Lost in another world
Chapter 10 – Repaying one's kindness
When we last left off, Zoro and Lucy were in the main courtroom of the Heavenly Knights where they heard a worrying truth. Olga, the Queen of the Dark Elves was not only defeated but overthrown by the army that the Heavenly Knights trusted, the Kuroinu (Black Dogs). Normally, this would be fantastic news as their main enemy was the Dark Queen, however, they weren't expecting the Kuroinu to betray them and take the dark army under their control.
Each of the Knights shuddered at the news, not being able to accept that their allies were going to betray them.
"I don't get it! This isn't how the story goes! Okay, try and remember all the details, Lucy! First of all, there are the seven Heavenly Knights, Princess Prim, Alicia, Maia (Mercenary Girl), Kaguya (Shrine Maiden), Claudia (Tall Armoured Knight), Luu-Luu (Petite Girl) and Celestine (The Elf Princess)." Thought Lucy as she looked around the room in order of how they were introduced in the previous chapter.
"They're the heroes that fight against the evil Queen Olga and her aid, Chloe with the help of the Kuroinu (Black Dogs). But now, it's swapped so the real enemies are the Kuroinu? What's caused the story to be altered?" thought Lucy as she grabbed her head in a panic.
"No, you're lying! Vault would never betray us! He wouldn't!" yelled Maia with fury as she took out her swords.
Even though Chloe was shackled like Olga, she stood in front of her queen and raised her fists. "Bite your tongue! My Queen is not lying! That fiend used a dark magic which made it impossible to fight back."
Everyone in the room fell silent because they understood how power Olga was. She led an entire kingdom with an iron fist and her magic was 2nd to none, rivalling even the combined might of the Heavenly Knights. However, that very same powerful figure was before them, weakened and begging for help.
Maia looked around the room and saw the different expression of the other participants, seeing that they were sympathising with their enemy. "What's the matter with you all?! Surely, we won't listen to this snake's words!" yelled Maia as she pointed her sword at the Dark Elves.
As the conversation was getting nowhere, Celestine walked towards the Dark Queen and stood before her. "Olga, while I do not bear any hatred towards you, I would not hesitate to kill you for the sake of peace. But now, I must ask that you allow me to see what we are about to face."
OIga slowly raised her head and glared at Celestine but knowing that she was in no position to fight back, she reluctantly agreed. "Do it."
Celestine gently placed her hands on Olga's face and closed her eyes as she hummed an ancient elf language. The other participants in the room watched as the Elf Princess was twitching through her vision and breathing heavily while the Dark Elf let out a tear of frustration. After a while, Celestine let go of the Queen and stumbled back as her heart was beating at a rapid pace.
Claudia ran over to Celestine and helped her stand, feeling weak in the knees after her vision. "Are you alright, Celestine?" asked Claudia.
"Olga… she is telling the truth! Vault is coming for us!" responded Celestine causing the other Knights to gasp at the sudden revelation. Maia dropped her swords and fell to her knees, not being unable to comprehend the news. "Vault… no. How could you…?"
Celestine's eyes were filled with terror as a dark image had clouded her mind from her vision. A black magic so powerful that its mere presence caused her quake in fear. "And the power he's using… it was terrifying. Some sort of flute with three eyes."
"Wait a minute? A flute? With three eyes!?" said Zoro. Lucy's eyes widened at his words since that description felt exactly like something they had encountered before. Of course, we recognise this weapon as…
"The Lullaby!" said Zoro and Lucy as they turned to each other in shock. The Heavenly Knights and the Dark Elves turned their attention to the Fairy Tail duo.
"Lullaby? What do you mean?" asked Kaguya.
"This dark magic, it's from our world! It was the very power that teleported us here!" said Lucy as she remembered the dark hole that sucked them in.
"We've taken on this creature and it's tough! Not only can it absorb magic but also the life force of everything surrounding it. It took the combined might of our strongest fighters to defeat this creature. You'll need all the help you can get! So let us help you!" explained Zoro.
The Heavenly Knights all looked to each other, surprised that these visitors from another world knew of the enemy they would be facing. However, before they could respond, Alicia stood up front and walked towards our heroes.
"No." replied Alicia flatly surprising the Knights and Lucy.
"What?" said Zoro in disbelief.
"We do not require your help." Responded Alicia.
"Did you not hear what I just said? It took everything we had to defeat this thing and you're just going to deny our help?" yelled Zoro in frustration.
Alicia turned her back on Zoro and gave her attention to the other knights. "We don't need the help of outsiders. The Heavenly Knights can handle this." Boasted Alicia surprising everyone including the knights.
Kaguya walked up to her fellow knight. "Alicia, I have never questioned your leadership but are you sure this is wise? These strangers know about the danger we are about to face, perhaps their assistance could be beneficial for us."
"I said no! We will formulate a plan of our own! We have no need for this Mans help. Knights, prepare the soldiers and have the city ready for evacuation tomorrow. Guards, take the dark elves to the dungeon. Beardsley, get these people out of the castle, we are finished with them." Said Alicia as she was getting ready to leave the room but Lucy stood in front of her with her arms spread wide.
"How can you be so stubborn? All we want to do is help you! You have no idea how immense this danger is! Why won't you let us...!" said Lucy feeling frustrated that Alicia couldn't see the bigger picture.
"Not another word, girl. Leave before you wish to be treated like the Dark Elves." Threatened Alicia as she looked down on Lucy. The blonde mage angrily clenched her fist at Alicia's response but Zoro went over to Lucy and placed his hand on her shoulder.
"Fine, if you don't want our help, then so be it. Let's go, Lucy, Persephone." Said Zoro as he walked past Alicia and started heading towards the exit. Everyone was surprised by Zoro's sudden change of heart but Lucy and Persephone understood that they didn't want to get into any trouble and left with him.
Alicia silently stood as she watched the trio walk away from the throne led by her servant, Beardsley. As they left, Prim stood next to Alicia. "Do you think we'll be okay?"
"I promise you, Prim. I'll protect you with my life." Responded Alicia as she hugged her fellow knight.
City of Eos
Zoro, Lucy and Persephone were walking through the city; however, our heroes were surprised by how old the city felt. Looking around, they saw fruit stands, entertainers and merchants as if they were in the Tudor period.
After a while, they made it to Persephone's home which was located in the furthest East end of the city. Her home was like a shack with very poor covering and structure, made of wood and a few pieces of flat metal. Entering her home, they saw how everything was in one room. The bed, kitchen and washing equipment were all in an enclosed space.
"I-I'm sorry, I know I promised to offer you nourishment and shelter but I apologise, I do not have much." Said Persephone in an embarrassed manner as she bowed to the two.
"No, no, no! Don't be silly. This is fine. Zoro and I don't need much, right Zoro?" said Lucy as she patted the green swordsman's back.
"I was hoping for some sake." Replied Zoro with no care in his voice as he looked around but Lucy strongly elbowed his chest in response.
"Please, get yourselves comfortable. I'll fix us something to eat. I'll get you some medicine for your wounds as well." Said Persephone with a smile as she went in and got some supplies for Zoro and Lucy. Using what little wood she had, she started a fire and started cooking rice.
Zoro was staring outside while Lucy was covering his body with bandages and herbs. He looked around to see the peaceful town folks going about their day without a care in the world but he was worried that a war was coming to disrupt their peace. After Lucy was finished, she bit off the end of the bandage to finish covering Zoro's wounds. Time passed; it became sunset with the sky turning orange.
Persephone clanged on her dish a few times before preparing their meals. Zoro and Lucy sat on the bed and waited for Persephone. "Here you go, please enjoy." The two looked down to see a bowl of rice and a few sardines with yellow radish next to them.
"I-I'm really sorry, I don't have…" said Persephone feeling embarrassed about what little she had to offer to her saviours but Lucy gently shook her head and placed her hands on Persephone's shoulder.
"Persephone! Stop! We told you; we don't mind…" replied Lucy with a smile. She grabbed her pair of chopsticks, readying herself to eat.
Zoro, however, had already begun eating and ate with a smile on his face. Having a nourishing meal after all that they had gone through, he was enjoying himself. With one last scoop of rice and a bite of sardine, Zoro finished his meal and gently placed his chopstick down.
"That was delicious. Thank you, Persephone." Said Zoro causing Persephone to blush at his words. Once Lucy finished her food too, Persephone gathered the dishes and took them outside to clean with Lucy deciding to help her.
As the two were washing dishes, Lucy looked over to her friend with concern. "So, Persephone, what're you going to do now? If there really is a war coming to the city, you should probably get out while you can." Advised Lucy worrying for her safety.
Persephone stopped washing her dish and turned to Lucy. "I'm afraid I have nowhere to go. My parents were killed when I was a child and I've been alone ever since."
"I'm really sorry to hear that but still, it's too dangerous here. Those monsters will tear everyone apart and the brutes will probably treat you even worse. I don't want you to get hurt." Said Lucy.
"Thank you for your concern, Lucy. I've never had anyone worry about me before… but what will I do? I pick up flowers and fruits for a living, but soon enough, I probably won't even be able to do that." Said Persephone as her hand began to tremble.
Lucy noticed this and remembered how her friend was nearly taken advantage of by the men outside of the city. Soon enough, she knew that even her home wouldn't be safe but Lucy refused to let her get harmed.
The blonde mage turned to Persephone and grabbed her trembling hand, giving her the warmth of courage and love. "Persephone, please. Just because we're alone doesn't mean that we should give up. I mean I know how you feel."
"You do?" asked Persephone.
"My mother passed away when I was a child and my father left me alone in his grief. During most of my childhood, I was alone as well. But then I met him." Said Lucy.
"Him?" asked Persephone.
"Zoro, he changed my life forever. He told me that I shouldn't follow the path that others lead me but follow my heart. Ever since then, I studied hard, practiced my magic and focused on joining the same guild as him." Said Lucy as she dried off her hand and showed the mark on her right hand.
"You see. You'll never get anywhere if you don't set yourself a path to follow, so trust yourself and trust your heart, there's so much more for you to do beyond these walls and this city." Said Lucy.
Persephone looked up to the sky, wondering what the world had in store for her and what the future held. Those were questions she never asked herself because every day was struggle to survive, working until she could make enough to eat. But hearing Lucy's words, she felt something within her heart, confidence. "You really think so? That there is more for me in this life?"
"I do, so please don't give up and find a way out of here. I promise we'll do whatever we can to help." Said Lucy as she hugged Persephone and the red-haired girl hugged her back, tearing up with joy.
Zoro was laying on Persephone's hard bed but he could hear everything that they were talking about from inside. He smiled knowing that Lucy changed herself and wished to embark that knowledge to Persephone. Afterwards, he got up from the bed, picking up his green coat and swords before leaving the house. Lucy and Persephone looked back to see Zoro leaving.
"Z-Zoro? Where are you going?" asked Lucy as she dried off her hands.
"I'm just going for a walk." Replied Zoro as he walked off but Lucy quickly ran towards him.
"Zoro! Wait! You're going to get lost! I need to go with him, Persephone. If you don't mind, we'll be back, later." Said Lucy as she waved at Persephone. Their host smiled as she waved back to them and took the dishes inside.
After a while of running, Lucy finally managed to find Zoro who was walking off God knows where. "Zoro, what's with you? Why the sudden need to go on a walk? Shouldn't we be thinking of how we're going to help the people of this city escape?" Asked Lucy.
Zoro just continued walking but something caught his attention. "I just wanted to see what this place had to offer. Check out the sights and maybe…" said Zoro but his nose twitched as he quickly turned towards a bright building.
"Step right up, and try your luck. Just 1 copper a go, here at King's Gamble! We've got it all, folks! Wine, Women and Winnings for all!" shouted several men wearing pink robes. Lucy looked over to a building to see a sign which read "King's Gamble!", with signs for games and drinks.
"Gambling sure is popular in any dimension, huh Zoro?" said Lucy as she looked to her left but sadly, there was no one there. "Uh Zoro?"
Without even thinking, Zoro was walking towards the building as soon as he saw the drinks symbol. His eyes were blinded as his cravings got the best of him and he walked inside the building.
"ZORO!" screamed Lucy in frustration as she rushed inside as well.
Entering the building, in one corner were several men playing instruments such as flutes, guitars and little bongos. Zoro continued walking in until his keen senses alerted him of where the booze was. As he continued walking, several woman wearing thin dresses approached Zoro and stopped him by pressing their hands on his chest.
"Hello there, handsome."
"Why don't you come with us?"
"We can show you a good time."
Lucy pushed past several drunk men who were trying to hit on her and saw Zoro surrounded by women. She clenched her fists with fire in her eyes, not being able to stand what she was seeing.
Zoro gently removed the girls' hands and tried to get past them. "I'd love to but I don't have a lot of money." said Zoro.
But before he could move, one of the girls went in closer to him and placed her hands on his bare abs and smiled. "That's okay, you're quite cute. I can give you a Special Service. Free of charge."
Lucy stomped over to the green swordsman before grabbing him by the coat and started pulling him away. "ZORO! Move it!" The girls all made an expression of annoyance once they saw Lucy take Zoro away.
After a while of tugging, they finally managed to get to a quiet corner. "Zoro, what are you doing? We don't have time for this!"
"We've got some time before the invasion and besides, those girls don't want our help. I'd say we just relax for a while." Explained Zoro.
Lucy tilted her head in confusion at his response. "What do you mean?" asked Lucy. Zoro smiled as he pointed towards a corner to see a group of men all cheering while gambling, surrounding a LARGE table covered by a green cloth.
"Oh Zoro, surely you're not gonna…" said Lucy but Zoro smiled as he took out a small sack of coins, he got using the pickpocketing skills he learnt from Nami.
"Wha... where did you get that money from?" asked Lucy.
"I may have… borrowed it from that Beardsley guy." Said Zoro as he walked over to the gambling corner with Lucy walking besides him.
"Step right up, Step right up! Come to Win big!" said the dealer as he shuffled around several dice in a cup before landing them on top of each other in perfect symmetry on a table. The participants all watched in amazement at the dealers' skills with the dice.
"I'm down for a game." Said Zoro as he sat in front of the dealer.
"What ya betting?" asked the dealer. Zoro took out the bag of coins he "borrowed" and placed it on the table. One of the men next to the dealer looked inside the bag and counted up how much was in there.
"20 silver coins? Is that it?" asked the dealer.
"It's all I've got." Replied Zoro.
The dealer laughed but decided to have fun anyway as he put away his tower of dice and placed two in a cup. "I see, betting it all are we? Fine then, Let's see what you got."
Zoro smirked at the challenge and asked "What are we playing?"
"A simple game called Cho-Han! I roll the two dice and you decide whether if it's Cho (Even) or Han (Odd). You bet with other players, the one who is right gets all the winning from the losing players and half of their original bet if they're playing against the house. How about it?"
"Sounds fair to me." Replied Zoro as he crossed his arms with Lucy standing next to him.
The dealer gently shook the cup before slamming the cup on the table. "Okay, what do you say?"
"Odds!" yelled the two men sat next to Zoro after slamming 10 pieces of their silver coins.
Zoro started intensely at the cup and smiled before giving his answer. "Even." Lucy and the two men turned to Zoro, shocked at his answer. Lucy was biting her fingernails in concern worried about the outcome because if he was wrong, all of their money would go in one fell swoop.
The dealer gently lifted up his cup to reveal the result, a 1 and 3, resulting in 4. "Aren't you a lucky one, you win good sir! That's 20 silver coins by our players."
Lucy smiled at the results and hugged the green swordsman in glee. "Way to go, Zoro! You won!"
The dealer grabbed his two dice and placed them back in the cup. "Alright next round, place your bets!"
Zoro smiled as his coin bag got heavier by 20 silver coins but it wasn't enough, he decided to throw the whole bag on the table. The dealer, two men and Lucy couldn't believe what he was doing.
"Sir, are you sure? That's all your winnings? Why not take it easy and gamble a smaller amount?" asked the dealer.
"Yeah, Zoro. Why take the risk?" asked Lucy but Zoro crossed his arms and smirked at her question.
"Life's all about risks. And I'm ready to risk it all for a greater reward." Said Zoro as he got ready for the next round.
The Dealer smiled at his response as he dropped two dice into his cup. "If that's what you wish, then so be it. Anyone else?"
"Ha! I'm down for this! I bet Odds!" said one of the participants as he slammed a sack of 15 silver coins.
"Me too! I say Odds!" said another participant who dropped a bag of 20 silver coins.
"Are you two sure?" asked the Dealer.
"Positive!" yelled the two men in unison as the Dealer smiled before slamming his cup on the table. However, all the other participants turned their attention to Zoro who was staring at the cup, waiting for his decision.
"Even." Said Zoro nonchalantly, surprising everyone in the room.
"What? T-then I say Even too!" said the other participant but the dealer shook his head.
"Sorry folks, you're too late. Your bets have been placed! And are you sure, sir?" asked the dealer. Zoro turned to the dealer and gave him a smile. The Dealer gently lifted his cup and the result was, 2 and 6, an 8!
"Unbelievable! Twice in a row!" said the dealer.
"Way to go, Zoro!" said Lucy as she cheered on with the rest of the patrons.
As the game continued, Zoro continuously kept winning, round after round. Before he knew it, all the other participants had quit and Zoro began to play against the house. They all cheered him on as his winnings was increasing drastically. After Zoro's coin bag got big enough, he ordered himself and Lucy drinks.
However, after Zoro's 10th win, a man wearing a black robe and an eyepatch, was watching from the upper floors as he smoked his cigar pipe. He gritted his teeth and clenched his fist, annoyed at Zoro's good luck. Worried that Zoro was going to win all of their money, he slowly made his way down towards them.
Lucy was counting up their winnings and couldn't believe they went from 20 silver coins to 400. She looked over to see Zoro downing his 7th tankard and slamming his cup on the table with a smile on his face.
"Zoro, I can't believe it! You've won so much money!" said Lucy happily as her eyes had turned into the shape of money.
"And I plan on winning more." responded Zoro as he got ready for the next round but before he could continue, the same black robed man stood next to the dealer.
"S-sir?" said the dealer as he saw the boss of the establishment standing next to him. Zoro looked up to see an old man, wearing a black robe, white hair, and rings on each finger standing in front of him.
"Who the hell are you?" asked Zoro, raising an eyebrow.
"Me? I'm owner of this joint. Name's Cane, and I gotta say, you're quite good young fella. You're about to run me out business." Complimented Cane as he grabbed the dealer's cup.
"Thanks, but I don't plan on stopping." Said Zoro.
"Then how about I make you an offer you can't refuse? One last round." Challenged Cane and causing everyone else in the room to go quiet. Zoro raised his left eye brow in curiosity upon hearing Cane's words.
"I'm listening." Said Zoro with a smile.
"You've proven yourself to be very lucky. I bet 500 silver coins and how about in this next round, winner takes all?" said Cane as he dropped a large bag of coins on the table.
Lucy and the other patrons all gasped at his offer, none of them had ever heard of such a gamble before and couldn't believe how much was stake. Zoro on the other hand smirked at the challenge and grabbed the bag of coins from Lucy's hand.
"You're on." Said Zoro as he dropped the heavy bag on the table.
"Zoro! This is nuts! Don't you think we have money?! There's no reason to gamble anymore." pleaded Lucy.
"Yes, there is, Lucy. I must win." Replied Zoro in a calm manner as he crossed his arms, surprising Lucy. Originally, she had believed that Zoro was only gambling to pass the time and earn some money but seeing the determination in his eye, she could see that there was more than money at stake here.
"That's the spirit. We'll play one final round of Cho-Han." Said Cane as he emptied the cup and dropped two dice in before shaking it in front of Zoro.
"Sounds good to me." Said Zoro as he crossed his arm. Lucy and the other participants all gathered together to see the final gamble. Zoro watched Cane continuously shake the cup, and after a while, he slammed it on the table.
"Well?" asked Cane with a smirk. Lucy looked over to Zoro who was intensely staring at the cup, knowing it was the final gamble, her heart was beating at a rapid pace. Depending on the outcome, they were either going to win it all or lose it all.
After a few seconds, Zoro smiled and answered "Odds."
Everyone turned their attention back to the cup; Cane gently lifted it to reveal the outcome. Lucy's eyes widened as she saw the roll result into snake eyes (two 1s). Lucy had lost feeling in her legs, unable to believe the outcome while Zoro glared at the dice in front of him.
"Oh no."
"Such a shame.
"I was really rooting for that guy too."
Cane laughed hardily at the outcome and seeing the expression of both Lucy and Zoro. "Haha! Guess that's that! You know what they say, gamble too much and the house always wins!" said Cane as he was about to grab both bags of coins.
"HOLD IT!" yelled one of the patrons of the bar. Everyone's attention was turned to a small petite girl, wearing a green cape and hardly anything else with a large axe by her side. She downed a tankard of booze before slamming her cup to the desk and smiling at Zoro.
"What the hell? Isn't that one of the Heavenly Knights? What's she doing here?"
Lucy wasn't expecting to see one of knights hanging out in such a location. "Luu-Luu? What are you doing here?" asked Lucy.
Luu-Luu smiled as she wore her hat and picked up her axe, walking towards the table. "This is the best place in the city for a drink! And after today's fiasco, I certainly needed one." Replied Luu Luu.
Cane watched as Luu-Luu was approaching them with a sinister smile. "L-Luu Luu, w-why are you…?"
"Why? Because I should warn you, I wouldn't recommend cheating this guy. After all, he took out a small army of demons all by himself." Said Luu-Luu as she pointed at Zoro who was glaring at Cane. All the people in the building turned to Zoro, unable to comprehend that he was the one who saved the city and all by himself no less.
"Wait? Cheat?" said Lucy, confused by what Luu-Luu was saying. Cane on the other hand turned white, not knowing how strong Zoro really was and what he got himself into.
"Yeah, I kind of saw it from a mile away too." Said Zoro calmly.
Zoro crossed his hands before raising his leg and slamming it on the table. Everyone watched as Zoro destroyed the table and sent his two red dice flying into the air. As the dice continued rolling in front of Zoro and Lucy, they looked down to see them result in 5 (3 & 2) but then they magically rolled into snake eyes again. Lucy picked up the dice and rolled them again for it to result 10 (6 & 4) but once again, they became snake eyes.
"Wait a minute! These are rigged dice! So, you were cheating!" said Lucy angrily as she pointed at the owner. All the participants and dealer couldn't believe what they were seeing, the boss of the building was a cheater. Having been found out, the owner tried to make it for the exit.
"How uncool." Said Zoro as he grabbed Luu-Luu's tankard, throwing it towards the owner's head causing him to fall to the ground. Luu-Luu slammed her large axe next to the owner's head, turning him white in fear.
She knelt down, looking at the owner with a face which was mix of both friendly and terrifying. "So, Cane, how do you plan on paying this gentleman back after what you've just pulled. I can report your actions to the authorities and have this place torn down and you arrested for a few years."
Speechless, the owner quickly got into a dogeza pose. "I-I'm sorry! P-please! I'll do anything!"
"Good boy! Now that that's been settled! Jam up the music! Drinks on the house! For everybody!"
Zoro and Lucy won big and celebrated with Luu-Luu. Even though they weren't on good terms with Alicia, Luu-Luu seemed friendly enough to enjoy drinks with. For the rest of the night, the girls were dancing, the men were singing and everything was merry. Lucy, Zoro and Luu-Luu, who was riding Zoro's shoulders, clinked their cups together for their victory at the dismay of Cane.
A few hours later, Zoro and Lucy left the building while cheering with a drink in their hand each and a sack full of silver. Without even realising it, Zoro had pretty much won out the whole building and left with over 900 silver coins. Luu-Luu was riding on his shoulders with a cup in her own hand with a red face and a silly expression.
"Haha! Way to go Zoro!" cheered Lucy as she drank her final cup and threw it to the side.
"Man, that was some good sake!" said Zoro as he finished his last cup and wiped his lips.
"HAHA! You know, for off-worlders, you're actually not too bad. You make a great drinking buddy!" said Luu-Luu as she finished off her final cup as well and jumped off Zoro's shoulders. However, upon landing, she lost her balance since she was tipsy from how much she drank and Lucy caught her hand to help her stand.
Luu-Luu managed to regain her senses and the three were walking towards a fountain. Zoro was sat on the edge while Luu-Luu was throwing up and Lucy was gently patting her back. Once she was done, Luu-Luu turned her attention to Zoro and saw him smiling at the money he had gathered. "That's a lot of money you won, what're you gonna do with it?"
Zoro looked up to the moon and smiled as he already knew what he was going to do. "We're gonna give it to Persephone." Luu-Luu and Lucy were both surprised at his response.
"Persephone? Is she that girl that was with you in the castle earlier?" asked Luu-Luu.
Zoro nodded to her words. Even though she was poor and barely had any food for herself, she happily gave it to her saviours and Zoro wanted to do whatever he could to repay that kindness. "Yeah, she gave us a nice meal so we need to pay her back." explained Zoro.
Upon listening to Zoro's words, Lucy smiled at his kindness towards Persephone. Even though they had only met half a day ago, she felt happy knowing that Zoro was winning that money with Persephone in mind. "Good idea, Zoro. She's done so much for us and I bet this money would really help her."
"Haha! Good looking and benevolent? Don't get a lot of your type around here? I got to say, you're a lucky girl blondie, having a sexy boyfriend like that." Said Luu-Luu causing Lucy to turn red in embarrassment as she covered her face with her hands.
"W-what?! N-no! I-It's not like that! I mean… I…" said Lucy in a flustered manner but Luu-Luu just laughed at her reaction. Zoro on the other hand was stretching and yawned as it was getting quite late.
"I think it's time to head back, Lucy." said Zoro. Lucy shook her head and got ready to leave as she calmed her heart down.
"I should probably get to the castle too. If Alicia found out I was out drinking late again then she'll skin me alive. Alright, you love birds, have fun." Said Luu-Luu as she waved her hand goodbye and headed West. Lucy waved goodbye to Luu-Luu as felt relieved that she was just like her story counterpart. She could be brash at times but from the way they celebrated tonight, Lucy was glad she was friendlier.
Just as Lucy was about to head East towards Persephone's home but looking away, Zoro was heading North. She groaned not being able to believe how poor Zoro's sense of direction was and grabbed his hand, pulling him towards the right direction.
Under the moonlight, Zoro and Lucy continued walking while the swordsman was holding the heavy sack of silver. The two couldn't wait to tell Persephone the good news but suddenly, Zoro stood still and turned towards his left.
"What's wrong, Zoro?" asked Lucy. Zoro quickly rushed in and pushed her into the shadow, covering her mouth and pinning her against the wall causing the blonde mage to turn red at the situation. The two stood still for a while but afterwards, Zoro took a step out of the shadow and turned towards the North/East.
"I sense… an immense bloodlust." Answered Zoro in a serious manner, scaring Lucy.
"W-what?" said Lucy. Without a moment to lose, Zoro began to run towards the source of this disturbance with Lucy alongside him.
"There!" said Zoro as he pointed towards the shadow, only to see a thin man wearing a green top, brown puffy pants, dark brown boots and with white hair/moustache slowly limping. However, Zoro and Lucy couldn't believe what state he was in as his top was mostly torn, blood covering a good portion of his body and a large cut on his back.
The man tried to take a few more steps after he saw Zoro and Lucy but having lost all of the energy in his body, he fell down and weakly extended his arm towards the Fairy tail duo.
Zoro and Lucy quickly ran over to the fallen man and turned his body over and gently lifted his head so that the injured man could breathe easier. "Hey, are you okay?" asked Zoro.
"Oh my gosh! Zoro, we have to get him to a doc…" said Lucy but the wounded man didn't answer and grabbed their hands, pulling the two closer.
"P-please… it's over for me… just… listen." requested the man. Using the last of energy, he began to explain a dark secret that he unfortunately discovered earlier that night which led him to be in the position that he was. Hearing his story, Zoro and Lucy were unable to comprehend what they were hearing.
"I beg you… please… help…" said the wounded man with his dying breath. The two were left speechless as they watched the life in the man's eyes fade away but sadly, they wouldn't have time to relax.
Zoro's felt danger approaching them fast. "Lucy! Go!" yelled the swordsman as he took out the Shusui and Kitetsu and got ready for a fight. Not wasting time, Lucy nodded as she ran off with the bag of money and headed towards the East.
After Lucy had escaped the scene, Zoro looked around for a while but then he closed his eyes. He tried to concentrate on where the foe was coming from but his nose twitched as he could smell a familiar scent approaching him. "This scent of blood… you're the one who attacked him."
Zoro gently turned his head towards his right and saw a tall cloaked figure standing before him but his head was covered with bandages and his hood. The cloaked figure unveiled his large black armoured body, showing off the Black Dog symbol on his chest piece. Afterwards, he took out his large great sword from his back and started running towards Zoro.
However, Zoro waited as the black swordsman was about to strike and got into a fighting stance. Swinging with all of his might, the black swordsman attempted a side swing but Zoro blocked his attack with his two swords.
Following this, Zoro attempted a slash of his own but the enemy quickly backed away and got into a defensive stance. With their first clash, the two were able to establish the difference in the strength. Zoro took a sigh of disappointment, and slowly approached the black swordsman. The black swordsman tightly held his weapon, feeling an intimidating aura coming from the green haired swordsman.
"Nitoryu Iai" said Zoro.
Zoro took a deep breath before sheathing his two swords and facing the black swordsman. He looked up and angrily stared at his enemy before rushing at an incredible speed. The black swordsman looked around and couldn't believe that Zoro disappeared right before his eyes.
"Rashomon!"
In seconds, the black swordsman was lifted off the ground with his weapon and blade shattered in half. Zoro slowly sheathed his swords and turned back to see the bloodied swordsman slowly stand and face Zoro, displaying the large cut he received on his chest from the stronger swordsman.
"You… monster!" said the Black Swordsman. He acknowledged the difference in their power and threw down a smoke bomb, covering the entire dark alley. Zoro wasn't worried but after the smoke cleared, the enemy before him had disappeared, leaving a blood trail behind.
"Looks like the coward ran away." Said Zoro. He walked over to wounded man from earlier and gently knelt down towards the deceased man, praying for his safe journey in the afterlife.
"There!"
"Sir Klaus!" said an elderly man.
Zoro turned around to see that the source of the voice was Alicia's servant, Beardsley, with a squad of guards behind them. The timing, however, couldn't have been worse since the attacker had left just seconds ago.
"Arrest this man, this instant!" yelled Beardsley with fury as he pointed at Zoro.
"What!?" said Zoro as the soldiers all surrounded him with their swords and spears.
"He's killed Sir Klaus!" said Beardsley as he ran over to the deceased man and began inspecting his body. Zoro watched in anger since he couldn't believe his luck, remembering how he was accused for murder in the past as well.
"Oh shit… here we go again." Thought Zoro in annoyance.
Chapter End