Two figures dashed across the elven city rooftops. They were taking a straight path toward their target. Gwyn couldn't help but see the young samurai in a new light. After seeing his earlier personality compared to right now, it wasn't too different.
Shu's laziness hadn't left at all. What changed was his expression. It was much colder and hostile. The sword demon was focused on his task, and didn't wish to delay any longer.
WOOSH
After falling through the air, Shu landed on another rooftop. He stopped dead in his tracks this time. With one hand in his pocket and the other holding his sheathed katana, he gazed at the end of the long road. Multiple buildings away, Cailu could be found conversing with others of the upper echelon.
They all congregated in front of a fancy looking building, which seemed to be an auction house. Everyone was socializing in an ordinary manner. Whatever the event was, it must've just ended.
Gwyn caught up a few seconds later. Her breathing was even, only increased by a slight bit. The wind maiden glanced at Shu and followed his gaze. Upon seeing the regent further in the distance, her expression became serious.
"...Supress your aura." The swordmaster ordered.
"Shut up already! I know!" She responded with a click of her tongue.
Shu only glanced at her before focusing on the target. There was a moment of silence as they bided their time. Tired of the lack of communication, Gwyn finally spoke up.
"So are you going to kill him?"
"...Of course, but I'd like to see where he can lead us first."
"What makes you think that'll happen?"
A sigh escaped his lips. It seemed he would have to explain. More talking.
"Today was the first time things didn't go his way. We didn't know that the child king was under mind control until we arrived in the throne room. Even though Lux is now pretending to be under control, it's impossible to hide everything. Cailu realizes that something is wrong. I believe he'll definitely do something about it tonight." Shu explained.
"I see."
Time passed as the noble folk mingled. Eventually, they began to disperse. Cailu said his goodbyes with an arrogant smile and went on his merry way. He strolled down the road before flinging a gold coin at a musician who played on the side.
Gwyn and Shu made sure to follow from a distance. It was unknown what hidden forces were helping the arrogant elf. What seemed off was the amount of time he walked. Cailu made several turns and twists while moving as if he owned the place.
"What is he doing?" She muttered. This was taking too long!
"Just wait." The sleepy man answered patiently.
After what seemed like hours, the elf entered a back alley. Once he was sure nobody was around, he reached in his collar. A white hood was revealed and it quickly hid his features. Not wasting any more time, he launched to the east. His speed was impressive for a mid tier Gold.
The two increased the speed of their trailing, making sure that Cailu's silhouette didn't disappear entirely. The distance between both parties guaranteed that if the paranoid elf looked behind him, he wouldn't notice them.
"You were right!" Gwyn exclaimed. Shu nodded.
"Mnn." He grunted.
A dilapidated shack soon revealed itself to the two. As soon as the arrogant elf had entered, his mana signature disappeared. That alone raised Shu's alertness. It would be safe to assume that the decrepit building was covered in spells and arrays. Entering would only blow their cover.
"Are we going in?" The wind maiden asked. Shu shook his head.
"No. We'll wait until he comes out."
A few hours later, Cailu made his exit. A smug expression adorned his face. It was as if his worries had been reassured. Gwynneth couldn't help but clench her fists.
"I'm gonna knock that smirk off his face!" She growled. Shu thought for a moment, then grinned under his mana breather.
"You want to help, right? Then guard me while I snatch this guy." He said. Gwyn raised an eyebrow.
"We're doing it right in front of their hideout?!"
"Yes. They need to know that their precious mole has been taken. If King Solomon's theory is right, they'll leave their secret lair by themselves. It's too dangerous for them to allow his interrogation after all."
"Heh. Let's do it!" She exclaimed with anticipation.
Cailu was nearing their position. Shu raised his hand and started a countdown. Gwynneth watched with full concentration.
'Three…two…one…'
…
…
…
The arrogant elf was ready to head home and sleep. He'd just informed the Cardinals of his worries, and they'd reassured him that they'd check immediately. If everything went as planned, Lux would never go against his wishes again. All Cailu had to do was follow orders, and he'd be ruling the nation from the shadows.
As the excitement clouded his mind, a figure phased into existence right beside him. A hand clamped around his mouth with enough strength to crush his skull. The man could only see a pair of silver eyes and sky blue hair. The rest of the assailant's face was covered by a metallic mask.
It mattered not. That hair color wasn't hard to forget. Cailu immediately recognized him. It was the attendant! How did he get here?! How long was Shu following him?! The arrogant man's high spirits quickly dropped to the abyss. It was as if he'd reached heaven, but god slapped him down to hell.
"Hello there. Remember me?" Shu's distorted face rang out.
"Mmm! Mmmm-"
"Shut up!" A feminine voice rang.
BAM
A powerful fist slammed into Cailu's gut, causing his eyes to almost pop out of his head. His consciousness immediately grew faint. Gwyn stood before him with a deadly glare. At this moment, a plethora of figures in white militaristic clothes popped into existence. It was like they were always there.
Only now did their brains process what just happened to Cailu. The white clothed fighters immediately accelerated towards Shu. Before their weapons could land, Gwyn swung her hand with force, causing a massive gust of wind to blow them back. The young samurai nodded in approval.
"Nice. Good job, and good luck." He spoke.
"Huh? Good luck? What do you-"
DING
With the chime of a bell, Shu vanished with a flash of light. He was gone. The elf woman stood there in shock. Where did he go? How fast did he just move?! Was this part of his true strength? More importantly-
"Bastard!" She roared into the air. That fucker just left her here! What an untrustworthy piece of -
WOOSH
The figures in white quickly dashed toward Gwyn once more. They'd grown desperate upon seeing Cailu disappear. With an irritated expression, the wind maiden drew her blades. What a shitty day this turned out to be!
After dodging the pierce of a pointed rod, she cleaved the first enemy in half. Multiple moves were exchanged, with her coming out on top. Even though she had yet to be injured, she was surrounded. Tensions were high as they looked at each other with killing intent.
BOOOM
The nearby shack exploded as two powerful figures burst into the air. Their colossal auras flared due to their anger. Both of them wore white military cloaks, their faces hidden due to their hoods.
It didn't even take a second for them to notice Gwyn, but they had more important matters to take care of. They needed to find Cailu immediately. Time was ticking, and their organization could NOT be exposed.
Once they locked onto the arrogant elf's mana signature, they accelerated through the air. It wouldn't take long for them to reach their destination.
…
…
…
Shu appeared in a vast field. The first thing he did was throw the semi conscious elf on the grass and bound him. Aiden could be seen leaning against a nearby tree with his arms crossed. Upon seeing the crumpled elf, he made his way over.
"Let's see…" He muttered.
Shu stood to the side while gazing at the sky. Their time was limited, and they needed to get answers quickly. The red eyed commander squatted beside the man and lightly slapped his cheek.
TAP TAP
"Oi. You alive?" Aiden called out.
Cailu felt the grogginess suddenly disappear. It was unknown what the captain had just done. Immediately, the elf flared his aura.
"It's you two! Do you know what you've done?! I am the Godking's right hand! He'll have your head!" He roared.
More and more profanities were spewed. The red eyed man spaced out while picking his ear. Eventually, he tapped Cailu's forehead. The elf's mouth immediately clamped shut, as something prevented him from speaking.
"Quiet. I have questions, but let's have you feel some pain first." He said.
Aiden closed his hand, and pain immediately flared throughout Cailu's body. The blood in his veins twisted and turned, the arteries slightly tearing. The elf could only squirm on the floor in pain, tears quickly drenching his face. This type of torture was unheard of!
"Nnnnnnngh!" He groaned. With his mouth forcefully clenched shut, he couldn't scream.
After the captain eased his clenched fist, the pain disappeared. Cailu remained twitching on the floor, sweat drenching his clothes. Such horrendous pain had left him shell shocked. He immediately vomited whatever was previously in his stomach.
"Sorry. We don't have time to go through the motions. I also don't feel like hearing you say that you'll never snitch and all that. Ready for round 2?" Aiden spoke.
"Wait! I'll tell you anything! Please-"
The red eyed captain clenched his fist again. A demented smile adorned his face. His blood red eyes seemed to shine in the dark. Horrendous pain immediately flooded the elf once more. Aiden only watched as he squirmed silently. Foam was slowly leaking from Cailu's lips.
There was a reason Aiden was the leader of Silent Night. His masterful control over water, his innate element, made him perfect for interrogation and torture. The majority of blood was made of water, which made him a nightmare to fight.
"Who did we just take you from?" The commander finally asked. He unclenched his fist. Cailu could breathe once more.
"Pffft…The…It was…Cardinals…" He croaked in exhaustion.
"The Cardinals? That's something I've never heard of. Why haven't I heard of them?"
"...High rank…Althana…"
As soon as he revealed this, the tension in the air rose. A slight amount of pressure was released from Shu's body as he calmly gazed at Cailu. Aiden smiled darkly.
"How many Cardinals are there? How far does the Althana's reach extend?"
"Heh…Hehe…You…You have no idea-"
BOOOM
Before he could finish, a huge explosive force sent Aiden and Shu flying back. It was as if a bomb had just detonated in front of them. The two flipped in midair before landing on their feet. Once the dust cleared, An incredible scene revealed itself.
A massive heavenly lance made entirely of runes was sticking out of the huge crater. The sheer power of the launched attack had annihilated Cailu's upper half. Only his legs remained.
As the weapon made of runes dispersed into motes of energy, two figures floated down from the sky. The one on the left had rune symbols circling the body while the other only kept his hands in his sleeves.
"You've heard too much. It seems that two members of the Golden Circle must die today." The right one spoke.
"Sword Demon, do you think I didn't know that you'd be coming here? I've been sent here specifically to deal with you." A feminine voice resounded from the left figure.
"...Is that so?" Shu answered lazily. Aiden only smirked.
Without any more words, both cardinals launched toward the two. Shu and his captain remained still. Plan successful.
SHING
They were a second from collision before the entire field lit up with red energy. Time came to a standstill. Before anyone could react, the two groups vanished.