A day that started peacefully was destroyed by a certain old man with a bald head who owned all the marks on his arms. The four of them were attacked!
Zen was the first one to stand up again. A black, destructive, cold aura appeared around him. Zen spoke with a serious voice:
"You have provoked the real Kuroi Zen! Prepare yourself to taste the suffering!"
Zen attacked the man, using his blood on his sword. The atmosphere became blurry and dark due to his power. He swung his sword toward the man's arm to cut it, but the man managed to dodge by activating another mark.
The old man smirked. "You didn't even let me introduce myself," he said. "I have no specific tribe, but if there is a place I belong to, it's the Moon Tribe... the one that disappeared years ago."
Zen didn't stop. He kept moving non-stop to touch him and managed to scratch his neck and arm a bit deeply.
The old man smirked again. "That won't work! My name is Gwyneth by the way ,I think I'm lucky to find the Kuroi Zen as my first target. My senses told me that in this place, I would find a huge amount of power that exceeds the limits. I wanted to gather it with my master... but as I see, there's no need."
Suddenly, his marks started glowing, and a powerful aura pushed Zen away. But Zen remained composed and didn't let it affect him much.
Out of nowhere, a green light knife flew like lightning toward Gwyneth's eyes.
A voice came from afar: "We don't care about your name, your origins, or your existence! Prepare yourself to endure all of us, you monster!"
It was Roy's voice. The three of them were standing near each other. They all used their blood drops to activate their marks. Golden, green, and blue firelight appeared from Lumina, Mei, and Roy.
Zen sighed. "Finally woke up. You're late. But this is my enemy! Leave, all of you! I'll do whatever it takes to kill him!"
Lumina, surrounded by her golden light, looked determined. "Leaving? I won't leave without my future husband, right? Even though the blurry surroundings and the light you make are suffocating us!"
Roy shouted, his blue flames growing stronger. "We are not going anywhere without you, Zen!"
Gwyneth laughed mockingly. "Oh no, no. No one is leaving anywhere. You should enjoy my show with me until the end!"
Mei tried to focus through the dizziness and spoke up: "This man... he's a man of no laws. He has different goals than anyone we've met until now."
Gwyneth's laughter grew louder, turning into a scary sound that echoed around them. "Is that so, young lady? You seem to know more than you should. And seeing you standing here without injuries... frustrates me."
Mei smirked. "Is that so? If my presence bothers you, why don't you try and attack me?"
Gwyneth, the old man, suddenly disappeared. No one could sense his presence.
Mei felt a huge surge of power near her and thought: He's after me. I'm the first target. I have to move!
She used her aura, pushing herself to move as fast as she could. Just then, a stone beneath the water exploded with a deafening sound.
Shards of rock grazed her face, leaving a thin scratch across her cheek. The force of the explosion knocked the air from her lungs, and she struggled to breathe. But she managed to escape just in time.
Gwyneth grinned with a psychopathic smile. "Nice one, nice one!"
Roy shouted, his voice filled with worry: "Mei! Mei!"
Mei sighed, breathing heavily. "I was about to get crushed! If I was late by even a second, I wouldn't be here anymore!"
Zen's expression turned serious. "You shouldn't have provoked him, scary girl. He has an atrocious power!"
Roy and Lumina rushed closer to Zen and Mei.
Roy's eyes widened when he saw the injuries. "Mei! Your face and hand!"
Mei quickly covered her wounds. "I'm fine. I can heal. I'm way better than this!" She pointed toward Zen.
Zen scowled. "That was rude. I'm in perfect shape too!"
Lumina's voice was sharp and serious. "Focus! I think I figured out his next target after Mei… me! We can't use Mei's healing right now. We should protect ourselves!"
Gwyneth's smile deepened. "Well, the dragon, griffin, and silphium marks… all gathered to defeat me? Useless!"
Roy looked at Zen with determination. "Don't hold back your power. We'll be fine! We just need to unleash our inner strength. Our goal is to defeat this monster. Just go all out, and we'll do the same!"
Suddenly, Lumina's golden mark glowed on Zen, Mei, and Roy's arms.
Lumina's voice turned firm. "I'll be the second one! I gave you this mark to blind his attacks, but it won't last long. It's a rare technique that even many mark holders can't use! We have thirty minutes at most, so let's do our best!"
Mei smiled, gripping her weapon tighter. "Thank you, Lumina. We'll do it! I'm fine."
Roy and Zen nodded in agreement. Their combined power surged forward, forming one massive attack. A golden-green light burst from them, igniting the dark clouds above.
Gwyneth sensed the attack but couldn't see it. The glowing force rushed toward him with terrifying speed.
Everything turned blurry in an instant.
Gwyneth was pushed away as Roy, Mei, Zen, and Lumina kept throwing unstoppable attacks at him. Zen's side was burned, the skin turned to ash. He spoke seriously, his breath unsteady: "I don't think we reached him that much!"
Lumina and Mei, their voices steady with confidence, answered together, "We did—but we provoked him more. We need to get ready and shield ourselves!"
Gwyneth fell into the water, blood spilling from his body as if he was drowning.
Roy's expression turned critical. "I sense the pressure under the water!"
Suddenly, Gwyneth emerged, his arm severely injured, water dripping from his pale skin. His voice was rocky and harsh, frustration lacing every word. "I might have underestimated all of you—but you won't see the light again, since you injured one of my arms this badly!"
Roy, his eyes wide in disbelief, whispered, "All of that... and just one arm? This is going crazy."
Lumina shot a fierce glance at Zen. "Don't hold back your power! I know you can do more than that. Zen, be serious—or all of us are going to die!"
Zen's expression turned cold, frustration in his voice. "I am doing my best!"
Lumina looked at him with disappointment, then turned her gaze away.
Gwyneth's dead stare shifted to her. His lips twisted into a cruel smile. "I was planning to choose that girl as my first prey... but I guess Princess Lumina is also wrong in this world, even if we once considered having her on our side."
He raised his hand. The group braced for impact. Lumina immediately formed a golden barrier around herself and the others, but in an instant—she vanished.
Mei's eyes widened in panic. "Where's Lumina?"
Gwyneth chuckled, lifting Lumina by her hair with one hand. "She's right here."
The sight made everyone's heart race. Lumina's golden barrier remained around her, but she struggled to break free from Gwyneth's grasp. He smeared blood on his sword and slashed it through the glowing barrier.
"Now, enjoy the taste of your own power."
The broken barrier turned against Lumina, her own mark attacking her. She screamed in agony as pain surged through her body.
Zen and Roy immediately dashed forward to stop it.
"Wait!" Mei shouted. "Don't rush toward him—he's hiding something!"
But they were already too close. Roy's dragon-marked arm clashed against Gwyneth's sword, his skin tearing open as the sword grazed him. Zen's dark aura swirled around him as he struck at Gwyneth.
Mei stood frozen, trying to analyze the enemy's movements.
Gwyneth's gaze shifted toward her. His smile grew wider. "Ah… another prey for me."
Roy gritted his teeth as he struggled to push the sword away. "Mei!" he shouted desperately.
Mei snapped out of her thoughts, but it was too late.
Gwyneth lunged toward her. His hand grazed her arm, and a searing pain spread through her body. A dark, blood-red mark appeared on her skin.
Mei gasped, her body trembling. "What… what is this?"
Gwyneth's voice lowered to a sadistic whisper. "Are you surprised? This is the Suffering Mark. From now on... you'll feel endless pain."
Mei felt her blood boiling inside her veins, scorching hot and unbearable. The pain struck her like molten iron seeping into her bones. Her vision blurred as agony tore through her.
Zen left Roy's side and rushed toward her, his expression grim. "It's the Torturer Mark of the Dark Bat," he said, voice tight with urgency.
Mei's eyes filled with tears from the overwhelming pain. Her breathing turned ragged. "Remove it… remove this mark from me…! Ahhh! My head!" she screamed, clutching her temples.
Zen grasped her shoulders. "Calm down! Don't panic—and don't use your mark! It'll make you suffer even more. This mark feeds on resistance. You need to endure the suffering just for a bit longer."
Roy, carrying Lumina in his arms, moved toward them. His aura flared with fierce power, his golden dragon mark burning through the air. His gaze fell on Mei, concern etched into his face.
"Mei... how do you feel?" he asked, voice trembling.
Gwyneth, standing across the battlefield with a twisted smile, chuckled darkly. "Since I've already crippled two of you, all that's left... is to return the pain you so foolishly inflicted upon me."
The air grew heavier. The ground beneath them cracked as Gwyneth raised his bloodstained sword.
Zen's eyes widened in panic. He tapped Roy's shoulder. "He's returning our earlier attack! We need to move—now! Everything's going to shatter! Hurry!"
Roy gave a hollow, sad smile. "Zen... take them and leave. I'll stop it on my own."
Zen clenched his fists, rolling his eyes in frustration. "You're incapable of such a thing—and don't forget, both of them will kill me if I leave their Roy behind."
He sighed, cursing under his breath. "Damn it!" Zen turned and moved to stand beside Roy.
But before they could act—
The dark cloud of their earlier combined attack came crashing down upon them with terrifying force. The sky roared. The ground quaked. Everything turned blank in an instant.
When the smoke cleared, Mei gasped in horror.
Roy stood, blood pouring from countless wounds. His dragon skin covered his arm, but it was shredded and torn. Beside him, Zen was in a similar state—his dark aura flickering like a dying flame. Both were motionless, their bodies swaying as if the weight of the air itself was crushing them.
"R-Roy…!" Mei cried, her voice breaking as the torturous mark still burned through her veins. Tears spilled down her cheeks, mixing with the dirt and sweat clinging to her skin.
Lumina, still trapped in her suffering, let out faint, pained groans.
Roy turned his head toward them with great effort. Blood dripped from his mouth as he gave them a weak smile.
"I'm... glad we could protect... both of you," he whispered.
And with that, Roy collapsed to the ground, Zen falling beside him.
Mei's eyes widened in terror. Her breaths came in shallow, trembling gasps as she stared at Roy's bloodied, motionless form. Her mind raced, desperation tightening around her chest like a suffocating grip.
Think, Mei. Think! she urged herself, but the Torturer Mark pulsed through her veins, burning her mind with searing agony.
Gwyneth, standing amidst the destruction with a twisted grin, tilted his head. "You were impressive in battle," he said, voice calm and mocking. "But seeing you in such an atrocious state after all that effort? Quite... disappointing."
The mark's pain intensified, but Mei clenched her teeth and forced herself to focus. Come on, Mei. You always find a way...
Her vision blurred, and her mind drifted back six years ago.
She remembered herself as a young girl, tears streaming down her cheeks as she ran toward the neighbor's house. The familiar scent of herbs and old wood greeted her when she pushed open the door.
"Lady Margaret!" little Mei sobbed, collapsing at the old woman's feet. "I... I'm weak!"
Lady Margaret, a kind-faced woman with silver hair and soft eyes, knelt beside her. "Why, sweetheart? Why would you say something like that?"
Mei wiped her tear-streaked face with a shaky hand. "Roy... Roy beat me in a battle again!"
The old woman let out a soft chuckle. "Sweetheart, you should be proud of him. He's strong, isn't he?"
Mei sniffled and shook her head. "But... I don't want him to be stronger! I want to be strong too... strong and smart enough to protect him one day!"
Lady Margaret smiled gently and brushed Mei's hair from her tear-soaked face. "You're still young, my dear. But with that clever mind of yours, you might just save his life one day."
After ,Three years ago
Mei drank from her water flask with an annoyed expression, then stormed toward Lady Margaret's house. Her footsteps were quick, her thoughts tangled with frustration.
She let out a long sigh as she sat down across from the old woman. "Why can't I beat Roy? It's starting to get on my nerves!" she complained. "Years ago, you said I was too young, but I've grown up, and he's still better than me. Even when I used a trick to bring him down with my brain, he figured it out and beat me right after!"
Lady Margaret smiled softly, her warm voice calm as always. "You and Roy are both strong, sweetheart," she said, folding her hands in her lap. "But it's not about who wins. You two complete each other. That's what makes you special."
Mei frowned. "Complete each other...?"
The old woman's gaze turned more serious. "There are techniques in this world, ancient ones, but they must suit your blood."
Mei's curiosity flared. "What do you mean, suit my blood?"
Lady Margaret inhaled deeply, her voice lowering. "Certain powers are... unique to bloodlines. But they're complicated. There is one technique—one that could help you protect Roy—but it's dangerous. Very dangerous. If you don't have enough determination or the right blood, it could kill you."
Mei's heart skipped a beat. "Are you talking about using my Arch?" she asked.
The old woman shook her head. "No. This is something far more serious. But promise me, Mei—promise me you won't use it until you're absolutely sure your blood is compatible."
Mei's brows knitted together, and her hands clenched into fists. "If it helps me protect Roy... I can't promise that."
Lady Margaret's voice deepened, her eyes fierce. "It's a sacrificial technique, Mei. It can only be used against an enemy who truly deserves it. If you use it on the wrong target or without enough resolve, you'll fail."
Mei's breath caught in her throat. "Sacrificial?" she repeated, her voice shaking. "You mean... I'll die if I use it?"
The old woman gave a solemn nod. "If your blood isn't compatible, yes. But if it is—and if your determination is strong enough—you won't die. You'll disappear."
Mei stared, her mouth slightly open. "Disappear...? Where?"
Lady Margaret's expression grew even more grave. "I can't answer that. You'll survive... but you'll vanish to a place far away, somewhere safe and unknown. That's one of the pact's conditions."
Mei swallowed hard. "One of the conditions? What's the other one?"
The old woman's eyes softened, but the sadness behind them remained. "Memory loss."
Mei scoffed bitterly. "So… not only would I disappear to some unknown place, but I'd also lose my memory?" She gave a hollow laugh. "That sounds worse than dying."
Lady Margaret's lips curved into a sorrowful smile. "Many said the same before you. And when they used it recklessly, they failed. They lost their lives, Mei."
Mei's hands trembled as she tightened them into fists. Her heart pounded, fear and determination warring within her. She lifted her chin, her eyes burning with resolve. "Teach it to me," she said firmly. "I know I'll need it one day to protect Roy. I won't hesitate if it means saving him."
Lady Margaret sighed, yet her smile held a touch of pride. "Your love for your brother knows no limits. But remember, Mei, this technique requires not just strength—but a heart ready to sacrifice without regret."
Mei's eyes hardened. "I'm ready to face the impossible if it means saving Roy."
Present moment
Mei's eyes snapped open. The Torturer Mark blazed on her hand, agony coursing through her veins, but her expression was no longer one of fear.
Her thoughts sharpened: I don't care if my blood is compatible or not. It's our only chance to stop Gwyneth. I wanted to heal Roy first... but I need to use my mark to speak with Zen and Lumina.
The mark flared brighter as Mei clenched her fists and prepared herself for the gamble of her life.
Mei, inside her thoughts:I have to activate my mark—at least to speak with Lumina and that black-haired bastard. I don't know if there's a way… please, my mark, listen to me… please…
Suddenly, Mei was able to get in touch with Lumina, who was being tortured by her own mark.
Mei, in a hurry: "Lumina? Do you hear me?"
Lumina's eyes widened. "Mei? Is that you? How did you—?"
Mei cut her off: "I just used my mark, but it's temporary!"
Lumina, serious: "Since you're in a hurry, it seems like you're planning something against this beast."
Mei, with a determined voice: "Yes, but before you cut me off, just listen—I don't have much time left!"
Mei quickly explained her plan to Lumina. As she neared the end, her voice softened.
Mei: "Please, Lumina… I won't be here to control Roy. Please take care of him. Try to stop him from destroying himself while I'm gone. I'm not sure how long it will be… but this is a favor I'm asking from you."
Lumina, panicked and worried: "Mei, this isn't certain! We know you might face consequences because it's not compatible! This is crazy—we can find another way. You can't give up your life for us! I can't accept it! Please, think clearly! Your brother won't be the same!"
Mei, with a soft, sad smile: "I've already made my decision. This is our only chance to get rid of this monster. So please… take care of Roy… and even that black-haired bastard sometimes."
Mei's voice faded from Lumina's mind.
Lumina, inside her thoughts: Mei, please… stop this… this is crazy. Please…
Tears streamed down Lumina's face as she broke into quiet sobs.
Suddenly, Mei forced her thoughts toward Zen. The mark burned hotter, and she pushed through the pain.
Zen, injured and disoriented, felt her presence in his mind.
Zen, confused: "What the hell is happening in my head?"
Mei laughed weakly: "It's me—Mei, the scary girl. I used my mark to get in touch with you."
Her tone turned serious.
Mei: "I have no time. I'm going to get rid of this beast in my own way, Kuroi Zen. You and Lumina are like family to Roy, even if he pushed you away. At least pay back the favor of me saving your life this time. Take care of Roy. Control him. Keep your eye on him."
Zen, confused and alarmed: "What are you planning, scary girl? Don't do anything stupid! Do you want me and Lumina to be buried by your brother's wrath?"
Mei laughed softly, her voice warm despite the pain: "You know, Zen… if you see me disappear, it means I'm somewhere out there. You'll have to find me. I might not be the same when you do… but remember this. Thank you."
Her voice started to fade.
Zen, unable to move, gritted his teeth and tried to move his hand.
Zen, inside his thoughts: Move, you damn body… move! Move!
Meanwhile, Gwyneth stood, glancing at his pocket watch before looking up at the sky.
Gwyneth: "Finally… a full moon. You'll be the first corpse of this night, little girl. And with it, I'll gain power."
Mei, enduring the unbearable pain of her mark, pressed her bloodied hands together. The crimson stained her palms as she locked her gaze on Gwyneth.
Gwyneth, narrowing his eyes: "What are you doing, girl?"
Mei smiled, her expression determined: "I'm going to make both of us disappear."
She raised her trembling hands.
Mei, raising her voice despite the agony: "I'll sacrifice my gear… to make our enemy disappear!"
A massive surge of power erupted from her body, thick and suffocating, spreading through the atmosphere. Mei's torture mark vanished, but the energy was too much to contain.
Mei screamed in agony: "Aaaaaaaah!"
Gwyneth's face twisted with shock.
Gwyneth: "Impossible! You can't use that power to kill me! You can't defeat me!"
Mei, with a faint smile: "Is that so?"
Gwyneth's body began to crack, turning to ash. His face twisted in disbelief as he disintegrated into nothing.
Roy, feeling the immense surge of power, opened his eyes and looked around. His heart stopped when he saw Mei's fading figure.
Roy, wide-eyed and scared: "Mei?! What is this? What happened?!"
Mei's eyes filled with tears as her body continued to fade.
Mei, with a soft, broken smile: "Take care of yourself while I'm gone, Roy…"
Roy pushed himself forward, trying to reach her.
Roy: "No! Don't go! Please, Mei!"
Mei's eyes glistened with tears as her final words echoed through the air:
Mei: "We'll meet again soon, brother… I'm sure of it."
Her body vanished completely.
The battlefield fell silent.
Lumina's suffering stopped, but her tears didn't. Zen clenched his fists in frustration, unable to move as the weight of the moment crushed him.
The full moon's night ended in heartbreak… with Mei's sacrifice etched into the cold air.