"They are not dead, right?" Yasuline had to ask as she steps up to the knights that were no longer moving. The White Reaper reassured her as he would lightly make one of them roll onto them back and in response, they would mumble some kind of grunts. This would please Yasuline as she walks over to the middle of the battlefield and looks about at the knights that he had defeated.
"You're pretty good at not killing, you should do it more often." she would jokingly say and the White Reaper would simply shrug.
After helping her move the knights to the side of the hallway to ensure nothing would harm them while they were all down, the two would continue to go down the hall in the search for the king and queen.
The three knights that the White Reaper had faced wouldn't be the last of the resistance they would have to face, More squads of knights would come across them and they would silently attack them. Which was something that Yasuline found suspicious of ever since the first battle.
As the White Reaper would fly around the hall, taking on the knights, she would wonder what could be causing all the people of the castle to act so strangely. The knights never called out to the White Reaper for the arrest, not even reacting to his appearance at all. As the White Reaper wasn't even hiding his coat like he normally does.
The maids didn't respond at all to her, as well as the White Reaper. As she thought about what could be going on, the White Reaper had just finished taking care of the 5 men squad that they had just come across. After pulling them all to the sides as well as the others, she would speak up.
"We need to find my parents soon, if both the knights and the maids are like this, then it could mean that they are fighting them all this time." She hypothesis. He would agree and the two would begin to run down the hall in a hurry. No longer staying quiet.
This gave them even more attention and more guards of both knights and maids would start to chase them down.
Eventually, they would end up with enemies coming on both sides of the halls.
"Oh great, we're stuck now. So much for hurrying." Yasuline would complain. The White Reaper would tap on her shoulder to draw her attention as to what was next to them. It was the doors that lead to the Royal Library.
"Oh hey, we could hide in here. Or least trap them in." She would say as she pulls the double doors open and the two would step inside. The White Reaper would hold the doors closed as the mob on the other side try their bests to get it to open. Yasuline would go into the back end of the library and scales the ladder that reaches to the second floor of the room. Once secured up there, the White Reaper would let go and quickly join her.
Like a mindless swarm, the hoard of the castle workers would slowly pour in.
"So, I have an idea, we can wait until they are all in here and then close the door. We just need something to trap them inside so we can leave them alone until we can figure out what to do with them."
The White Reaper would nod to this idea of hers. And the two monitored the condition of the mob as they followed the two into the library.
"Almost there." She would say as she can see the last amount of the mob just outside the doors. Once she sees them finally come in, she would feel the White Reaper lift her onto her arms and begins to hop on the top of the bookshelves.
Jumping over the heads of all the castle workers and successfully jumps over the entire crowd. Once they themselves make it out the door, the White Reaper would begin knocking things over against the doorway that prevents the crowd from getting any closer. Their mindlessness is shown in full potential as they all try to reach for the White Reaper rather than the objects preventing them from getting close. She ends the interaction by shutting the doors in front of their faces. Yasuline would sit down on the ground as she feels the stress draining her.
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"Glad that's over for now. I hope we got all of them in there, maybe it'll be easier to find my parents."
"Miss Yasuline?" A voice suddenly calls for her.
Yasuline completely unexpected this and she lets out a gasp as her body jumps up from her seat. Turning around, she would face against Caliber who was walking down the hall with her armor slightly marked with scratches and his sword held out, looking ready to be used. There was some red stains on it and himself.
"Caliber!? Wait, are you with my family, or are you with them!?" She would say as she reaches for the runeblade on her side as she gets up.
"Miss Yasuline, I made an oath to always protect the king and his family. No matter what the villains in the world offer, I will not break that oath." He would swear as he holds his sword straight down with both hands on the handle and holding the guard in front of his heart.
"Yup, you're still the same old Caliber. I almost want to hug you." She would say honestly with a smile.
"Ah yes, you believe that I am one with those controlled people of the castle. No, whatever enchantments have been cast on them has not worked for me. Those Hellfire curses have no power over me."
"Wait, Hellfire? They are the ones behind the attack?"
"Yes, I have spotted some of those demones with the robes trying to get inside the castle. I had already taken care of them but was surprised to find my own men working alongside them. Over time, I linked the two and all the evidence proves it. Whatever they did, it has caused all the people of the castle to mindlessly attack anyone who isn't affected. They nearly took your mother's life."
"My mother! Is she okay!?"
"As of now, yes. I have her secured inside the saferoom. You know the one in the tower?"
"Ah yes, the Ummm, one that trapped me in when I was about 15." She would say nervously as she recalls that day. While roaming the roof, she would stumble into the tower of the safe room. However, the room had a technical issue where it was impossible to open up from the inside. It took two days to finally find and free her.
"Yes, there. She is safe there and I am searching for the king himself. I lost contact with the knights I assigned to find and escort him to the safe room, but this was before things drastically got worse with everyone now under the Hellfire's control.
"so my dad is in danger?"
"I'm afraid so. But I wouldn't be worried too much, he is a superb fighter, but it would be better for me to fight at his side. But we should have to take you to your mother now, come."
"No, I have to find my dad." She yells, backing away from him a bit until she bumps against the White Reaper who was behind her.
"Yasuline, I-"
His words stopped as he just stares directly behind her.
"You!" He roars, pointing his sword forward and glaring angrily at him. "I should have known that you would be here of the unpleasant timing.
"No wait, Caliber, he is a good person."
"A good person? Have you gone mad, princess?"
"What? No! He is a good person, he didn't kill any of the knights that we came across. We even locked up the many others in the library to make sure they don't get hurt!"
"I see, whatever curse the Hellfire Gang has placed on this castle has warped your mind. In that case, White Reaper! I may not know if you are affiliated with the Hellfire Gang, but you will hand the princess over to me or your fated execution would be a slow and painful one. I will at least be merciful as to not let them have their fun with your agony." He would coldly say as he glares straight at him.
Yasuline would reach back to the White Reaper to hold onto his hand. She didn't really know what she should do. The obvious thing to do would be to go with Caliber, but then it would be like betraying what she meant and admit the White Reaper was as terrible as they all claim.
She didn't have much to add as the White Reaper would respond to Caliber's offer by shaking his head.
"Very well then, We'll have to do this in front of the princess. I would hope for her to not see so much bloodshed."
The White Reaper would lightly tap her back gesturing her to head to the wall to keep some distance from the two of them.
She does as he wants and steps out of the way, and watches the two get into a battle stance with their eyes looking directly at one another.
[Battle Initiated. The White Reaper Vs. Caliber.]