Welcome!

To Southrade town!

After many days and nights, the duo take their first step into the huge town that was Southrade.

Five days in total, five whole days with the only break given to them being the nights to rest. Axel completely forgot just how rough life was during the medieval ages, many people from his world would call walking 10 miles to a destination a living hell, meanwhile here, it was considered the norm, if not a blessing. Just to go from town to town, one would have to travel at least 50 miles on average, by foot. Unless you were a merchant or a noble, odds are, you won't have enough money to buy a horse or pay to travel on a carriage. That was just how life worked around here, and the travel distances were the least of the people's worries.

"Noooo please!! I'm innocent!!" Pleads a woman under the restraints of the guillotine.

"Quila Willsmith, thee who has been accused of witchcraft. You shall serve as an example to the masses of those who go against God's will. The only suitable punishment for such a sinful act is beheading by God's tear for seeking power from the devil, may God be merciful upon your soul," says a bisharp from the church as he closes his eyes and gives a prayer.

There was a huge gathering with the crowd going wild, they shout their anger and hatred towards the woman who they don't even know, with their eyes filled with pure malice.

"Let the bitch die!!"

"Behead her!!"

"She deserves more than just death!!"

Despite her pleading and protest, the masses lash out on her without a second thought. They acted more like savages than civilized humans as they threw rocks and oyster shells at the woman. She lets out one final scream, claiming her innocence before the blade drops down. Alice looks the other way with her ears drooped down as the sound of flesh ripples the air. The crowd bursts with cheers; nothing but misery fills the woman's face as her head falls into the basket, filled with other severed heads.

Alice shakes the goosebumps from out of her body as she turns to Axel, ready to give her farewells and thank him for tagging along.

But, before she could. She finds that Axel had already vanished, her eyes widened as she searches the town. She spots him off in the distance amongst the crowd, quickly disappearing into the sea of people. Her foot instantly steps forward as she wanted to call his name, but in the last second, she refrained from doing so.

Watching him walk away, she felt a tiny prick on her heart.

Nevertheless, a warm smile rises from her face as her tail slowly sways from side to side.

She won't forget the journey she had with him anytime soon . . . Even though Axel was mean and probably couldn't care less about her.

This was the first time in a long time . . . That Alice could say that she had a friend . . .

Her smile grows as she raises one hand, and gestures a goodbye. Saying the only words that came to mind whenever she recalls him and all of the fun moments she had with him.

"Thank you . . ."

With the two now taking different paths, she turns around and walks forward. She begins to shift her attention towards her new adjective. Visible worry begins to creep along her brows as her shoulders stiffens.

She walks with the common folk with a flare of determination in her eyes.

"Just wait a little bit longer . . . Annabelle . ."

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" Fruits and veggies!! C'mon and get yourself the freshest fruits and veggies in Everglend!! Guaranteed to blow your minds away with its life changing flavors!"

"I have travelled across the entire world in order to perfect my craft as a blacksmith! This armor here was forged with the dragon scales of Drago, one of the five legendary dragons from the Mythical Domain! For the low low price of just 200 gold coins, you can practically be invincible!!"

To no one's surprise, the competition in the market was fierce like in Northrade Town. Every merchant and vendor set up shop and advertised their goods and prices.

Axel kept a low profile, ignoring all the sour and disturbing faces the people would make whenever they see him.

He was amused to say the least, to find out that the people here still haven't received his threat. Otherwise, the people would have run towards the hills or created chaos and disorder amongst themselves. He takes advantage of this as he studies his surroundings like a hawk scouting for prey.

Southrade was much bigger than its counterpart to say the least. For one, this town actually had a built in path in the form of a brick covered road, rather than a messy, muddy path. The buildings were much more polished and pleasant to the eye as their lengthy shadows provide shade for the common folk. The trees here were thick, and boasted the deepest shades of green. A church bell rings across the skies, signalling high noon as the rock pigeons flutter away by the heavy noise. This town was much more like the fantasy town he had envisioned when starting his journey.

He continues to patrol the street, searching for something, but as time passes, he grunts as he ultimately comes out empty handed. He ends up coming across a squadron of knights off in the distance, slowly coming his way with their eyes darting everywhere, clearly searching for someone.

Axel turns to the nearest alley he could hide and enters to avoid the knights.

The noise of the outside world slowly begins to vanish away as the sound of his footsteps echo across the vacant alley.

It was like an entirely separate world that connected the darkness and living together. The lonesome man continues to walk further, unfazed by the darkness surrounding him. He gazes upon the abyss, as the abyss stares back at him.

His steps became janky and unpredictable while his body was losing balance. His breathing intensifies as he begins to feel the urge reeling its ugly head once more . . .

Without any warning or hint, Axel's eyelids close by themselves as he drops onto the floor.

In the last second, he forces his eyes open while he falls onto his knees.

Almost like getting struck by an arrow, a sharp pain manifests inside Axel's head. He grits his teeth and pulls his hair, almost breaking his skull entirely, as the pain melts his brain.

An eerie pitch surfaces within his ears, it gradually becomes louder until it's no longer bearable to withstand, it vibrates so harshly that his ears nearly go deaf.

Axel crawls on the floor as his nails break the floor. His body spasms as sweat begins to form on his face. Veins appear on his throat as the urge starts to tug at his heart. Caressing his soul with all his rage, his pain, his sorrows . . .

Throughout the journey with Alice, Axel had been suppressing his urge every night. Although it was true that Axel could still function without needing to sleep thanks to his healing factor. His lack of rest made it incredibly easy for his inner demons to surface. Axel rolls onto his back with his eyes widening; he grasps his throat tightly as saliva starts to pour down his mouth.

Each time he would feel the urge, his eyes would flash the dreaded whiteness of that hell . . .

He was slowly being dragged back to "that" place as his body would tremble, recalling the pain he's endured . . .

His eyes quake harshly, fighting back the urge as his eyes almost become possessed. His black nails dig deep into his throat. Blood as black as ink starts to drip down onto the dirty floor.

His whole body tries to resist by turning and twisting, but almost like an unavoidable tsunami, his inner demons were too much to handle.

From amidst the chaos, a disturbing smile begins to crack from the wrenching pain. His nails continue to dig deep into his flesh as he begins to slice through his neck by trailing his nails downward. Snickers escaped his lip while his face was nearly driven mad.

Calling him a demon wouldn't even cut it . .

He, right now, has become nothing less than a monster. All of his memories vanish into the back of his mind as all his senses become numb.

Pure raw killer instincts begin to control him as black smoke starts to seek out of him.

But from the nothingness in his mind, a fragile voice calls out to him. It sounded more like a crying noise than a voice, but it was clear to him, that it came from someone. He couldn't recognize the voice, but it felt familiar to him.

The noise didn't last long, only appearing for a brief second. But it was enough for Axel to gain control over his body. With the last bit of inner strength remaining, he fights through! And forces the urge back into his black heart.

He pants exhaustively as sweat drips from his nose. The energy in his body nearly gives up on him. His eyelids become heavy, extremely heavy, while his body starts to collapse onto the ground.

He was on the verge of falling unconscious. Drifting in and out of sleep as he uses the wall next to him to lift himself up.

"Hey look!! There he is everyone!!" Shouts a person from the entrance of the alley.

Axel's body instinctively tenses up with his eyes glancing over to the direction where the voice came from.

Splat!

An arrow strikes one of Axel's eyes as he stumbles back! It sinks deep into his skull as blood begins to gush out with little bits and pieces of his eyes falling onto the floor!

His other eye flares up while his hands curl up into fists. The same knights Axel spotted earlier before come rushing towards him with their swords and bows at the ready!

A dark aura starts to surround him as his veins start to boil with annoyance. He rips out the arrow from his eye with his blood rolling down his face, almost appearing like tears.

He grunts angrily as he gestures with his hand.

Moments later, huge shadows appear from out of the darkness and slam three knights onto the wall!

The fourth one whimpers and flees, but Axel signals the shadows to chase him down. The shadow slithers like a snake as it increases in size by the second! The terrified knight continues to run, but the shadows quickly catch up to him, transforming into a giant nightmare fueling hand before it reaches out to grab the tiny human.

However, just at the last second. The knight reaches the light and escapes into the safety of the crowd right as the hand closes shut! Barely missing the knight by a hair as it disappears upon touching the light.

The people walking by stare at the panicked knight blankly before turning their gaze into the alley.

Pitch black, it was pitch black with the light entering the ally being swallowed by the darkness. Only the stuff of nightmares can be imagined inside that alley as ominous wind escapes the shadows. Giving the crowd shivers upon witnessing a pair of glowing yellow eyes inside the alley, staring back at them . . .

They stare fixated onto the pair of eyes with cold sweat running along their backs. Almost like watching something paranormal unfold, goosebumps arise on their skins as the glowing pair of eyes blink back at them. Before disappearing into the darkness . . .

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Alice walks along a road, completely overseeing Southrade from afar. Her face was a little distraught as she continued to walk in a slow pace, grasping a little potion in her hands.

("Thank you for your purchase!")

("Wait what!? How could she afford such an expensive item!?!?"

("She must have saved up all her earnings throughout the years, there's no way a knight can buy such an item if she didn't do so!")

The disturbances in her eyes grow as the hand holding the bottle starts to quiver. She stays strong with her body language undaunted, but it was clear that her mind rests uneasy.

That uneasiness was then shown in full display as her eyes sank upon seeing a big gloomy castle on the horizon.

She grasps the bottle even tighter as she gathers her courage and continues to walk towards the castle.

Inside the castle walls.

The front yard was a training area for the knights to practice their sword play, and enhance their combat skills.

Under the blazing heat of the sun, many knights train together, while others sit in the shade, shirtless and sweating profusely.

Amongst the resting ones, someone catches a figure off in the distance, approaching them. He squints his eyes for a bit, before noticing who it was and begins tugging the shoulder of the knight next to him.

"Hey look, it's one of Yokubo's personal slaves. Wasn't she sent to that shithole of a town?" He turns to his buddy, and his friend nods.

"Yeah, that's the one . . . Honestly, I get why he decided to take her in as a slave, but I have no clue where his mind was to turn her into a knight. Women have no business in the battlefield."

Most of the men ignore her presence, resuming their practice and not even giving her so much as a greeting.

While the rest gawk at her. Some immediately get sour faces, glances at her like an eyesore before turning away with the expression of disgust all over their faces. While others gaze upon her lustfully, they make no effort to hide it as their perverted eyes begin ogling her. They let their most wild and creepy imaginations run loose as they slowly begin to undress her with their eyes.

"Damn, why couldn't Yokubo make her one of the camp's whores. A demi-human has no right to take up such honorable jobs like us knights. Though, it's not all bad news, on the plus side, her training as a knight has really made her into a damn sexy woman. With that tone and irresistible body of hers, she can make one hell of a sex slave."

" *Whistles* Hey Alice! A woman such as yourself shouldn't put herself in so much danger playing man's games. How about you stay over my bed, cozying my blankets and exploring each other's bodies, that role should suit you much better."

They whistle and make advances on her from every direction, Alice just keeps walking straight forward with a poker face, ignoring all the disapproving and lustful stares from the people who are her comrades.

Even though they all had the black shield emblem, even though they were all knights with the same rank, she couldn't have felt more ostracized.

The front yard of the castle was filled to the brim with knights, and yet, she felt more isolated here than actually being alone.

It was clear that her warrior prowess and determination meant nothing to them, it has gotten so futile to prove them wrong, that she now works alone, even when they all dawn the same attire

She enters the castle itself and begins walking down the corridors. Massive, withered, red banners with the black shield emblem etched in the center are hung on both sides of the corridor. Matching the red banners, an elegant, yet old looking, carpet expands across the entire floor. The corridor was grand to say the least, however, the poor maintenance over the castle was quite evident. The floor was dusty with the walls having cracks or holes in them. Cobwebs lied in every corner, with darkness seeking in every space which had the least amount of light.

This place brought a sense of nostalgia, but it also nearly gave her shivers down her spine. Her breathing becomes heavier as her face starts to form little bits of sweat.

"Well evening darling~" Whispers a voice behind her, letting a disturbing giggle as it sniffles upon her neck.

Alice's tail shoots straight up as her stomach drops! She jumps and gains some distance while having her sword at the ready.

Right before her stood a very tall person, around 7 feet or so, with an incredibly slender body. Skinny wouldn't even come close to it's abnormal body, it was freakishly slim, literal sticks for arms and legs with a close to boney body structure. It's arms were also abnormal, as they would reach around the person's knees. It's entire body was covered in clothing, even down to the hands and face. Sporting a crow mask and black gloves, the person kept it's true identity a secret. Though the real scare came from it's gloves. Attached to each finger, a large, razor sharp, hook size claw connects with the very edge of each finger, scraping the floor whenever the person would put their arms down.

Those claws would put even the mighty lion's claws to shame. They were even taller than the tallest knives Alice has ever seen with a slight curve to them, she takes a gulp upon staring at them.

Butterflies begin to flutter inside Alice's stomach as she calms her nerves. The fact that she couldn't track it's movement sends a chilling vibe across her body.

"Good evening . . . . Mask," she speaks in a rather stiff manner.

Mask takes a step back, almost hurt by the way she speaks to it.

"Oh come on dear, liven up a bit! Life is too short to hold grudges . . . " Says Mask while letting out a forced chuckle. The next second, Mask appears right next to Alice, laughing ominous as the tone of Mask's voice becomes deeper.

"What do you have in your hands . . . sister Alice?" Mask's voice reaches creepily low as it points at the bottle Alice was holding. Her heart begins to race as she gains some distance between the two. Unbeknownst to her, she ends up bumping into two other persons who weren't there a second ago. Even with her enhanced smell and hearing because of her heritage, she couldn't sense the presence of the other two.

One of them was in complete contrast to Mask, shorter than the other two, but by far the most muscular. The sheer size of his biceps were inhuman. Veins bulge out from all over his body with his neck being so buff, his head almost appears to connect with his body. The amount of muscles he had was frightening to say the least, one can only imagine the amount of power his fists pack. He was shirtless due to the fact that no tunic could fit him, with black raggedy trousers and a black robe attached to his waist. Lastly, he also wears a pointy hood that covers his face.

The third one was the least abnormal from out of the three. Average in size and his body structure was overall well built. However, despite being the most normal out of all of them in terms of appearance, Alice's heart raced even more upon laying eyes on him. Although his face was hidden under a helmet that resembled a lion, his eyes had a vibrant red glow to them. He had a downright terrifying aura surrounding him that seemed almost uncanny. No human can achieve such an aura, it was too monstrous to be contained in such a being. He wasn't a person who can be trifled with, he was a natural disaster.

All three begin to surround her. Her breathing was becoming uneven as her body shrinks under their gaze. It was taking all of her strength not to quiver and run, as she felt like an ant facing three towering mountains.

"Surely you're not dumb enough to do a death march," the says the one in armor, warning her with a cold voice.

The buff one tilted his head.

" Your last attempt didn't go so well, you're lucky me or Leonardo didn't kill you on the spot back then," says the buff one.

Mask creeps around Alice's shoulders, acting like if he was part of her consciousness.

"Roy is right you know~ Urrrgh! And your screams are so lovely too~ Killing you will be the hardest thing I'll ever enjoy . . ."

Leonardo departs, signalling Mask and Roy to depart as well.

"If you value the life of the one you most care about . . . Then you should stop resisting, and give in. Fighting back will only result in your death and hers," says Leonardo over his shoulder before walking away with the other two.

His words sink deep into her heart, her ears slowly begin to droop as his words echo in her mind. Dead silence fills the air as the grasp she held on the bottle loosens, and so does her spirit.

The inside of her body felt empty, as she glanced over to the bottle, seconds passed by as her eyes continued to stare into the bottle intensely, they slowly became watery, but she held herself back from crying.

It was all leading up to this moment, she had trained everyday and saved up every penny for this very day. She was placing her life on this very bottle, and yet, she was slowly losing her grip on it. . .

She closes her eyes and lets out a deep breath, before gathering up the strength to keep on walking.

After a few minutes, she ends up reaching the doors leading up the audience room. Frank, Yokubo's private butler, comes out of the doors with a noble. He immediately catches her presence as he turns to face her.

"It's been quite a while Ms. Alice, are you here to report to Sir. Yokubo?" He asks.

The seconds pass by, she begins to clutch the bottle tightly before giving a simple nod.

Frank excuses himself with the noble and goes to the door.

"Then you came at the right time, Yokubo is currently free inside the audience room, I'll enter as well," he says as he opens the door.

Her body jumps upon listening to the door creek, she stares off into the vacuum of darkness that was the room with her heart nearly bursting from out of her chest. Though she has been preparing herself for this very moment, she was more terrified to enter the room than ever before. She catches herself panicking, and begins to recollect herself. This is it, beyond these doors, there was no telling of what could happen . . .

She braces herself, before heading inside.

The cold immediately hits her as the door behind her slowly shuts. An unsettling silence looms over her as she starts to walk towards the center.

He was in the middle of his feeding, as a group of slaves dressed in nothing but rags hand fed him while he leisurely sat on his throne.

He almost appeared annoyed at first upon hearing the door open, but his face soon brightened up with joy upon glancing at the visitor. Alice stops in front of Yokubo while Frank takes his side.

"My, if it isn't my favorite knight. Have you come to give me your report?" He asks, his voice didn't sound at all like a human.

Alice nods with a blank face as she takes a knee, hiding the potion behind her as her hands start to tremble even harsher. Sweat started to form around her face as the air suddenly became much thinner to her.

"I have dealt with the groups of thugs plaguing Northrade," Alice spoke calmly yet clearly like a knight, she didn't have a single ounce of emotion on her face.

His smile grows even bigger. "Excellent, I can always rely on you to get the job done," he says, sounding pleased, but that moment was short lived, as his smile disappeared.

"However, a new issue has arised in Northrade Right around the time you left, and this issue has the possibility of becoming more grave than the thugs," says Yokubo, catching Alice by surprise as she glances over to him. How could she have been so careless to let something sneak under her radar, she could have sworn she had taken care of every problem in Northrade.

Yokubo gestures to Frank to speak up, and he nods, retrieving something from out of his suit. He takes out a piece of paper and shows it on full display.

"This letter comes straight from Northrade via messenger pigeon, and is likely being sent to all the warlords, as well as the king himself. Apparently, about a week or so ago, a disturbing incident occurred in Northrade which had the public panicking. The one who caused the hysteria goes by the name of Axel the Reaper," says Frank.

Alice's ears tilt as her brows rise, she searches deep into her brain as she recalls to have heard of the name Axel some time ago. Frank picks up on this and answers her question.

"Odds are, he is the hero who was killed about a month ago, Axel the traitorous hero. No one knows how he'd managed to survive his death, but it appears he still walks among us. There's no one else who could have done what he did in Northrade. He destroyed an entire brothel on his own, killed a squadron of knights, and even managed to best a Grand knight."

Her eyes widened as his last words ran deep under her skin. She nearly shakes to the core in disbelief, to think there is someone powerful enough to take down a Grand knight, he must have some monstrous unfathomable power.

"Axel has declared war on the kingdom, vowing to engulf this whole kingdom in fear. And two days ago, a messenger came over from Northrade to tell Yokubo that Axel had set his eyes on him," Frank concludes, ending his speech and putting the letter back inside his suit.

The room erupts in silence as Alice continues to bow before Yokubo, awaiting her next task while still clutching the potion in her hand. Getting ready to open the bottle as she breathes heavily, grasping the potion even tighter with a trembling hand, the seconds were starting to feel like hours. Yokubo contemplates, tapping his finger onto the throne's arm before coming to a stop. He stares upon the knight before him, as he opens his mouth.

"Alice . . . . Do you still wish for your freedom?" Asks Yokubo, gazing upon her with a stirn expression.

She raises her head and stares back into his eyes, before standing up and placing one hand over her heart.

"Yes," she immediately answers back with a stirn face of her own. Yokubo smiles, listening to the determination in her voice.

"Good . . . . . Then I have one last request for you, get the job done . . . . And you will gain your freedom . . ."

Alice's ears flare up as she lets out the breath she's been holding, loosening the grip she had on the potion.

"And what's that?" She asks, her eyes immediately brighten up by the opportunity of getting her freedom, and Yokubo's smile grows even wider.

"The final task I'll be giving you . . . Is to kill Axel the Reaper . . ."

"!!!!!!!!!!!" She suddenly started to feel sick on her stomach as her legs nearly gave up on her. Her blood started to rush up towards her head as sweat rolled down her face. The seconds pass by, with him staring down Alice without a subtle hint of backing down his request. . She knew the implications of his words, she knew it all too well.

This wasn't an order of his . . .

This was her death sentence . . .

This is just the type of person Yokubo was, toying with anyone who he finds fancy, then later disposing them like trash whenever they were no longer of any use to him.

"Do this . . . and I'll set you free . . ." he says, smirking upon witnessing her expression.

She remained silent for quite some time. Her heart wouldn't stop beating, she almost felt noxious from the head, on the verge of falling as she lost balance over her body. She quietly puts the potion inside her bag as she was having hard time breathing. In the end . . . she didn't have enough courage to follow through with her plan. . .

Her shivering hands grasp her clothing, holding herself tightly from her already breaking world.

His words continue to ring inside her ears as the coldness of the room begins to surround her. But just as the message runs along her body, she shakes it off, and stares right back with one last forced determined face.

" . . . . . Yes Sir!"

Amongst the fear and tears that were swelling in her face, she agrees to his circumstances.

Even if she had to walk the most dangerous road, even if she had to fight the most dangerous monster.

As long as there was a tiny chance at victory, she was willing to take it and not lose hope. She wasn't gonna let Yokubo see her despair like he wanted to, she will accept the challenge, and come out . . alive. She's going to survive, no matter what it takes. She will live, and come back . . . for her sake. .

Right as Alice finds a resolution within herself to not give up, someone barges into the room!

A knight comes rushes down to Yokubo in a panicked state!

"Sir Yokubo! Axel the Reaper has been spotted in Southrade!!" Shouts the knights.

Both Alice and Frank were shocked to hear the news, but Yokubo only smiles. Lifting a finger to gestures to the knight to speak up.

"What perfect timing . . . describe his appearance if you will," says Yokubo.

The knight frantically speaks up, almost like if he had seen a ghost. "He dawns a black robe with two black horns protruding from out of his head! And his eyes! They glow bright gold amongst the dark!"

Alice's eyes widen as her mouth opens, her eyes start to tremble uncontrollably as her heart starts to sink upon listening to the knight's words. His imagine appears right in front of her. She tries so hard to contain herself in front of his presence, but a tear finally escapes from within her sorrow filled eyes. She almost refused to believe it, she wanted to avert her eyes and cover her ears from the truth . . . but his words were now permanently etched into her mind. Only one man fitted that description . . . And she knew who he happened to be. . .

Yokubo embers a tiny fireball on his finger, and throws it towards the knight without batting an eye. Setting the guy's face ablaze as he screams and falls down to the ground.

"Now that you have his description, I expect this job to be done as soon as possible. I will task Frank to assign you a horse for this mission," says Yokubo to an unresponsive Alice.

She had her face droop down with her hair covering her face. Something begins to pierce through her heart as her knees felt weak. She was honestly wishing to wake up right about now, to escape this horrible nightmare. But she lets out a sad smile . . . knowing that it wasn't the case.

" . . Yokubo . ." She calls to him in a much more different tone, her voice was fragile and light, filled with so much sadness and despair . . and yet . . . a sense of an unyielding soul resonated from her voice.

"What is it dear?" He ask, raising how brows in a curious manner

Alice clutches her sword and she grits her teeth. With a burning passion in her eyes . .

"I-I have one was request as well . . . . If I beat Axel . . . then can both me and my sister gain freedom?" She asks as she looks at Yokubo squarely in the eyes, almost making him flinch by her raw determination.

He then lets out a crooked smile. " . . . Sure, if you can beat Axel, then both of you will gain the right to freedom," he says.

With all the strength she had remaining, she unsheathes her blade and lifts it up into the air! Even more tears form around her eyes, but she holds them back as her hand tightens the handle. Her mind has been set, she had one last obstacle left to gain her freedom, and she wasn't about to give it up!

" . . . I'll fight . . . I'll fight and win! . . I won't come back until I do so . . ." Says Ailce with a flare in her eyes as she sheathes her sword, and walks out of the audience room.

As soon as the noise of the door closing comes to an end, silence soon follows. Frank sighs and turns to him.

" Master Yokubo, are you sure about your decision? You're letting go of one of your powerful knights in a suicide charge you know," says Franks, Yokubo only chuckles by his comment.

"Haha o' Franky, I thought you knew me already!" He chuckles once more before his expression suddenly turns dead serious.

"That's precisely why . . . . She's becoming too strong in such a short time, if she continues to live, it won't be long until she surpasses me. There's no doubt she's planning to kill me, so it's best to let her go while I still hold power over her. Doing it this way will essentially be like killing two birds with one stone, only one will come out on top and in a weakened state, while I remain in full strength and don't have to get my hands dirty," he snickers as he begins to ponder something. . .

"Even if she comes back . . . I'll just kill her while she can't fight back . . . I would like to see her face be filled with despair for one last time . . As I slowly torture her to death . . ." Yokubo becomes excited for that day to come as he imagines her expression, clutching his fist and licking his lips.

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Inside black shield castle's dungeon.

The main door to the dungeon opens and closes, echoing the noise throughout the whole chamber.

There was only one other knight standing near the main door, guarding the place. The dungeon was a long string hallway with many rusty cells along the way. Puddles of piss and water form along the mossy stone floor, slowly rotting away at the stone and clay as holes and cracks form along the floor and walls, creating the noxious smell that was familiar to that of rotting seaweed.

Footsteps echo across the vacant hallway as Alice walks even further down the chamber, taking a slow pace with trembling pupils. Her ears were dropped down as her eyes glanced at every cell she passed.

Women, the cells were filled with women around the same age as her, staring back at Alice with lifeless eyes . . .

Some of them were malnourished, while others had bruises, some of them . . . were already dead . . rotting away inside their jail cell with broken limbs, and having their corpses be infested with maggots and roaches. They were caged up like animals, being forced to await the day Yokubo orders them to enter his room. They had to drink the water falling from the ceiling and eat their own waste just to survive . .

Alice averts her eyes from this horrendous act as she continues to walk to the very end of the chamber. She takes a gulp with her heart pounding louder than ever, she begins to feel butterflies in her stomach as she reaches the very last cell. She lets out a cool breath to ease her nerves as she starts unlocking the door to the jail cell. With a loud click, the door creaks wide open as Alice enters the cell.

This cell was a lot more empty than the others, more quieter than the other cells, and yet it gave off the most profound misery. The entire cell was shrouded in darkness, but Alice managed to spot something. She begins to make her way over there while carefully stepping as quietly as possible. From amidst the darkness, she mangles to spot her sister in one of the bunkbeds.

Her back was against the wall as her legs rested on the bed. She stares off into the wall with a lifeless expression and with her hands overlapping each other on her lap. Her eyes were blank, devoid of any resemblance of life within them, but they somehow radiated the purest of sorrows . . . She was malnourished with multiple bruises across her body, she was like a lonely bird trapped in a cage, with the only thing keeping her company being the darkness that surrounded her.

She tilts her head upon noticing someone approach her, and lets out an innocent light smile upon seeing her sister, but the muscles on her face were too weak to express emotions . . .

Alice lets out her own smile as her leg gently wags from side to side.

"Hey there sister . ." Says Alice as she bends the knee and grasps her sister's fragile hand, her eyes become immediately emotional. She wanted to hug her sister and comfort her, but she knew she would only hurt her instead . .

Annabelle grasps Alice's hand as her smile widens. For the first in their encounter, Annabelle's eyes slightly brighten up with life. She holds onto her sister's hand, not wanting to let her go.

" . . Welcome back Alice . . . You've arrived much faster than I thought you would . ." Says Annabelle as she gives Alice a pat on the head as a reward, her pats were nice and warm, and they had no weight behind them.

Alice bashfully smiles as she starts searching inside her bag.

"I couldn't leave you like this, I had to return as soon as possible," says Alice.

Annabelle's ears droop down by her reply as a bittersweet smile forms on her face.

"Alice . . . You need to stop worrying about me, the last thing I want to do is to slow you down, venture far and escape while you can," says Annabelle, but Alice immediately shakes her head.

"I can't do that, he'll kill you if I attempt to escape or break the collar because of the slave curse, besides, we made a promise to be free together. I just need to stay strong for a little bit longer, I promise that day will come soon enough," says Alice as she put a bunch of fruits and vegetables along with a water bag, and a tiny potion that was different from hers.

"Here, have some food I've gathered up along my journey, and drink this potion, it ain't much, but it should recover some of your health," says Alice with a smile.

Annabelle holds the potion in her hand with her eyes widening.

"How much did you spend on this!?" She asks, Alice giggles by her shocked voice.

"Don't worry about it! All you need to worry about is recovering your strength, so we both can walk out those castle gates and start a new life. Just the two of us . . ." Says Alice with a gentle voice as she slowly gets up, and wraps her bag around her waist.

Annabelle's ears droop ounce more as a tiny gilt of saddens looms over her eyes.

"You're leaving so soon? . . ."

A sharp pain cleaves through her heart upon listening to her sister's lonely, quaking voice . .

Yokubo's order echoes across her mind as she watches the innocent face of her sister.

Fear starts to consume her as her heart begins to break apart. Though she had been hiding it from the warlord, she was no longer able to contain her true feelings any longer. . For all she knew, this might be the last time she'll ever get the chance to see her sister again. . .

Tears start to fall uncontrollably as she grasps Annabelle's together, smiling while holding back the tears. Her hands were shaking, her heart nearly bursted out of her chest.

She had so much that she wanted to tell to her, she wanted to fill her up with the stories of all of her adventures, tell her about all the wonderful places she has been, tell her about the new friend she had made, and to tell her . . . just how grateful she was to have a sister like her . . .

But in the end, she stops herself from doing so, now was not the time to tell her that.

She wanted to tell her all this . . . for when she comes back.

Alice, despite her refraining from doing so earlier on, gives a nice brief, gentle hug to Annabelle with a warm smile.

"I love you sister . . ."

Annabelle was so caught off guard, she wasn't able to speak by her sister's sudden words. Alice ends the hug, and starts walking to the cell door.

". . . . I promise you sister . . I'll come back to you . . . And when I do . . We'll both be free . ."

Alice says, glancing over her shoulder with one last smile, before existing the door, and closing the cell. Walking through the hallway with her mind set on one thing . . . Axel.

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. . .

Somewhere inside Southrade town. .

Wind blows across the empty alleys, devoid of any type of light as nothing but rats and roaches make their homes in the darkness . .

But from amidst the darkness, in one of the alleys . . A tiny orange light emits from one of the buildings, glowing in the darkness . .

A raging fire crackles inside one of the buildings, lighting up tiny sparks which flicker in the air. Chains are hung along the ceiling along with other metal tools such as swords and axes. From amidst the darkness of the room, there were three people tied up to a chair, while the fourth one was quickly approaching them.

All three were tied up with rope, struggling to break free and with a piece of cloth wrapped around their head to prevent them from screaming. They stare on with terror, fixated on his every move as he stops in front of one of the captured guys.

Axel grabs a dagger from the knight's waist and cuts the cloth tied to his head. The knight hyperventilates with his face sweating profusely as Axel bends down to his next.

"Where is Yokubo . . ." Axel asks, but he gets no response. He rolls his eyes angrily before he stabs the knight right on his leg!

"I SAID WHERE IS HE?!" The knight's body jumps! As he shrieks in pain! He grunts louder and in tears as blood begins to squirt out from his leg!

"Wrong answer," says Axel as he twists the dagger inside the knight's leg! The knight jumps from his chair as his anguished face spills tears!

"Arrrggghhh!! Ok! Ok! I-I'll tell you!!" Says the knight, Axel stops twisting the knife as a creepy smile forms on his face.

"I'm listening . . ." Axel stares into his eyes, making the knight jolt as a cold shiver runs down his spine.

"Ok! Ok! His location is-"

"Don't listen to him!!" Someone interrupts the knight's words, making Axel turn to the suspect.

It was one of his captives, and he had managed to break loose from the cloth. He stares down Axel with an unyielding, teary face as one of his hands clings to a necklace which had the church's insignia on it.

"D-don't listen to him! . . For as long as we believe in God, he will protect us from this demon!" Says the knight.

Everyone stayed quiet, afraid to speak, but the knight clings to his religious artifact even tighter! So much so, that Axel lets go off the knife, and starts walking over to the guy.

" . You said God will protect you? . ."

His footsteps align with the knight's heartbeat, but he snarls back into Axel's demonic eyes . . .

"Brothers . . We must not fall prey to this demon and stay strong, soon his day of judgement will come," says the knight.

From amidst the silence, the sound of snickering arises. It becomes louder within each step until it becomes a full blown laughter. Axel stops in front of the knight, and extends his arm towards the man.

Bang!!

The man suddenly explodes!! The chair breaks as blood splatters the walls!! The other knights jump and nearly faint by the horrors happening before them! They stare into the demon with terrified eyes as their lives begin flashing before their very own eyes. Axel snickers once more as flesh and organs continue to fall from the ceiling.

" . . . Where is your God now? . . ." He asks, the other two stay quiet. .

He walks back to the knight he was torturing and bends down once more.

"Now tell me, where is his location. If you dare lie, I'll tear down every god damn limb apart and I'll throw your body into the fire," says Axel, the knight quakes under his voice as he knows now his threats were not empty.

"I-I'll tell you, h-his castle is even further South near the border and nearly a ravine," says the knight, Axel smiles and pats the guy on the shoulder.

" . . Thank you~ . ."

Axel then quickly rips the knight's head off of his body!! His body twitches uncontrollably and the knight's eyes roll back into his head! Axel's smile grows wider as he drops the head onto the floor, and turns to the last guy.

The last knight flinches! As he thrashes about and screams!! Trying to make a last ditch effort to escape as Axel walks to him.

He rips the cloth from the captives mouth as he extends his arm towards him, smiling sadistically with his eyes glowing brighter than ever . .

The last one breathes heavily, glancing over at the corpses, before turning to Axel.

" . . . Y-you're a m-monster . . ."

Axel's smile reaches from ear to ear, taking great pleasure from the sound of despair in his voice.

"Perhaps . ."

The last knight's head explodes . . the chair falls down with his body pouring blood onto the floor . .

The sound of footsteps arise from the silence, and begins to slowly fade away, along with the ominous sound of whistling accompanying it . . .