The aftermath of my sword strike was absolute chaos. Debris rained from the ceiling as the energy of my Second Slash continued to pulse through the building's foundation. Through the settling dust, I searched for Julian Radford's body among his fallen companions.
He wasn't there.
"Coward," I muttered, scanning the destruction around . The two black and gold-robed Marquises lay motionless in the rubble, but Julian had fled, abandoning his own n to save himself. Typical Guild behavior.
I didn't have ti to search for him. The building was coming apart, and Julian would undoubtedly summon reinforcents. I needed to move quickly.
The remaining guests had scattered like frightened mice, screaming as they fought to escape the collapsing auction hall. I strode toward the host, who cowered behind his overturned podium.
"Where are the auction items?" I demanded, grabbing him by the collar.
His face drained of color. "P-please... don't kill ."
I pressed my blade against his throat. "I won't ask again."
"Back room!" he squeaked, pointing to a door behind the stage. "Everything's in there! The key is in my pocket!"
I fished out the key and shoved him aside. "If you value your life, run."
He didn't need to be told twice.
The back room was a treasure trove—shelves lined with artifacts and weapons waiting to be auctioned. I swept everything into my spatial ring without bothering to examine each piece. Ti was my enemy now.
A long sword caught my eye—plain-looking but emanating a faint energy that resonated with my qi. I grabbed it along with the rest of the items. Sothing told it might be more valuable than it appeared.
As I finished clearing the shelves, I felt a tremor run through the building. The structural damage from my slash was spreading. I needed to leave—now.
anwhile, across the city, Julian Radford burst into Darian Bancroft's office, his remaining arm clutching his wounded side.
"We've been attacked!" he shouted, his voice cracking. "The auction—it's been compromised!"
Darian Bancroft rose from his desk, his imposing figure towering over Julian. "Explain."
"A man in black robes—he slaughtered our guards and stole the auction items," Julian gasped, struggling to catch his breath. "He used so kind of devastating sword technique. I barely escaped with my life!"
"And your companions?"
Julian's eyes dropped to the floor. "They... didn't make it."
Darian's face darkened. "So you fled while they fought?"
"I ca to alert you!" Julian protested weakly. "We need to mobilize the Guild's forces imdiately. He can't have gotten far!"
Darian slamd his fist on the desk, cracking the solid wood. "Do you understand what you've done? A Guild-sanctioned event attacked, our mbers killed, and our reputation tarnished—all under your watch!"
"I had no choice!" Julian's voice rose defensively. "His power was beyond anything I've faced before!"
"Enough excuses," Darian growled. "Gather a team. We leave imdiately."
I slipped out of the auction hall through a side exit, moving swiftly through the shadows. The sounds of panic echoed behind as the building continued to crumble. In the distance, I could hear the wail of ergency whistles—the Guild's response teams were on their way.
I glanced back once. Julian must have gone straight to his superiors. They would be hunting soon.
As I navigated the dark alleys of Veridia City, a movent caught my eye. A figure huddled in the shadows, trying to remain hidden.
Julian Radford.
Our eyes t briefly. Fear flashed across his face as he recognized , even with my mask in place. He was probably supposed to be delaying until reinforcents arrived, but his courage had failed him again.
I could kill him now—one less problem to worry about later. My hand tightened on my sword hilt.
But the approaching sounds of Guild enforcers changed my mind. Julian wasn't worth the ti it would take to finish him. My priority was escape.
I vanished into the night, leaving Julian trembling in the shadows.
Minutes later, Darian Bancroft arrived at the scene with a formidable entourage of Guild elites. The auction hall had partially collapsed, and survivors were still being pulled from the wreckage.
"By the gods," one of Darian's lieutenants whispered as they surveyed the destruction. "What kind of power could do this?"
Darian's eyes narrowed as he examined the massive sword mark that had nearly bisected the building. "Where is Julian?" he demanded.
"Here, sir." Julian erged from the shadows, his posture hunched.
Mariana Valerius stood among the gathering crowd, her elegant robes untouched by the chaos. "Interesting," she remarked loudly enough for all to hear, "how the Guild's representative managed to survive unscathed while his subordinates perished."
Julian flinched as other auction attendees joined in.
"He ran the mont the fighting started!"
"Left his own n to die!"
"Is this what the mighty Veridia City Martial Guild has beco? Cowards who abandon their posts?"
Darian's face twisted with fury and embarrassnt. The public humiliation was as damaging as the attack itself. "Enough!" he roared. "This situation is under Guild jurisdiction. Everyone clear the area imdiately!"
As the crowd dispersed, Darian addressed the remaining guests with forced composure. "The Guild apologizes for this unfortunate incident. Rest assured, we will apprehend the culprit and recover all stolen items. Your cooperation in this matter will not be forgotten."
When the last of the witnesses had departed, Darian turned on Julian, his voice dropping to a dangerous whisper. "You've disgraced us tonight."
"I did what any reasonable person would do!" Julian protested. "That man was beyond our capability to handle. I ca to get reinforcents!"
"After running like a frightened child?" Darian hissed. "Tell , did you even attempt to stop him from stealing the items?"
Julian's face flushed with anger. "I've served this Guild faithfully for twenty years! I've bled for the Guild, killed for the Guild, sacrificed my own arm for the Guild! And what have I received in return? Empty promises and impossible assignnts!"
"Watch your tongue," Darian warned.
"No, you watch yours!" Julian's voice rose, years of resentnt finally boiling over. "You sit in your comfortable office while sending others to die. When was the last ti you risked your life on a mission? When was the last ti you faced an enemy who could tear you apart with a single sword strike?"
Darian's eyes narrowed dangerously. "This insubordination will not be tolerated."
"Neither will your incompetence," Julian shot back. "You promised a seat on the Council five years ago. Instead, I'm still running errands like so common foot soldier!"
"Enough!" Darian's voice echoed through the ruined hall. "Return to headquarters and await further instructions. Your behavior tonight will be addressed at a later ti."
As Julian stalked away, Darian turned to his lieutenants. "Find this black-robed attacker. I want him alive if possible, but dead is acceptable. No one humiliates the Guild and lives to boast about it."
I arrived back at the safehouse well after midnight, my body aching from the exertion of using the Second Slash. The small building stood silent on the outskirts of the city, away from prying eyes.
Inside, The Man with the Mustache paced anxiously beside a large wooden coffin in the center of the room. He jumped when I entered, his hand flying to the ornate dagger at his belt.
"It's just ," I said, removing my mask.
He visibly relaxed, though his eyes remained wide with worry. "Did you get everything?"
I emptied my spatial ring onto the table, revealing dozens of artifacts and items from the auction. "Every last piece."
The Man with the Mustache quickly sorted through the pile, his fingers moving with practiced precision. "Excellent, excellent," he muttered, setting aside certain pieces while discarding others.
"You didn't tell Julian Radford would be there," I said, unable to keep the accusation from my voice.
He didn't look up from his work. "Would it have made a difference?"
"I could have been better prepared."
"Yet you succeeded anyway." He paused, holding up the plain-looking sword I'd grabbed at the last mont. "Ah, you found it. Very good."
"What is it?"
"Sothing more valuable than it appears." He set it aside carefully. "How many Guild mbers did you eliminate?" Brought to you by *.
"Two Military Marquises. Julian escaped."
The Man with the Mustache frowned. "Unfortunate. He'll report everything to Darian Bancroft."
"He already has," I said. "They'll be hunting us by morning."
"Then we'd better work quickly." He gestured toward the coffin. "Did you bring everything on the list?"
I nodded, pulling out the specific items he'd requested: a jade pendant, a vial of amber liquid, and several rare herbs. "It wasn't easy. So of these were heavily guarded."
"Yet here they are." His mustache twitched with a hint of a smile. "Your skills continue to impress , Liam."
I ignored the complint and looked at the coffin. "Is that where they are?"
He nodded solemnly. "Two perfectly preserved male corpses, as promised."
I'd been avoiding thinking about this part of the plan. The idea of using dead bodies for any purpose left a bad taste in my mouth, but I'd co too far to turn back now. Isabelle's life depended on our success.
The Man with the Mustache must have sensed my hesitation. "Having second thoughts?"
"No," I said firmly. "I'm committed to whatever it takes."
I approached the coffin and placed my hands on its rough wooden surface. "I brought the things back for you, now you should tell how to use the two male corpses."
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