Inside the tavern, Lazar turned Murai towards his face. He was wondering, what Velga thought of this duck, but no matter how he viewed it, he wasn't sure if he made mistake or not.

“What is this thing... I did feel some sense of dread from it like I did back then in the Endless Plains.” he wondered out loud, glancing at the wounds further. Blood dripped along the left wing, and further around the left side of the body. “It seems something nasty happened to it too... Am I thinking of this badly? If I do, and Falconers will come and realize it, will I regret it?”

Questioning his choice was already futile. Lazar quickly wiped dripping blood from Murai's wounds, so he wouldn't mess up the cage.

This tavern was Lazar's business, with various things around. There were dozens of tables with chairs and even a bar. It was strange to have the cages around one part of the wall, considering it was a pub, and restaurant but he had no idea where to put the cages since they were too large and hard to store.

Murai was still bleeding, but it wasn't anything Lazar thought of, since he thought little of this duck's well-being after he put it into a small cage meant for rabbits or whatnot.

Was he willing to make fun of himself to the Falconers if this duck ended up as a normal duck? He wouldn't like it, but it was worth being careful. After all, Velga seemed too forceful to want this duck, so asking Falconers was the only thing he could do.

Crouching down beside the cage, he looked at the laying Murai, who wasn't able to stand up nor move much at all. Before, he wished to disappear, but it seemed he got too overwhelmed by everything and felt dizzy and strangely obnoxious. It was a feeling he was familiar with. He was fucked up pretty badly, and that was about it.

“Well... The duck is an animal, or are you a demonic beast, duck?” Lazar asked, still clutching the sword in his hand. “I never heard of a demonic duck or similar thing in its appearance to it. My bet is that the heretic had other intentions in mind... Like this bag of yours, which I was unable to open at all? Hmmm... Let me see.” Lazar opened the cage and tried to get this backpack from Murai's back.

The strips were tightly secured and didn't move, making him struggle in vain. Even the pouch itself was impossible to open to see the insides, which was a bit frustrating since it seemed like a regular pouch with a strip running on top to open it up with even a single hand. “What the hell is this... Is this strengthened by magic or its some sort of joke or... valuable treasure?” he asked himself after his failure.

Alas, Lazar had no idea what to make of it, and he didn't even consider taking the pouch out of Murai's body. Strips didn't move either and everything was bloodied, and he had no intention to think of it further. So, he put Murai back into the cage, while Murai had no choice but to curse this clueless man to oblivion.

... this... This situation... I hate it with a passion! Murai thought in his mind, forcing his consciousness to regain some clarity. He couldn't do much about it, being in the cage, or whatnot. His health was deteriorating further, while it seemed his Vitality wasn't having desirable results. It didn't help at all, but perhaps it was trying, but the wound was too severe. He felt weaker and weaker, and his ability to move was getting worse.

It is the blood loss...Unsurprisingly. Murai figured, yet his mind was turning clearer instead. Body and Mind are two different things. I know it... but at one point, the pain of one thing will encompass the other. It's a matter of time when.. wait. Robust Spirit? I felt its power. It is making my mind sturdy, like its name. Though, it can help me now, for how long is another question. My mana is in shambles too, so the case of this mess is a mixture of everything that could go wrong. Fuck... I need to get treated with these open wounds around my wing. He deducted, but with the cage closed and no one around him, he couldn't do a thing.

Lazar took a seat close to this cage, waiting in order to seek the Falconers.

As he waited, the door opened, revealing a head of a boy named Timmy, who was curiously glancing inside. Lazar noticed him and gestured for him to go in, and not waste time. Walking inside, Timmy noticed how empty this tavern was, because of the happenings outside.

“Uncle Lazar?” he asked, raising a question if he may continue going or not.

“You are already inside, boy. What is it?” Lazar asked with his arms crossed on his chest.

“C-can I take a look at this "demon" duck?” he asked with a question, filled with curiosity.

“Demon? I doubt this is thing is such a case, but sure. It's just a duck that is on a brink of death. The kind that you had seen many times.”

“Great!” Timmy cheered and stormed the closed cage. Looking at a possible demon that he was curious about, he was surprisingly cheerful and curious about it.

Murai glared at him with a bothersome look, but that was the bare minimum he was able to do. Considering his face was the face of a duck, it did nothing to the curious boy.

“It is a duck... and it is bleeding a lot, Uncle. Will it die soon?” Timmy asked in worry.

“Don't worry. It will, probably. Hopefully, not before the Falconers get here, that is.” Lazar stated with an uncaring tone and did pay not much attention to Timmy's curiosity.

“Falconers...” Timmy mumbled, thinking that their involvement wasn't a good thing. “By the way, Grandma Po made that heretic flee the scene after she was done with her offers. She ended up at 400 Gold coins, which was a ridiculous number. I heard it and almost stumbled in place. I have never seen something worth that much gold.”

“Is that so? I am not surprised.” was Lazar's simple answer, while all of a sudden the main entrance door shot open, revealing a couple of figures.

Falconers finally reached the village according to Lazar's hope and found their way to this place that villagers pointed to.

Knights in glistering armor amidst the sunny outside walked inside. There were 3 of them, with one leading the others. He was a serious-looking man, no older than 25. His features were wild, with some scars around his clean shaved face, and dangerous-looking face. What was the most insane about him were his open and unblinking eyes. They were bloodshot and equally dark as his hair.

The 2 others after him were quite serious as well, but not like the leader.

Lazar immediately got up from his sitting position, greeting the Falconers with a polite salute. He didn't utter a single word, and even the 3 knights said nothing to him as they reached his position.

They stopped before Lazar, and that was when the leading man started asking questions. “What happened? Explanations!” he said with a quite focused and clear tone of straightforwardness. His eyes went right towards Lazar, who shook and almost jumped in fright.

“C-captain Razmund...” he started, recognizing this man from a couple of meetings. He wasn't one he expected, but it will have to do. “There was a sudden intrusion of a demonic ghost. They, or it, appeared from our well. It was that thing, but not that alone... I think.” Lazar pointed to Murai in the cage and Razmund glanced at it afterward.

“I also noticed and talked with a strange succubus in glittering mana form. I don't...” as he was speaking, Razmund no longer paid him any attention. He turned on the spot, focusing his unblinking eyes on Murai, and walked right towards the cage. Timmy was still there, but upon seeing the scary eyes of that man, he backed away to the opposite side of the corner. He shouldn't be in the way of the Falconers, and he knew it.

“A duck? I don't feel... Wait... This feels familiar but not demonic... It's stranger than that, and it's bleeding. Those wounds... Something deep and sharp. What is this?” the man muttered underneath his nose, crouching down to take a better look at Murai.

“Explain the situation better, Lazar,” one of the other 2 knights ordered, and he had no choice but to comply according to their wishes. It was his own problem, and one he created, so he should solve it with them too. So, Lazar didn't hide anything from them, since it wasn't needed or even worth to lie.

In fact, he would tell them anything that they would need to know and it will nothing but the truth. This went on for a couple of minutes. It wasn't that hard, nor a time-consuming process, since not a lot of things happened since Murai's and Lisa's appearance.

“... and then the succubus disappeared to nothingness. There was even a heretic from Yuzni Mountain who was interested in this beast. I didn't see her in a long time, but it seems she was luckily in the perimeter when this strange duck appeared from our well, or the reason was that succubus? I don't know.” Lazar said at last but didn't include much of what Velga specifically stated and offered.

He was more curious about the clearer words and decisiveness of these Falconers, who were much better at dealing with these thigns than himself.

“A succubus made of mana you said?” Razmund said after listening to Lazar's words and carefully looking at Murai. Then he got up and faced Lazar once more since the topic of everything turned out to be quite interesting. The succubus was quite a rare demon to meet in this part of the world after all, but that wasn't a fact he was curious about.

“Precisely, sir. It talked as if it didn't want to do anything but move on, or something... It had some demonic aura for sure! I swear.”

“I know you aren't lying. You served some years, as I've been told,” Razmund said.

“Yes. Demonic beasts have a specific aura so I felt what I knew from Endless Plains in the north.” Lazar explained.

“I can understand it then, but demons aren't like beats. Did that succubus have something else besides the appearance of one? Any aura that is unlike the normal? It appears to me you felt things that weren't familiar to you or something isn't right here, but I wasn't there, where the succubus appeared, and I am sure I feel an aura of a demonic beast from this thing.” Razmund said, walking one step at a time to face nervous Lazar.

The air around Razmund was deep and dangerous, making Lazar shudder in nervousness. Some demonic beast? This man was worst than that from the face alone.

“I am unsure, but it was a succubus. I wasn't willing to endanger anything for the sake of my village. That was why I called the service of the Falconers because you always deal with the demons and troubles of any dangerous beast.”

“So you summoned us since you felt like it?” Razmund said with utterly focused eyes that didn't blink even once throughout this exchange. Veins were visible all over the white parts of his eyes, making him seem like a lunatic.

“N-no! I was...” Before Lazar finished, a hand quenched his mouth and lifted his whole body above the floor.

Razmund clutched his head singlehandedly, looking at him with seriousness and unknown intent.

“Not a word of this... understood? I will solve it myself, and I already heard Elder Po's explanation. It appears to me you did say everything that should have been told., but missed some remarks. Don't do so in the future, unless you want some punishment,” he said and then dropped Lazar to the ground where he collapsed to his knees, coughing.

Razmund smirked and wiped his hands against his light leather armor, which had some fabric parts. Out of the 3, he was the only one who didn't have glistering armor.

“Just so you know, succubuses can't possess others, unless they would be incredibly advanced in power. Such figures wouldn't come here, and if they would, this place would be gone from a map. The one you spoke about wasn't, or it used to be one, however. Regardless of that... I can see some truth in your case, but you weren't in danger as far as I can see. However, this duck is indeed some form of a demonic beast since its aura is hiding or it's quite weak because of its injuries. While I am at it, I will get rid of it, but remember my words from today, Lazar! I speak the truth for the sake of your freedom and lives. No words.” Razmund said and walked back towards Murai, leaving Lazar nodding amidst his coughs.

There, with a single swipe of his fist, Razmund destroyed the wooden cage, squeezing Murai around the bars, and pulled him out. He wasn't gentle, and Murai could feel a higher pressure and power within this man's hand. He almost crushed him like the cage, but only almost.

Murai didn't even have the power to utter a single quack over the man's clutch, but not as if he wanted. He could tell he was seen through, even though he did his best to refrain any mana from leaking out. It worked, but it seemed Razmund saw through it for different reasons.

With Murai in hand, he turned back.

Lazar looked at Razmund with understanding and sincerity of his own inferiority. He kneeled on the floor, pleading in affirmation. “I will never do such mistakes. No words. I understand. I wanted to know your honest and right answer alone, captain Razmund. I didn't want to tell the wrong things. I only said what was needed at the moment, so I may get to know the right things from your wisdom as a Blessed.”

“Hoh... How sincere.” Razmund sneered, having fun squeezing the living shit out of Murai. “All of a sudden, you appear trustful and I accept no words. Good.” Razmund said, turning his face towards Murai as he commented about Lazar's pleas. “When it comes to the demons, the Falconers are always serious. We don't take things lightly, even though this part of this kingdom is new to our possession. You understand what I mean, am I right?”

“Of course. I am a citizen of Centralis Kingdom and no longer support the past regime.” Lazar said without hesitation and turned his head down. He rather faced the ground, understanding the standing of who was before him.

Then, the 3 Falconers left without many other words, since their job was over. Whatever it was, no demon was present, and they were right in some sense of reason.

It was impulsiveness on Lazar's part that led to their arrival, albeit the feeling that Lisa gave him was real. It was right in his opinion to call for them, but in no way was Razmund able to recognize the presence of Lisa inside Murai's soul space.

The reality of what Lisa was, was different. She was no longer a demon, nor someone who could be considered one, but the mana that she was part of, was part of her Chaos. So, Lazar noticed those feelings, albeit to a limited degree of familiarity.

Soul forms weren't known to be demons, but they could have many forms. Having one with an appearance of a demon wasn't unlikely, but Razmund wasn't interested in that kind of thing. He could only think of some bizarre possibilities. Like... Soul form possessing a duck? That sounded way too ridiculous, so he took the duck in order to try some methods to see if Lazar was right.

The Falconers didn't need to prove their fighting abilities, nor if their work was right to call or not. They said their work was done, and with Murai in hand, they indeed accomplished what they had to.

Inside the building, Timmy and Lazar felt the pressure these Falconers possessed. It was the terrifying strength of the Magic Knights of the Centralis Kingdom and one of many strong Blessed of the Centralis Kingdom. Though only Lazar held the utmost fear over the knights. Timmy, on the other hand, was yet to be aware of the true powers of the terrifying knights that were Falconers.

Out in the sun, Murai was once again glad to see the light. Though, thanks to his current circumstances, he wasn't feeling glad or good at all. His insides were rushing, and his lungs almost collapsed. His chances against these knights were like possessing the Eveflower, or so he calculated.

The hand that was quenching his life wasn't something he could escape, and it was touching his very life ~ something that was precious to him. This clutch and pressure was the arrogance of someone who could do what he sees fit. That was the immediate reaction he got when feeling the hand of this man, who appeared to be another Blessed.

Murai heard it all, and it was at this moment, that a Will of the Battleworld descended upon Murai's soul.

[A clutch of a powerhouse! Blessed human is fit to clutch and destroy the beasts]

[You have been sought out, demolished by your luck and carelessness of your own fate or abilities]

[Another Blessed figure lays and towers over you mealy little life. HE is before you as HIGH as above you. He is a human named Razmund Dietrich - level 65. He is clutching your life away. His hand holds your life]

[A duck within one's palm]

[Your current circumstances are grim, but the Battleworld gives some chances to its citizens. That's what is fair, and that is the case for you as well]

[Your choices...]

[Well...]

[Survive]

[That is all]

[Reward - Anatidae specie's special Ability - improvements in the abilities, additional attributes, and strengthened mana]

[Special property added to the unique circumstances- Grade SSS - High-Rank Clash of the Blessed - Further degree of rewards will be granted in success under the pretext of RULE XXXX XXXXX]

[Failure - you will die in his hand so it doesn't matter]

“FUCK!” Murai uttered an audible, yet small quack within Razmund's grip.

This audible quack piqued his interest, so he looked at the helpless duck as if he was a butcher, ready to slaughter it without hesitation. It was unknown if Razmund felt something strange about Murai or not, or if he felt Will of the Battleworld as well. After all, none could feel what other Blessed are currently having, apart from the boosts from the World.

What he did was simple, even though many kinds of villagers were around this section of the village. He walked towards the same well in the middle of the village where Murai emerged from. He stopped about 10 meters away from it, and then Razmund pulled his head backward, curved his back, and tossed Murai as if he was baseball.

Murai's helpless body smacked into the well so damn vast, he fell almost unconscious. Still, his mind remained bright by his sheer Will and ability to work through the pain thanks to his abnormal soul.

The same wasn't... couldn't be said about his physical body which crumbled, and wounds deepened. Razmund's toss was overpowering and empowered by his own abilities as a Blessed, and high-level one, at that.