"And today we're done too..."

  Fiora commented, cleaning her foil, sitting with the others at the small camp they had prepared for the night.

  "True! Today was a busy day! We killed a lot of people!"

  Almodea, disguised as the sorceress's apprentice Alcina, rose, sitting next to the duelist and throwing a piece of wood into the bonfire to rekindle the flames.

  "Hahaha! You're hilarious, Alcina! It's been years since I've met such a fun woman, you know? Usually, mercenaries are all sullen! But you remain carefree. I find that side of you very cute."

  "Hey! Fiora! Are you hitting on the girl I want to hit on?"

  Nark asked ironically. He just wanted to tease Fiora out of revenge, but she didn't flinch and turned the tables, looking at him with a pointed look.

  "Maybe, but at least I don't pester her like you do."

  "Point, game, match! Fiora wins!"

  Alcina announced, standing up and raising an arm towards Fiora as if she wsa umpiring a tennis match.

  While the others were having fun, Almodeus, in the guise of the veteran knight and Marquis of Darkness Amon, sat on the wagon with Annie and Roman, carefully studying a map.

  "Tomorrow we have to go north, we could cut through this forest and-"

  He started to propose, but was interrupted by Roman, who shook his head in denial.

  "-We can't do this, Amon."

  "Why? Is this forbidden territory?"

  "Not exactly. That's the Dark Jade Forest."

  "Another legend that has recently come back into fashion?"

  "Not this time, the Dark Jade Forest is an area filled with magical beasts and their villages. It's dangerous to venture there!"

  "What monsters are we talking about? Ogres and goblins?"

  "Not only that, but also lizardmen, oni, orcs, and trolls! That area has so much magical power that it facilitates the birth and evolution of monsters. Not to mention the Water Hound and the Sand Crocodile."

  “-And also, Verdugo, the Strong Wind Dragon!”

  Annie added.

  “The Strong Wind Dragon?”

  “Exactly! It’s one of the 5 Primal Dragons! According to legend, it was defeated by the 12 Heroes centuries ago.”

  “So…He’s not dead?”

  "No, Primordial Dragons are immortal. Their physical bodies can regenerate, while their spiritual bodies are indestructible. It's said he's trapped somewhere, but I don't know where."

  He nodded and looked at the map, then muttered under his breath:

  "This swamp..."

  "Notice anything, Amon?"

  Roman asked him.

  "Eh? No, no... Nothing, but I understand. Tomorrow's the last day, right?"

  Amon seemed very eager to change the subject. Annie and Roman noticed and were curious as to why, but decided to respect the knight's privacy and didn't ask further.

  ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

  "What do you think, Dad? Do you think we'll make enough money from this mission?"

  Almodea asked as she removed the black glove from her right hand, revealing the limb imbued with crimson energy, and stretched it slightly. It was already night, and the two had agreed to guard the camp first.

  "The earnings aren't stellar, but they're good enough to let us take a break from work for a while. Thanks to the missions we've completed so far, we're already at Gold rank like Fiora."

  Almodeus replied, while looking at a map of the nation.

  "You know, Dad, you've been looking at that map for a while...Is there anything interesting?"

  Almodea asked curiously, standing up and approaching her father, intrigued by his behavior.

  "See here? It's the lizardmen's swamp on the Dark Jade Forest."

  "Yes, I see it..."

  "...."

  "I don't see why you're so fixated on it, though..."

  "This area should be near the Fear Tower, if I remember correctly. From what Annie explained, wild magical creatures are attracted to magical energy, so they might attack us. I know the tower is shielded by a camouflage shield, but a beast's instincts surpass its visual abilities..."

  "I understand. You're worried they'll attract too much attention. What do you intend to do? It's a possible eventuality, after all..."

  He nodded to his daughter and looked at the map, then turned to the young demoness.

  "I have to think about it. It wasn't foreseeable, and we're still in a state of maybe, but I'm working on a plan! I'd rather avoid just building defenses. I'd rather fix the potential problem and make some money in the process..."

  "Does that make sense...Should we notify Sergio and let him handle it?"

  "That's an idea! I could consult him, but I'd prefer it not become a habit to let others do the work. We don't know much about this world, and it would be helpful to know how to do a little bit of everything."

  Almodea nodded at her father's words and stretched, then commented:

  "You're right... Anyway, Dad, changing the subject, I questioned some raiders today before killing them. It seems the reason they're attacking in such large numbers is due to the trading season."

  "Trading season?"

  "Yes! From what I understand, that's when many merchants start arriving from beyond the Alps. Since they come from lands outside the Empire, their goods are very valuable and rare. Even exotic foods sell for exorbitant prices on the black market run by organized crime groups like Dark Calling."

  "Mhh...I see. What are you getting at, little spot?"

  Almodea turned to her father and smiled with her usual childish smile, which often betrayed her true intentions.

  "Since we'd like to study the Skills and Battle Arts, we could kidnap some of them who know how to use them. Don't you think that's a good idea?"

  Almodeus brought his hand to his chin and nodded.

  "I think it's excellent! You've outdone yourself, Almodea."

  The demoness smiled, still in her usual innocent way, then looked up at the sky and burst into laughter.

  "Listen, Dad, can I ask you something?"

  Almodeus shifted his gaze towards his daughter and nodded without uttering a word, it was then that Almodea turned sharply towards him, with an innocent smile, made macabre by the perversion imbued in her pupils.

  "Can I take care of the hunting? I want to have a little fun..."

  The demoness's tone was like that of a little girl asking her father if she could hit the schoolmates who were bothering her. A normal parent would have been concerned about such a request, but Almodeus knew his daughter well and knew that this duality was perfectly normal, so much so that he laughed too.

  "Okay, as long as you don't kill them all. Leave someone alive, do we agree, little spot?"

  Almodea nodded happily, returning to her carefree form, making it impossible to believe that such an honest and pure face could hide a mind considered so sick by human standards.

  Several minutes of silence passed. Almodea gazed at the sky, her mind lost in imagining what she would do when the right moment came, while the older demon observed the base camp, particularly the tent where Fiora and Annie were sleeping.

  "Just one thing, Almodea..."

  Almodeus's words interrupted the girl's thoughts. She turned to her father, unperturbed by the fact that she'd been distracted by imagining future games, knowing she'd be back to them soon.

  "Yes? What's up, Dad?"

  She looked at her daughter, her gaze serious. Somehow, Almodea knew that what was coming wasn't a rebuke.

  "I noticed you've grown very fond of Fiora, right?"

  "Oh yes! At first I talked to her because at least Nark didn't bother me while we talked. But after all these adventures, I admit I find her much more fun than I had expected!"

  Almodea's response was sincere, spoken in such an innocent tone that it almost made it absurd to think that such words had been uttered by a demoness who moments before had been fantasizing about committing a massacre just for pure and perverse personal pleasure.

  "Listen, little spot...You know they're just human and nothing more, right?"

  Her father's question confused Almodea slightly; it seemed strange and completely pointless; obviously he knew they were human, what a stupid question that was? It seemed ridiculous to her that he was asking her such a trivial question; to her, it was like asking her if she knew what 2 + 2 was.

  "Of course I know! They're humans, we're on Earth! Not ours, obviously, but..."

  The demoness paused. She couldn't understand the meaning of that question, no matter how hard she racked her brains over it. She also didn't understand the point of embellishing the conversation with that "nothing more."

  "Let me explain better, then..."

  He said, approaching his daughter. He had realized that the girl hadn't grasped the true meaning of his question and, deep down, blamed herself for not having been more direct.

  "You know they can die, right? They're not like me, you, or Hirashi. They're not immortal. Their wounds heal, yes, but those remain as a warning until the end of their lives. If their bodies are destroyed, they don't return like us... Do you see what I'm getting at?"

  Almodea opened her eyes slightly; the concept of death was not new to her, but since she was incapable of dying entirely, she didn't see it as something absolute to which everyone was condemned and destined. At that moment, a thought occurred to her that had never occurred to her before: just as she could kill bandits, her friends could also suffer the same fate, killed. Perhaps for someone else's macabre amusement.

  "Oh...That's true..."

  The girl felt stupid for not realizing it sooner—the beings she had grown so fond of and accustomed to, even considering them friends, could die at any moment, even for the most foolish of reasons. They were weak and fleeting, unlike her, who was forever.

  "I only told you this because I wanted to prevent this revelation from hitting you like a bolt from the blue when it happens in the future. I'm not against you becoming attached to other beings—you're 18 and want to explore the world, etc.—but I want you to keep in mind that this situation won't last forever— "

  "-What's the point of making friends if I'm going to lose them one day?"

  The girl's words were driven by the sadness caused by the moment. Almodeus knew this negativity was temporary, but he decided to speak anyway, unable to see his daughter in that state.

  "It makes sense. The love you feel for them will last forever even after they're dead; they'll live on in your memories. Besides, if you're thinking like that, it means there's no point in killing someone, because sooner or later they'll die alone, and—"

  Once again, the elder demon was interrupted by the younger one, disagreeing:

  "-That's not true! If you let him die of old age, where's the satisfaction in....Oh...Wait!"

  Almodea's eyes opened again; she had fallen into her father's trap and had almost not noticed.

  "The satisfaction! The happiness of the moment and the memory of it! That's what gives meaning to making friends..."

  Almodea stood up and turned to her father. She was hesitant, but also quite confident in the lead she was following.

  "You wanted to tell me this, didn't you?"

  Almodeus nodded and gave a short round of applause.

  "Good girl! I see you got it without me having to explain it to you! Simply put, enjoy the moment. Carpe Diem."

  "Okay...But what does fish have to do with anything today?"

  "Did you really translate Carpe Diem as fish day?"

  The two demons burst into laughter, shattering the seriousness of the moment.

  "Sorry, Dad! It's Hardshell's fault! We were once watching a movie where the term Carpe Diem was mentioned a lot, and he came up with 'fish day'. I thought I'd bring it up for a laugh..."

  "Hardshell…He does his job well, but intelligence isn't his strong suit! I hope Frederica gives him a hand..."

  Almodea seemed surprised at Frederica's appointment. What did the new head maid have to do with it?

  "Frederica? You mean the head of the new maids? The one I usually see talking to Mom?"

  "Exactly! She's Hardshell's personal maid now, though my real goal is to use her temper to spice up our savage fury."

  "Ohhhh! I like that plan! This is Hardshell's reward for the work he did at the mansion, right? What did Smaug ask for?"

  "Nothing. He'll tell me in the future..."

  He paused and looked at the sky, especially the stars.

  "Prepare to wake Nark and Roman. They'll have to relieve us shortly..."

  "Can you wake Nark up? I don't want to put up with his flirting! His crush on me was funny at first, but now it's just a huge pain in the ass!"

  "Hahaha! Okay! I'll take care of him, you wake up Roman. You get along well with him, don't you?"

  "Yes, he's a nice guy..."

  With that, the two demons adjusted their disguises and reverted to their roles as Amon and Alcina, ready to wake their unsuspecting teammates.

  ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

  A few days later, having eliminated the last group of brigands in the area, Fiora and the party returned to the city of Arel to collect their reward. There, Amon and Alcina separated from the rest of the team under the pretext of going to a tavern to rest, promising to meet again that evening at the Guild to discuss future missions. After bidding farewell to the two Marquises of Darkness, Fiora and the rest of the group decided to go shopping for new equipment and potions.

  The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.

  "Okay, guys, we've got Roman's armor and shield sorted out, now we can head over to good old Jaako. We need some healing and buff potions!"

  He commented, turning to his companions, laughing slightly at the sight of Annie sitting on Roman's shoulders.

  Those two get along, thankfully.

  "Hey! Do you think Jaako has any love potions?"

  Nark asked, tucking his unruly blond lock into place. Fiora, however, rolled her eyes, already knowing where this Don Juan was going.

  "You know very well that love potions are illegal, Nark. Besides, I won't let you use it on Alcina..."

  Mind-control potions or spells were illegal in the Empire. Anything that altered human psychology was considered illegal, as it could be used to frame someone for a crime. The same was true for love potions; what would happen if a woman made one of the children of someone important, or the Emperor himself, fall in love with her?

  "Why? Do you want to try, Fiora? I saw the way you look at her..."

  "Ah Ah Ah! Very nice joke, dumbass! Anyway no, I'd like to avoid Amon tearing me to pieces..."

  The woman rounded the corner with her group in tow and watched the sunset. It was almost nightfall, and they had been busy days, but thanks to Alcina and Amon, the missions seemed much easier, and now they could enjoy some well-deserved rest.

  "Do you think there's something going on between Amon and Alcina? I mean...They're always together and seem to know each other very well."

  Nark asked, clasping his hands behind his head and watching the changing sky.

  He's really crazy about Alcina, I didn't think he was in such a bad situation. Not that I'm any better...

  "For me there is nothing between them..."

  Roman commented, adjusting his armor. He wasn't a man of many words, not when sober.

  "From what I understand, Amon is kind of a father figure to Alcina. So you don't have to worry, Nark..."

  Fiora turned in surprise, for it was Annie herself who spoke. She rarely spoke; she had always been shy. She usually spoke to Amon often during their travels. Who knows what, then?

  "Are you sure about this, Annie?"

  "You dare question my sister's words, Nark?"

  "C-Calm down, Fiora! I-I wasn't..."

  "Anyway, I agree with Annie. Alcina gave me the same version; Amon is a sort of father figure, that's why she respects him so much..."

  "Phew! We're still in the competition then, Fiora!"

  "Yes...wait, we?"

  Nark wiped the sweat from his forehead and laughed like a fool, then smirked at Fiora. She simply snorted, rolling her eyes and continuing down the street.

  "Tell me, Annie..."

  The redhead resumed, turning to her sister, still on Roman's shoulders.

  "You talk to Amon often. I must tell you, I didn't expect it. You've always been shy and rarely talk even to us, but I saw you talking a lot with him. Is Amon the one who's good with children or...?"

  "He scares me..."

  "What? Amon scares you? I admit that the armor and cold tone can be unsettling, but..."

  "I don't know why, but he scares me a lot..."

  Annie reiterated.

  "Then why you talk to him so much?"

  "Because while I'm talking to him, I feel like nothing but him can scare me..."

  I can't understand what my sister is saying. She's talking to someone who scares her, because she can't be afraid of anything else while doing it? It makes sense, but it's weird.

  "Hey, Annie! Just so you know, what are you and him talking about?"

  Nark asked, asking a sensible question with no ulterior motives. Fiora would have liked to give him a medal just for that.

  "Let's talk about magic, monsters, and more..."

  These are strange subjects to talk about, especially with a 10-year-old like Annie, even though my sister has always been different from other children her age, a magical prodigy will have her own interests I suppose.

  "Did he tell you anything about the kind of partner Alcina likes? Or..."

  I take back everything I believed about Nark! He's the same idiot as always! I feel like an idiot myself for believing he was capable of making that cracked brain of his work! The worst part is that I'm interested in the answer too, I have to get my act together!

  "He said that if you keep bothering Alcina, sooner or later she'll open your ass and spit in it..."

  There was a dead silence after these words. Everyone stopped, unsure whether they were more surprised by the vulgar content of the threat or by the fact that it had been uttered by a ten-year-old girl in such an innocent tone.

  "Hahaha! Amon and Alcina are making me dizzy!"

  Roman commented, accustomed to that bar language.

  "Wow...I have to hurry and make an impression before Alcina kicks me out!"

  "You're hopeless, Nark. Anyway, now be serious and focus! We have some things to buy on a limited budget, we can't afford to waste anything!"

  explained , warning the group, then ushering everyone into Jaako's shop, a small two-story shop with a back room full of brewed potions.

  "Ohhh! Hey, Fiora! How are you guys?"

  Jaako, a man in his fifties, wearing a sea-green tunic, a black goatee and beard, welcomed them warmly.

  "All right, we're here for the usual: ten healing potions and a couple of power-ups."

  Fiora replied, placing the bag of money on the table. Jaako took it and began counting it. The man was a former adventurer and monster hunter, the best salesman in town, as well as an expert. He was said to be a third-level wizard, a rare find.

  "Sure! You know what? I'll give you eleven potions! One is on the house!"

  "So much generosity! What do we owe it to?"

  "Eheheh..."

  Jaako scratched his large beer belly under the belt of his tunic, then pointed to one of the display cases behind him. Behind it was a vial with a blue liquid inside, shining like a gem.

  "This morning I went to the market and guess what I found for a few cents from a merchant in the north? A very rare Full-Potion!"

  Did he really say Full-Potion ?

  Fiora thought in astonishment, she and her group were all surprised by the news.

  "That's…"

  "That's right! I checked it and it's very pure! I've put out a lot of ads, I'll charge you a fortune for it! Minimum 100 gold coins!"

  A Full-Potion. It was the first time Fiora had seen one in person. They were incredibly rare, so much so that they were said to be the most powerful healing potion in existence. They could instantly heal wounds, severed limbs, and illnesses.

  "Hey, Jaako! A question..."

  "Sure, Roman! Just ask!"

  "Not to doubt your abilities, but why are Full-Potions so rare? Should a wizard like you be able to brew them without any problems, or am I mistaken?"

  Roman's question surprised Fiora. It wasn't like him to ask questions like that. He was a simple man.

  "Ahahaha! You're right! Brewing them wouldn't be a problem for me, but Full-Potions are only made using a large amount of magical herbs that grow in the Dark Jade Forest. It would cost me a fortune to send adventurers or hunters into that area, and I'm not even sure they'd return alive!"

  Indeed, Full-Potions are practically legendary; the only power said to possess over a hundred within its territory is the Reia Theocracy. It shouldn't be a problem for them to obtain the magical material.

  Fiora reasoned, better understanding the enthusiasm of the middle-aged sorcerer.

  “Guys! Since I'm closing soon and you've been customers for years, would you mind if I offered you a nice bottle of liquor? I'm so happy!”

  Fiora took a quick look at her companions and nodded.

  "On behalf of everyone except Annie, I'm telling you we're in!"

  ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

  Half an hour passed, and the group sat down at a nearby table to enjoy a merry drink. The conversation shifted from the rare Full-Potions to the Dark Jade Forest, and then to tales of Jaako's youth.

  "You know, when I was young I wasn't just an adventurer! I actually started out as a Hunter in the Ashen Kingdom!"

  Fiora nodded and drooled on her glass, turning to Jaako.

  He loves to talk about his past, but I didn't know he was a Hunter. If I'm not mistaken, in the Kingdom, the term Hunter refers to grave robbers or treasure hunters. It's an extremely rare profession here in the Empire but very popular in Ashen, even more so than the Guild.

  "Really? You must have made a fortune!"

  Nark commented, but Jaako shook his head and laughed heartily.

  "No way! I was barely making enough money to live on! To be a Hunter and earn good money, you have to be skilled at using resources, and I wasn't at twenty!"

  "Tell us...Were you a tomb raider?"

  "Oh, you bet your foil on it, Fiora! I went to a very old tomb when I was twenty-four! However, we didn't find much treasure. From that adventure, I earned this scar under my arm and an old mask."

  Jaako rolled up his sleeve and revealed a faded scar near his elbow.

  "A mask? I heard you want to sell it."

  "Yeah! That dump's been for sale ever since I opened the shop seventeen years ago! I keep putting ads up, but nobody wants it..."

  An object found in a tomb, unsold? Interesting.

  "And why? Is it a magical object or is it just for show?"

  "It's magical, cursed in fact! The box that contained it said Mask of Dissipation! Whoever wears it becomes so weak that they fall to the ground unable to move. Its effect is fatal after 8 days."

  "And nobody wanted it? Not even the collectors?"

  "Nahhh! It's garbage! It's probably some sorcerer's failed experiment..."

  Who would create a mask that weakens you? You might as well cast a spell on an opponent if that's the point, but the word "sorcerer" reminds me of Alcina.

  Fiora reasoned, before turning to the wizard. She had something to ask him.

  "Jaako, have you ever heard of a woman named Alcina?"

  The wizard shook his head and drank from his glass.

  "No, why?"

  "She's our new companion, along with her master. She's very beautiful, but most importantly, she knows level 5 spells and maybe some level 6 spells!"

  Fiora jumped as Jaako began to gorge himself, almost choking on the liquor. She laughed a little; it seemed to her that the pensioner had seen an evil deity.

  "L-L-L-L-Level 5!!!? Are you kidding? How old is she?"

  "I'm dead serious, dear Jaako! Anyway, I think she's in her twenties. Her height is unmatched and contradicts her behavior. I can't tell you her age with certainty...But you should know that she's a beauty! The most beautiful woman I've ever seen, right, Nark?"

  "Absolutely! She'll even drive Fiora crazy!"

  "Shut up, you idiot!"

  Fiora roared, blushing and punching her teammate in the head. Jaako laughed and interrupted them, but the blush on the woman's cheeks didn't completely disappear.

  "Wow...level 5 at twenty years old? I admit I'm envious. The only human who is superior to her might be the famous Yami Paradox Atem, aka the Dark Magician , the most powerful sorcerer in the Ashen Kingdom. It's said he's on par with some of the 12 Cardinals of the Theocracy of Reia!"

  She opened her eyes slightly, being originally from Ashen she knew the rumors about the infamous Dark Magician , but she had never seen him in person.

  "So this Paradox would be superior to Alcina?"

  "I suppose. Paradox is said to be a sixth-level sorcerer, already beyond the maximum common for humans, however..."

  Jaako stopped and brought his hand to his chin, scratching his goatee.

  "Your friend Alcina is only twenty, while he is about three hundred. I believe this girl can match him or even surpass him. Only time will tell..."

  Fiora listened, drinking the last drop in her glass and raised her hand towards Jaako to refuse yet another encore.

  I'd like to avoid getting drunk, especially if we have to meet Amon and Alcica later, by the gods! What would he say if he saw me drunk? I'm blushing with embarrassment! I need to distract myself!

  Fiora thought, giving herself a mental slap, then trying to regain control.

  "Um, listen, Jaako...Tell me more about this Paradox."

  "Oh, sure! While not much is known, there's a rumor circulating lately on the wizarding black market..."

  Jaako motioned him closer, as if he were about to tell him a state secret.

  "It seems that somehow, the old Paradox has imprisoned an extremely powerful undead, a Black Knight, in the dungeons of the royal palace!"

  "A Black Knight?!!!!!"

  He screamed along with Roman, surprised and astonished. The Black Knights were among the most dangerous monsters, extremely powerful undead that no human could control.

  "Excuse me...But is a Black Knight that dangerous?"

  The stupid question had to come from Nark! Why am I not surprised?

  Fiora thought, slapping herself in the face, embarrassed by her companion's question.

  "Of course he is, you imbecile! He's a three-meter-tall monster, armed with a sword and clad in armor as hard as diamond! If he's as strong as they say, the four of us won't be able to beat him!"

  "Not even with the help of Amon and Alcina?"

  Fiora opened her mouth to reply but stopped short, unsure of the answer. In her eyes, Alcina was strong, but beating a Black Knight? She wasn't sure the young woman was capable of it.

  "You could, I think! With the right connections..."

  Jaako commented, scratching his belly.

  "What do you mean? What acquaintances?"

  "Being a high-level undead, the Black Knight possesses several abilities that are very dangerous if ignored, such as Cheat Death, a passive ability that allows him to survive a killing blow, though he can only use it once, or the Dark Harvest ability, which allows that monster to heal itself and regenerate wounds and armor using the souls of the living it slays."

  "That thing is a fucking invincible colossus..."

  For once I agree with Nark, scurrility aside.

  Fiora thought, also astonished by the strength of the legendary monster. Just one of those things would have slaughtered them.

  "Yes, he's dangerous! Do you know anything else about him, Jaako?"

  The old wizard scratched the back of his neck, trying to fight the tiredness of his drinking to recall the fragmented details in his memory.

  "Let me think...Oh yes! He has an ability called Ruthless Enforcer! It allows him to resurrect enemies he has killed as his undead slaves."

  Fiora nodded and turned to her companions, getting their attention with a snap of her fingers.

  "Boys, if I ever order you to face one of these things, you have the right, nay the duty, to knock me out and run away."

  Everyone laughed along with her, indicating they would gladly do so. After the exchange, the conversation returned to Jaako, who poured himself another glass.

  "You know, all this talk of the Black Knight reminded me of the monster at the head of the tomb where I found that damned mask!"

  "What do you mean?"

  "It was a similar monster, a Phantom Knight in this case, but we mistook it for a Black Knight given the poor lighting, you should have seen the pairs of underwear I didn't change!"

  Jaako started laughing like a fool. The alcohol was taking effect, and it wouldn't be surprising, considering he was already on his seventh drink. I wonder if Full-Potions cure hangovers.

  "Hey, Jaako. You talk so much about this mask, but you've never told us what it looks like..."

  Fiora's eyes widened and she turned to Nark. The question made strange sense, so much so that the woman began to wonder if her companion Don Giovanni's newfound intelligence was due to the liquor.

  "True, but I'll show it to you first! Maybe you'll buy it while you're drunk! Ahahaha!"

  Jaako struggled out of his chair, hitting his stomach against the table before staggering behind the counter and opening the door to the back, where the brewed potions are kept.

  He really loves getting drunk, huh? Speaking of drunks...

  "Roman! Enough drinking, okay?"

  Fiora roared, turning to the big man with a stern look.

  He's already on his fifth glass and I don't want him to make us look bad with Alcina... and with Amon of course!

  The woman slapped herself in the face to wake up; she had only had two drinks and was already delirious.

  "Hey, you! What are you doing here?! It's not for-"

  Fiora turned to the back seat after hearing Jaako's shouts. She jumped up and reached for her foil. Something wasn't right.

  "Jaako? Is everything okay?"

  With feline caution, she made her way to the back, followed by Roman. She pushed the door open slightly and almost felt like vomiting: on the floor lay Jaako's body, covered in blood and with his throat slit.

  "What the hell!"

  Fiora commented, looking up and noticing a hooded figure with his back to her as he examined a crate.

  Could it be a robbery? It makes sense, the shop is closed at this hour and the Full-Potion must have been tempting for many.

  "Hey! Can I ask who you are?"

  She asked, unsheathing her foil and pointing it at the figure. She was a little short, about five feet seven inches. She looked slim, but with the cape on, it was hard to tell for sure.

  "Oh? I see the old fart had some friends!"

  The figure replied, revealing a calm, playful tone.

  A female voice? Is it a woman? She also seems enthusiastic, as if happy that there are more people here, a strange mentality for a thief, if indeed he is one.

  "Who are you?!"

  The figure turned toward Fiora, lowering her cloak and revealing her head and part of the torso. It was clearly a woman with blue hair and eyes, her hands hidden behind her back.

  "I introduce myself, the illustrious Camille Permafrost! You are Gold adventurers, from what I can see from your plates. What a shame! I was hoping for someone stronger..."

  How cheeky!

  Fiora's blood ran cold. There was something unsettling about that girl. That sadistic, crazy smile made her want to run away!

  "What do you want, Camille? The Full-Potion?"

  "And what do you think I care about that soggy drink?"

  "Drink...From soft mush?"

  Camille pulled out the Mask of Dissipation that Jaako had spoken of from behind her back.

  Did this woman really go through all this trouble just for a cursed ornament?

  Why try to steal it if it was cheap? Was Camille broke? No. That woman had stolen it just to have an excuse to kill someone! She was a sadistic killer, you could see it on her face.

  "Nark! Take Annie away and go to the Guild! Tell Amon and tell him to come here, okay?!"

  "B-But Fiora..."

  "NO BUTS!"

  Fiora roared. She'd realized something Nark hadn't even suspected—Camille would have killed them already if she'd wanted to. She wasn't someone they could beat.

  "Awwww! You want to save the brat? Too bad my friend won't let you."

  "Friend?"

  She whirled around when she heard her sister's screams. She saw a black-haired man in a red robe behind them, leaning against the front door, a staff in his right hand for support.

  Who is this guy? Is he a spell caster?

  "Desmy! Welcome! I found what you needed!"

  Camille showed off the mask, waving it to the four winds, like a child who had found a funny-shaped stone on the beach.

  "Perfect! Now let's go! Give me the mask!"

  "Ah, ah, ah! Not so fast, you promised me I could have fun..."

  Desmond snorted and hunched over, revealing that there was bad blood between the two.

  "Okay...Take them out, okay? But don't take too long!"

  "Well done Desmy!"

  With consent granted, Camille tossed the mask to Desmond, who used a teleportation spell to leave. They were left alone—the four of them against that mad murderer.

  "Nark! Get Annie out, now!"

  Fiora roared again. Nark immediately approached the door to escape, but noticed it was locked from the outside.

  "Shit!"

  "Roman! Break down the door!"

  "Right away!"

  The big man sprinted towards the door to try and break it down, while Fiora raised her foil towards Camille, intent on buying time until death.

  "Come on, you bastard!"

  The redhead charged head-on, ready to strike her.

  "Coup de Foudre!"

  Fiora smiled, confident that her lightning-quick thrust was enough to catch her opponent off guard.

  "You're fast...But not fast enough."

  Fiora's foil struck the box behind Camille, as if it had always been the original target of the attack.

  "What?"

  She moved so fast I didn't even see her! Did she manage to get around me? Now where did she go?!

  There was the sound of a blade tearing through flesh.

  Fiora turned around and was horrified. Camille had managed not only to dodge her Coup de Foudre, but also to get to Roman before he broke down the door.

  "Roman! On your right!"

  Nark shouted, but it was too late- Camille had already stabbed Roman in the neck with one of the two daggers she carried with her.

  Shit! She's on a whole new level than us!

  Fiora reasoned, trembling. She hadn't expected someone so strong. They had to warn Amon, or they would die.

  "Nark! Annie! Go out the back way! I'll take care of her!"

  At least they have to live ...

  "Ohhh! You're such a caring sister!"

  Camille scoffed and ran her tongue over her right dagger, as if testing for Roman's blood.

  "Good!"

  Once the act was over, the skinny girl got into position and lunged at Fiora, but this time the duelist was ready.

  "Come on! Parade !"

  No matter how fast he is, Parade will block his attack giving me time to counterattack!

  "You're boring, you know?"

  The other laughed in her face, throwing one of the daggers at Nark with surgical precision. However, he managed to dodge it before it hit him, causing the weapon to lodge in the wooden wall next to the door.

  "Hey! I'm your opponent! Leave them alone!"

  Fiora roared furiously. That woman was completely ignoring her.

  This bastard does it on purpose!

  "Hmm...Let me think about it, no! Shunpo !"

  Shunpo? Is that a Battle Art? I've never heard of it! But I don't care, it can't break my Parade!

  The sound of a blade tearing through flesh was heard again.

  “W-What?”

  Fiora opened her eyes in shock. After uttering the word Shunpo, Camille had vanished from before her eyes. She barely had time to break her pose to keep Parade active when she heard another crack behind her, followed by Annie's screams.

  She immediately turned and saw Nark's body on the ground, a dagger stuck in his back and his neck severed. Camille stood beside the boy, staring at her with her usual sadistic grin, while she pulled the weapon, thrown earlier, from the wall.

  "And two are gone! Whose turn is it now? The little one or you, redhead?"

  Fiora's eyes immediately fell on Annie, who was in tears and terrified. Fiora's blood ran cold in her throat, fear taking over.

  No! I can't lose her too, NO! NO!!!

  "LEAVE HER ALONE!"

  She screamed, in a desperate fury. She lunged at Camille; it was a foolish move; the shorter girl's speed was superior to hers; she could have killed Annie and dodged the blow at the same time, but she didn't care—she couldn't just stand there and watch her sister die.

  "Coup de Foudre

  I won't let her hurt Annie. I will protect my family this time, at all costs!

  “Die, Camille! Die!”

  Fiora was a few steps away, her foil pointed at her neck. However, Camille was smiling.

  "I have to correct myself...You're hilarious, redhead! Shunpo!"

  The last sound heard was that of a blade piercing flesh.