Lady Lylia strode quickly across the yard toward the exit of the Solar Knights headquarters, her golden armor gleaming in the afternoon light.
*This isn't possible. Derrick is dead, and not only that—we have a Soulwretch roaming the kingdom. Twelve thousand lives are at stake. What can a vice commander do against something like that?*
*These young, unregistered fighters... I've seen their abilities, witnessed their capabilities, but they're still inexperienced. They've never faced a Soulwretch. Do they even have a chance?*
Lylia bit her finger until it nearly bled.
*There's no time to question everything. I'll just have to work with what I have.*
"Lady Lylia! Lady Lylia!"
A communications officer sprinted toward her at full speed, waving frantically to catch her attention.
"Huh?" Lylia turned, her internal conflict grinding to a halt.
"Lady Lylia—huff—sorry to stop you like this—huff, huff—"
The officer doubled over, desperately catching his breath.
"It's fine. But judging by how fast you were running, has something else come up that I don't know about?" Lylia raised an intrigued eyebrow.
"Yes, ma'am! We just received intel from Tonny the Info Breaker on the current location of the Soulwretch. Take a look!"
The officer raised his mirrornet, showing Lady Lylia the terrifying image of Havoc.
"Grrr..." Lady Lylia clenched her teeth. "What a beast."
"Is Tonny okay?" she asked.
"Yes, he is. After he took the picture, he ran as fast as he could."
"Good. Make sure you contact him later and give him his reward."
Lady Lylia turned to leave, her violet cape whipping in the wind.
"Wait! Lady Lylia, I haven't told you the location yet!" the officer called out.
"Oh right, I completely forgot." Lylia turned back. "Speak quickly—I'm in a hurry."
"Yes, ma'am." The officer consulted his mirrornet. "Location data indicates Market District, Silver Quarter—approximately two hundred meters from the Silver Line Guild!"
"Noted. Is that all?"
"No, ma'am. There were also two figures spotted in the picture next to the creature—one male, one female. The female appeared to be severely wounded."
Lylia's eyes widened in surprise. "Show me."
The officer zoomed in on the photograph. Lylia immediately recognized Elsa's distinctive features.
"No... this can't be possible."
"Do you know those people?" the officer asked.
"Yes, I do. Now go back and keep tracking the beast—I'll handle the rest. Just keep me informed!"
Lady Lylia sprinted toward the exit as she delivered her final words, terror and stress cracking her voice.
"I hope she'll be okay," the officer wondered aloud as he watched her disappear into the distance.
*I have to hurry. I'll be too late otherwise. I need to get reinforcements to save them.*
Lylia bounded down the long stairs of the Solar Knights headquarters, her armor clanking with each desperate step.
---
MEANWHILE...
HUFF... HUFF...
Drake ran with everything he had, carrying Elsa's limp form in his arms.
*I hope this is far enough. I managed to slip away from that bastard, but knowing him, he'll keep coming back like a psycho ex with attachment issues.*
Drake stared at Elsa's pale face—her skin was becoming cold, blood still dripping from her torn waist and leaving a crimson trail behind them.
He turned to look over his shoulder. Nothing was chasing them.
*Good. We got away from Havoc.*
BOOOM!
CRAAASH!
"LORENZOOO!!"
A monstrous voice suddenly boomed from a crumbling shop nearby.
"What the hell—" Drake spun around, his eyes immediately widening in horror.
"You think you could run from me?! I'LL KILL YOU!" Havoc's voice was a thunderous roar of pure menace.
*No time to think—pick up the pace!*
Drake increased his speed as much as he could manage.
"HAHAHA! How fast can you run while carrying dead weight?!" Havoc roared, chasing after them. The ground cracked in his wake as his clawed arm and cannon arm smashed through buildings like paper.
LUB-DUB-LUB-DUB!!
Drake's heart pounded as he ran, taking sharp turns to throw Havoc off their trail, but the Soulwretch was relentless.
*What does it take to get this psycho off us?* Drake wondered, sweat dripping down his face. He could barely maintain his grip on Elsa's staff, the healing flask, and Elsa herself.
*Man, Elsa, what have you been eating? You weigh a ton! Aren't elegant noble girls like you supposed to be obsessed with their weight and diet?*
WHOOOOSH!
WSSSSSSSH!
"What's that noise?" Drake glanced back.
A merchant cart, hurled by Havoc, was heading straight for them.
"Oh, come on! Give me a break!" Drake sprinted faster. The cart was still approaching when he spotted another turn ahead.
"There we go!" SCREECH! He took the corner as sharply as he could.
WHOOSH!
THUD!
The cart flew past them, slamming into and shattering against another building.
"Phew... missed that one." Drake sighed with relief.
THUD-THUD-CRACK!
Havoc's footsteps cracked the ground as he approached. "Where are you mice hiding?! Come out and face me, cowards!" he roared, scanning the surroundings.
Drake peeked around the corner. Havoc's gaze flickered in his direction.
Drake quickly withdrew, holding his breath.
SNIFF... SNIFF...
"I can smell Elsa's blood and fear from that direction," Havoc said, turning toward their hiding spot.
Drake peeked again. Havoc caught his gaze and smirked. "Found you."
*Crap! He saw me!* Drake pulled his head back.
*This is bad. I'm almost out of stamina—I can't keep running. What can I do?*
Havoc approached, his crimson eyes razor-focused.
"Come out, Drake. I know you're tired and can't keep running. Carrying Elsa can't be that easy."
*Tell me about it—she's heavy.* Drake screamed internally.
"So why don't you hand her over along with your head on a plate, and everyone can go their separate ways and live happily ever after?" Havoc said, his claws scraping against the pavement as he approached.
*Talk about cocky. This dude is out of his mind. What part of 'giving my head on a plate' equals living happily ever after? How can I live when I'm dead?*
Havoc was getting closer.
*I need to get Elsa out of here, but how?*
Havoc never slowed down.
*I've got it.* Drake smirked. *Let's do just that.*
---
Havoc continued walking, his reflection visible in the glass windows of closed shops.
From around the corner, Drake emerged—empty-handed. Elsa was nowhere to be found.
"So you decided to step out of your hole and stop running?" Havoc sneered.
"Now where is Elsa?" His gaze scanned the area frantically. "Even her scent... her faint presence had vanished without a trace."
"Where did she go? She's wounded and dying—where the hell is she?!"
Drake smirked. "And how is that your problem?"
SCREECH!
Havoc clawed the ground in frustration. "You cocky idiot! I asked you a question!"
"And I ain't sharing answeres. But if you really want to know, Elsa is gone." Drake's grin widened. "Oh, I get it—you are suddenly invested in her. How ironic, coming from someone who tried to slice her in half just minutes ago."
"Don't be absurd! I'm not invested—I just want to kill both of you so I can rest. I'm worn out. Having this kind of body is powerful and all, but it's terribly draining. I don't think I can last much longer." Havoc smirked back.
*Good. So it was the right decision. He's almost out of gas, so at least I have a chance of facing him. With Elsa out of the way, I can focus entirely on him.*
"You know, speaking of tired, I'm exhausted too. I haven't eaten a thing since morning, and I keep running into one life-threatening situation after another. I think I'll knock your lights out and then go get some rest." Drake said casually.
*Hmm... his cocky attitude is still there. Typical idiot, Lorenzo. I want to kill him so badly I can feel my heart racing. What's gotten into me?* Havoc thought, grinning as horrible sharp teeth protruded from his mouth.
"Take it easy there, man. I didn't crack a joke or say something funny, so why are you flashing that creepy smile?" Drake provoked.
"Don't worry—you'll fine out soon enough," Havoc said, his killing instincts rising to peak levels.
Drake could feel it—the suffocating killing intent, the aura as dark as the dread of night and as cold as a winter storm. There was no pity in those crimson eyes.
*This isn't going to be an easy fight, but I'm ready. I mean, I killed four Feral Wolves and one Alpha, and took down this guy's friend in no time flat. This should be a piece of cake. If Elsa could do it, what about me?*
Drake smirked, but the oppressive aura still made him feel stiff.
"Yes! Keep hoping, keep dreaming you have a chance, and come running toward your inevitable doom!" Havoc prepared to charge.
"It's go time—I'm ending you!" Drake pointed at him defiantly.
"Be my guest," Havoc snarled.
"When I whoop your reptilian ugly ass, don't go running to your mama!" Drake taunted.
"Oh, please spare me the drama."
"You asked for it."
Drake took a deep breath, his expression suddenly shifting from playful to deadly serious. The air around him began to change—growing heavier, colder.
"TWIN PISTOLS OF MIDNIGHT HOWL—COME TO ME!"
KRAAAAAAK!
The very air seemed to tear apart as Drake thrust both hands skyward. Reality rippled like disturbed water around his fingers.
WHOOOOOOOOSH!
Twin torrents of shadow energy erupted from the ground, spiraling upward like dark tornadoes. The shadows coalesced, solidified, and shaped themselves into his magnificent pistols that slammed into his outstretched palms with a resounding 'CLANG!'
Dark smoke coiled lazily from their barrels like living things, and an aura of absolute cold emanated from them.
HUMMMMMM...
The pistols vibrated with barely contained power, their energy making the air itself tremble.
"Where the hell did those pistols come from?!" Havoc froze, genuine surprise flickering across his monstrous features.
Drake spun the weapons with fluid precision, each rotation creating elegant arcs of shadow energy in the air. "Surprised? You thought you were the only one with shiny, powerful firearms?" He smirked as the pistols pulsed with dark energy. "Guess what—I've got some bad boys of my own."
"It's been a while, boys. Time to keep our promise—let's blow this creep's brains out."
The pistols seemed to respond to his words, their humming growing more intense.
"HAHAHA! I didn't even sense the manifestation of an Echoform—or an awakening of one. And your aura..." Havoc's eyes narrowed as he studied Drake.
A terrifying shadow aura began dancing around Drake—even more menacing than Havoc's own. Drake's presence seemed to shift and change, becoming something altogether more dangerous.
"This hunt just got a lot more interesting," Havoc smirked.
Drake's voice dropped to a deadly whisper, but it carried perfectly in the tense air:
"For killing an entire squadron of knights... for blowing up an innocent citizen and his cargo... for the destruction of kingdom property and endangering civilian lives..."
His aura exploded outward like a dark supernova.
"AND MOST OF ALL—FOR THE ATTEMPTED MURDER OF ELSA THREE TIMES—UNFORGIVABLE!"
The shadow energy around him writhed and twisted like living darkness. His blue eyes blazed with fury that made even Havoc take half a step back.
Drake leveled both pistols at the Soulwretch, his predatory instincts fully awakened.
"I'm going to gun you down, asshole. Time someone taught you a lesson about consequences."
For the first time since his transformation, Havoc felt something he'd almost forgotten—
A thrill of genuine excitement mixed with the faintest trace of uncertainty.
"HAHAHA! How amusing! My day just got a whole lot crazier!" Havoc's grin stretched impossibly wide.
The two dark auras clashed in the space between them, creating visible distortions in the air. Shop windows began to crack from the pressure alone.
Drake's finger moved to the trigger of his right pistol.
Havoc's cannon arm began to glow with malevolent energy.
The street fell into absolute silence.
—TO BE CONTINUED—