"First, we test your combat skills, Aiden," Fredrick announced, gesturing to Alexa.
As Alexa began stretching her legs and swinging her arms, she let out a yawn.
Aiden hesitated. "Wait, wait, wait. I'm fighting her? But she's a mage."
Alexa raised an eyebrow. "So?"
Fredrick explained, "There are two types of mages: combat and support. Combat mages wield elements like fire, ice, lightning, and wind, exceling in hand-to-hand combat and weaponry. Support mages provide defense and attack buffs, create barriers, and track targets."
He continued, "Alexa here combines both types."
"Damn." Aiden thought to himself.
Aiden's eyes widened as Alexa charged towards him. "So, you're ready?" she asked, her voice laced with a hint of amusement.
Aiden nodded, and before he could react further, Alexa launched a swift punch at his face.
Aiden hastily crossed his arms, forming an X shape to block the incoming attack.
"Nice," Alexa said, "but can you block this for long?"
She unleashed a flurry of punches at Aiden's face, each one swift and precise. Aiden blocked every blow, his arms moving in perfect sync.
"Her punches are so slow," Aiden thought, surprised by the ease of his defense.
Alexa shifted tactics, aiming a left fist at Aiden's stomach. But Aiden was ready, grasping her fist before impact.
Alexa quickly freed her hand and launched a roundhouse kick at Aiden's face. However, Aiden dodged the attack with ease, his movements fluid.
As Alexa and Aiden charged towards each other, Fredrick intervened, stopping them mid-movement.
"That's enough," Fredrick said, eyeing Aiden with interest. "You can take a beating and react quickly, even without an evolved type."
Alexa yawned, strolling over to Fredrick's side. "I was holding back, using just basic hand-to-hand combat."
Aiden couldn't help but think, "And you think I wasn't holding back? Look at this girl," amused by Alexa's claim.
***********************
"'Old man,'" Lagertha, the Council of Masters' leader, said as she approached him, arms crossed.
Isaac glanced up at her, sipping his drink nonchalantly.
"Still drinking?" Lagertha teased.
"Still stalking?" Isaac retorted, his tone laced with amusement. Lagertha's lips curled into a low chuckle.
"Give me some," Lagertha said, gesturing for Isaac's drink, catching him off guard.
"That's odd... very odd. I thought you don't drink, Lagertha," Isaac said, handing over the drink nonetheless.
"Things have changed," Lagertha replied, taking a sip and sighing softly.
Isaac studied her closely, noticing the dark bags under her eyes. "Am I seeing things, or do you look exhausted?"
Lagertha sighed again, her voice laced with frustration. "They're still not back." Isaac followed her gaze to the setting sun. "I see..."
"Don't let it get to you," Isaac said, trying to reassure her.
Lagertha's gaze met his, her expression piercing. "You too," she said, her voice low.
Isaac's face betrayed his confusion. "I don't understand."
Lagertha's eyes locked onto his. "I'm talking about Lyra. Seems like you've grown attached to her." Isaac's expression softened.
"I promised to help her, and I couldn't. Now she's a wanted person at such a young age." Lagertha's lips parted as if to respond, but she hesitated, her finger tapping slowly against her thigh.
Isaac's gaze met Lagertha's, and he shook his head.
"I warned you not to mess with him. Now look at the results," Isaac said, his tone laced with a mix of concern and frustration.
"That's why I'm here; I need your help to—"
"Not possible," Isaac cut her off, his expression firm. Lagertha's eyebrows furrowed in indignation.
"What do you mean it's not possible? You're the best tracker I know. Did the liquor get to you, or is it because of that girl Lyra?" Lagertha's voice rose, her words laced with fury.
"What do you think I was doing for the past six months?!" Isaac's voice erupted in fury as he hurled his drink to the ground, shattering the glass.
"I searched for months! And what were you doing?" Isaac's shout cut through the air, his anger and frustration boiling over. "Filling out bloody papers!"
he spat, his words dripping with disdain. Lagertha's lips parted, but she clamped them shut, silenced.
Isaac strode past her, his parting words hanging in the air: "You prioritized your duties over your own children. Disappointing."
"'Isaac, I—' Lagertha began, but Isaac cut her off. 'I'll look for them again.
You keep doing what you do best,' he said, his voice firm but laced with a hint of sadness. With that, he turned and left the rooftop.
Lagertha's eyes welled up with tears, but she quickly wiped them away, her expression hardening. She followed Isaac, her footsteps quiet on the rooftop. She suddenly stopped on her tracks.
Lagertha froze, her eyes fixed on the blue portal that materialized before her.
A figure emerged, and her gaze locked onto the white-haired man with piercing light red eyes. His lean physique was accentuated by the dark mantle, which hung loosely around his toned abs.
He tossed two figures to the ground, and they groaned in unison. "A-Arthur?" Lagertha's voice was laced with surprise, her eyes wide with wonder.
As she approached the two bodies, her gaze fell upon familiar faces. "Alex? Diane?" She knelt beside them, her hands checking their pulses.
They were breathing steadily, their chests rising and falling in a slow rhythm.
Arthur's smile grew, his eyes glinting with amusement. "I've had them as guests for the past six months," he said, his tone dripping with sarcasm.
Lagertha's eyebrows furrowed, her expression darkening.
"You....."
Lagertha's face contorted as she gasped for air, her body trembling as she struggled to breathe. Arthur crouched beside her, his eyes gleaming with an unsettling intensity as he watched her pupils take on a reddish hue.
"You try to use your precious little pawns to monitor my every move," he whispered, his voice dripping with malice, "and I'll slaughter them in the most creative, agonizing ways imaginable."
His smile grew wider, his eyes sparkling with sadistic pleasure.
As Lagertha's breathing slowly steadied, she looked up at Arthur with a mixture of fear and desperation.
"I hear there's a hunt on," Arthur said, his tone light and conversational, a stark contrast to the menace that lurked beneath.
Lagertha nodded slowly, her voice barely above a whisper.
"A yaijuu hunt."
Arthur's eyes lit up with excitement. "Yaijuu? Lovely. I'll be there."
With that, he turned to leave, his dark mantle fluttering behind him.
"See you around, Miss Grey," he called out, his voice dripping with sinister intent.
Lagertha's hand instinctively went to her throat, her fingers tracing the contours of her neck. "Isaac was right," she murmured to herself. "I should stop this."