[Damien's Pov]
The early hours of the morning were silent. Damien sat on an overturned crate in the cavernous warehouse, his chest wrapped tightly in blood-soaked bandages.
Elena stood near the periphery.
And The Butler arrived, his suit immaculate despite the bruising.
"The Brute is finished, Master Damien." The Butler said.
Damien slammed his fist onto the crate. "At least someone did their damn job. We, on the other hand.." he gritted his teeth "...couldn't even get the Anomaly."
The Butler remained composed. "Sir, we are still alive. And that means there's still a chance to eliminate him."
Elena pushed off the wall. "He's right. And need to make sure we don't waste that chance again."
Damien's eyes flicked toward her. "Yeah." he muttered, forcing himself to stand despite the pain. "Next time… we finish him."
Suddenly, a high-pitched laugh shattered through the empty space. And a figure dropped gracefully from a steel beam high above, landing with exaggerated theatricality.
"Such drama! Such pathos!" Jokul yelled, skipping toward them. "I followed the delightful stink of your rage all the way from the south block! And here it is... the smell of rage and the deep, deep despair of failure!"
The Butler instantly snapped his cane into a defensive stance. "Who the hell are you?"
The intruder bowed with a sweep of his hat. "Jokul, at your service. Though you can call me The Jester if you prefer flair... I'm here to join the party!"
Damien's hand went to his katana, sliding it an inch from its sheath as mana flared from his palm. "Get out of here before I make you obsolete, clown."
Jokul giggled and flicked a set of glowing red cards into the air. "Obsolete? Oh, darling, I'm the upgrade! And I'm here for cleanup duty."
The cards exploded midair with thunderous CRACKS. The Butler reacted instantly, his cane spun forming a silver barrier that shimmered under the blast, protecting Damien from the concussive force.
Elena darted forward, using shadow step to vanish into a blur and reappear beside Jokul, twin wickedly curved daggers forming in her hands.
"Finally, a dance partner with style!" Jokul shouted gleefully. He flung a dozen red cards at her feet, detonations chasing her every move. Elena spun, twisted and leapt each explosion lighting her silhouette in flashes of crimson.
Jokul followed up with a new hand of purple cards. "Let's see if those pretty blades can block these!"
Elena crossed her blades, catching the volley but the impact sent tremors through her arms.
The Butler counterattacked, his cane shot forward, summoning a storm of crystal shards that shot toward Jokul. Jokul grinned and backflipped off a crate, flinging another red card that exploded midair, scattering the shards harmlessly.
Elena reappeared behind him, slashing upward. Jokul barely ducked, her blade nicked his cheek, drawing a single line of blood.
"Oooh " he laughed, tasting it with his thumb. "I like you."
Elena lunged again, shadows trailing her like ribbons. Their weapons clashed in a blur of black steel and red cards, the clangs and detonations echoing through the space.
Damien, tried to rise. "Elena... stay clear, he's baiting you."
Jokul suddenly vanished in a puff of smoke and reappeared behind her. His purple cards ignited around his hand, forming a blade made entirely of energy. He swung and Elena caught it with her shadow blade, sparks bursting between them.
The Butler intervened, striking Jokul from the flank with his cane. The impact sent Jokul crashing into a steel pillar and denting it.
"Got you." The Butler said, mana condensing around him. He planted his cane and crystal petals spun outward, surrounding him in a deadly halo.
But Jokul only smiled from the smoke. "Beautiful craftsmanship, old man."
He flicked three purple cards, each one lodging in the petals. They pulsed ominously.
The Butler swung his cane to deflect them but the cards detonated, shattering his defense. The shockwave sent Elena and Jokul both skidding backward.
Jokul laughed, flipping a card with his gaze on Elena. "Why stick with the brittle little King, darling?" he said. "He's already bleeding out his failures! I see the ambition in your eyes, now join me. And we'll paint this city in chaos, then we'll carve out a Thrine for ourselves!"
Elena froze, her chest heaving.
The Butler steadied himself, coughing blood but still standing. "Ignore him, Elena... he's nothing but trickster."
Jokul flicked another card, a blue one and he smirked. "Trickster, hmm?"
He charged. And the Butler moved to intercept, his cane striking like lightning.
But Elena moved first.
Her body flickered with shadow and reappeared at Jokul's flank… but instead of attacking him, she turned her blade toward The Butler.
The Butler's eyes widened, as her blade slashed for his chest. He barely blocked with his cane, the impact ringing out.
"Elena?" he choked, a string of blood escaping his lips.
Jokul's grin widened, mad delight twisting his features. "There's my answer!"
Jokul hurled a storm of purple cards into the opening. And the Butler's body convulsed as the purple blasts tore through him, ripping him apart.
His cane clattered to the ground. And a torrent of blood from his wounds started pooling beneath him.
"STERLING!" Damien roared.
Jokul turned toward him, grinning wickedly. "Your turn, little King." He hurled red cards in rapid fire, creating a wall of explosions that boxed Damien in.
Damien ripped his katana free and deflected what he could, his vision swimming from blood loss.
Jokul advanced but Elena stepped between them, her shadow blades lowered. "It's enough, Jokul." she said flatly.
Jokul tilted his head. "The fun's just starting, sweetheart."
"Let the boy live." Elena purred. "He's nothing without his pawns anyway. Let him watch everything he built burn. It'll hurt more."
Jokul stared at her for a long moment… then burst into a manic laugh. "Oh... I really, really like you."
He flicked a glowing blue card at the ground. And it detonated in a blinding flash of light.
When it cleared, they were gone.
Damien stood alone, surrounded by smoke and ruin. He stumbled toward The Butler's body and fell to his knees beside the corpse.
He couldn't scream, he just stared.