~SWOOOSH!~

The blade sliced through the air, making its way towards the target in a literal flash.

No one ever detected Fernand's strikes whenever he swung his blade.

That gave rise to his nickname: Flash Flashy Fernand.

It was a little goofy, but the old man took it seriously. He had a track record of killing multiple enemies who wouldn't even know they were dead until seconds—maybe even a minute later.

His record was 93 seconds, and he was proud of that feat.

However, he was in a hurry now. Ending this girl's life and retrieving this document was the mission.

And he never failed any missions.

Not now, and not when he was the Head Warrior of the United Human Alliance.

'She's probably holding all the important documents relating to the business of the Verte Estate. Taking this from her should earn me even more merit.'

That way, he could finally be recognized enough to ascend to the Trio position.

'I've earned it now, haven't I?'

By completing this mission successfully, surely he had proven his worth enough.

If the Royal Estate couldn't see his skills and talents, he was sure the Criminal Underworld would.

He was going to prove himself to them. Then, they'd hand over his position among the Deadly Three.

'Then… I'll aim for the position of leader.'

That was his goal!

To rise to the very top of any organization he was in.

And by spilling the blood of this innocent girl, he would finally be able to fulfill his grand ambition.

'Sorry, little one. All of this is necessary too!'

~CLANG!~

'Hm?!'

Fernand was shocked.

His blade was meant to easily slice through his opponents—like a hot knife through butter.

It was the easiest thing to do.

So why? Why was he experiencing resistance?!

His wrinkled eyelids opened and he was could now see the reason for it.

"You…"

Fernand frowned deeply as he glared at the man who now stood in front of him.

He had a dark coat, with the crimson color in certain parts of his outfit. His dark mask was intimidating, and his presence oozed power.

Fernand could instantly tell that the man was strong. He could also detect a growing dislike that rose within him.

He already hated this man.

'How dare you stop my blade!' His thoughts echoed as the breeze flowed in the darkness.

"Who are you?"

********

'E-eh…?'

Kara Verte was stunned to see someone else standing in front of her.

Her blurry vision made it difficult to really decipher who he was, but the blade that was approaching her never got close.

She wasn't dead, and it was all thanks to the man who stood in front of her.

'Who is he?' As she pondered this, the enemy also asked the same question.

A tense silence consumed everything around as the world held its breath, waiting for the man to respond.

"My name is Ralyks. But you can call me your grim reaper." His voice, deep and resolute, echoed in its majesty.

Kara felt her body tremble slightly as she felt his cold statement wash over her.

She felt immensely grateful that she wasn't the one he was talking to.

"My grim reaper? What in the world are y—?"

~VWUUUSH!~

Kara watched as Fernand was suddenly thrust back, creating a large gap between him and them.

The further away he went, the more she couldn't even see him at all.

He had become a complete blur.

'I really need my—'

Just as she had this exact thought, she felt something pressing on her face, and the scent of the man in black overwhelmed her senses.

Within a moment, she could see perfectly.

"Here you go." His voice softly echoed in her ears.

Then, as her vision completely returned, she could see him a lot clearer.

He looked like the embodiment of chaos—of death.

The Reaper itself!

"Much better." He patted her head gently, his voice still remaining the same as it was.

Calm, collected, and kind.

Despite being a scary monster that could consume even darkness itself, Kara felt safe with him.

Her fear ceased, her grief lessened, and her heart slowed down in comfort.

'T-thank you… Lord Ralyks.' Her eyes leaked forth tiny drops of tears before she closed her eyes and felt sleepy.

Kara still didn't know what her fate was. She also held onto the cloth very tightly.

However, having this man here gave her a sense of comfort and security.

'Mother, Father… I'm safe now.'

*********

'Good. Looks like she's asleep now.' Rey sighed in relief as he looked at the girl in his grasp.

He cradled her gently and let her land softly on the ground as she enjoyed the sleep he induced on her.

'She looks traumatized. It's better she rests for a bit.'

He exhaled deeply once he gave another glance at her. She was pretty, and her cute face was even more accentuated with the glasses she wore.

She also had a somewhat sickly pale skin which added a fragile look to her overall appeal.

'She's the daughter of the Vertes, huh? Kara, I see…'

Rey had used [Absolute Appraisal] on her, so knew a little about her.

'Her parents are dead already too. What a sha—'

"HEY! ARE YOU IGNORING ME RIGHT NOW?!" The angry voice of an old man woke Rey from his thoughts.

It caused him to slightly look away from the sleeping beauty and slowly turn back to see the enemy.

His glowing crimson eyes increased in intensity as he glared at him.

"Be quiet. I'll attend to you once I'm done."

There was no way Rey was ignoring the old man. He just wasn't the priority at the moment.

'I came to save the Verte Group, but it seems I could only save one girl. I suppose I'm not as fast or as strong as I want to be.'

Even though he arrived relatively early, if he had come here slightly earlier, he could have saved the dead Knights on the floor.

If he came even earlier, there was a chance he could have saved Kara's parents.

In essence…

'… I'm not that strong. Not yet!'

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Thanks for reading!