Alice freezes, her eyes widening in horror. “What are you doing?!”

But Axel doesn’t respond. His laughter crescendos into a maniacal roar as he yanks the blade free, only to stab himself again. And again. And again. Each thrust is more vicious than the last, the blood gushing from his legs soaking the ground beneath him. His body convulses with pain, but his twisted grin only grows wider.

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Alice stumbles back instinctively, her sword trembling in her grip. The odor of blood and exposed flesh assaults her senses, forcing her to cover her nose with her free hand. “Stop… Stop it!” she yells, her voice shaky, though she doesn’t know if she’s pleading with him or herself.

Axel doesn’t stop. He groans and laughs, the sound warped and inhuman, echoing through the rain-soaked battlefield. His eyes meet Alice’s, wild and unrelenting, sending a chill crawling down her spine. Her heart thunders as she realizes the truth: this isn’t a tactic, nor a distraction. This is pure madness, unbridled and terrifying.

The faint glimmer of hope she felt moments ago is crushed under the weight of the scene before her. Axel isn’t just a monster—he’s something far worse. Something unstoppable. Something that would use up their own bodies to obtain victory.

Alice takes another step back, the nausea rising in her throat as Axel’s laughter consumes the night. For the first time in years, she felt the true essence of fear tighten around her heart.

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Axel hurled the upper half of the broken sword aside, the sound of metal clattering on stone lost in the roar of the storm. Without hesitation, he lunged at Alice like a wild beast, his movements unhinged and relentless. She flinched, instinctively bracing herself with her sword held forward, the blade gleaming faintly in the rain.

He came crashing down like a cannonball, the impact sending a shockwave through the ground. The rain scattered in all directions, the buildings surrounding them trembling under the force. Alice’s legs screamed in protest as she struggled to hold him back. Her boots dug into the cracked ground, her muscles seizing as the floor beneath her feet splintered and broke apart.

Axel seized the moment, a crazed glint in his eyes. With a sudden, brutal kick, he sent Alice’s sword flying from her grasp. Thunder roared above as the weapon spun through the air, disappearing into the storm. Her breath hitched, panic surging through her as she registered her exposed position.

Axel didn’t give her a moment to recover. His broken sword slashed downward, the jagged edge aimed straight for her chest. Acting on instinct, Alice threw her arms up, catching his wrist just before the blade could pierce her. The rain poured down in relentless sheets as the two locked in a deadly stalemate, their breaths heavy and ragged.

Axel’s strength felt infinite, his arm pressing down with monstrous force. Alice’s arms trembled violently, threatening to snap. Veins bulged across his hand, the raw power coursing through him unmatched. Her legs slid back against the wet ground, her boots failing to find traction as the relentless push brought her closer to the brink.

The rain carried the metallic scent of blood as it mixed with her wounds, the stench suffocating. Her mind raced, but her body felt like it was shutting down. Every second that passed brought the blade closer to her chest, the cold steel a reminder of how close she was to death.

Then, Axel made his move. Letting the sword fall from one hand, he caught it midair with the other. Before Alice could react, he plunged the broken blade into her gut.

Her eyes widened, her jaw falling open in a silent scream. The world seemed to pause as the pain erupted through her body, sharp and all-encompassing. Blood poured from the wound, staining her armor and pooling on the ground. Axel’s smirk twisted into something grotesque as he drove the blade deeper, savoring her anguish.

Alice’s head lolled forward, her vision blurring. The storm seemed to fade away, the sound of rain and thunder replaced by the pounding of her own heartbeat. Desperate, she slammed her forehead into Axel’s.

He stumbled back with a grunt, momentarily dazed. Summoning what little strength she had left, Alice lashed out with a powerful roundhouse kick, sending Axel crashing into a nearby building. The structure groaned and collapsed under his weight, rubble burying him in an instant.

Alice collapsed to her knees, clutching the hilt of the sword still lodged in her stomach. Her breaths came in short, uneven gasps as the pain wracked her body. Rain streamed down her face, mingling with the blood that seeped through her fingers.

Taking a deep breath, she steadied herself. There was no time to waste. Gritting her teeth, she wrapped her trembling hands around the hilt of the blade.

And pulled.

The pain was indescribable, a searing fire that spread through every nerve. She fell forward onto her hands, her scream muffled by the storm. Blood poured from the wound, staining the rain-soaked ground as she struggled to remain conscious.

She pressed a hand against the wound, trying to stanch the flow of blood. Her vision blurred, the edges darkening as exhaustion threatened to pull her under. But as she knelt there, gasping and shivering, a single image flashed in her mind.

Annabelle.

Her sister’s face brought her back from the brink. Clenching her teeth, Alice forced herself to her feet. Her legs trembled, the muscles quivering under the strain, but she stood tall. Her determination burned brighter than the pain, a single thought driving her forward:

I can’t die here. I won’t.

The rain intensified, the storm reaching its peak. Streams of water rushed through the streets, carrying debris and blood. Alice’s body swayed, her balance fragile, but her resolve unyielding.

And then, that laugh.

A low, guttural sound emerged from the rubble. The debris shifted as Axel’s golden eyes pierced through the darkness. His silhouette rose slowly, unnervingly calm.

- Axel (Night Vision, Emperor of the Night: activated.)

(Night Vision: Grants the user clear visibility through the night and through the darkness, can be activated or deactivated upon command.)

“It’s raining,” he said, his voice a mix of mockery and menace.

Alice’s breath hitched as she stared, disbelief washing over her. He stepped out of the wreckage, his body unscathed, his grin wider than ever.

“You’re bleeding,” he added, his tone laced with sadistic glee.

(Emporer of the Night: Grants the user dominance under the cover of darkness. Automatically increases all stats by 20%. Nullifies mana costs for techniques and magic attacks utilizing dark magic, while enhancing dark-elemental magical attacks by an additional 20%. Provides the ability to weaponize shadows and draw from surrounding shadows to create or amplify dark-elemental attacks.)

Raising his arms to the storm, manifesting several tendrils and hands from the depths of the shadows. His smile twisted sadistically, his glowing eyes fixed on Alice as he took a step forward.

“Axel is STARVING!”

Axel's laughter boomed through the storm, unrestrained and wild, as shadowy hands and tendrils erupted from the ground, multiplying and twisting into monstrous forms. They surged toward Alice, tearing through the rain-slicked streets, smashing walls, and uprooting trees. The storm raged in tandem with his power, lightning crackling above, casting a jagged light on his malevolent grin.

Alice's breath hitched as she spotted her sword lying just a few feet away, the weight of her injuries making every movement a battle. Blood seeped from her stomach, the wound throbbing with every step. Gritting her teeth, she lunged forward, snatching up the blade with trembling hands. The cold steel felt like a lifeline, but the monstrous tendrils were closing in fast.

The shadows lunged, their chaotic movements sending shrapnel and debris flying as they tore through the street. Alice turned and sprinted, her boots splashing through puddles as the alleyway loomed ahead. Her breaths came ragged and shallow, her free hand clutching her wound to stem the searing pain. Behind her, the tendrils smashed through windows and ripped bricks from walls, the cacophony of destruction drowning out the pounding of her heart.

Faster… don’t stop!

She darted into the alley, her body screaming in protest with every leap and twist. The shadows didn’t relent, crashing into the walls and bursting through like serpents intent on swallowing her whole. Alice vaulted off a low crate, using the momentum to climb the narrow walls. Her fingers dug into the ledge of a roof, and with a guttural cry, she hauled herself up.

Rain lashed her face as she staggered to her feet, her vision blurred by pain and exhaustion. The storm’s ferocity seemed to mock her efforts. Below, the shadow hands surged upward, ripping through the roof tiles with terrifying speed. Alice darted across the slick surface, her sword slashing at any tendrils that got too close. Each strike momentarily severed the shadows, but they regenerated, more relentless with every second.

The storm roared, lightning illuminating her desperate escape in fleeting bursts of light. Just as she reached the roof's edge, a deafening crack of lightning struck nearby, the shockwave sending a shudder through her body.

And then, he appeared.

Axel materialized in front of her like a specter born from the storm, stepping from the shadows with unnatural ease. His grin stretched unnervingly wide, his golden eyes gleaming with a sadistic hunger that froze Alice in place.

Before she could react, he lunged.

His knee slammed into her stomach with the force of a battering ram.

Alice’s body convulsed, her sword slipping from her grasp as her lungs emptied in a single, agonized gasp. The brutal impact folded her over his knee, the edges of her vision blurring as the pain radiated through her entire body. Blood spurted from her mouth, the metallic taste sharp and bitter as it dripped down her chin.

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- 4 years ago -

Alice knelt on the cold stone floor of the castle's hallway, her fingers raw and trembling from hours of scrubbing. The rag in her hand reeked of grime, dripping murky water that soaked into her worn clothes and stained the tiles she fought to clean. Her back throbbed, her knees screamed, and every movement sent jolts of pain through her body. Yet she dared not stop. The endless corridor stretched before her like an unrelenting testament to her servitude, each tile a reminder of her place.

Through the distant stained-glass windows, sunlight spilled onto the floor, creating vibrant, taunting patterns. The colors danced just out of reach, a cruel mockery of freedom she couldn’t touch. She looked away, unwilling to face the ache in her chest.

Laughter echoed down the hall, low and cruel. Alice stiffened as two knights rounded the corner, their polished armor glinting in the sunlit patches. Their eyes landed on her, and smirks stretched across their faces, their boots clicking against the freshly cleaned stone.

One leaned toward the other, muttering something that drew muffled chuckles. Then, without hesitation, he spat onto the display armor near Alice.

"You’ve missed a spot," he sneered, his tone sharp with mockery.

Their laughter echoed as they walked past her, leaving her alone with the mess.

Alice froze, her grip on the rag tightening until her knuckles turned white. Shame and fury clawed at her throat, but she swallowed them both. There was no room for pride here—only survival. Slowly, she crawled to the display, her trembling hands reaching for the soiled armor. The sunlight glinted off the smear, mocking her once more as she scrubbed in silence.

----------------------------------------

The sun burned mercilessly over the courtyard, heat rippling off the castle walls and turning the dry earth into a stifling oven. Knights lounged under scattered patches of shade, their laughter and chatter cutting through the oppressive atmosphere. The esquires, excluded from camaraderie, huddled near the castle wall, seeking solace from the relentless sun.

Alice sat apart from the others, her back against the rough stone. Sweat trickled down her neck, her parched throat aching for relief. Her stomach rumbled loudly, a dull, persistent ache that gnawed at her resolve. She forced herself to focus on the knight approaching with trays of food. The simple cabbage soup and crusty bread were hardly a feast, but it was sustenance—a brief reprieve from her toil.

The knight handed out trays with practiced indifference, each esquire taking their meal without a word. When he reached Alice, their eyes met briefly. There was no malice in his gaze, only apathy, and for a fleeting moment, she thought the worst wouldn’t happen.

But then— Splat!

The tray fell from his hands, the soup soaking into the dust, wilted greens and soggy bread spreading across the ground. The knight didn’t even glance back as he moved on, his carelessness leaving Alice to stare at the ruined meal.

Her stomach twisted, the pang of hunger sharp and cruel. Slowly, Alice lowered herself to the ground, her trembling fingers reaching for the scraps. The bread was caked in dirt, but she wiped it off with the hem of her sleeve, her face blank as she forced herself to salvage what she could.

The laughter of the other esquires rang in her ears, cutting into her like shards of glass. She kept her head low, her amber eyes fixed on the ground, the weight of humiliation bearing down on her shoulders. Her jaw tightened as she bit into the gritty bread, the bitter taste of dirt mingling with the bile rising in her throat.

In the sweltering courtyard, surrounded by cruelty and indifference, Alice silently endured. It was all she could do.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

The shadow hands surged and twisted, their malevolent energy spiraling toward the epicenter where Alice and Axel stood locked in combat. The air crackled with tension as the darkness closed in, swallowing the world in a suffocating embrace. And then—

BOOM!

The explosion ripped through the battlefield, its force obliterating everything within reach. The ground fractured and splintered, shockwaves tearing apart the earth as the storm clouds above were blasted away. Rain ceased mid-fall, suspended in the air as the energy swept through, its ferocity consuming all sound and motion.

The aftermath was haunting. The battlefield, once teeming with life and chaos, now lay silent and barren. A wasteland of shattered rubble stretched beneath the pale gaze of the moon. The air hung heavy, the silence broken only by the faint drip of water falling sporadically onto the broken ground.

Amid the devastation, a faint stirring emerged.

Alice moved.

It was barely more than a twitch at first, her body wracked with pain, her movements halting and weak. She dragged herself through the thick mud, her limbs trembling, her breath coming in short, shallow gasps. Blood seeped from countless wounds, mingling with the dirt to paint a crimson trail behind her.

Her fingers clawed at the ground, raw and bleeding, as she pulled herself forward. Her muscles screamed in protest, her nerves alight with agony, but she pushed on. Each inch she gained felt like an eternity, her battered frame threatening to collapse with every motion.

Her vision blurred, her surroundings fading into a haze of darkness and faint moonlight. The weight of her injuries bore down on her, crushing, suffocating—but not enough to extinguish the flicker of determination that burned within her.

Her chest heaved as she gasped for air, her voice barely a whisper, trembling yet resolute:

“I… can’t… die… not yet…”

The moonlight cast a ghostly glow over her bloodied face, illuminating eyes that refused to close. Though her body was broken, her spirit clung desperately to the promise she had made—to the future she still believed she could protect.

Pain coursed through every fiber of her being, an unrelenting tide that threatened to drown her. Yet she pushed forward, inch by agonizing inch. The promise, the memories, the people she fought for—they were her anchor.

She would not stop.

She could not stop.

Though the world around her had crumbled, though her body begged her to surrender, Alice's spirit blazed defiantly against the darkness. Her journey was not over. Not now. Not ever.

For Annabelle. For the promise. For the life she refused to let go.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

- Two years ago -

"This here is Alice. She will be your personal knight and guard you throughout the journey to the capital," Yokubo declared, his voice echoing through the chamber.

Alice stood by his side, her silver-gray hair catching the faint light from the high windows. Her wolf-like ears twitched ever so slightly, betraying the unease she kept hidden. The polished armor on her slight frame glinted faintly, a constant reminder of her role as a tool rather than an equal.

The noble, dressed in ornate silks, turned toward her with a sneer of disbelief. "You’ve got to be kidding me," he spat. "I asked for a powerful knight, not some… girl dressed in armor."

Alice didn’t flinch, her fingers tightening imperceptibly around her sword’s hilt. She had long since learned to endure such remarks.

Yokubo chuckled, his amusement thinly veiling an edge of menace. "This is no joke," he said calmly. "Alice is one of my strongest knights, well-suited for this task."

The noble’s gaze flicked over Alice’s wolf-like tail and disciplined stance, his expression twisting with disdain. "This… thing cannot possibly protect me," he sneered. "Do you take me for a fool? My life is far too valuable to entrust to a slave pretending to be a knight."

Yokubo’s grin didn’t waver. "You may doubt her, but when your journey begins, her blade will prove louder than your complaints."

Alice remained silent, her gaze fixed ahead as her stomach churned with quiet fury. Her worth wasn’t in words—it was in action.

The noble scoffed. "Very well. But if this creature fails, the blame will fall on you, Warlord."

Yokubo’s grin sharpened. "Alice never fails," he said, his tone a quiet challenge.

As they left the room, Alice followed behind the noble, her steps steady despite the weight pressing on her chest. She gripped her sword tightly, her resolve unshaken.

This wasn’t the first time she’d been dismissed or belittled. But Alice knew one thing: her blade would prove them wrong. Whether the noble lived to see it or not was another matter entirely.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Blood dripped steadily onto the cold mud as Alice clawed forward, her left arm limp and her entire body wracked with agony. Inch by inch, she dragged herself toward her sword, each movement ripping her wounds wider and sending fresh waves of pain coursing through her. Still, she refused to stop.

Her trembling fingers finally brushed against the hilt of her blade. With a weak grip, she clutched it, her body collapsing beside it. She could barely breathe, her vision swimming as numbness seeped into her limbs and a deep, bone-chilling cold took hold.

I can’t die yet… The thought flickered faintly in her mind. Annabelle… I promised.

She tightened her hold on the sword, summoning what little strength remained to keep her consciousness from slipping away.

Then, from the shattered ruins of the battlefield, Axel emerged.

His form was barely recognizable. Blood poured from his dismembered face, and jagged pieces of flesh hung loosely from his body. Yet he stood tall, his grotesque injuries healing in real-time, as if mocking the very concept of mortality. Black smoke poured from his figure, swirling around him like a living shadow. His golden eyes, now devoid of humanity, burned with unholy malice.

Alice’s heart froze. For the first time in her life, she truly felt helpless. This was no longer a man—this was a monster.

Axel let out a distorted laugh, his voice reverberating through the air like the tolling of a death knell. His arms lifted as dark energy spiraled around him, crackling with black lightning. The ground beneath him fractured, forming massive craters and jagged ravines. The shadows around him grew, twisting into chaos as tornadoes tore through the town, destroying everything in their path.

"HahahahahaHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!" Axel's laugh grew more maniacal as the energy condensed into a massive sphere above his hands. The black magic pulsated, pulling in everything around it like a ravenous black hole.

Alice’s eyes widened as the sphere grew, towering over Axel and stretching high into the sky. The sheer force of it made the air tremble, and the ground quaked violently beneath her.

"DIE!!!" Axel roared, hurling the colossal sphere of destruction toward her.

The force of the blast pushed Alice back, her body trembling as the sphere consumed everything in its path. The ground vaporized, entire structures crumbled, and the world seemed to fall apart around her.

Alice stared at the approaching death, her body motionless. Her fingers loosened around her sword, and her shoulders slumped. Her heart calmed, a strange serenity overtaking her. She closed her eyes, resigning herself to her fate.

This is it… she thought. This will be my grave.

But then, a voice echoed in her mind—gentle, warm, and familiar.

"You’re leaving so soon…?."

Her eyes snapped open, tears welling as the memory surged forward. She could see her family again, hear their voices, feel their love. But they were gone.

No. Not all of them.

Annabelle. Her sister. Her last remaining family.

I can’t die yet… The ember in her heart flared to life, burning brighter with every passing second. Not again. Not this time. I’m not powerless anymore.

Gritting her teeth, Alice grabbed her sword and reached into her bag. Her movements were sluggish, her body barely obeying, but her determination burned stronger than the pain.

Axel stood in the distance, watching the destruction with unhinged glee. His maniacal laughter echoed through the storm as the sphere neared its target.

But then, the Death Ball split cleanly in two.

The two halves erupted into colossal explosions, throwing shockwaves that tore through the air. Axel’s laughter stopped abruptly, his eyes narrowing as he shielded himself from the debris.

Through the chaos, a burst of radiant energy surged outward, pushing away the dust and rubble. Axel’s arms lowered, his golden eyes widening in disbelief.

Standing in the center of the destruction was Alice.

Her chest heaved as she stood tall, her battered armor gleaming faintly in the moonlight. Her sword glowed with a faint aura, and in her other hand, she held an empty potion bottle.

Her eyes, sharp and unwavering, locked onto Axel's.

Gone was the fear. Gone was the hesitation.

All that remained was pure, unshakable determination.

Axel’s lips twisted into a crooked grin as the air grew tense once more.

And Alice tightened her grip on her blade, her voice steady and filled with resolve.

“This ends now.”