Guller sighed before entering the building. There, in a dark house in Fallen, was the main meeting place of the Crows, the organization of the rebel nobles. After the arrest of several members, they had agreed that they would not meet again for three months, but there was the marquis again.

The streets of Fallen were as dark and disgusting as ever. The password was still the same: three light knocks on the wooden door, but for some reason, it was already open, showing the macabre pitch inside the building. 

“Is anyone there?”

The atmosphere was like a trap. No one knew exactly how the members of the Crows were captured or killed, so they could not be too careful. The marquis pulled his dagger from his belt and cautiously entered.

After the death of Edward Soul Za, the leader of the organization, all the nobles began to disagree, after all the Crows needed a new leader. To gain leadership, they would not hesitate to kill each other or set traps for their fellow members.

The number of living members was unknown, considering that some faked their own deaths and others were probably spies, disguised as dead nobles.

“There is no one here…” Guller swallowed dryly. It was definitely a trap. That was the perfect place to hide an obese body.

And even though he felt it was a trap, the marquis kept walking. If it really was an ambush, he would no longer be able to escape the city anyway. At least he would see the face of the person responsible for the death of the other members. 

Luckily, there was a lit candle in the second room. Without wasting any time, Guller grabbed the light source and reflexively checked his back. There was no one there, he was safe for the time being.

The candle in his left hand and the dagger in his right trembled as the marquis' heartbeat increased. He needed to keep moving.

‘Whooop!’ The sound of expensive boots slipping on a viscous liquid echoed through the building, and the nobleman's body went to the ground. Quickly, Guller tried to pull himself together, picking up objects from the floor and lighting up the spot he had stepped on.

“What?”

A liquid was pouring abundantly all over the archaic wooden floor. The same liquid also stained the marquis's expensive clothes red.

There was no doubt about it. The coloration, the stench, and the sensation were of blood.

The blood created a trail on the floor, which Guller followed by instinct, always asking himself: ‘What am I doing here?’ He is probably going to die. It was like pieces of bread lying on the ground, and the marquis was the bird that was following into the trap. But unlike the birds, the man was aware that something was waiting for him at the end of the trail.

The trail ended in front of a door. The source of the reddish liquid was a crack in the door ahead. He knew, he could not open that door. Yet when he made mention of turning around and running away, desperately…

‘Plac!’ The sound of doors and windows closing reverberated, sending a chill through Guller's soul. He had missed his chance to escape and ended up trapped in the building. His only option at that moment was to open the door in front of him and witness a likely brutal scene. He had no options, that's what the killer wanted.

“Shit…” The doorknob turned slowly, as the marquis squeezed the handle of the dagger harder. ‘Poc!’ The door opened, and a creak violated the silence.

“Ahhhh!”

The first thing he saw, as he looked inside, was a familiar deformed face. Despite the bruises and blood covering his face, the nobleman was sure who that was. The bizarre hairstyle was unmistakable, the cheap clothes and the piercings on what had once been a face gave away that this could only be…

“A-Alban!? Marquis Alban! Blergh!”

Guller fought the urge to put out what he had eaten earlier. He couldn't let his guard down. Any carelessness would mean the end of his life.

“Too much loyalty ish a real problem, ishn't it?” 

“It's all very well to want to look like a little hero, but there's a limit to everything, am I right?”

“Ishn't that right? We alwaysh have to be willing to make agreements. That's how the world works.”

“True. People need to be more open-minded.”

A single voice reverberated through the room. Yes, it was a single voice, however, it alternated between the ‘cute’ and the obscene tone, giving away the twisted personality of the owner. 

“W-who's there?” Guller shouted, pointing his dagger into the pitch.

The soles of his expensive boots stepped on something wet again. Every hair on his body stood on end as he felt something warm go through the sole and touch the instep.

“How rude of me! I forgot to turn on the lights for our guest.”

‘Clack!’ The sound of snapping fingers echoed and light filled the whole place, turning the dim candle into an insignificant object.

“Bleeeeeeeergh! Blergh!”

“Why? You'd prefer the lights off? Humans are so complicated.”

Guller didn't have time to pass the ‘don't puke’ command to his brain. The scene changed quickly and the pile of bodies was lit up.

His stomach complained as he realized that the sticky ‘something’ the marquis stepped on was actually pieces of what had once been part of a human intestine.

“It is not possible…! Blergh!!!”

Almost all of the deformed faces were familiar. There was no doubt about it. Even if some were novices, the brooches on their bloody clothes gave away that they were members of the Crows.

It was unbelievable. The organization that had taken years to form was reduced to a pile of deformed bodies. The nobles among the nobles, warriors and strategists, became nothing more than pieces of meat.

‘Plac!’ The door behind Guller closed, and the room was filled with a frightening aura.

“Marquis Guller, I presume?” The man swallowed dryly and said nothing, yet the assassin introduced herself with a voice that exuded lust: “It is a pleasure to meet you. My name is Azazel van Elsie, and today I bring you an offer you can't refuse.”

“Azazel… van Elsie!!!?” 

“I see you know me. I seem to be quite popular in the kingdom. Kyaaa! I'm embarrassed like this.” The demon put her shell-shaped hands on her mask, as if she was hiding her face.

It was impossible not to know that freak. The monstrosity in maid's clothes and black and white mask described by the annoying heretic church pervert was right in front of her.

“Y-you killed…”

“Ah, that trash? No, no! It wasn't me. Gyl made the mess. She's very disorganized.”

“You'll scare him off, Miss Azazel.” A male voice echoed.

That voice was familiar, as was the blue overcoat of its owner. It was…

“Raul?! I-I thought you were dead!”

“I almost died, in fact. But I was saved by Miss Azazel. It is thanks to her that I am here today. It's thanks to her that I am officially a member of the Crow, just like you, marquis Guller!”

“What are you talking about!?!” Noticing the aggressive tone, Guller, for the love of his own life, lowered his tone, sighed, and continued: “I'm sorry. I meant, which Crows? They are all dead!”

“You are indeed a very polite man, Mr. Guller. But have you forgotten? ‘An army only ceases to exist from the moment its leader dies.’ As long as we have someone leading us…”

“Will you be the new leader, Raul? Is that why you killed everyone?”

“No, no, no. I am not worthy of such a position.”

“So…”

“Our leader will remain the same. The only person who is capable of getting this kingdom back on track. My great master: Edward Soul Za.”

After the blind, obsessive words, Raul bowed exaggeratedly, and the door, once mysteriously sealed, opened. A silhouette announced:

“We are beginning a new Era, my old friend. I need new members for the Crows, and you have been selected for your previous deeds and loyalty. Of course, if you don't accept, all that will be left is death,” Edward Soul Za said, entering the room in an imposing manner. 

Guller’s eyes saw, but his mind denied the reality. He had seen with his own eyes Edward's body, with a huge hole in his chest, being buried. This was improbable! The marquis was as alive as a young man in a brothel. Not even death could stop this nobleman. But…

“What's with this strange body, Edward…?” commented Guller, seeing his former companion holding out his hand.