The next night, Ahko takes off the dried-up clothes she hung off a branch yesterday after draining her first victim, and slips them on. The fabrics felt a little rough and cold against her skin, she had worn something worse, so it's child's play for her. For the first time in weeks, she has worn proper clothing. It felt strange for her, she felt a little restrained because of her succubus nature. She has to stick to it unless she wants to get caught and possibly killed in a public execution.
"Finally, something decent," she muttered under her breath, tugging at the sleeves.
"Congratulations, Ahko. You finally aren't half naked." Yue congratulates Ahko in a deadpan voice as if she's mocking her.
"I feel weird... Like I wanted to rip them apart to pieces and show my naked body to the world." Ahko admitted, rubbing the fabric between her fingers with restless energy.
"Yeah, that's the succubus's nature doing its job, you almost look like a human again." Yue commented, giving a slow, unimpressed nod.
"Almost? What does that mean?" Ahko questioned, tilting her head beneath the hood.
"Your eyes, they are still glowing." Yue noted, pointed at her own eyes as a hint.
Ahko sighed, pulling her hood over her head tightly and buckling her belt. Yesterday she noticed that when she gain the exp of the dead adventurers, she didn't get any of their skills or magic, to which Yue said in the lines of "The system really doesn't want you to gain anything until you have reached the time" Which contradicts what Yue said back inside the Lopia forest, all abilities and spell Ahko doesn't have in her arsenal, she will gain them and can use them.
The statement really disappointed Ahko, but she had no choice but to keep going. She could've used other adventurers' clothes rather than the first victim's, but the clothes are either too armored for her liking, too tight for her, especially women's clothes, or too loose. Fortunately, the first victim's clothes are the only ones that fit her body. She originally wanted to use boots, but none of her victims' worked on her, so she has no choice but to walk barefoot which isn't too much of a problem, but it makes her a less likely a bright adventurer.
She slowly walks out of the forest, this time accompanied by Yue since Ahko wouldn't be coming back. She has to keep her head low if she doesn't want to get any suspicious glances. Her body might be covered, but her eyes still glow even in the darkness of the cloak's hood. When she reached the gates, she realized her adventurer ID was missing, possibly dropped inside the cave in the Lopia Forest. She calmly panicked inside as she didn't have 50 silver coins and didn't want to charm a guard in front of many people who were coming in and out of the gates.
In the middle of her panic, Yue calmly put her hand on Ahko's shoulder. Ahko would turn around and see what her little useless system is gonna do this time, but she couldn't since that would mean looking straight in front of her, which would cause some unwanted suspicious and curious glances, but Yue understands that, she handed her missing adventurer ID. It's a little dirty, but still shines like an S rank adventurer ID card.
Name: Ahko Hanozono
Rank: S Rank Insert Ahko's picture
Class: Hybrid
She handed the ID to the guard. The guard looked at the ID and then looked at the hooded figure in front of him. He was slightly suspicious about why Ahko was hiding her face.
"Ahko Hanozono? S Rank?" he questioned, his tone uncertain as his eyes darted between the card and her hood.
"What about it? It's real, isn't it?" Ahko responded, keeping her chin lowered and her stance steady.
"Let me see what's under that hood." the guard demanded, lifting up his head, signaling Ahko to pull her hood off.
"Oh? So, an S rank couldn't go in just using the ID? You think I'm not an S rank?" Ahko challenged, a faint edge slipping into her voice.
"Since Ahko Hanozono's rank reveal, it was the talk of the city, even spreading across other cities like wildfires. A G rank becomes an S rank? I call it bullshit, but I must do what the guilds said." the guard stated, trying to sound professional while his gaze wavered.
"I am Ahko. If I wasn't, how could I steal that ID from Ahko? She's an S rank after all, I can't do anything to her." Ahko countered and shrugs.
"... It could've slipped out of her pocket from what I know. Unless you pull off that hood, you cannot enter." the guard insisted, impatience kicking in.
"Listen, I'm having a rough day right now, I don't want people to see me in this situation..." Ahko said, lowering her voice to a husk and trying to sound intimidating.
"Oh, I would love to see the great S rank Ahko Hanozono be ugly for once." the guard taunted, a crooked smirk lifting one cheek.
"Just let me in and we'll all be fine." Ahko urged, fingers already reaching the card.
"Nope, pull off that hood." He said with a smirk.
"Hey!! What's taking so long??" An adventurer shouted behind Ahko, his patience snapping in the drizzle.
"Oh, nothing, sir, please hold. It is almost done." the guard said with a fake smile and then turned back to Ahko.
"So?" he asked, lifting his chin.
"I say it again, let me in." Ahko repeated, her tone sharpened, but it did nothing to him.
"No. 'Ahko'." the guard sneered, adding air quotes with his fingers.
"... Oh, you really wanted this?" Ahko muttered, the words cooling as her gaze lifted.
"Look, this is protocol, either verify the ID or pay 50 silver coins." The guards changed his mischievous demeanor to a professional one.
"I won't say it thrice, let. Me. In." Ahko warned him one last time or else he will regret this choice for the rest of his life.
"As I said earlier, you can't-" he began, the rest dying in his throat as the air suddenly turned heavy.
She slowly looked up to the guard, not to reveal her face and horns, but only her eyes. Her low, glowing red eyes grow very bright as she stares intently at him with a killer gaze . The air between them turned very heavy, almost suffocating, but only the guard felt it from the moment he saw her eyes. The sudden killer stare makes him gasp loudly, his breathing becomes very ragged as if the stare had sucked the air out of his lungs. He becomes still, very still. His hands are shaking violently, enough to make the adventurers behind Ahko stare in confusion.
In his vision, the gates of the underworld are looking directly towards him, as if in any second, a hand will grab him by the throat and drag him to the deepest layer of the underworld. He swallowed as quietly as he could, not to disturb the gates that would wake up if he dared to make any sound. His mind tells him to run away, to look away, to yell, anything to close the gates. He's still young, his mind said unconsciously, but he can't do anything, he didn't even dare to blink. It feels like Ahko is communicating through his head.
"I will kill you if you don't let me in in the next 5 seconds. I will split your head in half, you don't even know you've died. I will dismember your limbs and your head, chop them to pieces, and hang them using spears in front of everyone."
Even though she isn't capable of that, he imagined she said something along those lines. The thought of leaving everything behind just because of a petty thing is too much for him. It was just seconds for everybody else, but for the guard? It felt like an eternity. As if years have passed in those couple of seconds.
"My ID." Ahko broke the silence, holding out her hand with impatience.
"..." the guard faltered, his breath catching short.
"... My. ID." Ahko reiterated, each word measured and cold.
"... Y-Y-Y-Yes..." he squeaked, thrusting the card forward with trembling arms.
"Thank you." Ahko acknowledged, her tone flat as she took the card.
Ahko wanted to teach the guard a lesson. Slowly but surely, she reached for her ID card. The guard literally extended his hands as far away as he could so Ahko could quickly grab them and leave, but no. Ahkk wanted to toy with him a little bit more. She lifted up her head a little bit more, just enough to reveal the lower half of her face. Her glowing red eyes widened as the guard saw her smile grow wider, more wicked. Her pupils shrank to the point that it's like a psychopath grinning heavily on her victim. The gates of the underworld, he thought, were gonna disappear the moment she grabbed the ID, but they didn't vanish. Instead, it cracked and crumbled, revealing more of the hellish place he had ever seen.
Behind those gates, the sight is unbearable for human eyes to see. All he sees is fire ravaging everything, he can feel the heat coming out of the crumbled gates, he can see the shadowy landscape behind the fire, but it's all covered in flames. Crackling noises of the flames as well as the screams, cries, and begging of people, women, men, and children deafened his ears. The sound of a chain being dragged, a hard metal slapping against the flesh of the people that has sinned, the sound of boiling liquid. Demons laugh in joy as they continue to torture every being that has sinned. It smells like despair and pain.
Then slowly, a demon taller than any being he had ever seen, stood like a giant in front of the entrance. The demon looked at him with the same wicked grin and widening eyes as Ahko. It slowly reached the guard's head, and he couldn't do anything about it. It seems his fate has been chosen to rot in the underworld for eternity. The demon grabbed him by the head, and then slowly and painfully started pulling his head off his neck. The sound of flesh tearing apart, bone cracking, and then snap.
"Hey!!"
The guard opened his eyes and gasped for a ton of air. He can feel his heartbeat racing like he has been fighting for hours, his body drenched in sweat, his face looking very dead, pale, almost dead-looking, his breathing ragged as if he's practically suffocated.
"Hey!"
The second 'hey' immediately gets his mind on track, he shakes his head and blinks his eyes rapidly. He looked around and saw a lot of guards and adventurers looking at him, almost worriedly and confused. Not only because of his condition right now, but his face and eyes look very traumatized, and his body is shaking uncontrollably, like he had something no human can handle.
"You okay?" The adventurer in front of him asked, leaning in with a frown.
"H-H... Huh...?" the guard uttered in a very confused state, eyes unfocused as he tried to ground himself.
"You just fainted after that girl took her ID. What happened?" the adventurer pressed, scanning the guard's pale face.
"I-I-I-I-I..." the guard stuttered, breath hitching.
"C-Calm down..." the adventurer urged, even stuttering a little bit, seeing the guard's condition, lifting a steadying hand.
"Did that girl do something to you?" someone else asked, voice dropping low.
".... Y-Y-Y... You... D-D-D-Don't... W-W-W-Want... T-To... K-K-Know..." the guard whispered, shivering as the words bled out.
"... What the hell did that girl do to you?" another muttered, unease rippling through the onlookers.
"He needs some rest. I'll take him to the station." One of the guards said, already moving to hoist him up.
He lifted the shaking guard up and put his arm over his shoulder. He looks exhausted and is about to faint again any second. He quickly brought him to the guard station. The rest looked at where Ahko was going, their gaze confused and scared, wondering what she had done to him that made him look like that.
Moments earlier, while the shaking guard is still in his imaginative gates of the underworld state, Ahko calmly grabs her ID and walks away without looking back. The adventurer behind her walks up to the guard in a confused way. Why is the guard just standing still with his hands extended far? His entire body looks frozen, and his eyes look blank, and then he falls to the ground.
Meanwhile, Ahko calmly walks through the gate. Even though she didn't do anything to him except look at him right in the eyes with her glowing, menacing eyes, it was funny seeing him look like he was in despair and in a lot of pain.
"I wonder what he saw." Ahko mused, her eyes half-lidded beneath the hood with proudness.
"Probably a very traumatic situation." Yue replied.
"Heh, that's what he gets by trying to play with me. He learned the consequences." Ahko commented, tucking the card away and slipping it into her cloak.
"I guess you don't need that ID. You can intimidate the guards like before." Yue uttered with a hint of dry humor.
"That's not intimidation. I don't know what's going on in his head, but it looks like he has gone through 10 layers of the underworld." Ahko commented, keeping her walk even.
"You can traumatize them all, so you wouldn't need to show your ID or pay with coins." Yue suggested, half-joking and half-serious.
"Hmmm... No, I don't think I will, I don't want to be seen as this arrogant, selfish S rank adventurer that gets everything she wants with force and traumatizes people." Ahko decided, shaking her head.
"But you are a part of a demon, though..." Yue reminded, almost lightly
"Not right now, I'm not gonna be the bad girl yet. I'm too weak for now." Ahko conceded, voice low.
"You are lucky I retrieved the ID when you evolved. You become naked, and your ID falls to the ground." Yue explained.
"Yeah, I don't even feel I was naked, you know? I feel like I'm still wearing clothes." Ahko reflected, a faint smile appeared on her face.
"Try not to lose it next time." Yue advised, dry as dust.
"Heh, Turns out you are not so useless after all..." Ahko needled, widening her smile.
"I was never useless..." Yue countered, a touch offended.
"Standing around not doing anything isn't useless? What kind of definition of useless do you have?" Ahko stated, lifting an eyebrow.
"... Careful where you talk. People are looking at you like you are a crazy person." Yue cautioned, her voice dropping to a hush.
Ahko lowered her hood further after being reminded by Yue that she's not alone this time. She carefully glances at people, and sure enough, they are looking at her weirdly. She fastened her speed until she reached the adventure guilds.
She arrived at the adventure guilds and entered. Back then, she was radiating with beauty, but this time, she has to cover herself. So no one noticed her or even noticed that an S rank had just entered Priya City, except for the guard at the gates. The adventure guild was as crowded as ever when she entered. But she can see some unclean blood stains on the ceilings, the guilds probably didn't check on the ceilings or have the budget to do so. Some adventurers look at her in a calm gaze, some judging why she's wearing her hood. But most brush it off, thinking she's just a loner. She calmly walks to Lydia's section, her section is kinda full so she has to wait for a little bit. Until it's her turn.
"Hello, welcome to the adventure guilds. How may I help you?" Lydia greeted, posture straightening out of habit.
"Lydia, it's me." Ahko announced, lowering her hood a little bit.
"Oh- Wait, what?" Lydia blurted, blinking fast
"W-Welcome back... Ahko..." Lydia managed, forcing a professional smile.
"I'll show up to your front door later, be sure you're ready." Ahko muttered.
"Y-Yeah..." Lydia answered, nodding too quickly.
"Ahem... Anyways, I have completed solving the mysterious missing people in Yotein Village, and exterminated the killer Hornets in the Gaia Forest." Ahko reported, placing her hands on the counter.
"O-Oh... I was wondering when you're gonna show up..." Lydia replied, relief and nerves mixing.
"I have rough weeks." Ahko commented.
"Figures.. Anyways... I'll be back for the rewards..." Lydia promised, already half-turning.
"Make it quick." Ahko urged, keeping her voice calm.
"Mhm.." Lydia hummed, hurrying off.
Minutes passed by, and there was no sign of Lydia. Strange, she should've arrived at this point to give Ahko the bags of coins. But it took longer than expected. Finally, around 10 minutes later, Lydia arrived back at her section with a man beside her who was carrying the bags full of coins. He gently placed it on the receptionist's table and left quietly.
"So sorry about that, the bags are too heavy for me to lift, so I have to ask the big guy." Lydia apologized, catching her breath.
"That's alright..." Ahko responded, stepping aside for space.
"Okay, so for Solving The Mysterious Missing Yotein Villagers and The Extermination of The Killer Hornet Dungeon, you have been rewarded with 500 silver coins, which are split evenly between these 2 bags." Lydia explained, tapping each sack.
"Don't I need to put my hand on the orb to prove that I actually cleared them?" Ahko asked, tilting her head.
"Oh, you don't need for that, we've seen the devastation you caused in the Gaia Forest, and a lot of adventurers who come back from Yotein have said that you have solved the missing villagers and brought them back to safety." Lydia answered, keeping her tone official.
"Oh, so you're the girl who devastated the Gaia Forest?" One of the adventurers who was sitting at a table overheard what Lydia said, his chair scraping as he turned.
"Hmmm? What about it?" Ahko responded, voice calm.
"You know that the guards are gonna arrest you, right? The king has already heard about the devastation of the forest and ordered many of his guards, including the imperial guards, to capture you." the adventurer warned, pointing with his chin.
"But it is overrun by killer hornets, no?" Ahko countered, brows lifting.
"Yeah, but that doesn't mean you have to burn the entire forest. People still need it to bless the goddess Gaia." he argued, heat rising in his voice.
"So you'd rather have the forest overrun by killer hornets, and by that means, people still can't be blessed by Gaia since you'll die before you get to the temple." Ahko reasoned, keeping her tone level.
"You should've figured out a way, you son of a bitch." he snapped, fists tightening.
"You can replant the trees though... And you can rebuild the temple." Ahko proposed, unflinching.
"Retard, we didn't have enough saplings for the trees!! They are made by goddess Gaia herself, and there are no trees in the world that are similar to them. We have to wait decades for them to grow to their original state and more decades for us to collect these seeds, and grow more trees!!!" he shouted, face reddening.
"That's a you problem, I just did whatever I could to kill the killer hornets. And there's nothing said in the paper that I can't burn them or destroy the trees, just exterminate the killer hornets." Ahko replied, voice cooling further.
"Oh, you are so lucky you are an S rank, but don't forget, the imperial guards will come here when we report your ass." he threatened, jabbing a finger.
"Try it then, I'll be gone soon anyway, and you can't stop me." Ahko retorted, turning slightly toward the door.
"... Tch, you think we will let you go that easily? If you kill us all, you will be put to a bigger threat, such as the strongest swordswoman in the kingdom. He's an SS rank, and you'll be dead soon." he spat, the whole guild murmuring around him.
"I'd like to see him try." Ahko returned, a thin smile forming.
With that, Ahko grabbed her rewards and slowly walked out of the building. She looks calm, but in reality, her heartbeat is racing. She knows she's fucked if the adventurers see that she almost lost all of her power. She can easily get beaten by a D rank, it's just that the fear she inflicted weeks ago inside the guild makes everyone not want to mess with her, except that brave man. She didn't have much time in the city and needed to leave as soon as possible, but she still needed information on Layla, Kate, and Alya. So she'll stick around until night.
Dawn fell, and Lydia had finished her work as usual, but at a rather fast pace because of Ahko. She quickly went to her house and found Ahko was already waiting for her outside the door, or so she thought that was Ahko. The hood is making it impossible to know who that figure is.
"Uhm... Ahko..?" Lydia guessed, hesitating at her doorstep.
"Yes, it's me." Ahko confirmed, keeping her hood low.
"Oh, alright.." Lydia murmured, unlocking the door.
Lydia unlocked the front door and let Ahko inside. The place is the same when Ahko entered her house the first time, since she's out of that shed. She quietly sits on the table whilst Lydia lit up some firewood in the fireplace, the sound of crackling fire filled the room as well as lit up the whole place. Ahko keep her hood down, even though Lydia already knows what she is, she didn't want to startle her because she's a succubus now and the reason why 13 adventurers have gone missing.
"So? What happened to Layla, Kate, and Alya?" Ahko asked, settling at the table.
"Huh?" Lydia blinked, taken aback.
"What happened to them? Why did Kate and Alya die?" Ahko pressed, her voice tightening.
"They died!?" Lydia yelped, eyes widening.
"Oh, seems like you don't know too..." Ahko observed, gaze narrowing.
"How come you know they've died? Didn't you were in the Yotein Village alone?" Lydia questioned, leaning forward.
"Did Layla tell you that?" Ahko countered, voice dropping.
"Yeah! Tell me how!?" Lydia demanded, nerves fraying.
"I have my ways. And what were they doing when I left the city?" Ahko replied, keeping her tone guarded.
"Ah- Uhm... They were accepting a quest..." Lydia answered, voice wavering.
"... And what kind of quest is it?" Ahko continued, fingers lacing together.
"It was nothing harm... It was just gathering herbs in the Pitra Plains.." Lydia explained, eyes flicking aside.
"... That's it?" Ahko asked, disbelief thin but present.
"Mhm.." Lydia hummed, shrinking a little.
"They how come..." Ahko began, the question trailing into a frown.
"I have no idea..." Lydia admitted, shoulders sagging.
"... When did they take the quest?" Ahko followed up, tone turning distant.
"Since you leave to go to Yotein Village... I think... Layla never told me they were gonna go right away..." Lydia answered, voice small.
"Uh huh... " Ahko murmured, thinking hard.
"..."
There was a short and awkward silence. No one knows what to say anymore. Ahko's slaves are dead, and Layla's presence is unknown, possibly dead too. The only sound in the room came from the crackling fire. Ahko stared at the flames, her eyes dimly reflecting their orange glow. Lydia sat across the table, her hands fidgeting with the edge of her sleeve. Ahko quickly glances at Lydia, who looks very nervous as she keeps fidgeting with her sleeve. Lydia also looked around in uncomfortableness, until she looked at Ahko, and she stopped fidgeting, but that doesn't mean her eyes are not nervous, she's just hiding it.
"... S-Speaking of Yotein Village... Why are you hiding under your hood..? I already know you are a demon..." Lydia asked, glancing at the firelight.
"Privacy reasons..." Ahko returned.
"O-Oh..." Lydia whispered, sitting back.
"..."
"You know Ahko... Why did you charm those villagers?" Lydia asked, the words careful.
"Huh?" Ahko responded, eyes lifting.
"You charmed those Yotein Villagers with your succubus skills, right?" Lydia pressed, voice steadier now.
"How the hell did you know that?" Ahko shot back, tension tightening her jaw.
"It's very obvious, you went to the Yotein Village to complete the quest, you are a demon, and you charmed them because you have turned into a succubus." Lydia reasoned, hands folding.
"... Did you read some books about demons and succubus?" Ahko asked, a wary note entering.
"I did... To study you..." Lydia confessed, gaze dropping.
"Study me? For what?" Ahko questioned, a chill settling in her voice.
"In case you get too dangerous." Lydia answered, swallowing.
"Look, I'm not like other demons that only cared about violence." Ahko asserted, keeping her tone firm.
"Oh, you absolutely will, considering what happened to you before you became one." Lydia countered, eyes steadying.
"That's all just a past, I will not turn my back on humans. I swear it." Ahko promised, palm pressing the table.
"... Then... What about those 13 adventurers you drained?" Lydia asked, the question landing heavy.
"... What?" Ahko breathed, shoulders tightening.
"Words have spread that 13 adventurers have vanished without a trace. Conveniently, they all have gone missing on the path from Priya City to the Pitra Plains." Lydia stated, her voice cool as her gaze sharpened and narrowed.
"..." Ahko held her silence.
"They couldn't just vanish right away, behind them is Pitra Plains, so it's hard to do so since other people would see, and the forest only covered a little bit of the northern part of the city, and many guards are patrolling those areas." Lydia continued, counting the facts.
"But they disappear in the night, they could've vanished because nobody sees them." Ahko argued, forcing casualness.
"How did you know it was night?" Lydia asked, gaze sharpening more.
"..."
Another silence dropped, but this time it wasn't awkward, it wasn't uncomfortable. The silence is clear and loud, they both know Ahko has slipped. Sweat started to form on Ahko's forehead, she began shaking a little, her heartbeat quickened, and she grew nervous. But Lydia becomes calm and collected, far from earlier. She didn't narrow her eyes, yet they spoke a thousand words.
"Well, well, well... Looks like we got her guys." Lydia declared, eyes flicking to the door.
"..." Ahko stayed still, breath shallow.
Suddenly, a group of imperial guards barged through the front door, surrounding Ahko. Ahko jolted out of her nervousness when the sound of the door being barged through. She quickly turned around, seeing that many imperial guards had surrounded her, she knew she couldn't escape. These are imperial guards, much more stronger than regular guards, with regular guard she can escape with maybe using intimidation, but imperial guards are the same level as her. She turned around and looked at Lydia dead in the eyes. Lydia didn't smirk or change any facial expression, but Ahko could see it in her eyes, she was sad and worried.
"When?" Ahko asked, barely turning her head as the sounds of boots thundered in.
"... When you wanted the rewards..." Lydia admitted, voice faint.
"... Is that why it took so long..?" Ahko questioned, a thin line forming between her brows.
"... Yes..." Lydia answered, hands tightening together.
"Was the guy beside you in it, too?" Ahko continued, tone turning flat.
"Yes, he was... He's behind you..." Lydia confirmed, eyes glistening.
"And how did this make you feel? Huh? You betrayed your own friend..." Ahko pressed, voice low.
"Because you are becoming like a demon... Or rather... A succubus..." Lydia replied, steady but pained.
The imperial guard behind Ahko forcefully took off her hood and revealed her sharp horns, very pale skin, and glowing red eyes.
"So it is true..." One of the guards said, staring at the revealed horns.
"Ahko Hanozono, you have been arrested and will be subjected to public execution by tomorrow for the crime you have committed, as it is said by King Leon. There will be no appeal." The guard behind her announced, voice ringing with protocol.
"... I see... You guys have planned all of this..." Ahko murmured, lids lowering.
"And you are not an S rank. Your aura is too weak." another guard observed.
"Huh? But wasn't she an S rank weeks ago?" Lydia asked, bewilderment cutting through her voice.
"Maybe she is, but something happened that makes her very weak, probably because of her evolution to a succubus." the guard assessed, eyes scanning her.
"Ahko Hanozono, I will remind you about the crimes you have been committed." another guard intoned, lifting a scroll.
"... Go on..." Ahko allowed, the words slow and steady.
"Killing 3 adventurers and keeping one as 'slave' in the Trica Forest, devastated the whole Gaia Forest, drained 13 adventurers, and caused emotional abuse." the guard recited, each charge crisp.
"... I didn't know that guard earlier was a pussy." Ahko muttered, an acid edge curling the line.
"Yeah, you can say that again to his face in your sorry ass weakened state." a guard scoffed, stepping closer.
"... Lydia, is this really you wanted..?" Ahko asked, looking at her across the table.
"I-I... I'm not... You are Ahko.. But you are not Ahko... You've changed, for the worse. I can't let you roam around killing more people... I would rather save 100 people can kill you rather than killing 100 people to save you..." Lydia confessed, voice shaking with resolve.
"What a poet." Ahko commented, a bitter smile touching her mouth.
"That's enough, you guys are done talking. We will be taking you Ahko Hanozono, you will be taken to a cell, anything you say can and will use against you. Is there any final words you wanted to say?" the lead guard declared, tightening the circle.
"I do... Lydia... Did you lie about Layla and the others?" Ahko asked, her voice thinning.
"I didn't... I really don't know what had happened, but don't worry... You will meet them soon..." Lydia replied, eyes dropping to the floor.
"Alright, we will take Miss Ahko, take care, Miss Lydia..." the lead guard concluded, gesturing to move.
"Take care..." Lydia whispered, clutching her sleeve.
"I will kill you all the moment I have the chance... Forgive me, lord, I have failed you..." Ahko vowed in her mind.
...
"That is really bad for you, huh, Ahko? How will you escape this time... Or possibly you are actually getting executed... In other words... I can't help you... You are stuck being dead forever... Unless... That 'Lord' of yours... Could help..." Yue's voice carried from a distance, thin and steady in the night air, as she watched Ahko getting dragged by a group of imperial guards. Their eyes met for a few seconds before getting obscured by a guard. She looks up at the dark, starry sky and lets out a deep sigh, slowly walking towards the group of guards, thinking of a way to get Ahko out of the situation.