"Help!"
A woman’s scream tore through the night behind Albel and the others, shattering the peaceful street into chaos.
"Holy crap. More trouble?" Albel groaned, his face twisting in exasperation. *Seriously?* He’d just wanted to crash for the night. *Please let it be something simple—domestic violence, a robbery. Anything but another freak show like this afternoon.*
But fate loved irony. When Albel turned, a blood-soaked woman writhed as tentacles speared through her body. Her face drained of color; her skin withered like dried parchment until she collapsed—a hollow shell of bones and skin.
*Worse than daytime.* Albel’s eye twitched. *Yesterday it was just murder. Now these things suck out your life force? And why are they even here? Some kind of plague?*
"Verdandi! Teleport us back to the inn—now!" Albel barked. But before he finished, the tentacle-creature’s head snapped toward them. It lunged—not at him, but at Shenluo World, the closest target.
"Step back, miss!" Yurei Amamiya shoved Shenluo behind her, hand gripping her katana’s hilt.
"*Iai!*" Her eyes locked onto the charging horror. As it entered range, she drew her blade in a blur. A streak of black light flashed—and the creature split cleanly in two.
Putrid black blood oozed from the halves, reeking of decay. *Definitely not human anymore.*
"*ROAR!*"
From a nearby alley, a dozen more tentacle-creatures emerged. They locked onto the group and charged, claws snapping.
"Tch." Yurei didn’t flinch. Her grip tightened on her sword, stance ready.
"We should just—" Albel started, reaching for Verdandi’s arm to trigger Instant Teleportation. But his lips were suddenly sealed by a soft, warm pressure.
His eyes flew wide. *Alicia?* She’d kissed him—cheeks flushed, eyes blazing. A herd of wild horses stampeded through his mind. *What the hell?!*
"What are you staring at? *Fight them!*" Alicia yelled, jabbing a finger at the oncoming horde.
*Whoa. Since when is Holy Maiden this aggressive?* Albel blinked. She’d *never* pushed him to summon Laevatein before.
"No need. I’ve got this," Yurei cut in sharply, shaking her head. Purple light flared from her sheath. Energy crackled as the creatures closed in—ten meters, five—
"*Black Blade Slash!*"
Her katana flashed. A wave of dark-purple energy ripped through the street, slicing through tentacles and torsos like paper. Corpses twitched on the pavement.
"Go! *Now!*" Yurei sheathed her sword, voice urgent. More shadows were already gathering at the street’s edges. "Verdandi!"
Albel met Verdandi’s eyes. They grabbed her arms—and vanished. Only confused tentacle-creatures remained, hissing at empty air.
---
Back in the inn room, Alusa pressed against the window. Outside, citizens fled like prey while tentacle-creatures hunted them down. "What *is* this?"
"An outbreak," Shenluo World murmured. Her smile returned, smooth as porcelain, hiding whatever flickered beneath.
"Albel! What do we do?" Alicia clutched his arm, trembling. The day’s horrors still haunted her.
"We leave. *Now*." Albel watched a creature drain a man’s vitality on the street below. The scene felt familiar—but the memory slipped away.
"Agreed," Yurei said flatly. "This city is compromised. The young mistress’s safety comes first."
"But the skyship’s still under repair!" Alicia protested.
"*Right.* Verdandi—teleport us to the skyship docks!" Albel snapped. If the mechanics died, their ride to the Imperial Capital died with them. Protecting the ship was critical.
Shenluo nodded. "Precisely."
Verdandi’s hands rose, expressionless. They vanished again.
---
The docks were quiet, distant from the city’s screams. Mechanics still labored under lantern light—Shenluo’s gold ensured they’d finish by noon.
"Yurei. Gather the workers onto the skyship. We hold this ground," Shenluo ordered.
"Understood." Yurei sprinted toward the crews.
"We’ll help!" Albel called. The workers were too scattered for one person.
"*HELP!*"
"*I don’t want to die!*"
"*IT HURTS!*"
Screams erupted from the city road. Citizens ran—but the tentacle-creatures were faster. One by one, they were caught, drained, discarded.
"You guide survivors to the skyship. I’ll handle this." Albel summoned Demon Sword Laevatein, crimson light bathing his face as the horde surged toward the docks.
"Got it!" Alicia and the others scattered. Only Shenluo stayed, standing calmly behind Albel.
"You should board the skyship. It’s not safe here," Albel said gently. She was frail as porcelain.
"I feel safest right here," Shenluo smiled.
"...Fair point." Albel grinned back. *Nowhere’s safer than behind me.*
Shenluo’s lips curved, watching his back.
"Wherever you crawled from—you end here." Albel raised Laevatein. His swing was effortless. A crimson arc swept the docks. Where it passed, only silence remained.
"...Even seeing it, it’s hard to believe," Shenluo breathed, lips slightly parted. Yurei had described his power—but witnessing it stole her breath. *Such rarity.*
"Don’t fall for me now," Albel teased over his shoulder. *This delicate, elegant girl... catching her heart would be quite the prize.*
"Oh, but I already have," Shenluo purred, a bewitching smile blooming. Albel froze, utterly disarmed—
"—Just kidding."
"*Ha.* Knew it." Albel chuckled, relief washing over him. *Close call. Almost said something stupid.*
"Seems clear for now. Let’s re—" Shenluo’s playful laugh died in her throat. Her eyes darted past Albel. "*LOOK OUT!*"
Albel spun. A figure in pale clothes—black hair, face masked—lunged with a blade. Albel twisted, shielding Shenluo as he dodged.
The attacker leapt back, creating distance.
"That guy’s tied to this plague," Albel growled, Laevatein humming in his grip.
"Likely. Leave him alive," Shenluo urged.
"Alive? I’ll *try*." Albel’s grin turned feral. He vanished—reappearing mid-swing. "*Checkmate.*"
Laevatein passed through the man’s chest—but it was only a shadow.
"*Alicia!*" Shenluo’s scream ripped through the air.
*Trap!* Albel whirled. Behind him, a second masked figure—white hair, all in black—held Shenluo captive.
"*LET HER GO!*" Albel roared. *Dare to play me?!*
The man ignored him. In a flicker of movement, he and Shenluo vanished.
