It was getting dark outside. Virno couldn't get his mind off what the doctor had just told him... Could it really be true? Had his father attempted to seek the blade once before, and could that have changed him forever...? Is that why he was never home? Is that why their family was never normal? He had to know. He had to find out... If anyone would know anything about it, it would be his mother. Virno exits the orphanage, and makes his way home.

Virno: Father... Why didn't you ev-

Voice from behind: HEY!

He turns around. It was Faya... She didn't seem pleased.

Faya: Where the hell are you going?! Did you forget about me?

Indeed he had. With so much on his mind, he couldn't recall...

Virno: Sorry, our chat's gonna have to happen some other time... Something came up.

She runs up to him.

Faya: Are you okay? What happened? Did the doctor do something?

Virno: No, just-

Faya: You can trust me. Please-

Virno: JUST GO! I gotta deal with this by myself, alright?

She stops insisting.

Virno: We'll talk another day. Just... Not today.

She nods, waving him goodbye as she stays behind. Virno keeps walking, anticipating his conversation with his mother. Moments later, he hears a shriek from behind... It was Faya's voice.

Faya: GET LOST, YOU PIG!

She was being groped from behind by a man in his mid 20's.

Barr: Don't be like that, sweetheart! I had one heck of a match today, and I'm not in the mood of taking no for an answer...

Even though Faya was strong, she didn't seem like she could break free from him.

Faya: BARR! Let me go right now or I'm going to crush your balls, I swear!

Barr: I love it when you talk dirty to me like that...

He began to choke her. Virno felt a grip on his chest. His arms and legs warmed up. He heard a voice in his head.

Disembodied voice: Are you going to stand there and let this happen...?

Virno turns back.

Virno: What the fuck are you doing?!

Barr looks at him.

Barr: Mind your own fucking business unless you want your brains spilled all over the streets, kid!

Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.

Virno walks towards him furiously.

Virno: You caught me at a really bad time today...

Barr throws Faya to the side, preparing to fight Virno. She coughed aggressively and struggled to get back up.

Barr: You're so fucked!

As Virno swings, Barr blocks his blow with his arms, then sweeps at Virno with his right leg. Virno dodges backwards, putting his fists up. Barr goes in for an attack, pretending to deliver a right hook but faking out at the last second, going in for a left swing instead, directly in Virno's bandaged ribs. A crack is heard.

Barr: HAHAHA! WHOOPS!

Virno bends his torso in pain. Barr wastes no time, and delivers a blow to Virno's chin using his knee. Virno is dazed, and falls to the ground, standing on his knees. Barr moves in for the final blow, brutally kicking Virno in the side of the head. He lays unconscious on the ground.

Barr: Now, where were we?!

Faya had almost managed to stand up, but Barr grabbed her before she could defend herself. He begins dragging her into a nearby alleyway, as he covers her mouth with a piece of cloth.

Barr: Scream all you want... I like it better when they do...

She tried to fight back, but Barr choked her to the point were she could barely breathe. She could feel her consciousness fade, as he aggressively undressed her.

Barr: I've waited a long time for this, you know... It's going to taste pretty damn sweet...!

As Barr pulls his pants down, he freezes in place. Faya does, too. It was as if they were petrified. Even a drop of sweat that had fallen from Barr's forehead was suspended in the air. Time had stopped around them. At the entrance of the alleyway, a man with monochrome robes and a leopard mask was casting a magical glyph from the palm of his hands.

The Leopard: Of course, it had to be you. Always up to no good...

With one of his hands he holds the incantation in place, as he forms a magical, sectioned pyramid with the other. Its sections spin and rotate, first quickly, and then slowly, until they finally align. It emits a ringing sound as the sections come to a full stop. Sadd closes the hand that held the pyramid, then snaps his fingers. In an instant, a fat man in a top hat was teleported to him... It was Cabdan.

Cabdan: So you see madam, it is all a matter of...

He opens his eyes, looking straight at the Leopard.

Cabdan: Leopard?! What, what is it?! What happened?!

The Leopard: Look.

The Leopard points towards the end of the alleyway.

The Leopard: It seems like one of your men is up to no good again, Cabdan... He's having quite the field day. He's already knocked out one kid, and now he's going to rape another.

Cabdan: I-I-I don't know what to say, I-

Sadd points his index finger towards the ring around Cabdan's little finger. It starts sliding out of it.

Cabdan: NO, LEOPARD! PLEASE!

Cabdan grabs the ring as hard as he can, trying to prevent it from leaving his pinkie.

The Leopard: We had a deal, hadn't we? You said you'd keep situations like these under control. If you can't keep your promise, you lose the privilege of keeping the ring.

Cabdan: It won't happen ever again, please! You can trust me, just please don't take the ring away! I'll make sure this doesn't happen again, you have my word!

The Leopard: Let this truly be the last time... If I get word that you failed to uphold your end of our deal, I'm going to be ripping out more things than just that ring. Understood?

Cabdan: Of course, of course! I promise you!

The Leopard: Good. Then take care of this mess...

The Leopard leaves Cabdan to deal with Barr and Faya, as he grabs Virno and teleports him away. He arrives back at the black and white marble building, and hastily walks through the front doors holding Virno in his arms. Other members gasp when they see him.

The Snake: Leopard, what is the meaning of this?!

The Elephant: You cannot bring an outsider in here like that, you know this!

The Leopard: Save it... Where is the Fawn?

The Elephant: I-In the lab, I believe... But the Lion will know of this!

The Leopard: Good. Tell him I'm saving the life of the future bearer of the sword of greed.

The Snake and the Elephant look at each other in surprise, as the Leopard moves quickly through the building. At last, he reaches the lab.

The Leopard: Fawn...! Broken ribs, one punctured lung!

The Fawn seemed to be experimenting with strange liquids and herbs.

The Fawn: An outsider...?! Leopard...!

The Leopard: It's von Virtus. We need to treat him, fast.

The Fawn quickly clears a table, and they proceed to treat him with the aid of magic and elixirs...