Life is a concoction of suffering and despair with combinations of joy and happiness in it. Or atleast that's how most people would describe their lives.
Adrian however had gone numb from everything he had experienced.
At this point, all he really cares about is a small mission which he sought to complete at all costs.
A delicate self-made mission even while it was probably an impossible task.
Sometimes he felt like a hollow shell, an existence having no meaning in the gentle unfurling of time.
A peaceful life.
It shouldn't have been hard to live something like that...or so he had thought.
If he was being really honest, he would even admit that the last month was really peaceful.
No running away, living in fear not knowing where the next attack would strike him from.
No need for war, shedding litres of blood while they screamed in agony, begged him for their lives in desperation and withered away in silent whimpers.
No need for dirty tricks, for the low level manipulation, fooling people, betraying trust and forging hatred only to crush it himself.
It was simple really, following these conditions. It shouldn't have been hard.
It never was.
But it seemed as if fate itself was reluctant to let him lead such a life, where he could just be a man, just one of those wandering mortals, fooling around, not really thinking about their next day...only living in the present.
Seeing the girl in front of him, he felt a pang of anger which was indeed rare for him.
Maybe he was jinxing it but somehow he felt that she was going to be the major reason for which he would soon be getting a rollercoaster ride to hell.
Not willing to give the girl any chance, Adrian lunged forward with incredible speed that didn't quite suit his level 0.
The girl seemed a bit taken aback by this sudden aggressiveness but immediately composed herself before leaping to the side and dodged the incoming dagger easily.
Her eyes glowed for a moment as she whispered, "[Water Breathing: Pierce]"
She twirled both the daggers in the air and suddenly, they were consumed by large globs of water.
Guiding one of hem, she made them aim straight at Adrian. The dagger flew with a swish leaving trails of water splash behind it.
To her surprise, Adrian easily dodged it. She shot another one, which was intercepted by his dagger as the glob of water suddenly burst, before returning back to her.
Smirking, she shot another dagger and by the time he blocked the attack, she was almost on him ready to attack his exposed flank.
Adrian didn't even see her form before he rolled back, just in the nick of time and propelled himself towards the weakened wall. The girl followed suit, not at all willing to give him a chance to recover.
However, she was in for a surprise.
Before her slash could reach him, Adrian crouched and leapt to her right. He stomped her right foot, while catching her extended right wrist. He then spun before bringing his knees to her exposed abdomen.
The pain she felt from the blow was too much for her and she staggered. She dropped one of her daggers while still maintaining a weak hold on the other one.
In doing so, the movement technique got deactivated and water gushed on them, drenching both of them wet.
Seeing her opportunity, the girl slipped her wrist out of his hand.
But as if he was expecting that, he quickly followed with a kick to her face sending her flying towards the weaker section of the wall.
With a loud thud, the wall broke down under her weight as she landed on her back outside the house. She groaned as she tried to get up but her body refused to move even a single inch.
'So much for the flair...' She thought.
"Now for the final touch..." Adrian muttered before he lunged forward, abandoning his defences and aimed the 'borrowed' dagger at her chest.
Chuck
The dagger met little resistance and shoveled straight into her chest. Her eyes bulged in surprise, her mouth opening to say words she no longer could spell out.
Adrian rolled away, putting distance between them. He stood up and frowned slightly.
He was shocked to see blood...or rather the absence of it.
This 'saviour' didn't spill blood...?
Mustering the last of her strength, she turned her head sideways and whispered in a strangely sweet voice, "I guess it's farewell for now, Mr.Adrian. Though, your grave...has already been dug."
Her voice trailed off before she went limp.
Adrian however looked on in sheer shock.
Before his eyes, the girl's body broke into countless, small ethereal particles, which rose high above him before they disappeared.
"What the heck just happened!" He couldn't keep his shock to himself anymore. Never ever had he seen such a bizzare death.
Even the daggers didn't remain.
'A Stage IV weapon? No...that shouldn't be the case, the daggers weren't that strong.'
'Wait, wait! Still, the daggers actually disappeared. Whatever technology they are using, disintegration of weapons can only mean that they are right now stored in the soul realm of the user. That simply means she is still alive...'
Adrian looked around him, confusion and wariness filled in him.
'I feel as if I have been trapped,like something is brewing up against me.' He turned and quickly started running back to the main part of the city.
As he ran, he took out his ID, where a yellow-haired man looked back at him.
The nameplate read "Leonard".
The smile returned back to Adrian as he started brewing up a plan.
Two hours later...
Adrian sipped coffee from a golden embroidered cup. His expression satisfied, his stomach full from the previous extravagant meal.
Across from him tied to the chair, his mouth gagged with his own bedsheets was the City Lord,
Lord Augustus. He was squirming violently in his seat, his eyes red, his cheeks wet from the dried tears...and glaring at Adrian.
For all the glare directed at Adrian with a mix of anger and fear, it was unfortunate that it was only a show of contempt rather than anything that could pose as a threat to Adrian.
Calmly keeping the cup on the table, Adrian looked Augustus in his eyes and repeated,"I shall ask you again...what were the orders from the higher ups? Will you answer me?"
Probably realising that resistance would be futile and seeing nobody coming to his help the man nodded, his head jerking up and down.
Adrian leaned forward, removing the gag just a little downwards.
"Speak." He commanded.
Lord Augustus stuttered upon his own words, his words coming out in a rush.
"Duke Cornstar assigned me to this place. I-i just need to help the saviours into forming their own g-guilds and h-hire them under our Kingdom's name. I have n-no other purpose."
Adrian smiled. "You might not have any other purpose...but do tell me, what's the advantage in hiring them? I mean they are under the Entities. Surely no kingdom or Empire would be mad enough to go after them..." He drawled out the last line, the implication clear.
The lord gulped in awe and fear hearing the deducation.
"The d-duke wants to have an army under him."
"And why is that so?"
"T-That...p-please, I beg you...I-i can't say anymore..." Fresh tears spilled down the man's cheeks, his body shaking uncontrollably.
"Ahh, I see...so, you are under a soul pact." Adrian chuckled at the realisation.
Then resting his elbows on the arms of the chair, he added, "But I got the information I needed."
Augustus looked at him with renewed hope.
"Does that m-mean I can g-go?"
"Yes, yes you can...but just one little thing before that. Help me to create an ID. Oh, I shall be the one to put the information on it. No peeking on it, alright?"
"Of c-course sir..."
They soon got to work.
It didn't take long before they parted ways.
Lord Augustus, the once proud noble, now shook under his blanket. His body shivered continuously, his attempts at trying to forget that man in vain.
"D-don't think this is the end...I shall have them kill you, bastard!"
'...is what the Lord is probably thinking at this moment.' Adrian thought as he looked back at the mansion one last time.
Shaking his head, he muttered.
"Not that it matters.
Since the one who traumatized him is Leonard...not Adrian. Unfortunate man."
[A/N: Was the fight scene up to your liking? Comment me so that I get to know]