The man laughed, an attempt to mask his fear. "It doesn't matter who you are. You're meddling in things you shouldn't." His arrogance clung to each word, but it faltered as one of his friends, eyes wide with nervous energy, edged closer to the man.

"Axel, man... just take him out," the friend urged, trying to sound braver than he felt.

Before the sentence could fully leave his lips, Vas vanished from his spot. In a blur of motion, he was already behind the man, his blade striking with precise, impossible speed. The man crumpled to the ground, unconscious. Axel's eyes widened in shock, disbelief settling in. The room fell into chaos as Axel's crew instinctively went into fight-or-flight mode, but Vas had no intention of letting any of them escape.

The fight began.

Vas moved like a shadow, fluid and lethal. Each step was a blur, his movements too fast to follow. One by one, he struck down Axel's friends with ruthless precision. His blades danced through the air, shimmering with their dark, deadly glow. Axel's group could barely react before they were taken down, each of them forced to watch their comrades fall.

One tried to swing a chain at Vas, but the chain met nothing but air as Vas sidestepped with inhuman speed. He retaliated with a slash, sending the man crashing into the wall. Another lunged with a knife, but Vas deflected it effortlessly, twisting the attacker's arm and bringing him to the ground in a single fluid motion.

The final blow was met with silence. The rest of Axel's crew lay unconscious, scattered across the room. The last man standing whimpered before Vas took him out, leaving only Axel, trembling and horrified, standing in a pool of his own fear.

Axel stumbled back, hands raised in surrender. His face was pale, his earlier bravado completely shattered. "I... I give up," he stammered, wide-eyed as he stared at the figure cloaked in neon green light.

Vas approached him slowly, his presence suffocating. Axel's fear transformed into something else, something darker. There was admiration beneath the terror. He wanted to be like the figure in front of him—powerful, untouchable.

Vas stopped just short of Axel, his voice calm, controlled. "You're going to tell me everything. Start with why The Scribes were targeted."

Axel swallowed hard, nodding as he realized the gravity of his situation. There was no escape. Vas had made that painfully clear.

Vas's gaze darkened as he gripped Axel by the collar, lifting him slightly off the ground. "Why did you take The Scribes?" he demanded, his voice low, threatening. The neon green glow of his Biolux coat flickered ominously, casting shadows across Axel's terrified face.

Axel swallowed hard, his heart pounding in his chest. He could feel the cold edge of Vas's patience wearing thin. "Alright, alright! I'll talk!" he blurted, gasping for breath. "Our boss... he's had his eyes on The Scribes for a while. Their leader, Elliot—he's been a thorn in our side for months now. Always getting in the way."

You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.

Vas's grip tightened. "In the way of what?"

Axel winced, struggling to keep his composure. "Of our operations! We... we lure people to us, promise them whatever they want, make their wishes come true. But it's not about the wishes—it's about the energy behind it. The fear, the desperation when they realize what they have to sacrifice to get what they want."

Vas's expression remained cold, unreadable, but inside, anger stirred. He let Axel down, just enough to keep the man talking. "So you're feeding off their emotions."

Axel nodded quickly, desperate to appease. "Yeah, exactly. The Scribes kept sticking their noses in our business, messing with the flow. Elliot was the worst—he kept rallying his people against us, trying to expose what we were doing. That's why we needed to get rid of them."

Vas's voice dropped to a lethal whisper. "And that's why you killed Elliot "

Axel hesitated, then nodded. "Yes. It wasn't just us, though. There's more going on—things you wouldn't understand."

Vas's eyes narrowed. "Try me."

Axel gulped, clearly shaken. "There's an underground party bunker we're running. It's... it's designed to harness sexual energy. People go there, they get lost in it, and the energy just flows. We're collecting it for... something bigger."

"Why the bunker?" Vas asked, his tone sharp. "What's the point of it?"

Axel shifted nervously, glancing around like he wanted to be anywhere else. "The sexual energy... it's raw, powerful. It feeds into the same thing—fear, desire, sacrifice. The more people that go, the stronger it gets."

Vas stepped closer, his presence overwhelming. "Is it open already?"

Axel nodded, shaking. "Y-Yeah, it's already running."

Without missing a beat, Vas gave a curt order. "Take me there."

Axel's eyes widened. "What? No! If I show up there with you—"

"You're going to take me there," Vas interrupted, his voice like ice. "Or I'll show you what it feels like to be consumed by your own fear." He summoned a thin tendril of shadow from his Tenebra blades, letting it hover near Axel's throat as a reminder of what could come next.

Axel's fear turned into pure survival instinct. "Okay, okay! I'll take you, just... don't kill me."

Vas released him, the shadow retracting back into his blade. "Lead the way. And don't try anything stupid."

The air between them was thick with tension as Axel hesitated for only a second before nodding weakly. He led Vas toward the exit, his movements jittery, unsure.

But Vas was already planning his next steps. Whoever was running these operations had crossed a line. They were playing with forces they couldn't possibly control, and Vas was ready to tear it all down.

Zola's expression was tight with concern as she turned to Vas, her voice low but steady. "What should I do?" she asked, though she already knew the answer.

Vas met her gaze, his own expression unreadable, but beneath the calm exterior, he was weighing the risks. He sighed softly, knowing Zola too well. "I know asking you to stay out of this won't work," he said with a grim smile. "So, be my backup. Stay outside the bunker with Lily. If things go south... you'll know what to do."

Zola nodded, determination flickering in her eyes. She wasn't the type to hang back, but she trusted Vas's plan. Moments later, Vas contacted Lily, his voice carrying the same edge of intensity. "Lily, I need you and Zola to stay outside. Be ready for anything."

Lily, always more calculating, responded with a calm, "Understood." But Vas could feel the unspoken worry beneath her controlled tone.

With the plan set, Vas and Axel moved swiftly, Zola and Lily close behind, though they'd hold back when the time came. The streets were dark, the occasional flicker of neon signs casting eerie reflections off the wet pavement. Their destination loomed ahead: a prestigious sports store, its bright facade a stark contrast to the underground debauchery that lurked beneath.

Vas's muscles tensed as they approached the entrance. He knew the drill. To access the bunker, a specific request had to be made. But with Axel at his side, things went smoothly. Axel sauntered up to the counter, his face wearing the same smug expression he'd used to manipulate Zola before.

"I'm here for something... special," Axel said smoothly, his tone laced with the kind of charm that set people at ease while masking his true intentions.

The attendant gave a slight nod, understanding the code without question, and Vas suppressed the urge to summon Biolux and Tenebra. He couldn't afford to look suspicious. He had to blend in, play along until the right moment. For now, he was just another patron, despite the disgust curling in his stomach at what he knew waited below.