Reon's boots squelched through the thickening blood as he took another step forward.
The guild hall smelled like iron and fear.
Fifteen elite guards lay broken around him — one clutching the stump where his hand used to be, screaming through gritted teeth; another with both legs shattered at the knee, crawling in circles; a third face-down in his own pooling blood, the whip still wrapped around his throat like a noose.
The hunters didn't run.
They lived for blood.
Crystals stayed raised, lenses zooming in on every drop, every broken bone. One hunter in the back actually laughed, voice hoarse.
"Ten gold says the kid lasts another minute! Look at him go!"
Another voice cut in immediately.
"Twenty on the guards! He's bleeding like a stuck pig already!"
Reon didn't hear them.
His eyes were locked on Vhon — the Celestial Noble — who still had one hand locked tight on Shizu's waist, fingers digging in like claws.
Shizu's face was stone, but her eyes flicked to Reon with raw urgency.
"Reon… stop. You're bleeding out. Just run."
Reon kept walking.
Vhon's eyes widened. The smooth, arrogant pervert from minutes ago was gone. Now he looked small, backing up, dragging Shizu with him like a shield.
"You… you just killed all my men," Vhon stammered, voice cracking. "Do you have any idea what the consequences are for this?!"
Reon's voice came out low, dangerous.
"Let her go."
Vhon's grip tightened until Shizu winced.
"Don't come any closer! If you take one more step, this bitch pays for it! I'll make her scream right here!"
Shizu's jaw clenched.
"Reon, don't be stupid. He's not worth it."
A hunter near the front lowered his crystal for a second and shouted.
"Kid, you're insane! That's Sir Vohn! You're signing your own death warrant!"
The Guild Master finally stepped out from the back office, scarred face tight.
His voice cut through the chaos like a whip.
"Sir Vohn! Stand down! Everyone, calm the fuck down!"
Vhon's head snapped toward him, desperate.
"Guild Master! This animal attacked me! He killed my guards! Take him! And the girl — she struck Henry first! She's dangerous!"
The Guild Master's eyes flicked across the blood, the bodies, the recording crystals, then landed on Reon.
He exhaled slowly.
"Sir Vohn… you're saying this girl is a prisoner?"
Vhon nodded frantically, still backing up.
"Yes! She's a threat! Lock them both up!"
The Guild Master raised a hand toward his remaining guards.
"Take them."
The magic-using guards moved in, spells already glowing on their palms.
Reon pushed Shizu fully behind him.
"Not happening."
The first guard fired a bolt of Force magic. Reon dodged, grabbed the man's wrist, and snapped it with a sick CRACK. The guard screamed.
Another guard tried to chain him. Reon ripped the chain out of his hands and whipped it across the man's face, splitting his lip open.
A hunter in the crowd yelled.
"Holy shit, he's still going!"
Another voice cut in right after.
"Twenty gold on the kid! He's a monster!"
Shizu's hand gripped the back of Reon's shirt, voice urgent in his ear.
"Reon… you're bleeding everywhere. We have to go. Now."
Reon didn't stop. His eyes stayed locked on Vhon.
Vhon's voice rose into a desperate shout.
"You'll regret this! I take what I want. And I want her!"
Reon took one step forward.
"Then come take her."
The Guild Master's voice rose again.
"Enough! Lock them both up. We'll sort this with the Luxerian council later."
The magic guards closed in.
Reon swung.
Blood flew.
But the numbers were too many.
A guard got behind him, slamming a heavy club into the back of his knee. Reon staggered.
Another guard tackled him low.
Reon hit the floor hard, blood spraying from his mouth.
Shizu's voice cracked for the first time.
"Reon!"
Vhon's smirk started to return, shaky but there.
The garden behind Lord Alden's mansion buzzed under the midday sun like a hive ready to burst.
Floating mana orbs drifted lazily above the long tables, soft blue light pulsing in time with the musicians tuning their lutes in the corner. Servants in crisp uniforms rushed back and forth, hanging silk banners, polishing silver plates, and arranging bowls of fresh fruit that cost more Pisa than most villagers saw in a month.
A planner barked at a group of workers.
"Faster! The Luxerian delegation arrives in two hours. If the orbs dim even once, I'll have your hides."
One of the younger servants muttered under his breath, "Easy for you to say. You're not the one paying the taxes that bought all this."
A maid next to him laughed bitterly as she straightened a flower arrangement.
"Taxes? Call it what it is. We hand over our coin at the gate like good little dogs so the Pig can throw a party for his daughter's sale."
Another maid, older, hissed at them.
"Keep your mouths shut. You want the guards to hear? Last week they dragged Lira behind the granary for less. She still can't walk straight."
The first maid rolled her eyes but lowered her voice.
"Still better than what Vohn does. Heard he took two girls from the outer village last month. Called it 'diplomatic training.' They never came back."
The older maid shuddered.
"Don't say his name out loud. He'll be here for the party. If he likes what he sees…"
They fell silent as a group of villagers approached the gate carrying heavy sacks of Pisa coins. Their faces were tight, eyes down. One man, middle-aged and sun-baked, dropped his sack with a dull clink.
"Taxes for the month," he said quietly to the gate guard. "For the engagement."
The guard sneered.
"Smart. Last family that came late got a visit. Their daughter's still screaming in her sleep."
The villager didn't reply. He just turned and walked away, fists clenched.
Inside the garden, the head cook wiped sweat from his brow as he arranged platters.
"Luxeria's sending their best girls, they say. For 'entertainment.' The lord's already ordered extra magic elixirs for himself. Says he wants to last all night."
A younger cook laughed nervously.
"He always does. Last party he had three maids in his chamber at once. The massage girls don't even pretend anymore—they just spread their legs when he snaps his fingers."
The head cook shook his head.
"And the daughters? Lady Seline's coming back with her husband. Heard she's already eyeing the new guards. Lady Mira too. Those two learned from their father—fuck anything that moves if it gives them power."
A passing servant girl overheard and whispered, "Lady Elara's the only one who looks miserable. Poor thing. Sold off like livestock for military supplies and gold. Luxeria's getting a virgin bride and we're getting their whores and weapons."
The conversation died as Lord Alden's heavy footsteps approached.
He lumbered through the garden, fat fingers glistening with rings, barking orders.
"Make sure the orbs are brighter near the main table! The Luxerian prince likes to see everything clearly when he inspects his new toy."
A maid hurried past him, head down. Alden's hand shot out, grabbing her wrist.
"You. Tonight, after the guests leave, come to my chamber. Bring the new girl from the kitchen. I need to test the merchandise before the prince arrives."
The maid nodded quickly, voice shaking only a little.
"Yes, my lord."
He let her go and kept walking, already thinking about the massage girls waiting upstairs.
In the private bath chamber attached to the main wing, the sounds were different.
Two guards had Elara's personal maid pinned against the tiled wall. Her uniform was torn open, breasts exposed, skirt bunched at her waist. One guard was behind her, thrusting hard and deep, grunting with every slam. The other stood in front, hand fisted in her hair, cock in her mouth.
"Talk," the one behind her growled, slapping her ass. "Tell us about Lady Elara. How soft is her skin? Does she moan when she's touched? The young master wants details before the party."
The maid gagged around the cock in her mouth, tears streaming, but she knew better than to stop. She pulled back just enough to gasp.
"She… she likes long baths. Soft oils on her shoulders. Doesn't like rough hands… please… slower…"
The guard behind her laughed and thrust harder.
"Slower? You think we're here for your pleasure? Keep talking or we'll make it hurt more."
The one in front pulled her hair tighter.
"Does she touch herself? Has she ever fucked a guard? The prince likes his brides broken in."
She sobbed around him.
"I… I don't know… she's quiet… always crying in her room…"
The guards exchanged grins and kept going, the wet sounds echoing off the tiles.
Upstairs in her room, Lady Elara sat on the edge of her bed, staring at the dresses laid out for the party. She heard every muffled cry from the bath chamber below.
Her hands trembled as she touched the silk.
She knew exactly what was happening.
And she knew her turn was coming.
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