Atrium of Founders.
Special Advisor's Office...
"The Phoenix and Clover guilds are asking why we haven't sent our defense teams yet."
Ace Bren's voice was leveled as he slid a letter across the table towards Elite Loretta.
"What do you say we do, Elite Loretta?" He asked.
She stared at the envelope for a while before returning her gaze to him with a soft sigh. "How have the recruits and everyone else been coming along?"
"This set's picks have quite the mentality, I would say. Elite Melvin looked closer. They're doing well with their trainings and are preparing."
"Aha, where has Melvin been? I haven't seen him in a while," Loretta asked.
"I… have no idea as well. Perhaps, Cyndy may be one to answer this question. They are close after all," Bren shrugged. "The letter only got to me because he and Elite Sebastian were nowhere to be found, and Elite Vordd would have probably delivered late."
"I sent Sebastian to check the trainings for any exceptional talents to prioritize. It's a good thing it didn't reach the hands of Vordd. He would do whatever he wants and only let me know if it is done or if he fails," Loretta commented.
"However," she continued. "I think we should send the defense teams tomorrow instead of the day after. We are all trying to protect the kingdom anyways. Send a letter, apologizing for the delay. I wonder how long Aris wants to take before getting here."
"Very well then. Will do as you requested." Ace Bren stood up and bowed his before leaving.
Elite Loretta slammed her hands on the table after Bren left and palmed her face, resting her elbows on the table. "The three key figures of the guild and none of them is in the bloody kingdom. We are becoming a joke."
… …
"Don't beg for mercy."
Sylvia's taunt came in as she readied herself, lunging towards Nolan.
Nolan watched her movements and smiled. "You still remain the same even in a different circumstance. Not working again," he muttered to himself.
That stance. The way she set her leg—the angle. It all brought that one memory he had with her.
…
Regression 302.
Here, Nolan was a villain, mercilessly killing betrayers and people who got on his nerves in the previous life. He regressed without an ability so he became an assassin.
At the time she still rivaled him.
This was the only time he faced Sylvia. And… she killed him.
"You," Sylvia called out from behind him. "You are the one murdering people under the guise of a demon."
Nolan standing in a puddle of blood from the dozen lifeless bodies spread across the floor, turned with a devilish grin.
"Do you wish to become one of them?" He laughed. "You see, it doesn't matter who dies. They'll all keep coming the hell back!" He roared, his laughter replaced by raw anger on his face.
Sylvia remained silent, but her jaw clenched. She closed her eyes and opened them, now half-lided as she unsheathed her sword. She was extremely focused and in the zone.
"You have no remorse at all. You've taken the lives of innocents who had families, people who wanted to see them again. You cut their life short."
She drew her leg back and locked eyes with him. "You are a monster."
She lunged at him.
Nolan brought out his daggers to block her attack, but she suddenly stopped her leading leg and used it to push herself to the side before blitzing past him.
Nolan's eyes widened. "Huh?" He looked down, seeing his side cut deeply.
Not, going to far, Sylvia turned to slash the back of his knees and he went down on them.
"Aaaaahhhhhh!" She yelled as she brought the sword down, coming for his neck.
CLANG!
Her eyes widened.
Nolan blocked it with a dagger, without turning. "I underestimated you a lot, didn't I?" he muttered.
"When they said you rivaled me, I didn't expect you to be this close."
Sylvia pulled back, gaining space.
Nolan turned to her, trying to up but failing, but he ignored the pain. He had taken more than that before. "I want to ask you two questions."
She stepped back as he got closer, until her back hit the wall of the house behind her.
Getting close to her, Nolan managed to use one leg to push himself up, almost standing.
'What are thinking, Sylvia?' she yelled at herself in her mind. She took her sword and drove it into his stomach. Not that he couldn't parry it, but he let it pierce him.
Nolan held it in place, so she wouldn't pull it out. "Firstly. Do you… think you can clear the Seraph Spire when… when it appears? Can you… clear it?"
Sylvia didn't get what he was saying, since no one even knew there would be a second Crimson Moon at the time.
She pulled out the sword, forcefully.
Nolan's fingers landed on the earth and she stomped him on the chest, sending him falling back.
Nolan laid there, bleeding alongside the people whose lives he had just taken. He bled through his mouth but still continued to speak. "Can you do it… alone? Put an end to… this. Please… don't trust… anyone."
Sylvia still confused, but angry, walked over to him and stood, towering above him.
He scoffed then coughed out blood. "Secondly. You speak… about… cutting life short."
He made sure to lock eyes with her. "What… what makes you… think life… gets better the… longer… you liv…"
Sylvia's angry expression faltered, replaced by a flicker of something she didn't quite understand—not pity, but a sudden confusion, as if she'd just heard a truth she couldn't comprehend.
And so he died.
Only to come back again for regression 303.
…
Here, Sylvia was still trying to use that move, but Nolan knew better.
With how good his memory was, it felt like she just did it a few seconds ago.
As she did the leg movement and went to his side, Nolan effortlessly took his sword there like he was expecting it.
And there it came.
CLANG!
Surprised by how easily Nolan read her move, Sylvia tried changing her initial plan. She bent down and spun, to sweep him off the ground, but Nolan knew that would happen and started a backflip, before she even went halfway with the spin.
However, his stats were still low and his reaction time was slower than hers by far, that's why he acted before she completed her movements, and now she recovered and came charging.
He barely managed to parry her attack when his eyes landed on someone who was intently—would he say, watching?—them.
Elite Sebastian. The Oracle.
That distracted him and before he knew it, Sylvia slashed his shoulder and connected a knee to his wrist, making him lose the sword.
Then she put a leg firmly behind him and jabbed him on the chest, making him lose balance and fall to the ground.
Then she pointed her sword at his face, with a smile. "Since you didn't put me in mine, I've put you in yours. So know your place well."
Nolan sighed and raised his hands in surrender.
"That. Was. Amazing!" Liana squealed.
Cedric who was fully invested in the fight grinned. "Short but wild."
Alexander was busy sulking because Nolan lost.
"Brat," Liana called out to Alexander. "Male what again?"
Alexander said nothing as he squinted at her.
They weren't the only ones who had been watching the sparring match.
A handful of other people had been watching from their segments as well, but they were more intrigued by Sylvia, not the loser, even though some claimed to see that he got distracted.
Elite Sebastian looked at them with his eyes that were hidden behind his unkempt hair—Nolan in particular, and without another word, he left.