As the blades clashed with each other, the wielders are also clashing intensely. They're showing a performance that is gorgeous enough to be called as an art.

Lucio charges fast towards Erkard, he aims for Erkard's stomach!

"Sonic Blow!" Lucio shouts while stabbing rapidly at Erkard's direction.

Even Rezo Acceleration is not as fast as Lucio's attack right now. The speed of the pierces is easily surpassed human instinct, which it looks like a light's play in normal eyes. Erkard knew that, and he flapped his wing and jumps back as far as possible.

"Not so fast!" Lucio again shouts to Erkard, and throw one of his knives towards Erkard.

Cling!

Erkard was able to parry it, and he continues to flies back. But he has let his guard down. He didn't realize that Lucio charge towards him, as Erkard flies backwards. He lunges with one of his katar forward.

STAB!

"…!" Erkard feels pain.

The katar pierced through his shoulder. Blood start to drip from there.

"Kuh! Damn you!" Erkard cursing again.

But Lucio didn't stop there. As his katar still pierced Erkard's shoulder, he spin and do a kick towards Erkard's stomach.

BAAGH!

"Guh!" Erkard holding his stomach, as he was thrown backwards from the impact.

BRUUUK!

He crashed towards one of the building wall roughly. He tries to stand again by stabbing his sword to the ground and use it as a cane. But the wounds in all of his body are screaming to make him stop.

"(Damn it! He's faster than before! …Huh?)" Erkard thought.

But the assassin is gone from his sight. He looks around, but he can't find Lucio anywhere.

"(Hiding…? But I heard that assassin can't move when using that skill…)" Erkard thought again.

He then charges towards the place he remembers that Lucio stand last time.

"Heaaaargh!"

SWING!

He swings his sword. But there's nothing in there…

"Huh?"…what? Nothing in here?"

"Looking for someone?" a sound appeared from behind Erkard.

"…!" Erkard looks behind him. Lucio was standing on the wall Erkard crashed before. He's holding a red colored stone on his hand.

Fwoosh…!

Lucio throwed the stone towards Erkard. Erkard was about to block the stone when Lucio mutters something…

"…Venom Dust!" he mutters.

BOOOM!

The stone exploded, creating a mist of poison.

"Poison! ?" Erkard shout to himself.

He tries to flies back using his wings, but unknown to him, Lucio waits for that exact moment.

"Grimtooth!" he shouts and stabs the ground with his katar.

A trail of earth tusks was created and pierced Erkard's leg, entraps him in that place.

"…Kuh!" Erkard feels another pain on his leg. Now that both of his legs are wounded, his only chance of moving are his wings. But the poisons around him are dangerous… he needs to get out from there as soon as possible…!

But the tusks that pierced his leg are stronger than before, not to mention that his entire body is pretty much wounded all over.

"(Damn, I can't destroy the tusks! It's feels even harder than steel!)" Erkard cursing and trying to think hard of finding a way out…

On the other side, Lucio was readying another red stone on his hand. He imagines what kind of thing that might have happened inside the mist.

"(Is it over already?)" He thinks.

"Magnum Break!" a sound was echoing from inside the mist.

BOOOM!

An explosion was created, erasing the mist presences. A figure of swordsman, with his wings flapping repeatly, was standing. It seems that he still haven't able to destroy the tusks that pierced his leg, blood flowing from there. The wings support his body so that he won't fall.

Lucio was really amazed towards the swordsman.

"You really are magnificent, Erkard Selvarion. For a swordsman like you to be able to withstand all of my attacks…"

"Shut up…I don't think that all of it was completely your power. Your speed is faster compared to when you attacked with your subordinates."

Lucio smiles, he then continues…

"Hmph, so you realize it. Yes, that's correct. This is one of my Phantasm Trigger ability, Shadow Taxes. As long as you stay in my territory, all of your power, your speed, your magic, everything will be drained by me."

"…! Power-draining ability!"

"Yes. But unfortunately, this power drains even my allies. So I can't use it before."

"…! I see. Now that we're battling one by one, you don't have any reason to not use it. So that's why you were able to attacking in a full-speed burst even now!"

"Correct. I have to thank you, you know. For lending me your power, huhuhu…Hahaha…Hahahahaha!" Lucio laughs.


Erkard stand silent for a while, as he watch Lucio laughs maniacally. He then making another stance.

"Huhuhu…haha…? What, you know about my power, and yet you still wish to challenge me, even now?" Lucio stops his laugh, as he watches his prey in amusement.

"Of course, I still have to save the stupid duo after all. I'm gonna say it once again. I really don't have a time to deal with you guys." Erkard said confidently while closing his eyes.

Erkard then hold the blade tip of his sword with his other hand, as if he was praying with his sword. His sword, the red sword, was starting to radiate weakly. A spark of searing rune letters are shown on the blade.

"…what?" Lucio mutters, his smile has disappeared.

"Form another contract with me, one of the twin nameless blades of Naght Sieger..." Erkard murmurs. As he said each word, the rune letters are sparkling one by one.

"…Naght Sieger…? What the hell…?" Lucio said again.

As the rune letters are all sparkling, Erkard swings his sword.

"This is it, Lucio. You better pay attention if you don't wanna die." Erkard said again.

He pointed his sword towards the sky, and the sky was turning crimson in a sudden. A big-sized magic circle was created in there.

"You're underestimating me, Lucio. If only that you have killed me before I've activated the rune, you probably would have won." Erkard said.

"…just what are you doing, anyway?" Lucio said in a tense voice.

"Why don't you just watch as I do…this!" Erkard said while swinging his sword towards Lucio, even though Lucio was far from him.

But… A wave of flame was created from the sword slash.

FWOOOOSSHHH!

"…!" Lucio, realized the danger, evaded it just by his instinct.

The intense flame directed as Lucio misses its target. But Erkard didn't finished yet. He charges towards him, slashes away randomly at Lucio, and create the flame slashes non-stop.

"What kind of madness is this! ?" Lucio said while evading the flame slashes. He can't evade all of them, as the flame exploded and caused burnt wounds around him.

"This was nothing more than 15% of this sword potential, just so you know."

"…! A magic sword! ?" Lucio shouts in panic.

Erkard didn't answer him, he keeps just slashing away at Lucio, while moving towards him. Lucio, aware of the danger, tries to using his Phantasm Trigger. But that was stopped when both of them hears a voice of explosion. A very loud voice.


FWOOOOOSSHH!

Erkard and Lucio stop their movement. They pointed their attention to the source of sound. And at that direction, a tall pillar of light can be seen.

"What! ?" Lucio was shocked.

"Huh! ? What is that! ?" Erkard shouts, too

The pillar was disappeared after a while. After that…

"Sir Lucio!" a female voice can be heard too.

From the same direction, the female assassin was appeared in front of them. It was Elua. Behind her, the other assassin, Rezo, also there.

"Sir Lucio, we need to stop this battle for now! The peoples in the east and central district have all mysteriously vanished!" Elua talks in a hurry.

"What! ? What is going on! ?" Lucio was surprised.

"We still don't know what happened! We're currently searching for them, but we don't have any clue about their whereabouts!" Rezo added.

"Sir Lucio, what should we do?" Elua ask him.

Lucio, stand silent for a while, and then…

"Rezo, you search the north and northeast district! Find if there any witness, search for information! The same goes for you too, Elua, but go to the south and southeast district, instead! And after you ask the witnesses, if there any, take them into the shelter in the castle! The civilians safety are our top priority!"

""Yes, Sir!"" both of them saluted Lucio together.

"Go! Hurry!" Lucio added.

Both of them are gone. Now there's only Erkard behind him. He watched behind him, as he say…

"You know, I never thought that you would be the type to prioritize the civilians safety."

"…Those peoples are my subordinates. It was my duty as their superior to ensure of their safety." Lucio said without turning back.

He was about to go, when he stops again, and said to Erkard…

"I'm afraid that our battle has to be postponed for now. I shall let you and the hostages go for now."

"I see, that's great. But then where are those two, anyway?"

"…I'm afraid to say, that they should be on the center of that pillar of light from before."

"…what! ?" Erkard stiffened.

Lucio just stand silent for a while, when then he said again…

"I'm planning to check the site, myself. I don't know about you, but of course you're free to come."

"Hmph, how should I knew that you won't stabbed me from the back? We've almost killed each other just a moment ago, after all"

"Indeed. If only I has time to do that, but I'm afraid that I don't. So I'm gonna ask you again, do you want to come or not?"

"…Alright." Erkard said while sheathed his sword. As he does that, the magic circle in the sky is also disappearing. Lucio then started running, and he followed behind while floating.


Erkard and Lucio were rushing towards the place where the pillar arose. They're finally reached the central district.

"Damn, this place is really huge. How could a place this big existed without many peoples know, anyway?

Lucio stand silent for a while, thinking about something, and then…

"This place is actually a multi-refractional phenomenon that was created using magic with the Prontera city as it basis. In other words, this place is actually a magic itself, existed in another dimension. All that remains is to create the passage on the real world, and the street at the back alley was chosen to do that."

"Wow, that was amazing. How could that be done?"

"Using the Phantasm Trigger. One of my ability was to create a territorial in a place that I like. And this is the result of it." Lucio said. A feeling of pride can be sensed from his words.

"Oh I see…wait, this is what! ?" Erkard was shocked.

"We've wasted enough time. Let's hurry up. We still have a much track to cover." Lucio said while continue running. Erkard following him from behind.

While they running, Erkard ask him about something.

"Say, if this world is your Phantasm Trigger, then how about the peoples here? I didn't pay much attention, but I don't think that they are created from your Phantasm Trigger, even though most of them look empty."

"They are real peoples. Abandoned by your king, or rebelling against him. I took them all to here, so that I could take them to Republic of Schwartzvald region."

Erkard fell silent. Who could have thought that the kingdom hide such dark secret?

"We're here." Lucio said.

They stopped. In front of them, a cross-shaped path was shown. And at the center of it, two girls are lying unconscious.

"Yulie! And..." Erkard shouts, but stopped. He suddenly remembers that he didn't know the name of the other girl. But he flies towards them, and check their condition.

Lucio already moved to another place, he kneeling and searching the ground carefully.

"(No trace of blood, but I can't be sure with just that… This place is pretty much destroyed, as if a heavy wind was occurred here. Perhaps the others might already found something.)" Lucio thinks.

"Hey, Yulie! Are you okay? And you… uh, waitress! Are you okay?" Erkard said to both of them, but he didn't get any responses from both of them, too.

Lucio, watching that, say to Erkard…

"Oh, don't worry. I do poisoned Miss Yulie, but the poison is actually not a lethal one. She would be fine in a few days rest. I don't know about the acolyte, though."

"Oh I see…wait, you poisoned Yulie! ?"

"Well, why not? Remember that I'm your enemy. Be thankful that I don't kill them, instead."

"Kuh, damn you…" Erkard can't say anything.

Lucio then stands up, and said…

"Erkard , I'm afraid that I won't have time to fight you in this condition. I have to ensure the safety of my peoples first. So I'll ask you to leave with the ladies."

"…Right now?" Erkard said dumbfounded.

"Except if you rather leave them in here. I would gladly take Miss Yulie, though." Lucio said while smiling.

"Damn, how can I take both of them out, then? Well, I do can take them, but going to the entrance is…"

Lucio then put his hand on the ground. Somehow, the air was becoming blurry all of a sudden.

"Huh? What's happening?" Erkard ask.

"I'll leave you in the front of the entrance passage. Take the ladies out from here, both of them. I'm going to close this place for a while, so that I might find out the one who did this." Lucio said.

Erkard was kneeling and then holding both of the ladies on each of his hand, shouldering both of them as he flies again. The air's becoming more blurry.

"Oh, which reminds me…" Lucio said again, while moving towards Erkard.

"Huh? What is it?"

"Nothing much. Steal!" Lucio said, while taking the letter from Erkard.

"Huh?" Erkard was dumbfounded again.

"…" Lucio stands silent too, while holding the letter in his hand.

""…""

They stands silent for a while, watching each other. The air slowly becoming more blurry.

"What the hell! ? Give back the letter!" Erkard said, but the air becoming even more blurry. He can't seem to reach Lucio, and even if he does, he doesn't have a hand to take it back!

"I've said it before, right? Remember that I'm your enemy. Just think of it as a payment for your visit to the Slums, Hahahahaha!" Lucio said while laughing. He looks satisfied as he laughs heartfully.

"Damn you, traitor! I thought that you're a better person than I thought! But you're nothing more than a cursed sly thief!" Erkard cursing him.

"Don't curse me. It's my job after all. Curse your own carelessness, instead." Lucio said again while holding his laugh.

"Damn you! I'll kill you the next time we meet!" Erkard shouts, as finally the air are completely distorted, and he and the girls are transported to other place.


When it was settled down, he and the girls have arrived at the back alley again, in front of the old man shop. The old man was watching them curiously.

"So, you've come back, boy. How's your trip going?" the old man ask.

"Oh, it was so fun, that I want to go there once again. The assassin was so kind, that I wanna wring down his neck." Erkard said while smiling to the old man.


Thanks for reading this chapter of my fanfic! As always, you're reviews are welcomed! See you in the next chapter!