Maria turned to the direction of the voice.

Perched atop the wall was a slender, towering figure, his legs gracefully crossed in fifth position. He was clad in a meticulously tailored tailcoat, and snug leggings secured by an excessive number of belts. A cascade of vibrant red hair cascaded down his back, fashioned into elongated, pointed cones reminiscent of a jester's hat, complete with delicate golden bells adorning the tips. His countenance remained hidden behind a snow-white mask, adorned with wide, upturned eye holes. Over the left eye hole, a red diamond was painted, while a black diamond adorned the right. Despite her best efforts, Maria couldn’t catch a glimpse of his eyes, only encountering an abyssal darkness.

Eardwulf stepped in front of the three women. “Stand back and allow me to handle this. I sense great danger from this one.”

The man leaped off the wall. A vibrant purple glyph materialized beneath his feet, forming a perfect circle. He landed on it as if it were solid ground. A series of additional glyphs appeared before him, forming a staircase. With a graceful landing, the enigmatic stranger executed a bow, his movements flowing like water.

“And who might you be?” Eardwulf asked.

The man chuckled. “I have been known by many names, but there is one that is my claim to fame! My most famous guise is that of… The Ringleader.”

Maria glanced uncomfortably towards Chariot and Tanalia, who exchanged puzzled glances.

Tanalia shrugged. “Never heard of ‘em.”

“It is unfamiliar to me as well,” Chariot said.

Silence enveloped the scene as the man gradually tilted his head upward, his gaze fixed upon Tanalia. The abyssal void behind his eyes seemed to peer into her soul as she shuddered. A tone flat voice slipped through the diagonal smile etched into his mask. “I figured as much, but fear not, for this is my moment to be remembered, to leave a lasting impression.”

“Doin’ a damn good job,” Tanalia said.

“Thank you, my dear. I aim to impress."

“For how long have you spied upon us?” Chariot clutched the handle of her sword and took a ready stance.

“From atop the wall, not very long, but amongst the trees, for quite a while. You see, I watched your little battle, and I was quite entertained. I thought you’d win against all odds. I had hoped you would defy fate and slay the beast like the champions you are… But you barely did a thing to turn the tide. It was a poor show with an unsatisfying conclusion. However... it was you who surprised me.” The Ringleader pointed to Eardwulf. “The last-minute hero; the deus ex-machina. You put on a spectacular show!”

“If you desired our victory, then you should have lent aid,” Chariot said.

The Ringleader wagged his finger. “Of adventurers, I expect better. Your display was disappointing to the letter. Besides, why endure strain when others can take the pain? Then again, I’m sure your finest warriors are out there searching for my shadow jesters. It’s quite impressive what they’ve achieved, wouldn’t you say? My wonderful distractions!”

Eardwulf tightened his fist. “Explain yourself! What do you have to gain from setting ruin to the villages?”

“Oh, you're going to love this answer. I’ll give you a hint, it’s one word, seven letters, begins with an N and ends with an ‘I’ and an ‘N’ and a ‘G’!” The Ringleader chuckled. “Ah, for as fun as this little conversation is, I believe we should wrap things up. There’s no need to conceal it, I’m here for the same reason as you. That cube in your hand.”

“You know what this is?”

“Of course! I have searched high and low for where that was hidden. The map to the demon king's treasure.”

Eardwulf fell silent and glanced back at the mark of Moldark.

The Ringleader let out a low, ominous chuckle. “Were you expecting a roll of wrinkly old paper? No, that would be far too easy. The map we seek is in your very hands, sealed away from the light of day.”

Eardwulf paused for a moment, glancing at the cube. His grip on it grew tighter. “How do you know this?”

“I served the demon king, you see. A top subordinate, though my comrades may disagree. But I’m more clever than them, for it was only I who learned of where the demon king hid his map. It’s all going according to plan, you see! I found it, and still managed to trick someone into doing the work for me! Your guild is scattered, adventurers seeking that which does not exist, and the flames are roaring high into the sky in bright colorful lights! It’s a spectacle to behold, a real once-in-a-lifetime show… the pure chaos of it all. I have to admire my own genius, spreading a guild's resources thin like that. It was easier than I expected in all honesty. Once the pressure was on them, all I had to do was mail a little hint, and here we are, the cube found! I appreciate your toil and strain, and I'm almost inclined to reward you for your valiant efforts and amazing performance. However… I’m not a giver. So do me a favor and hand it over, there’s no need for any blood to be shed today. Though believe me, deep down inside, I want you to say no.”

Eardwulf stood quiet for a moment. “You gave the coordinates to the guild.”

The Ringleader chuckled. “You figured it out with ease. Now… the cube, if you please.”

Eardwulf took a step back, creating some distance between himself and the mysterious figure. In his off-hand, his staff materialized. Its gem-adorned tip glistened brightly in the sunlight. “I refuse.”

The Ringleader sighed. “I see... I understand. I expected it, really.” He straightened his posture, standing tall, easily a foot over Eardwulf. His arms stretched out wide as if he were embracing the sun's light. “You're quite the tough one to bend but fear not my friend. Because of you the battle's half-won.” A chakram materialized in each of The Ringleader's hands. Both were adorned with four double-edged blades. “But now it's my turn to have some fun.”

The author's tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

“Go!” Eardwulf shouted to the trio.

The Ringleader gracefully spun, twirling in a mesmerizing display, and hurling the chakrams towards Eardwulf. He blocked the first oncoming blade with his staff, but the sheer force knocked the staff from his hand. Now unarmed, the second chakram sliced his chest with ease.

"Master!" Maria yelled. In the upper right-hand corner of her vision, Eardwulf's health bar fell nearly three-quarters. With a heavy thud, Eardwulf collapsed to the ground, his hands clutching his chest in agony. Maria hurried to his side. A torrent of blood flowed between his trembling fingers, staining the ground crimson. As his strength waned, Eardwulf loosened his grip on the cube.

The chakrams whirled through the air, returning to The Ringleader's palms like a boomerang. His fingers twirled around the handles, spinning them so fast the individual blades merged into a blur.

“Oh what a poor performance that was. Don’t tell me that’s all you have in you. What happened to that grand display earlier?” The Ringleader laughed.

Tanalia retrieved her bow and shot an arrow at The Ringleader. He evaded the projectile with an eccentric grace reminiscent of a dancer on a grand stage. She released a second arrow, only for the Ringleader to shatter it into pieces with a strike from his chakram. Tanalia drew her dagger and charged toward The Ringleader.

“Wait!” Chariot ran after her.

The Ringleader danced around Tanalia's every attack. He refused to counterattack, treating the fight like a game instead. His chuckle gave way to a gleeful laugh. Tanalia attacked with more ferocity. The Ringleader sidestepped an attack from Tanalia and delivered a powerful kick between her legs with the vamp of his boot. A pained yelp escaped Tanalia's lips as she dropped her dagger, her hands instinctively clutching her crotch as she crumpled to her knees in agony. Seizing the moment, The Ringleader hooked her arm with his own and hurled her towards the castle wall. Her body collided with stone, sending cascades of pebbles raining down upon her as she collapsed to the ground.

Chariot charged toward The Ringleader, sword drawn. Her strikes were more calculated than Tanalia's, but The Ringleader still danced around her blows.

“Swing as you may, you'll never succeed. My moves are sharp, my defense tight. Try as you might, you won't win this fight.” The Ringleader laughed maniacally and caught Chariot's sword between two of the blades on his chakram. With a slight twist, he ripped the sword from her grasp. The Ringleader launched into another spin, hurling one of the chakrams towards Chariot. It struck her chest. She staggered, emitting a pained groan as the weapon rebounded off her armor and returned to The Ringleader's hand

Maria poured her last healing potion down Eardwulf’s throat while The Ringleader skipped toward her, the bells adorning his hair jingling an eerie melody.

Maria unleashed a flurry of {Firebolt}s toward him. He sprang into the air, landing on a swiftly formed glyph beneath his boot. Several more glyphs stretched out before him as he skipped through the air. She cast one final {Firebolt} before her MP completely drained. It struck The Ringleader in the chest, causing him to explode into a magnificent shower of hearts, diamonds, spades, and clubs. The vibrant playing cards fluttered to the ground before getting caught in a gust and launching towards Maria. She yelped and shielded her eyes with her arm. The razor-sharp edges of the cards tore through her sleeves, leaving behind shallow cuts on her skin as they whizzed by.

“A feeble attack.” The Ringleader’s voice came from behind.

The Ringleader kicked her face as Maria tried turning around. Blood gushed from her nose. The Ringleader hurled the chakrams at her wrists, and the blades dug into the ground, restraining her. If she put even the slightest force against them, her wrists would slice open. The Ringleader stomped her chest, forcing the air from her lungs, then knelt over her, hands placed triumphantly on his hips. The flurry of playing cards encircled him and transformed into a haunting pair of wings on his back.

Maria gasped for air, the weight on her chest intensifying. She could only meet The Ringleader’s gaze, her eyes locked onto the bottomless voids concealed within the eyeholes of his mask.

“I must say you're a pathetic excuse for a witch,” The Ringleader said. His derision ceased as Maria’s left wrist caught his attention. Her sleeve had been sliced open, along with the bandages underneath. The mark of the demon king was visible. A chuckle escaped The Ringleader as he pressed against the mark. “Well, what have we here? A plot twist, perhaps–”

A blazing fireball erupted against The Ringleader's back and sent his body skidding across the courtyard. As his feet made contact with the grass, he pushed off the ground, executing a somersault before landing with poise.

Eardwulf positioned himself protectively over Maria. From the crystal atop his staff, a long, icy greatsword materialized, radiating an otherworldly aura. He charged The Ringleader, unleashing a blazing fireball in his direction before following up with a swing of his ethereal weapon.

The chakrams lifted themselves from the ground, returning to The Ringleader's hands. He twirled out of the fireball’s path and cleared the arch of Eardwulf's swing with a somersault. The Ringleader hurled one of his disc blades toward the old man, but Eardwulf deflected it with his ghostly sword. A torrent of playing cards surged from beneath The Ringleader’s sleeves. He swapped his sword for a blue ethereal shield just in time and deflected the cards.

“This is fun and all, but a show can only go on for so long before it starts to drag on,” The Ringleader said.

Maria groaned from behind Eardwulf, her hand pressed against her chest as she struggled to rise to her feet. Her HP had dropped to {71/400}.

The Ringleader emitted a chilling chuckle beneath his mask as he launched playing cards at Eardwulf. While he blocked, the chakrams flew by his sides and toward Maria. Ignoring the cards, Eardwulf leaped in front of her and intercepted the first blade with his shield. However, the cards struck, blinding him from the second disc blade. It circled him once and sliced through his leg. Eardwulf cried out and dropped his staff before collapsing.

“No!” Maria yelled weakly.

The blades returned to The Ringleader's hands before swiftly dematerializing. He strolled over to the spot where Eardwulf had dropped the cube and plucked it from the ground. “At last! The map to treasure divine is finally, and wholly mine.” He looked around at Maria and the others. None were dead, but none could stand to retaliate either. “Ladies and gentlemen, it's been a pleasure but now I must take leave. I bid you farewell, and pray our paths cross again someday. You have no idea how much fun it was to play.”

“You’re not escaping that easily!” Tanalia yelled. She staggered to her feet and fired another arrow.

The Ringleader stood his ground and snapped his fingers. As the arrow pierced his chest, he disintegrated into a flurry of playing cards. They fluttered over the walls of the courtyard like butterflies and disappeared into the sky.

“Master!” Maria ripped off a piece of her sleeve and tried to slow Eardwulf’s bleeding. She didn’t have any more healing potions. All she could do was watch helplessly as his health bar drained slowly.

Chariot and Tanalia hobbled over to Maria.

Chariot knelt beside Eardwulf and retrieved a healing potion from her inventory. “Please, drink!” She forced the juice down his throat.

Tanalia used her cloak to cover his leg.

“Please work…” Maria whispered.