"You've got serious nerve, brat," Lavernus said, his voice filled with deep annoyance. He raised the silver sword in his hand slightly, his posture shifting to be more threatening, as if measuring the distance to his prey. "What was your name again?"
"Steve," Otto replied curtly, his voice calm, devoid of expression.
Without warning, Lavernus moved with surprising speed, almost like a teleporting shadow. His sword flashed, cutting the air with a sharp hiss, aiming straight for Otto's neck. But Otto's instincts were faster. He managed to evade the deadly slash by dropping low, ducking down until he was nearly touching the floor. From that low position, Otto saw a perfect opening: Lavernus's now exposed stomach. He immediately swung his dagger upward, but Lavernus spun, dodging easily, as if Otto's attack was merely a slow-motion gesture in his eyes.
Seeing his attack wasted, Otto rose quickly, lunging at Lavernus with burning intensity. The loud clash of steel—Lavernus's lethal sword and Otto's smaller daggers—filled the tavern, creating a fierce rhythm of combat. Lavernus's friends remained where they were, leaning casually against a table, confident that their elite comrade would soon win the fight, without needing any assistance.
The tavern owner was startled, his eyes wide, his face pale. For him, a brawl in the black horse tavern was common, almost part of the daily scenery. However, a fight against one of the Church of Light's elite soldiers—and the bunny-mask could match his strength—was both astonishing and terrifying to watch. He trembled, unsure of what to do.
Synel, sprawled on the floor, his body still aching and bruised, gaped at the rapid movements in front of him. "W-what the hell is that?" he muttered in disbelief, his eyes following Otto's every agile move.
Otto moved nimbly, leaping from table to table, using the furniture as a foothold and shield. Lavernus gave him no quarter, moving quickly again, this time aiming for Otto's head with a devastating vertical slash. With speed and force that quick and strong, Otto, who managed to parry it, was violently thrown toward the entrance. The wooden tavern door shattered into splinters with a deafening crash, fragments of wood flying everywhere. Otto lay sprawled on the dusty ground outside. People nearby immediately swarmed around, shocked, curious, and beginning to panic, creating a rapidly growing crowd.
Lavernus stepped out of the shop, his sword still drawn, reflecting the morning sunlight. A smug smile of satisfaction was etched on his face. "Not bad, brat. No one survives my full-power attack for more than ten seconds, and you're still intact."
Hearing the arrogant remark, Otto slowly got to his feet. His brown cloak was now smeared with dust and street grime, but his gaze was still sharp behind the bunny-mask.
"Wow, still able to stand?" Lavernus slid his sword back into the scabbard he retrieved, then clapped slowly, his applause sounding cynical. "Good, good. But... I haven't even used all my strength yet, you know."
"I wonder if everyone from the Church of Light is as noisy as you," Otto said, casually dusting off his cloak, appearing nonchalant as if the fight was just a minor inconvenience.
The public immediately formed a large circle around them, their faces curious, enthusiastic, and bloodthirsty. Loud cheers of support began to ring out, echoing in the street. "Kill the damned bunny mask!" one spectator yelled. Lavernus's name was constantly chanted, filling the air with deafening praise.
"Tch… so noisy," Lavernus hissed, slightly bothered by the cheers that were actually directed at himself. He found himself despising the attention he received, which he secretly craved.
The sound of cheering echoed, growing louder and more deafening. The area around the tavern suddenly transformed into a makeshift fighting arena, as if the stage had been set for the two of them.
"You have nowhere left to go, Bunny Mask," Lavernus continued, his voice threatening again, a sneer forming on his face. "This is the consequence of your actions." He paused for a moment, observing the bloodthirsty spectators, enjoying the attention he was getting. "Don't disappoint the audience. If you want to surrender and beg for mercy, you must agree to lose one of your hands. How about it?"
"I truly hope that all of the Church of Light's forces are as stupid as you," Otto retorted mockingly.
"Huh?" Lavernus stared at him, confused and angry.
In a flash, Otto disappeared from his spot. In an instant, he was behind one of the watching citizens, his movement silent and undetectable. His dagger was pressed sharply against the neck of a brown-haired man, the man's neck veins throbbing with fear. The citizens who were initially watching enthusiastically now screamed loudly, a panicked cry, and ran away, dispersing in an instant.
"What do you mean?!" Lavernus yelled, angry and frustrated that his plan was ruined, his stage shattered.
"It's obvious, I'm taking a hostage," Otto replied calmly, pressing the dagger slightly, making the hostage gasp. "Don't expect to stop me. You know how fast I am, right?"
"You're playing with fire, Bunny Mask," Lavernus threatened, his eyes blazing with rage. "What do you want?!"
"It's simple. Apologize to the old man, and then leave this tavern. Now."
Hearing Otto's threat and demand, Lavernus just laughed loudly, his laughter echoing hollowly in the now deserted street. He walked toward him with a casual, confident stride. "Do you really expect me to do that?"
"You want him to die, huh?" Otto challenged, his voice now colder, darker.
The brown-haired hostage panicked and pleaded, his voice choked with fear. "Lord Lavernus, please don't come closer! Don't do this!"
With terrifying speed, Lavernus suddenly appeared right in front of Otto and the man. He thrust his sword into the citizen's stomach. Before the sword could pierce through to Otto's stomach behind him, Otto managed to shove himself backward, releasing his hostage.
"L-lord?" the brown-haired man said, staring at Lavernus with disbelief, his eyes filled with betrayal and pain.
Lavernus pulled his sword out. The innocent man's body slumped and fell to the ground, twitching briefly before going still. The metallic smell of fresh blood instantly spread in the air, sickening and horrifying. Some people who had momentarily stopped running now screamed hysterically and resumed their flight.
"You… you killed him?" Otto asked, his hand clenched tightly on the hilt of his dagger, his tone turning intensely dark, filled with suppressed rage.
"Forget about pests like him. Our fight isn't over, Bunny Ma—"
Suddenly, a dagger shot toward him, but once again it was too easy for Lavernus to parry it with his sword. The clash of steel filled the air again, but now it was more aggressive, more personal. They resumed their fight in the middle of the street, amidst the smell of blood and dust. Lavernus had the advantage with the long, lethal reach of his sword. Meanwhile, Otto's weapons were dull from long use, forcing him to mostly defend against Lavernus's aggressive, continuous attacks.
Suddenly, a fiery force in the shape of a blazing red energy slash cut through the air and the street, leaving a charred mark on the asphalt, separating the two of them. Both jumped backward, avoiding the attack, and looked toward where the slash came from. A girl walked toward them calmly, her aura full of undeniable authority. A luxurious horse carriage with a royal emblem and a muscular personal guard was visible behind her. The girl was Stella Valemira.
"Stella…" Lavernus muttered, his tone instantly changing to nervous, fear beginning to creep into his voice.
"Lavernus, is your job now to create chaos in the city streets?" Stella asked. Her voice was calm, yet cold and threatening, like biting frost.
"This is none of your business, Stella. Besides, it was that Bunny Mask who started it first!" Lavernus protested, trying to defend himself.
Stella turned to Otto. She tilted her head slightly, examining Otto's strange appearance, the rabbit mask, and his dirty cloak. "Who is he?"
"I don't know. What's clear is that he made—"
"Allow me to introduce myself, Your Highness, my name is Steve." Otto knelt on one knee, one hand on his stomach and the other behind his back, giving a very polite and formal salute, as if he were in the presence of a true noble.
Seeing Otto interrupt him and act so respectfully, Lavernus's hand clenched tightly on his sword hilt. Faint veins were visibly throbbing on his temple, restraining his exploding anger.
"Steve? So, what exactly is going on here?" Stella asked, her eyes demanding an explanation from Otto again, now more interested.
"We were just fighting because Lord Lavernus was torturing an old man in the tavern, and he even killed one of the citizens."
Stella's eyes immediately narrowed, she turned sharply toward Lavernus, her gaze full of suspicion.
"W-wait, Your Highness… He's lying! Are you going to believe this mysterious stranger?" Lavernus said, his voice sounding very nervous.
"Of course not," Stella replied coldly, her expression flat.
Lavernus's lips started to curl up, slightly relieved. "In that case, please believe me and please give him a puni—"
"Are you an idiot, Lavernus?" Stella cut him off, her eyes flashing.
Lavernus's smile faded quickly, replaced by an expression of shock and humiliation. "W-what?"
"Why do you think I arrived here? I received a letter from the tavern owner that a young man was in danger. When I almost arrived, a citizen ran past saying that you were fighting. Looking at the situation, it seems you had the upper hand, Lavernus. That means the young man in danger was the Bunny Mask."
"T-then what?! I am indeed stronger than him! And he should receive punishment for his actions!" Lavernus shouted, defending himself, his voice rising.
"But why didn't you give me your clear reason immediately, Lavernus?"
Lavernus instantly fell silent, unable to answer, his face flushing. His hands began to tremble.
"I actually intended to ask the tavern owner. But that is no longer necessary," Stella continued, looking at Lavernus with visible disgust. "Even though this bunny-masked man is mysterious, he immediately paid his respects and calmly gave his reason. Meanwhile, you? You looked panicked and babbled too much, only defending yourself without a strong argument. You're always like this, always causing chaos."
A deadly silence enveloped the street, only the faint sound of the wind whistling was audible.
"Lavernus Iclarus, you will receive due punishment for the chaos and the murder of a citizen you have committed."