Mayuri starts the fight as she lunge through several slash and stabs, only for Carmilla to dodge and weave through it. Mayuri change her approach as she throws several daggers as she use it to make a distraction. "Is this the extent of what you can do kid? Your Mother can do better than that!" Carmilla says while she smirks and she kicks and use the last dagger as her weapon.
"Yeah you're correct." Mayuri replies as she then dash and appear through her back. "I didn't catch that..." Carmilla remarks as she turns her eyes to Mayuri, which a palm strike make her push into the edge of the rooftop. There is one of the plays that she doesn't expect for an assassin to pull off. Carmilla feels a prick on her foot, and she jumps out of the way as it blast that part if the rooftop.
"You..." Carmilla says as she see Arhan just set a magical trap on where she steps in.
While Mayuri is busy trying to fight her, Arhan leaves and goes under so he can set his magical circles below so when she steps into it, she will be blasted away. She feels a sting on left foot, as when she jumps out, a dagger flies in front of her.
"Foolishness!" As Carmilla scream it she points her finger to the dagger as she sees on her peripheral vision that Mayuri is gone. Carmilla is trying to spot where she goes, but she doesn't expect where she is. "Father, do you have enough explosive to take this whole place down?" Mayuri ask as she goes with her Father instead while her dagger multiplies but Carmilla blows it up with her ability at once.
"Wind Pistol: Cannon!"
In a single blast the daggers flies out as she lands on a plant box near the other end of the rooftop. She doesn't trigger any trap, but she sees that the Father and Daughter are below her and just looking up. "Are you here just to see my brilliance? If you'll not gonna be a good dance partner, then go home you two!" Carmilla snarks at the two, unaware that they manage to set their trap and ready to spring it.
"Yes! I want to see you dance in flames!" Mayuri answers as in an instant, the whole mansion explodes. The people around shouts and some are even knock out of their feet. The explosion is so great that the whole city comes alive and the patrols are quick to respond to it.
As the flames and explosion lit up the night. Arhan and Mayuri are watching the whole mansion they blasted up. "Go to hell you freak..." Mayuri utters as Arhan grabs her shoulder and gesture for them to leave. As soon as the two turns around to walk away to the mess they've made, a hiss of wind pass by and Mayuri's widen in shock at what happens.
"GWAAK!"
"Father? FATHER!!!"
As she see her Father, a burst of blood comes out from his chest as his mouth drips out blood. He quickly lose strength as Mayuri carries him out of there and ask the people to help her. She then turns around to see a burning Carmilla standing there, with her eyes reflecting the orange flame and such hatred in her heart. "You really think such paltry trick will take me down kid? It seems that I will give you your deathwish!!" Carmilla declares as a patrol appears and Mayuri begs them to apply some first aid to his Father.
"Such noise, I thought you're my Mother's Master, but is such a woman be needing too many words?" Mayuri answers while she realize her own hypocrisy earlier. She grabs her blade as the burning women in red also charges to her as well. As their blade clash, a spark between it flies out as they rapidly exchange attacks. Their own attack creates a shockwave that even they can't stop.
But the stalemate is broken by Carmilla as she grabs Mayuri's right arm as soon as she extend her arm to stab. As she grabs it, she strike her with a left knee to the sides. The teen Mayuri groans in pain yet she grits her teeth as she goes to turn her blade in ice pick position to pierce out the burned woman. She then let go and ducks down, and Carmilla raise her right hand to stab Mayuri in the chin, but Mayuri goes into counter play.
She pivots her left foot and proceed to do the same as Carmilla. She then hit her forehead with the butt of the dagger and she quickly stab her in the chest. As she lunge the blade deeper, she feels that her stab doesn't connect as it lacks the heaviness of the flesh hitting through a steel. Turns out she becomes a blur as she does a high speed movement that is accompanied with a spell she used to grab her arm earlier.
"But I do see it..." Mayuri thinks as she then turns to the left and she unleash a hidden throw over her lower torso to get Carmilla off guard. The lady in burnt dress catch this as she parries the blade over, but Mayuri's not over yet. She throws another dagger as she then disappear from Carmilla's sight. The lady in burnt dress frantically scans the surroundings to see a glimpse of where her student's kid can be as the two daggers are flying mid air.
But then, in a single move, Mayuri punch the dagger she throws later to distract Carmilla. She use her hand to wave it out of the way, but she then see Mayuri flips in the air and use her heel to kick down the spinning dagger that she first parries. It hit her right arm out as Mayuri follows up with a roundhouse kick. Carmilla flies through a house and punch through a tree.
The trail of that kick is too powerful. Carmilla stops only when she hits the wall of the very edge of the city. Mayuri looks at the row of houses Carmilla's flying body hits and she coldly stares at her Mother's murder as she expects her to get back on her feet. Carmilla does stands up again, but this time she feels the effect of the explosion from earlier and that kick have done to her. Her whole body feels heavy as she tries to raise her head to stare back and the culprit.
"You brat!!! Never get this over your head!!" Carmilla shouts as Mayuri closes her eyes and in an instant, she closes their distance with a spell infuse movement. She then chambers her fist to hit the burnt lady's face, but she dodges and jumps away. She then fires several Wind Pistol at Mayuri, only for her to tilt her head slightly and change her position to dodge the next one.
"Have any tricks left? Are you suppose to be the most lethal assassin in this land?" Mayuri mocks her Mother's Master as Carmilla's temple twitch and her nerves pop out. She then aims her finger at her, and she produces a massive on a single point. A vortex of wind assembles in there and she laughs.
"Hahahahahaha! Be glad that you are the first one to witness this from me! Wind Cannon!"
As she finish her words the wicked wind fires at Mayuri but she doesn't blink or yield. She disappears and the powerful wind vortex destroy that portion of the wall as it goes beyond and ravage the trees outside. And in a blink of her eyes, Mayuri is suddenly several inches away from her. She slightly steps back, but she sees her fist chambering and without any warning she unleashes all of her power in it.
"Taste my revenge Carmilla." Mayuri says as her punch sends Carmilla flying again, but this time she's fling into a tree, and she hangs there upside down as her life slips out from her body. "Damn you... I am suppose to be the strongest..." Carmilla weakly mutters but Mayuri still hears her.
"Then your life is suppose to be a disappointment now." Mayuri's last words for her as she breathes her last. Mayuri rushes back to see her Father, who are now being taken care off by several Clerics, only for one of them shakes their head. Mayuri goes back to her Father's side as she sees his body getting paler for a moment.
"Father no... Don't leave me alone." Mayuri breaks down as she's holding on her Father's left hand. Arhan use all of his strength to look at his daighter and impart his words for her. "Don't cry my dear... It looks like your Mother is waiting for me. Please, live a happy life. And whatever it maybe... Live your life as your own instead."
The rain falls as the heavy pouring deter some to interfere and the clerics are trying to call her out but none of them wants to step into such emotional moment. Mayuri's words have gone dry as she can't find any words to say while her Father's hand just slips out of her grasp. She hears his last breath as the heavy rain conceals the tears flowing out of her eyes.
"FATHER!!!!"
Back to the present...
The Princess slams her fist into the table as she's being carried away about Mayuri's story about her parents. Mayuri is jumps out a little as she reacts to her story. "What a tragic story you have Ms. Mayuri. I can't imagine how painful your life is." Lucy remarks as she looks at the ceiling while she notice that her storytelling is somehow getting their time spent on it rather than discussing what will be her mission be.
"Aren't we getting too much sidelined now Your Highness? We're almost in the noon now." For some reason Van the Sword Saint is now there as well, which annoys Mayuri as she doesn't recall him to be there to listen as well. "I feel that you need to get out of here you naysayer of a man!" Mayuri calls him out. He just shrug it off as he sits down in a couch on the corner to continue listening.
"Ehem ehem... You're totally right my love. We are getting off topic. I want you to go back to Kairan and hunt down a bunch of nobles who aren't loyal to the crown. I learn that they are also recruiting Elite Mercenaries to be their bodyguards. I'm not sure if they are at your level, but I do wish for you to be careful." Princess Lucy instructs Mayuri with a tone that she's clearly faking her concern, something Mayuri gestures for her to knock it off.
"I'll be fine as long as I will get one wish." Mayuri is now opening something that the royalty doesn't know. Lucy closes her eyes and she put her chin on her grasping hands. She reluctantly speaks these words, but since she needs to see something to be done, she needs to say it. "Well then, speak."
"I want you to convince Gran to left the Leader of Valkyrie Gina alone."
Mayuri declares her wish, something that make Lucy's throat gone dry and she can't speak for a moment. Van is stopping something to escape his body while the Rogue is questioning what's going on every seconds. "Did I say something?" And as Mayuri sees from their faces, they are now stopping their laughter.
"Okay that does it. If you can't take my request seriously then I'll go." Mayuri warns as Princess Lucy just gets her ornate fan to cover half of her face as her grin still bursts out. "Apologies for that, though you have some nerve to say that even though you're the one who comes knocking on our door." The Royalty retorts as she recompose her whole mind and expression.
"It is just very much coming on a left field as I didn't expect such payment instead of the usual money or power. Why you ask of that? Is that newcomer bothers you so much that your Leader is attaching to him too much?" Lucy ask as Mayuri's fist curls up. "Well, I don't know what to feel originally. He takes the whole thing as a joke but none of it is a joke for me. She's the one who made me this way."
As soon as Mayuri says that, Lucy hangs back as she ask a question that she knows will lead for some lengthy recounting of her relationship with Gina. "Do I need to pry this? Well, they say knowledge is power so..." The Royalty thinks as she ask the question anyway.
"Then tell me, what is she to you?"
That question make the Rogue squirm a little on her seat. Lucy then check her reaction as she wants to confirm something like a gossiping maiden. "Oh? Does she swings THAT WAY?" Lucy thinks as she thought as she assume that reaction is something too obvious. "Well, it is natural if the whole group is composed of only girls... Though I do still prefer the strong feeling of a man..." Lucy's addition as she also adds her personal opinion.
"Okay it is clear that you are taking this somewhere now huh?" Mayuri remarks as she feels that Lucy is expressing on her eyes something judgemental. "Well, I will tell you why I am attached to her and her leadership. For me she is the ideal leader. I am trying to be her follower." Mayuri says as she recounts the time when she feels too down.
Three years ago...
The Rogue is roaming the streets as she decides to be an Adventurer to change her pace of living. She tries to return to report the incident on King Roan, but she knew that no explanation will let what she did slide. She destroyed several properties to kill a murderer after all. She burries her Father next to her Mother as she wants to bury their memories in her heart to start anew.
As she finishes a C and a B rank mission for the Guild, she immediately wobbles as she's clearly not taking care of herself. Some muscle headed adventurers are starting to get worried about her as they know that she's the most dangerous woman in the kingdom now. She switch places from Apolonis to Helios as she is trying to drown her sorrow with shutting her heart out while killing monsters.
One day she's paired up with a group of newbie adventurers, aged 15 and 17. This group wants to hit it big and the mentorship system let her be their mentor for a while so she can teach them how to survive, fight and conquer dungeons. Mayuri reluctantly accept this as she thinks that she's better off alone, but one of the member is so cute that she can't resist him. His name is Eugene.
"Hey squad, what you call yourselves then?" Mayuri ask as she slides her daggers on her bag and some for the sheathes on her both thighs. "We are the Nightfall! I am the leader! Boris!" A scruffy teen with a shield and a hatchet comes forward. "Good, and you? You look like a cleric. Are you in training?" Mayuri ask as she points her out with her lips.
"Yes! I am Eclaire. I am Nightfall's main support and Cleric." She introduce herself as she steps forward with nervousness.
"Good. And you cute boy? I like your face..." Mayuri remarks that make the teen at the back scratch his head and act shy. "Eh? T-thanks?" The boy replies as she points her last dagger she's gonna sheathe on him.
"Oh right, I am Eugene. I am a mage! My main abilities are Fireball, Lightning Bolt and Shocking Shield." Eugene introduce himself as he is fighting his voice to not break under her immense aura and pressure. Mayuri then stands at the front of them and does the same as they are doing. "I am Mayuri. I usually work alone but your cute face Eugene, makes me think this will be worthwhile." Mayuri says as the teen blushes and looks down.
"Okay then, you know about the dungeon we are tackling today? The dungeon in question is a good practice grounds to you kids, but never let your guard down less you want to be killed." Mayuri instructs the kids as they agrees. They depart with the newbies filling with excitement, yet Mayuri is still dead inside as her eyes show it apparently.
"How is it that even in this state I am still choosing to look for something cute?" Mayuri thinks on herself while she looks at Eugene and the rest of the Nightfall.
Back to the present, in the Princess' office...
"Okay you clearly step in a creepy place there girl. Even if you are a girl THAT is not okay." Lucy interject as Mayuri stops recounting. Van is nodding behind that the Rogue protest. "I am not planning anything! Also by this time we are both adults so none of it is creepy or anything! Mayuri shouts as she answers the Royalty.
"Uh huh... Remember that I am keeping an eye on you." Princess Lucy says as she gestures on her two eyes, then pointing to Mayuri, which makes her slam the table and ask. "Looks like we didn't need to continue recounting stuff here. Please brief me more about the mission that you have for me." Mayuri points out as Lucy just want to make Mayuri finish the story still.
"Okay that's enough. Please continue then." The princess insist as Van is still there, unaware that he should be doing something instead of gossiping along. Even though annoyed, continues to recount her time three years ago.
"Hey you are getting too far! Comeback here!" Mayuri orders Boris while the teen is trying to chase a goblin rider after the monster's botched ambush thanks to Mayuri's keen eyes. Eugene then orders for the team to rest as they are somehow being overwhelmed by the sudden numbers of the monsters that they have dealt with before they can go deeper within the dungeon.
Eclaire apply heals and energy recovery for everybody fighting in the frontlines but Mayuri decline. "Please focus on yourselves. This is too light work for me." The depressed Rogue says as she hang her head low and they rest for a couple of minutes. While they are in such rest, Mayuri feels the presence of somebody approaching from where they came from.
"Oh you gotta be kidding me. This presence is..." Mayuri steps in to protect the kids, but after the figure steps into the light, her grip on her daggers loosen a little. "Hey, mind if I pass here?" A woman's voice with a spear ask as the group just agrees but Mayuri's instincts are flaring up.
As the woman with open mid rift and somehow brown skin pass over her, she remarks something. "Ease up the murderous intent, geez." The spear woman goes beyond them, and then another couple of minutes pass as the Nightfall decides to push through.
"Everybody good to go?" Mayuri ask the team as they just nod to her. She feels something irritating about that woman who just go pass them. "Looks like I need to scratch this a little with a bit of a warm up." Mayuri thinks on herself as she goes into offensive when they spot several kobold and a bunch of goblins gathering at the side.
She throws her dagger spinning to the monsters direction as she jumps and lands to a kobold, instantly crushing it and when a goblin tries to strike her with a spear, she ducks and throws her dagger onto its throat, it gasp for air as it dies in the spot. The dagger she threw earlier lands to the one kobold that are charging towards her. She then goes to grab the dagger back as she gleefully slaughters ranks of the monsters within a minute.
The Nightfall witness how Mayuri quickly work through the monsters as Mayuri ends the whole encounter with a straight dagger throw to a goblin and she kick it down to bury it hard to it's neck. She retrieve the two daggers she use to slaughter them, and looks at the teens to check if they can handle the next wave of enemies, but they look terrified.
"Hey, you guys are okay? Why are you looking like you see a ghost?" Mayuri ask as she witness Boris and Eclaire points while Eugene prepares a Fireball to fight. Mayuri then turns around to where the point man and the cleric is pointing at, but she doesn't manage to get a glimpse as she's violently smack to the sides as she falls into a hole. She hears heavy thuds of steps trying to catch up to her, but she recompose herself as she looks at the one who did it.
"You Giant Goblin... You caught offguard there huh?" Mayuri remarks as she evade the landing goblin on her head. As she rolls and takes a stance, she then hears several shrieking sounds coming from the other side of this place, where Mayuri turns around to see several Giant Spiders that are crawling around.
"Isn't this just the worst day of your life?" Mayuri jokes out but she feels a more odd sensation from her feet. Something is crumbling beneath her. "Don't tell me..." As soon as she looks down, the floor she is standing in is made of the spider's webbing, and when the Giant Goblin jumps earlier, it wobbles and creates some damage. But when she sees the monster runs through this sticky flooring, she knows what will happen.
Mayuri then tries to grab on any rocky side of this dungeon to hold for her life. She sees the floor webbing collapse as the Giant Goblin falls down, and she manage to hold on to the sides, only to see her dagger have a crack.
"You really need to be like this huh..."