"That's Lost Witness for you baldie…"
Every head whipped towards the source. Ray now stood directly in front of them, where there had been only empty space a second before. He was defiant, his posture relaxed but ready. His sleek, dark-knightly armor, [Sentinel's Embrace], clung to his form, though the helmet was currently dismissed, revealing his calm expression. He hadn't drawn a weapon, but heavy, ornate shackles decorated both of his wrists.
Tessai's face turned a shade darker with rage. He roared, his voice shaking the rafters. "You dare?! You disrespect the rules of the castle, and therefore disrespect the King himself!" The accusation would have sounded genuine if the giant didn't look more like he was simply furious at being challenged so openly.
He jabbed a massive finger towards Ray. "You two! Apprehend him!"
Two of the six guards stepped forward, drawing their weapons. Ray simply watched them approach, his expression unchanging. "I wouldn't do that if I were you," he warned calmly.
Most of the guards, along with Tessai, just snickered at the warning. The two continued forward, one with a sword and shield Memory, the other with a spear.
When they were about a meter away, Ray finally moved. He didn't sidestep or dodge; he rushed directly towards the first guard. The man with the shield braced himself, ready for the impact. But there was no impact. Ray simply ran through him, his body becoming insubstantial for the exact moments of contact before solidifying again on the other side. Caught completely off guard and thrown off balance by his own braced stance meeting empty air, the guard stumbled forward. All it took was a medium-strong push to his back to send him sprawling to the floor.
The second guard was already trying to maneuver his spear for a thrust, but it was too late. Sadly for him, and fortunately for Ray, he wasn't nearly as skilled at fighting in close quarters with a long spear as Ray was. Ray exploited the obvious weakness, stepping inside the spear's effective range and bringing him down with a swift, timed punch to the gut followed by a low kick to the back of his knees.
All of this took barely a few seconds. A deafening silence fell over the gambling den, which was then broken by a few of the guests cheering lightly, finding the display entertaining.
The cheers lasted only until Tessai shot a murderous glare in their direction, making them all shut up instantly and quickly avert their gazes.
Now seriously livid, Tessai gestured forward again. "All of you! Get him!" He still saw Ray as just another impudent slum rat who didn't know his place. He didn't care about any rumors. He had survived in this place longer than any other current inhabitant of the Forgotten Shore, even longer than the Bright Lord, Gunlaug himself.
The remaining four guards rushing towards him didn't surprise Ray a single bit. He took them down in a similar fashion to how he had dispatched the first two, a whirlwind of precise movements, phasing, and non-lethal strikes that left them groaning on the floor.
Kai, meanwhile, looked on from his seat, always ready to jump in, but… he understood that he wasn't needed. Not at all. He realized then that his friend was even tougher than he had ever thought him to be.
When all the castle guards lay on the ground, surrounding Ray in a circle of pained groans, even Tessai knew he would have to move now. With his trusted axe Memory materializing in his hand, a chilling, icy aura began to radiate from his massive form - his Aspect activating. He took a heavy step forward.
But in the next second, he stopped dead, his eyes widening in disbelief.
Ray now stood completely relaxed, holding his left hand out towards the icy giant. Just moments ago, he had activated the [Imprisonment] enchantment of his trusted [Guardian's Shackles]. A thick, ethereal chain had spurted from the shackle on his wrist, instantly wrapping itself around Tessai, binding his arms to his torso and his legs together, completely immobilizing him.
Ray mumbled, more to himself than anyone else, as he examined the bound giant.
"Hmm, even easier than binding those damn Sentinels back then. Guess there really is a reason why everyone stays clear of them..."
After being done here, Ray casually strolled through the open doors, leaving all the onlookers in stunned silence.
Kai also sat there, speechless for a moment, before it registered why Ray hadn't said anything more to him after their talk. 'He wanted to protect me, and take it all on himself?'
Just then, the towering giant roared again towards Ray's slowly disappearing back. "Don't think that you can walk away just like that! The King won't stand idly by upon witnessing such disrespect! You are dead! You and all your dirty friends will end as nothing more than just some more skulls decorating the castle, Gramps!"
At first, Ray had ignored the idiot who had still not realized his utter defeat, but the last sentence hit just where it shouldn't have. He stopped bare in his tracks, a tremor running through his shoulders.
Tessai saw this and mistook it for fear, a cruel grin spreading across his face. "Hah! Now you're scared, aren't you, you goddamn slum rat! Come on, as benevolent as I am, I will forgive your impudence. Just remove those chains and beg for mercy on your knees! HAHAHAHA!"
The booming laughter echoed in the otherwise silent corridor. Ray slowly turned and made his way back into the room. His helmet had materialized, a featureless dark helm that hid his current expression. His hands, at his sides, were clenched into tight fists.
Kai, from his seat, looked on with a sad and mournful expression, but nevertheless began summoning his own weapon - a sleek Falcata taking shape. Aiko saw this but said nothing. She couldn't.
When Ray stood directly in front of Tessai again, he raised his left hand – and indeed deactivated the enchantment that kept the giant in place.
The second the ethereal chains disappeared, Tessai roared, raising his massive axe high and bringing it down with all his strength, laughing gleefully at what he saw as his opponent's foolish submission. "DIE, YOU DAMN RAT!"
Ray did not move at all. Most onlookers thought he was frozen in fear. Kai, his Falcata now fully formed, was already rushing forward, his Aspect granting him flight, but the distance was too far. Still, he didn't stop.
Just as the axe blade descended, many looked away, not wanting to see the aftermath. Aiko was one of them.
CLANG!
The sound was not of flesh being cleaved, but of metal striking an immovable object. It resounded through the den, sharp and final.
Most looked up again, their eyes wide. Ray was still standing, completely intact. The massive axe blade rested harmlessly on his left shoulder, stopped dead by the dark, resilient material of his [Second Skin]. Tessai stared, his own eyes seeming to nearly pop out of his head in sheer disbelief.
A small, cold voice could then be heard from within Ray's helm. "Now, it is my turn."
Ray raised his left hand, gripped the axe handle with all his strength, and held it firm. When Tessai noticed this, his first instinct was to try and pull his weapon away, but it didn't move an inch.
Next, Ray pulled back his right hand and… brought it up with as much strength as he could muster. He didn't just punch; he used everything he had, pushing upward with his legs, channeling all his power into a textbook-perfect uppercut that hit Tessai square on the jaw.
The giant's grip on his weapon vanished instantly as his eyes rolled back completely into his head. As soon as Ray released the axe handle, the massive captain fell backwards, hitting the floor with a ground-shaking thud.
Ray stood over the unconscious form, his voice booming through his helmet, laced with cold fury.
"NEVER TALK SHIT ABOUT MY FRIENDS! AND IF YOU MAKE ANOTHER COMMENT ABOUT MY HAIR, YOU TRULY WON'T STAND UP AGAIN!"
Kai, meanwhile, was suspended in the air, having stopped his charge the moment he heard the clang. He hovered there, stunned by what had just transpired. Everyone else was just as shocked. In one moment, the young man seemed ready to beg for forgiveness; in the next, the feared Tessai lay motionless on the ground.
-----
Ray took a deep, shuddering breath, the rage slowly receding, leaving only exhaustion in its wake. He looked up. Most of the guards were already back on their feet, their earlier arrogance replaced by pure terror. They looked at him as if he were the devil—or their King himself.
He gave a slight, dismissive gesture with his head towards their unconscious captain. The guards understood immediately. Four of them scrambled forward, each taking a leg or an arm, and ran away as fast as they could, dragging their massive boss with them.
Ray breathed a final sigh of relief, the tension leaving his shoulders. He turned to Aiko, his helmet dematerializing. "Sorry for the disturbance," he said, his voice now back to its more or less normal, casual tone.
Then he looked at Kai, who had finally landed on the ground again, his expression a mix of awe and concern. "I'll see you around," Ray said, offering a small nod to both him and Aiko before turning to leave the castle for good.
He had only taken a few steps out of the den when he heard hurried footsteps behind him. Kai had caught up, his face etched with worry.
"Ray, are you… are you okay?" he asked, a bit awkwardly. "That was… intense. What he said about your hair-"
"It's nothing," Ray interrupted, not breaking his stride, his gaze fixed forward. He knew Kai meant well, but he didn't want to delve into it. He offered a short, simple explanation to quell his friend's concern. "This hair… it's the only thing I still have from my mother. I won't ever allow any disrespect towards it."
After that, a more comfortable silence fell between them. Kai understood. He didn't need to ask anything more. They walked together to the castle gates, where they ultimately parted ways with a simple nod.
As Kai watched Ray's figure disappear back towards the outer settlement, he was now more sure than ever. After he completed this next mission, he was done here. He would be joining Ray's side.
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I know for some time now the pace was quite slow, but i truly try to pick it up very soon again. There were just too many things that needed to happen to prepare for what i've planned for later and give it a more grounded foundation😅