Intertwined fate

Chapter 32

Soon, hiding in the corner of the room, he found what was left of the previous High Priest. Her corpse leans on the wall, near the door as if she was protecting this place even when life has drained off her body. She was spending the last moments of her life in loneliness and starvation, passing away in her dearest daughter's illusions. Reid kneels down before her to show his respect, silently memorializing her sacrifices. Then a sparkling light catches his attention, a silver necklace with a Hyacinth symbol. Please forgive me... Reid whispers in bitterness, "Please, don't blame yourself, for she has now grown to be a graceful lady and has nothing but love for you." For a second, Reid thought he could feel her kind smile. Putting the necklace in his pocket, he will fulfill her last wish. And now is the time to fulfill his.

Finally, lurking in the darkness, Reid has reached the secret pathway to get out. The usual Reid has come back, changing the servant's uniform into a cloak. Like an arrow, he dove into the deep forest, toward those he cherished. They need to know what threats await them ahead. The coldness of the night can't bother Reid as he quickly continues his route. faster... and faster. He uses all his strength to get back. The sight of the castle soon faded behind his back. All the despair, the nightmares that haunted those miserable people now disappear in the night. And that dancer... Aurora Wenennefer. I will seek justice for all of you. He keeps running for what feels like an hour. The familiar path reveals to his sight, welcoming its child home. Then a strange feeling ran down his spine. Someone's here. What makes Reid different is his outstanding memory and hearing ability. Even though that person is acting like a breeze, a single motion still catches his attention.

"Reveal yourself and face me," Reid shouted. Entered his sight, across the tree, is a figure slowly departing the oak tree in solemn steps. A man with short, braided hair that was dyed the color of a blade, flying gently in the autumn wind. The same deviant smile. The same piercing eyes. It's none other than Axl - the mad dog of Arioch Sylvester. He clapped his hands and smiled, "You have my compliment." Tilting his head, his black, bottomless eyes observe Reid. "So this is the real you. More interesting than I thought," pulling the iron knives shines under the moonlight, "Such a shame. The master has ordered me to follow your trail." Lowering his head, he says regrettably, "Things will still go well if you just lead me to your secret base." The dark eyes suddenly piercing at Reid.

"But now, I guess you have to die." He laughs maniacally.

Within a fraction of a second, Axl seemingly took control of the battle. He skillfully lunged forward at Reid with complete confidence. Each of his attacks falls constantly like rain, bearing the terrifying power of an experienced fighter. Pointing at his target, Axl poured all his strength into this deadly move. Thud. An explosive sound booms through the whole forest, sending dust and dirt all over. Axl thought just one simple move could end his prey's life so easily, yet after the area was fully cleared, it only sent him into utter confusion. Axl realized his previous attack only hit the ground, Reid was nowhere to be found. As the world fell into silence, Axl chuckled, "Come and fight me, you coward." What's happened next is beyond what Axl thought. Right after Axl turned himself back, the glistering blade of Reid neatly left a slice on Axl's cheek. A neat cut shreds a few drops of blood, soaking his collar. Reid's actions happened too quickly, he could have lost his head if he had not avoided them in time. He laughs excitedly, licking the blood. After all, it's been a long time since he felt the satisfaction of fighting like this. Those whom he faced before were dying too fast.

The pleasure of finding a worthy opponent

Unfortunately for Reid, such an act could not end Axl in one hit, instead, Axl was already one step ahead, punching Reid's chest. Despite being able to withhold the deadly attack, Reid was knocked back quite a distance. Spilling the blood in his throat, Reid stands up." Not so bad," he says, though he appears calm, the flame of bloodlust has invaded his eyes. Grabbing the knife, he charged quickly like a puma, tearing apart the air. Axl was not in the mood to back down. Holding both knives in his hands, he attacked. The brutal metal collided, breaking the silence of the night, vibrant the song of the knights to life. They know this battle will end with one of them dying in the blood puddle.

Both Axl and Reid have no special move that is truly able to make one of them outshine the other. For them, they soon achieved mastery on the battlefield. However, in terms of experience, perhaps Axl is the one who can shift the outcome. With countless times of slaying innocent souls, his knife work is full of terror, swift and brutal, dyed in chaos and madness. With one knife going for an attack, the other for support, Axl is no different from a killing machine. But for Reid, with everything that happened in his flow of life, evasion and pinpoint accuracy have always served him best. And now, with Axl attacking as if raining arrows, Reid still managed to dodge with all his strength, harmonizing with each other.

Like fire and water, they sing the song of killing with their blades.

Thud. A crimson area soaked his cloak, sending horrifying pain. Gazing down, a knife had gone into the ribs. A trail of blood lingered on the knife the moment Axl pulled it out. Reid backs down, holding the injury. He knew it was just a matter of time before he died from blood loss. Reid only quietly stood there, with his hair covering his eyes, making the others unable to predict his thoughts. Letting go of the knife, he hastily leans against the tree, hugging the wound.

Axl let out a hysterical grin, dashing forward to meet the defeated Reid. He thought the little life of Reid was already in his hands and ready to be crushed. Aiming for the heart, Axl pulled an attack, putting an end to this battle... Reid, in the nick of time, raised his head, piercing coldly at his target. As time slowed down, Reid shifted his body, causing Axl to miss. Before Axl could even respond, his opponent had already grabbed his arm hard, pulling toward him. In a deft move, Reid draws his gun and points it at the abdomen. Bang... The iron bullet's cruelty tore through his flesh.

The last thing Axl saw was the solemn face of Reid slowly parting. It's him, the one who thought that this battle was the same as others, and now... The tables have turned. He fell to his knees, his dark eyes wide open in astonishment. He can't describe what just happened. But the pain and the warmth of blood vividly tell the harsh truth. Never in his battles, has he been like this, to kneel down before an opponent. The man before him, though, appears weak yet terrifyingly strong. Interesting...More interesting than he could ever imagine. He doesn't want him to die. For the first time, he throws away the master's order. He wants to know him... and desires to own him. The figure of Reid shines dazzlingly under the moonlight, his silhouette, the coldness in his eyes... making him unable to look away. He can't... can't come back to the person he used to be. To find such a valuable opponent like this. No, he can't let go.

"I love you", he smiles dangerously towards Reid's gun barrel. The coldness of the pistol raised at his forehead. "I love you with all my enthusiasm, obsession, and craziness." Reid remains steadfast, the gun still pointing determinedly. Crouching down at the enemy, he whispers a sweet little goodbye. "I win. Farewell."

"Stop!" a girl screamed. Sheritche? Why is she here? The hand holding the gun loosens. In his blurry vision, he sees the sight of Sheritche and others running towards him, Lily... and Theodore. The man under him was nowhere to be seen, but he didn't care. That injury is enough to slow him down and, maybe, if luck is on their side, take away his life. But that should be enough to buy them some time. Just a little longer... he could see them reaching closer... just a bit. Reid falls to the ground. The endless battles finally defeat the restless fighter. Fainting from exhaustion and injury, the realm of nightmares welcomes him.