Merry Christmas Fellas!

Two hooded figure came out, one behind the other.

Everyone took a step back. The ones before them were dangerous characters, capable of stealthily taking out level 7s and 8s in their own home.

They held their breaths, circulating their magical energy to the fullest. Among the four, the long haired man and the old man were augmenters; they could easily react without the manifestation of magic circles.

The hooded figures took another step forward, prompting them to take another step back.

“Stop!” The long haired man shouted.

Everyone’s senses were spread to the fullest. They knew absolutely little about their enemies- which included their numbers.

“Don’t you want to know who I am?” The voice of the intruder was masculine but beguiling. Both of his hands reached the helm of his hood.

The one on the back had his hand on the shoulder of the one before him. His hand reached the air. It was holding a sphere of ice with a flower trapped in it. A beautiful icy blue magic circle appeared and began to revolve above.

Both the long haired sentry and the previous Count charged forward while the other two began to prepare a spell.

But that very moment, the one on the front removed his hood. It was a devilishly handsome young man.

The two charging at him hesitated. Who would not recognise the new Royal Advisor of their nemesis? Besides, what was he doing here- all the way inside the enemy capital?

He was just a couple of meters away from them. But suddenly- he seemed to throw something onto the air and disappeared. All that remained was the intruder who was on the back, his hand still on the air, the large magic circle still rotating slowly.

Their senses detected he was at the back. Everyone wanted to turn around, but nobody could. An excruciating pain struck their chest.

All of them looked down. Their eyes widened from shock. There was a gaping hole on their chest. Blood had just started losing out as if the wounds themselves did not know they existed.

How?

It was the last thought they had before the four slumped to the ground.

Adrian and Irene were walking up the stairs.

“How long do you need to take all of them down?” He asked.

“I don’t know.” She shook her head. “Though I might be stronger, I have never gone against a level 9 before.”

He sighed. “So you have no way to end the battle in a minute?”

She shook her head. Her face was expressionless as always.

“We can’t afford to waste time; reinforcements will be coming soon. Looks like you have to trust me again.” He opened his robe a bit and put both of his claw gauntlets inside the stone. He increased his pace.

Irene sped up as well. She held the frozen flower tight in her hands. Both of them soon reached the top.

“Oh, who’s not leaving alive?” Adrian asked with his charming voice.

“Don’t you want to know who I am?” He asked and took both of his hands to his hood, one of them still holding the black stone.

Irene, who had already understood the plan put one hand on his shoulder while holding the orb with his other one. She reached that hand up and began to cast her spell.

The old man and the long haired man began to charge at him. Just when they were a couple of meters away, he removed his hood- taking them by surprise.

They hesitated, buying him a moment. And that moment was enough, because that split second would be stretched into a full second.

He tapped on the Teether’s Stone. Two of his gauntlets flew out. He threw the stone ahead, in a well calculated trajectory, before charging forward himself.

The magic circle above him stopped rotating. The two claws stopped moving forward, staying where they were, in the air. The orb came to a halt midair. The surprised look on the four’s face created a comical scene.

The grip on his shoulder loosened.

He used half the second he had to wear the claw gauntlets. Once that was done, he melded with the ground. Half a second was more than enough to take the four out.

He flashed to the old man. He leapt from the ground and drove his claw into the man’s heart, leaving behind a gaping bloody hole. He drowned back into the shadows. He appeared before the long haired man and did the same, puncturing his heart.

With his <Corrosion>, he felt no resistance from their skin, or even bones.

More than quarter of the second remained.

He shadowed to the middle aged beauty and struck her hand through between her busts, destroying her heart on the process.

Only one remained- the short haired man, but time- more than enough.

He flashed to where he was at and stabbed his heart.

Everyone was dead, but the time had yet to start flowing. He walked past him and stood where the Teether’s Stone was anticipated to fall.

The magic circle above her began to spin again, so did the wheel of time. The orb began to move again along its trajectory.

Adrian easily caught it before taking a step back.

“Fuck! This drains me too much.” He cursed the property.

The four slumped to the the ground, not knowing what happened- what hit them. Their blood began to flow out in waves- dyeing the floor red.

The icy blue circle above Irene disappeared. She staggered two steps back. It was too much. The ice orb on her hand was about to fall, but she caught it with both of her hands. But despite all these, her face was still nonchalant- as if nothing happened.

Adrian walked past the four bodies, avoiding the bloody puddle. He took off his claws and hid them back inside the black stone.

He stood by her side, and took her on his arms.

“It’s just beginning.”