickly as it appeared, a fleeting spark swallowed by the darkness of his mind, the flash of it left him feeling even more distant from the innocent child he once was, pushing him closer to the monster that Molly and Noir painted him to be, a part of him wanted to embrace that darkness, to let it consume him completely, yet deep down he was still just a curious kid, yearning for something more, a beacon of hope to guide him or a lifeline to cling to, he once grasped both, only to let them slip through his fingers like sand.

As the hours wore on, the party gradually shifted in tone, what started as a wild party of dances and singing with guests feasting like barbarians, slowly transformed into a more subdued gathering, the laughter and clinking of glasses gave way to relaxed conversation, the energy of the beautiful sunset settling into a comfortable, mellow rhythm.

"That bastard, when is he going to appear?"

Just as Yuri finished his sentence, a powerful wind slash, a blazing fireball, and a sharp icicle hurtled toward the heavily armored gates of the castle from somewhere inside the crowd, the combined force of the attacks blasted a hole through the imposing wood fortified with black 'steel' that was just wide enough for a grown man to slip through, even though the breach was miniscule compared to the massive gate, it was enough to signal the beginning of what was to come.

Panic erupted as the crowd scattered, fleeing away from the elemental attack while the guards frantically surveyed the area for it's source, Yuri quickly waved the smoke away from his face clearing his vision just enough to spot the outline of three figures slipping through the newly formed hole in the gate, two were tall and imposing in stature and the third was shorter.

A small crude smile spread across the blonde boy's lips as his ruby eyes glowed slightly. "You're finally here you old bastard."

Seizing the opportunity amid the chaos, Yuri suppressed his mana as best he could, concealing his presence and followed the three figures into the castle.

He stuck to to the walls like glue hiding in they're shadows as giant chandeliers illuminated the wide and tall glamorous halls of the castle, decorated with portraits and landscapes of all the sorts, lucky for Yuri the guards were much more preoccupied with following the three intruders and did not seem to notice his presence as he followed, his small figure also helped him.

Yuri's breath caught as he entered the grand hall, its opulence almost overwhelming, the vast space was filled with priceless treasures, exquisite vases, ornate paintings, and artifacts that spoke of a long and storied history, the hall was supported by towering white marble pillars, their pristine surface contrasting sharply with the glossy onyx black walls, creating an atmosphere both majestic and foreboding.

It was clear that the grand hall had been abandoned in haste, the remnants of a rushed evacuation were evident: chairs left askew, half-finished meals on lavish tables, and discarded personal items scattered across the floor, despite this, the hall was far from empty, an endless number of guards lined the perimeter, their presence creating a formidable barrier.

In the center of it all stood the royal family of the Fang Kingdom, the beautiful princess Nadia, with her regal bearing, stood beside her younger sister Alya and younger brother Zain, who clung to her arm, the King Xavier and Queen Husnyia were poised, their expressions a mix of resolve and worry, but Yuri's attention was quickly drawn to the three men standing opposite of them; Arthur, M'Ur and Elric.

Except for Nadia who's hair was a shiny silver color, the whole family seemed to share an orange wavy hair color also striped, with long, thin orange tails and amber eyes, except for the queen who shared her sharp azul eyes with Nadia.

The King stood tall, a commanding figure towering at almost two meters, his presence was as imposing as his stature, his long, wavy hair slicked back in a way that added to his regal demeanor, his amber eyes, sharp and discerning, surveyed the room with an air of authority that left no doubt as to who was in charge, he adorned a neatly pressed shirt and a royal red coat that went down to his knees as well as blood red suit pants with charcoal black leather boots to compliment them.

Beside him stood the Queen, equally impressive in her own right, at around 180 cm tall, she was taller than any woman Yuri had ever encountered, the vibrant strands cascaded like a waterfall of fire, a striking contrast to the dark surroundings of the hall, the Queen's presence was undeniable, her grace and strength evident in every movement as she stood by the King's side as for her dress, it screamed out who was in charge with its bold design that showed off her well endowed body and a crimson color that would make any man stop thinking rationally, a formidable pair that embodied the power of the Fang kingdom.

The King and Queen glanced back at their children, exchanging a meaningful look. Without needing to say a word, their children nodded in understanding. Nadia, the eldest, stepped forward, taking the hands of her younger brother and sister. With a calm yet urgent demeanor, she guided them towards the back of the grand hall.

Together, they moved quickly and quietly slipping away through a discreet back door tucked beneath a half-crescent shaped staircase, the soft murmur of footsteps and the rustling of clothes filled the air as they made their exit.

Now, only the royal couple remained, standing tall and proud at the center of the grand hall, a sea of soldiers surrounded them, poised to strike the enemy at their command.

Opposite them, the trio of men stood firm, their presence unwavering whilst hidden in the shadows near the entrance, Yuri Marsh watched silently ready to make his exit at a moment's notice, the tension in the air was palpable, as both sides prepared for the inevitable clash.

.....