The Bar
After hours of walking in the rain, Yuzuki arrived in the town. The cobblestone streets were muddy, and the dim glow of lanterns swayed in the wind. He entered a corner bar—a modest place, but brimming with life.
Inside, the warmth of the room contrasted sharply with the cold outside. People drank and laughed without a care. A man was playing with his small son by the counter, and a group of mercenaries were playing cards at a table. The scene seemed peaceful, but Yuzuki knew it would soon become a battlefield.
He made his way to the bar, slowly pulling back the hood that partially hid his face.
"A drink. And a cigarette," he said, his voice low and heavy with fatigue.
The bartender handed him his order without asking questions. Yuzuki lit the cigarette and took a sip of the bitter drink.
This place… people smiling, living their lives… and I, about to destroy it all.
Mao's voice dripped with sarcasm in his mind.
"Look at you, the great hero drowning in human sins. Bet you even taste a bit of freedom in this, don't you?"
Yuzuki didn't answer. His eyes drifted around the bar, taking in every detail: the worn wood of the tables, the laughter filling the air, the fleeting sparkle in the boy's eyes as he played with his father.
"What are you waiting for, Yuzuki?" Mao continued. "We both know how this ends. Do you really think you can change anything?"
He inhaled the cigarette and let the smoke curl from his lips. His thoughts swirled with doubt, guilt, and determination.
I am not a hero. I never was. What I'm about to do… might be my greatest sin yet. But there's no other way.
The chapter ends with Yuzuki sitting at the bar, the cigarette burning between his fingers as the relentless rain pounds outside. His eyes, filled with melancholy, stare into the void.
There is no salvation for me. Only the end.
The Weight of Revelation
The rain pounded the village with almost supernatural intensity. Thunder and lightning briefly lit the sky, making the night even more dark and unsettling. Inside the bar, the atmosphere was starkly different: laughter, singing, and the clink of glasses filled the air, while cigarette smoke mingled with the scent of spilled ale and freshly prepared plates.
Children ran between tables, laughing with their parents, while couples exchanged loving glances. A group of men drank in chorus, singing an old melody, while others argued about past adventures. Happiness seemed to have found a safe haven here, in this small space lit by lanterns and warmed by human presence.
Yuzuki, seated in a corner near the counter, watched everything with hollow eyes. His presence was a stain on the room's joy. With his hood hiding part of his face and a cigarette between his fingers, he looked like a specter from another world. The shadows dancing across his features only deepened the melancholy exuding from his form.
"Look at them," Mao's sarcastic voice echoed in Yuzuki's mind. "Such fragile happiness. So easy to destroy… like glass about to shatter."
Yuzuki said nothing. He merely took another drag of his cigarette, tasting the bitterness as his heart remained heavy. He knew everything here was about to change.
A deafening thunderclap tore through the bar's joyful symphony, followed by a flash of lightning that briefly illuminated the room. The door slammed open with violent force, letting in the icy wind and torrential rain. The entrance of two figures was enough to silence the entire bar.
Alkaraz entered first, imposing, his silver armor reflecting the dim light. The Alcali emblem on his chest seemed to glow like a grim warning. A weathered black hood partially hid his scarred face. His razor-sharp teeth glinted as he drew on a cigarette, exhaling smoke slowly, while his eyes—one jade green, the other white and opaque—scanned the room with deadly calm.
Behind him, Yuri followed. His gray cloak trailed along the wet floor, and his black hood did nothing to conceal the unsettling glow of his blood-red eyes. He moved like a living shadow, the scent of iron preceding him. The very air around him felt tainted.
They strode to the counter without hurry as every patron's gaze fixed on them. The bartender, nervous, wiped glasses frantically, avoiding eye contact. Alkaraz sat on a stool facing the bar; Yuri took one beside him.
"Two beers," said Alkaraz, his voice soft yet as firm as distant thunder.
The bartender hurriedly poured two mugs, his hands trembling.
Meanwhile, Yuzuki remained motionless, every muscle coiled. He knew the moment had come.
"Ah, look at that," Mao murmured in his mind with a low laugh. "Great Alkaraz and his blood-hound. This is going to be fun."
The Meeting of Gazes
Alkaraz raised his mug and took a long draught, as if savoring every drop. Then he slowly turned his head, his eyes locking onto Yuzuki. The bar seemed to freeze.
"So it's you," said Alkaraz, his voice laced with sinister calm.
Yuri leaned forward slightly, his eyes shining with excitement.
Yuzuki said nothing, but inside his mind Mao was cackling.
"He knows. Oh, he knows very well, Yuzuki. You're in deep trouble now."
"Do you know who I am?" Alkaraz asked, breaking the silence once more. His voice was lower now, almost a whisper, yet heavy with threat.
"I do," Yuzuki replied, his voice steady despite the weight of the moment.
Alkaraz exhaled deeply and set his mug back on the counter.
"Then tell me, Yuzuki… how did it feel to plunge that knife into my father's throat while he slept?"
The bar, already silent, seemed to lose even its air. The patrons, once so happy and carefree, were now trapped in suffocating tension.
Yuzuki did not answer at once. He lifted his gaze, letting Alkaraz see the darkness in his eyes.
"It was necessary."
The simple, almost indifferent answer drew a low, scornful laugh from Yuri. Alkaraz, however, remained unmoved, studying Yuzuki as if dissecting every inch of his soul.
"Necessary," Alkaraz repeated. "Is that how you justify your actions? Is that how you live with the blood you've spilled?"
Inside Yuzuki's mind, Mao was in ecstasy.
"Oh, how delightful! You really know how to provoke, Yuzuki. No wonder I love you so much."
Alkaraz leaned forward, resting his elbows on the counter.
"You stole from me, Yuzuki. You stole more than a father. You stole the only man I ever respected. And now I'm here to settle the score."
The tension in the air felt tangible, as if it could be cut with a knife. Lightning outside lit the faces of Yuzuki and Alkaraz, revealing two men bound by a past drenched in blood and betrayal.
Mao laughed again, loud and shrill, echoing in Yuzuki's mind like a chaotic melody.
"And the game has finally begun. Let's see who bleeds first."
The chapter ends with lightning illuminating the bar, followed by a deafening thunderclap, as Yuzuki and Alkaraz stare each other down. The heavy rain drums on the roof, and the anxious faces of the patrons flicker in the storm's light. The air is thick, almost stifling, as the two newcomers simply watch with grim satisfaction.