The group raced through the bustling streets, their pursuers closing in fast. “Where are the guards when you need 'em?” Garrick's voice cut through the chaos as he held Lucia in his left arm and clenched his sword in his right. 

“No idea, they've always been lazy but even this is unnatural, but we gotta find cover in a narrow street. Can't afford to get cornered” Reynard's urgency was palpable as they sprinted, suddenly pointing to a nearby alley.  “That one! Daniel make sure to stick close. The distress signal has been activated help should arrive soon”

As they raced down the alley, navigating its twists and turns the amount of pursuers began to decrease. “They're falling behind! Keep moving!” Garrick's voice rang out filled with determination. “Vincent, throw a smoke bomb at the next intersection. We need to throw them off our trail. Lucia, we're getting you out of here!”

Vincent hurled the smoke bomb at the intersection obscuring their pursuer's view. The group dashed forwards thinking they had finally outmaneuvered their foes.

As they rounded another corner, their hopes were crushed as they found themselves confronted with a dead end. Panic surged through their veins as they realized if they turned around they were guaranteed to run into the assailants.

Before they could decide on their next action a voice spoke up from above them “Finally there you are you little wench” A person showed up covered in a robe hiding his face as he shouted he fired a green flare into the sky and shadows began descending from the rooftops and the group was surrounded by assailants armed with swords and spears instantly.

“Reynard, Vincent keep Lucia in the middle and don’t let them through, Daniel stay next to Lucia and if you see an opening flee and drag her with you” Garrick shouted as he cut through a shaft of a spear that was thrust at him, he immediately followed up with a slash of his own killing the attacker instantly. The three men replied with a nod and got into position.

“No, I'm not leaving you guys behind!” Lucia screamed out. her voice was filled with fear and tears started to run down on her face.

“This is not the time, Lucia. Activate your protective artefact now!” Garrick shouted between slashes. The shout froze her momentarily until she regained her composure and grabbed her necklace. She started pouring mana into it and as soon as the mana entered the necklace a small dome glowing a light gold formed around her and Daniel.

“It won't allow arrows to go through until it runs out,” Lucia explained, her voice trembling with fear.

Daniel turned around and saw how effortlessly Garrick defeated the assailants. With each strike, he managed to wound or kill one but more kept dropping from the roofs. Vincent and Reynard were holding their own. The metallic scent of blood hung heavy in the air, mixing with the dust of the alley as the guards fought with everything they had to fend off the attackers. 

“Focus on the second-tiered one first!” The apparent leader, standing firm on the rooftop, barked orders to his men below. It was clear that Garrick was recognized as the primary threat. Daniel's mind raced as he desperately searched for an opening amidst the chaos.

“Garrick! More are coming from the street!” Vincent's voice pierced through the chaos of battle. Garrick swiftly dispatched an assailant, then glanced over his shoulder. "On my mark, we switch positions, NOW!" he bellowed, unleashing an aura blade that cut through five attackers in one swift motion. Meanwhile, Vincent kicked his opponent in the chest causing the attacker to fall to the ground and swapped places with Garrick.

Garrick's gaze shifted to the oncoming assailants flooding in from the street. Seeing that they were still a few moments away, he refocused on the other assailants descending from the roofs. Engaging with them, he began quietly whispering something under his breath, his movements fluid and relentless as he continued to stab and slash at the assailants. The narrow alleyway quickly filled with countless bodies.

Daniel glanced up and saw that the leader, previously standing alone was now joined by another man, their figures silhouetted casted shadows in the ally. Suddenly, Garrick shouted, “Come forth, Stormblade Barrage!” As he finished his shout, he slashed his sword multiple times towards the incoming assailants from the street. With each swing, a barrage of razor-sharp wind blades released from his sword, seeming to travel instantly and cutting down the large group of assailants. Daniel's mind froze at the sight of such a bloodbath.

"Now, Daniel! Take Lucia and run!" Garrick’s shout shook him out of his daze. Daniel grabbed the girl by her arm and began running through the body-ridden alleyway.

The leader spoke up, "Take your men and follow them, kill the boy, and try to capture the girl alive." As the leader finished his sentence, the man who stood beside him gave a short bow and began chasing after the pair followed by four assailants.

“No, you won’t!” Garrick shouted, unleashing another wind blade at the running henchman. But before the blade could reach its target aura blade appeared and clashed with it preventing it from reaching its target and the assailant kept running.

“Not so fast, old timer. Your opponent is me,” the leader said after descending from the roof.

The leader descended with grace, his arrival before Garrick marking the start of their confrontation. His steely gaze locked onto the older guard. They felt that their auras were equally matched. Without hesitation the attackee thrusted his sword forward, aiming to catch Garrick off guard. However, Garrick's reflexes, honed by years of confronting bandits, robbers, and beasts were as sharp as the edge of his blade. He effortlessly parried the attack with the fluidity of a seasoned warrior.

Their swords danced with deadly precision, each strike aiming to take the opponent's life. Sparks flew as their blades collided, sending shockwaves through the alley. The intensity of their duel seemed to stop the others in their tracks as they focused on the duel that was taking place in front of them.

As their fight raged on, Garrick's laughter suddenly filled the air, startling his opponent. “Took you guys long enough,” he chuckled.  

His opponent, noticing Garrick's gaze directed behind him, attempted to pivot, but stumbled and collapsed onto his back. As he peered down, horror flooded his expression upon realizing his left leg was missing below the knee. With a piercing scream, he writhed in agony. Meanwhile, his gaze darted towards his men, only to witness a figure cloaked in dark red robes the emblem of a dagger stitched in white thread on the garment's back moving swiftly and silently like a ghost between his soldiers, slicing their necks open before they could react, each falling to the ground in silence.

The man heard footsteps approaching, and as he turned his head he was met with a blue arc of magic. The world around him began to blur and fade as darkness gradually overtook his senses.

….

Daniel hurried through the back alleys of the central district, his heart pounding with fear and his mind filling with thousands of thoughts a second. Afraid to look back, he kept running until Lucia's voice pierced through the chaos in his mind. “Daniel, please stop. I can't run anymore,” she panted. her was face drenched in sweat and tears as she looked Daniel in the eyes. 

“Okay, but we need to keep walking. Here put this hood on, your blonde hair stands too much out here” Daniel replied while he retrieved a spare robe he got from his ring and handed it over to her. 

While she put the robe on, Daniel kept a vigilant eye on the surroundings. He heard a sound and snapped his head, spotting an assailant over Lucia's shoulder, descending from the roof and running towards Lucia with a drawn sword. Time seemed to slow down as he screamed for Lucia to move, but she screamed back, alerting him to enemies behind. Looking over his shoulder, he saw four attackers with drawn bows on the roof.

His mind raced, calculating his options faster than ever before. Instincts took over as he grabbed Lucia in his embrace, and they toppled over. While falling, he summoned all his determination to call on his magic. “Something, I need to do something, anything” ran through his mind. His family ring began emitting a slight heat, and he instinctively pointed his right hand towards the swordsman. A dark bolt shot out of his palm, hitting the swordsman square on his chest. The force removed his hood, revealing his face as black lines climbed up his neck and face from underneath his clothes. His eyes filled with fear before they turned black, and smoke poured from his mouth.

A sharp pain tore through two places on his back as he landed. Looking back at the archers, he realized they were beheaded four cloaked men. Despite this, the archers managed to fire two arrows before being killed. His sight began to fade, he felt a warm sensation running down from his back. he managed to whisper to Lucia, “I'm sorry” before his vision faded to black. However, in the corner of his eye, he spotted a message:

[QUEST COMPLETED!]

[Congratulations, You have killed your first opponent with an eldritch spell!]

[You have received 1 low-grade soul.]

….

Steps echoed through the long cobblestone hallway as Adrien strode forward, flanked by two of his shadows. "Give me the report," he commanded, his voice steady despite the fury brewing within him.

“Tristan, Garrick, and the other personal guard detail eliminated 150 tier-one and 4 second-tier assailants,” one of the shadows reported. “Additionally, the Shadowguard took down 10 first-tier, 20 second-tier attackers, and 1 third-tier knight. We also captured one second-tier knight. Lastly, the boy managed to kill one second-tier assailant.”

“And the losses?” he followed up.

“The personal guard detail have sustained major wounds, but they’re expected to make a full recovery within a few days,” the other shadow reported. “Eight of the second squad are critically injured, as is the boy.”

“See to it that the wounded receive the best care available,” Adrien replied, his voice remaining calm despite the intense anger smouldering in his eyes.

As they arrived at the jail cell, two guards and the captain of the city watch greeted them. The trio paused, and the captain locked eyes with Adrien. He spoke first, his tone firm, “He’s all yours, but you must keep him alive. We need to execute him publicly to quell the public's anger.”

Adrien nodded in acknowledgement and turned to his guards. “Make sure no one enters without my permission,” he instructed. The two shadows took position next to the metal jail door. he took his glasses off and handed them to one of the shadows and entered the cell.

….

Juan slowly regained consciousness, the distant echo of footsteps piercing through the haze of his senses. He found himself sitting on the floor with his back on the wall and his hands were bound tightly above his head, rendering him immobile. Surveying his surroundings, he found himself confined within a stone jail cell devoid of any windows. Attempting to channel his aura, but because of the specialised cuffs encasing his wrists, he couldn't call upon his mana.

A surge of intense pain shot through his left leg, jolting him into a grim recollection of the events. It had been an ill-fated attempt to capture the young mistress of the Amber Leaf Company. he should’ve known when other assassination companies refused the quest and classified it as suicide. Yet, despite the warnings his boss had accepted the mission nonetheless ordering him and his captain to try and capture the girl.

Lost in contemplation, Juan was abruptly jolted back to reality as the door to his cell creaked open, and he saw who stood in front of him engulfed his mind in fear.

…. 

“Do you know who I am?” drien asked calmly, though a faint red glow began to shimmer in his eyes.

Juan gave a faint nod. “Speak. Who. Am. I” Adrien's gaze seemingly bore into his soul, causing him to shiver slightly.

“Y-y-you’re Adrien Amberleaf, second in command of the Amberleaf trading company” he stammered through his words

“And?” Adrien's gaze intensified, fixating on Juan as he knelt before him, their eyes locked in a chilling stare. He observed Juan’s trembling form and the beads of sweat forming on his brow. 

“Y-Y-You’re also k-k-known as the Blood Demon of the Amberleaf company after you slaughtered thousands of people,” Juan continued, his voice trembling with fear.

Adrien remained silent, his expression unreadable as he continued to stare at Juan. The pungent scent of urine filled the air as Juan’s voice quivered. “They attempted to assassinate you, but it went wrong. Instead, they killed your wife and daughter,” he confessed, his gaze dropping to the floor.

“Exactly that’s me. So when I'm finished with you, you’re going to tell me why you and your men thought it was a good idea to try and kill my niece. In. My. City.” While he spoke, Adrien began moving the dishevelled hairs out of Juan's face.

“That won't be necessary. I'll tell you everything. Please, spare me,” Juan begged.

A slight smile appeared on Adrien’s face as he leaned in closer and whispered, “But where would the fun be in that?”

….

After 25 minutes the screams finally came to a halt and Adrien stepped out of the cell, cleaning his hands with a white handkerchief that slowly began to turn red. 

The captain of the city watch looked through the door and began to gag, holding his hand in front of his mouth. He turned around with wide eyes to look at Adrien. “Be glad that I didn't touch his face so you can have an execution without people being suspicious,” Adrien said as he began walking back through the cobblestone hallway. “And captain please make sure your guards aren't involved in it, it would be a shame if they were to have an accident.”

The captain began to shake slightly at the threat. “We’re already investigating why there was no response from the guards in the area,” he replied hastily. Adrien continued walking away, and as his silhouette became smaller, one of the guards quietly spoke up. “Captain, why did we let this money-grubber interrogate the prisoner?” 

In a hushed voice, the captain swiftly shut down the guard. “Silence! You know nothing! The crown prince owes a lot to this man, through his actions he managed to cut down his opponents and secure his position. If you want to anger the crown prince, don't drag me into it!” 

As the captain berated his subordinate, a voice suddenly echoed in the distance. “Oh, I almost forgot. You can expect a package with new armour for you and your men to arrive at the barracks within two days. It's free of charge. Consider it a thank-you for allowing me to interrogate this man.” The captain's face paled at the sound of the voice, and he quickly exclaimed, “Thank you, sir!”

As Adrien and his shadows quietly kept walking, he suddenly said, “Tell all the Shadowguards to cease their operations and return to base and await my orders. We have some cleaning to do.”