Lunette shut her eyes and barely managed to stifle a yelp as the ghoul's blade struck. A second passed, then two. She tentatively opened her eyes when she realized the pain was not forthcoming. She nearly screamed for the second time, but this time the ghoul, whose face was barely inches from hers, clamped her mouth shut with its dead hand.

The second ghoul raised a finger to its lips (well, where its lips would have been. Its entire face was bandaged.) It then gestured at her.

Lunette followed its line of sight to her hands. Which were free!? Her brows drew together in confusion. "What are you doing?" To her abject horror and shock, the ghoul at the back replied.

"That's cold," it said with oddly familiar snarkiness. "You don't recognize your brother?"

"What!?"

"[Release]" The ghoul snapped its fingers. Instantly both it and the one crouched in front of the songstress were enveloped in blue light.

Lunette's eyes widened in shock as the light dimmed. She tackled her brother with the tightest hug she'd ever given in her entire life. Tears streamed down, and her body shook with pure relief. The worst part about getting captured was not knowing how Shadow was. Now he was right there. She never planned on letting go.

Shadow, for his part, felt like someone had lifted a huge load off his shoulders. Watching his sister get abused by that man had been the most challenging thing he had ever done. But now it was over. He had her. He would never let her do something as dangerous ever again.

Syèl's exaggerated cough drew their attention. "What, the elf doesn't get any love? That's racist."

Lunette laughed freely and then beckoned him over. "Come on. Get in here."

Syèl smiled but politely refused. "No, thank you. I don't do mushy scenes. But you guys need to wrap yours up quick." He peered outside the cell into the musty, poorly lit hallway. "It's only a matter of time before someone walks by."

Lunette shook her head as she released her brother. She wiped her tears, steely determination returning to her eyes. "No. I'm staying."

"Wha!?" Both Syèl and Shadow exclaimed.

"You daft!?" Syèl reprimanded in a forced whisper. "It wasn't easy getting this chance. We gotta go now."

"No, I can't."

A shadow crossed the wisben's face. For a moment, Syèl's eyes held both fear and burning rage. The fear disappeared in a flash, but the anger remained. "Are you crazy? A second ago, you thought we were going to kill you. Next time you might not be so lucky!"

Lunette frowned. "I can handle myself just fine."

"Everybody thinks they can." There was something in Syèl's voice. A hollowness she'd never felt from him before. "Until they can't." He moved to grab her, but Shadow rose to his feet and blocked his path.

"Relax." Shadow's tone was cold. Syèl grunted but then retreated a few steps out of respect. "Sis," Shadow called, a wary eye still on the wisben. He knew if it came down to a fight, he stood little chance. "If it's about Kashi, you don't need to worry. Kira's gone to get him."

Lunette's eyes widened. "You're sure of that? Is he fine? Unharmed?"

"He's alive." Syèl shrugged. "The wolf went to get him. There's not a lot that can stop her. If he weren't fine before, he'd definitely be now."

Lunette nodded, a small smile revealing her relief. However... "That's good to know. But this is more than just about Kashi. I overheard their leader talking. He is expecting some high ranking official soon. I want to be there when he does. We won't get a better chance to get a glimpse into how these people operate."

Shadow released a huge sigh. He knew the look in her eyes all too well. She'd held a similar one when she punched him in the gut earlier. It was the 'I've made up my mind' look. Hell could freeze over, and she'd still go ahead with whatever she intended. Shadow looked up at Syèl with an apologetic smile. "Think you can redo that illusion spell?"

Syèl raised a brow. "You thinking of staying too?"

Shadow squeezed his sister's shoulder. "I don't have a choice."

Syèl groaned. "Now I'll look like the bad guy if I just up and leave." He paced back and forth for a few seconds. Finally, he stopped having reached a decision. "Fine. I'll stay and help you guys. But if I think it's too dangerous at any point, we're pulling out. No rebuttals. We good?"

Shadow glanced at Lunette. She nodded. "We're good," he replied.

"Fine then." The fuck am I the voice of reason for? Syel made a show of cracking his fingers and twisted his neck. "Now, let me work my magic." A soft chuckle escaped his lips as he chanted a spell underneath his breath. 'Can't believe I actually said that.'

Dark smoke from the ground enveloped Shadow and Syèl. Moments later, it dispersed, leaving two ghouls in their respective places. The look was eerily perfect from rotted flesh that peaked through dirty bandages, to dead black eyes. The smell alone caused Lunette to take an unconscious shuffle away from them. The only defining features were tufts of white hair that stuck out of Shadow's bandaged head.

"This thing drains my mana," Syèl revealed, his voice slightly distorted. "I'll need a refill soon."

Shadow snorted. "There are a good number of living guards around. I'm sure you can make it work somehow."

The blood mage flashed a toothy grin. "Careful kid, I might just begin to like you."

Lunette turned from one man to the other, wondering where this camaraderie suddenly came from. "How did you guys find me anyway?"

Shadow and Syèl shared a look.

"That's... a long story."

Five Days Since Kashi's Capture,

70 Kilometers South Of DarrenHold.

The fight had long since ended. The cavalry of Shoko and Syèl was more than effective in clearing out the rest of the ghouls. At some point, the ghouls just stopped coming. Whether that was as a result of their dominance, or they had completed their objective, Syèl was not sure. Though somewhere in his gut, he knew quite well, it was the latter.

He was not the only one who felt that way. Syèl turned to the brother of the woman who was most likely dead or captured.

"Let me go!" Shadow desperately screamed as he tried to wrestle Hektor's massive frame off of him.

Despite Shadow's protests, Hektor kept the young assassin pinned beneath him, knee pressed into Shadow's back like Kashi had taught him. "Can't do that. Not until you calm down."

Shadow quickly realized he could not beat the warrior with brute force. He took a deep breath, then slowly released it. His muscles relaxed. "Fine."

Hektor breathed a sigh of relief. This guy was a real bundle. He wasn't sure how much longer he could have kept him pinned down. His hold relaxed, but a figure in the distance soon made him regret his decision.

All eyes turned to the massive Direwolf that appeared on the horizon. As Kira approached, more than the blood that caked her skin, or the slight limp in her right leg, what caught the coalition's collective attention was the one thing that was missing: Lunette.

BOOM!

"Whoa!" exclaimed Hektor as he was blasted several feet away from his quarry by a thick, black aura that gushed dangerously, like water from a geyser.

The earth trembled slightly as a figure rose within this aura, which had maddened in intensity. The figure staggered in place, drunk on the power that ran through his veins. One word crossed the assassin's lips as red veins bulged in his eyes, once brilliant purple orbs dark as night. "Lunette."

Shadow disappeared. His first burst took him past half the Chetah. Clang! A second later and he would have made it through. Instead, sparks flew as a blond prince parried his dagger with her blade. "Move," Shadow ordered.

"Not when you're like that," Shoko refused. Her free hand pushed against the flat of her blade. Shadow was sent skidding backward against the hard earth. Shoko raised her sword. "Calm down, or we'll make you."

"Get out." Shadow's eyes held no warmth. The silent assassin had never been the overly friendly type, but at that moment, it was like no one around was even reflected in his violent glare. "Or I will kill you."

Shoko realized with dread that Shadow was ready to kill.

Asha walked up to Shoko's side. "I'll aid you." Her right hand rose high. "Consider it payback for the songstress' sacrifice." She then swung down. "Restrain him!"

Shadow gnashed his teeth in rage as several Chetah lunged at him from different angles. "I warned you." His voice was cold as he reminded everyone why he was an assassin. He flitted out of vision just as the first chetah dove for him.

Shadow emerged atop the chetah's back, incapacitated him with swift blows to the neck. He then leaped off the body as it crashed to the earth.

Two chetahs approached, armed with non-lethal twin rods. Their reactions were soon severely tested, but they managed to parry several kunai (throwing knives) in the nick of time. However, Shadow appeared above them, even more blades between his fingers. The chetahs barely managed to avoid any fatal strikes, but the blades tore through, rendering them useless.

Shadow's feet had barely touched the earth before he kicked off again. This time, dagger in hand. The chetahs ahead of him were no match for his superior speed. The blood of these noble warriors froze as the white-haired demon lunged for their throats.

Clang!

Shadow was launched backward, high into the air. He somersaulted then landed a couple of meters away from the chetah. The assassin glared at the massive Sphinx that blocked his path, as well as the robed chetah beside him. The sight enraged Shadow, even more, causing him to sink deeper and deeper into madness. "I said, GET OUT!"

Shadow's aura exploded, losing any sense of form or unity. The assassin's HP was absorbed in his rage, expelling it as a forceful outburst of energy. This phenomenon was the dangerous and forbidden version of Chi Release. However, the assassin, so consumed by rage and bloodlust, did not notice the danger he posed to himself. There was only one thought on his mind.

Shadow tore down the wasteland, daggers raised. Opposite him, Kaga chanted something under his breath. Shadow jumped to the side as a mini-tornado shot up where he had just been. He gritted his teeth, but single-mindedly continued his charge even as several streams of violent wind fired at him from all angles. Shadow used the brief millisecond between the mandalas' appearances and the consequent air blast to predict and then dodge the shots. The assassin wove through the onslaught with minimal effort, eyes only on the horizon beyond.

Brack! boom!

The earth erupted, debris scattered high as it was smashed by forces akin to lightning strikes. Hektor and Diatte peered through uprooted stone and earth at Shadow's measured glare. They raised their weapons just in time to parry Shadow's extended blades. Before either could gain their wits, Shadow whirled in the air and kicked several stones still floating in the air.

Hektor and Diatte smashed the pebbles. The blows released clouds of smoke that temporarily blinded them.

Metal snakes tore out of the smoke. Hektor and Diatte jerked their heads to the side just in time to dodge fatal strikes, but the weapons still drew blood as they grazed the warrior's necks. The daggers pinned into an outcropping behind them. Their eyes widened in stark realization. A second later and they would both have joined the circle. They spun back towards the smoke with renewed vigor. They would not take this lightly any—

BAM!

Hektor and Diatte crashed to the earth as Shadow's knees crushed their respective noses. Using the outcropping as a brace, Shadow shot forward by reeling in his daggers. Once through, he yanked out the blades then sped down towards the only oppositions left in his path: Shoko and Asha.

Sparks flew as the assassin clashed with Asha's blades. The chetah's glare bore into Shadow's fierce eyes. "Calm down, human," she warned. "I do not wish to hurt you."

Shadow's cornea reddened as veins on his neck pulsed. "Get out, get out, get out...GET OUT!" He pushed hard against Asha's blades. The force was enough to throw her off balance momentarily. With both her sword arms raised above, Shadow swiftly moved in for the kill.

Movement from the corner of Shadow's eyes caught his attention. He was forced to retreat sharply as blades of wind sliced the air in front of the chetah. Shadow glared at Shoko. "Get out," he repeated. They seemed to be the only words he knew.

Shoko sheathed her blade. Her hand hovered above the weapon as she readied a low stance. Blue eyes flashed in the starlight. "This ends now." Shadow dashed straight at the swordswoman, caution, and strategy long since abandoned. Shoko waited patiently. Once he was in range, her sword flew out of its scabbard.

The air suddenly distorted as hundreds of small wind sickles zipped through the air. However, Shadow was nowhere to be seen.

Shoko, unperturbed by his absence, instinctively swung down. "Ugh!" She grimaced when her sword caught against something hard. Her eyes traveled to the ground where Shadow held her blade in his left hand, ignoring the deep gash caused by the reckless act. The assassin yanked the sword toward him as he pushed off the ground, the dagger in his right aimed at Shoko's throat.

Shoko reluctantly released the handle and jumped back in time to dodge the strike. But Shadow's swing traveled low and slashed deep into her right arm. She realized the weapon was poisoned when her arm suddenly went limp by her side. The notification that popped up only served to enhance a great wave of shame that enveloped the proud swordswoman at having lost her katana to an opponent in combat.

Shadow whirled around and blocked Asha's twin blades just above his head with Shoko's katana. He pushed off the ground, lifting both of them into the air. Shadow took advantage of Asha's brief confusion to spin round her blade. His heel crashed hard against the chetah's temple.

Asha coughed blood as she slammed against the hard earth. Her blades clattered to the ground a few feet from her. She struggled to her feet, but Shadow stomped against her back. He ignored her cry as he raised Shoko's katana above her head. He drove do—BOOM!

Shadow tumbled hard across the earth. He gritted his teeth as he pushed against the ground and righted himself. Shadow snapped to the blood mage whose white hair billowed freely in the night wind.

The air around Syèl was dark and musty, as he approached the assassin with slow, purposeful steps. The earth cracked beneath his feet from the pressure his mana exerted. A toothy grin clashed against raging yellow eyes. "That's enough, kid," Syèl ordered. "If it's death you want," Flames erupted from the earth around the advancing blood mage. "I'll give it to you."

Rather than be intimidated by the sheer pressure, Shadow let out a bloodcurdling roar and lunged for the mage.

"You made your choice." Ice spikes jutted out of the earth without warning as Syèl did not need chants.

However, led by superior instinct, Shadow managed to flit out of the way just in time. Shadow jumped, then used a rising spike to propel himself even higher. "Get out!" He roared as he fell towards Syèl, daggers drawn for a strike.

Syèl barely acknowledged the effort as a rock column shot out of the earth.

Shadow spun in the air, wincing as he shielded his sides with Shoko's sword. Sparks flew as the column shot past him, and the resultant force left him spinning in the air. He barely caught his bearings before a second column slammed against his midriff. He coughed blood onto the construct as it launched him several meters backward.

Shadow crashed to the earth. The blow heavily damaged the assassin, and he wavered as he struggled to get back to his feet.

"Stay down," Syèl instructed. Somewhere in the deep recesses of Shadow's mind, where a little bit of reasoning still lay, he tried to do just that—just give up. "In the end, it's only a game. Even if she dies, you can just logout and go see your sister if it bothers you that much."

Those words triggered something in Shadow. The little reason he had left remembered his creed. The one rule he must live by, no matter what else happened to him. In this world, no matter what, Lunette was the only thing that mattered. And yet, this asshole who knew nothing, who played this game for fun, was taking their lives for granted!?

"Get out." Same words, but this time something was different about them. Shadow staggered as he got to his feet. Blood dripped from his nostrils and mouth as the after-effects of abusing his Ki began to take hold. His health, already low from the chi-release, was now at a critical level following Syèl's strike.

Yet there was an eerie calmness about the assassin. "I must go to Lunette," Shadow said as he wiped the blood, inadvertently smearing it across his face. The red in his eyes ebbed, returning them to the beautiful purple orbs they were. "You would never understand." The veins in his neck also relaxed.

"Try me."

Shadow glanced at the victims of his madness. Indescribable guilt nearly bound his legs and buried him. But the creed was of more importance. Even if everyone, including himself, hated him, Lunette came first. "Every second I waste is another my sister's life is in danger." Shadow gently placed Shoko's katana on the ground then drew his daggers. "I will have you let me pass."

"If you try again," Syèl warned. "I will go for the kill."

Shadow crouched low, weapons by his side. "So be it." The assassin pushed hard against the earth as Syèl of all things chanted a spell. The bloodmage slammed his palm against the ground, causing a mandala to appear beneath his feet. Several more shot out of that one and spread across a thirty-meter radius.

The elements momentarily went crazy, forcing Shadow to keep his wits about him as several chunks of the earth gave way or shot up without pattern. Columns of flames, ice, and wind slammed down and around in utter chaos, each one potentially a fatal blow.

But Shadow did not slow down for a second. He ducked under the elements and weaved through the chaos led by minute instinctual warnings from the game. His body experienced extreme heat and cold in sharp intervals, leaving him slightly delirious and disoriented, but still, he single-mindedly pressed on.

Heavy clashing of opposing elements exploded in the assassin's vicinity, engulfing him in the blast. Syèl's eyes widened in amazement as Shadow emerged from the smoke, falling straight towards him, dagger raised. "Good try." Several ice lances appeared around the halben. "But you fell short." The lances zipped towards their target.

Shadow realized he could not dodge these in time. He closed his eyes in abject resignation. "I'm sorry." Something tugged hard against his shirt, and then he felt himself being propelled through the air.

Shadow opened his eyes when he dropped to the ground. What he saw made him drop his daggers in fright. "Kira!"

The direwolf, still bloody from her previous battle 'smiled' at him. She licked the blood that stained his face, then turned around and glared at Syèl.

Syèl's brows bunched together, his eyes bitter as he gazed at Kira. "That wasn't necessary. I was going to miss."

Kira nodded, then fell to the ground, having lost all of her energy. Three ice lances sticking out of her side was all the signal everyone needed to know the fight was over. Shadow ran over, panic-stricken, but Jade pushed him out of the way.

"I got this," Jade promised. "Try your sister again, then get yourself fixed up." She bent over the wolf and patted her head. "You're gonna be just fine." Green healing energy emanated from Jade's hand and began healing her. "Kashi'll kill me otherwise," she joked.

Kira's bark seemed to agree with her. The direwolf then closed her eyes to get some much-needed rest.

A good distance from them, Shadow stared at his reflection in a stream of water. What the hell had he almost done? He grimaced at the blood on his hands. He frantically tried to wash it off, but it refused to leave. He would have to wait until the game's auto-clean system decided to remove it.

Shadow clutched his chest. He had to save Lunette. But at what cost? Could he repay Kashi with treachery?

"Hey, kid." Shadow turned to Syèl, who watched from behind. "That's never going to wash off. No amount of soap can get that blood off your hands." Shadow's pained grimace lessened Syèl's anger. This kid was just too young to know better. Come to think about it, Shadow reminded him of his younger self. Akira saved him then. Sometimes all people like him and Shadow needed was someone who would listen. Really listen. With a sigh, Syèl walked up to the assassin. "Talk."

Shadow started hesitantly at first, but the more he said, the easier it became. By the time he was done, Syèl's expression was a mixture of shock and horror.

"Whoa... Now that's one hell of a story." Syèl shook the shock out of his face and then fixed Shadow with a hard glare. "We're gonna get your sister back."