Shadow of the Abyss

"They were here…" Sir Elis Whiteman Jr. shouted to his captain, peering down at the wrecked drones before them. The scraps of metal were still hot. "Nice work if ya ask me. Very clean cuts. The kid must be a first-tier circle to handle the MK-290."

Kirr gave a low growl of displeasure and turned to his second in command. "What do you think Cal? Any chance they went into the factory? Or—"

Cal, a thin man with teeth that shone like spun gold and a burn scar stretching over his right eye, shrugged. He tugged at his jerkin, spitting bile over the grass. "Well. If they entered the Factory, they'd just leave, right? There bloody kids, one long look, and they'll puke their fucking guts out." The bandit-like men laughed. " I'll say they went in for a second or two and left."

"No tracks." Said Elis sharply, noting the absence of footsteps or disturbed grass. He glanced up at the setting sun, frowning. " And it'll be hard to track them at night. We are close, though, Captain. The Drones are still warm."

Kirr grimaced, galloping his steed towards the factory bridge. " Fine. We'll spend the night. But…" And his voice went cold. "No one touches the toys within. There isn't time for that shit.

I want your minds hard, not your cocks.

The men laughed wryly, but none complained. While there was discontentment amongst the ranks, none of them showed it. Their captain was always like this during a mission.

"Can we visit our moms!" One of the men following behind asked.

Kirr rolled his eyes." If she's not too busy taking cock."

…

…

…

Elis yawned and glanced at Renon, his closest mate, as he moved through the halls, fiddling with his bracers. " What do you think?"

"About? "Responded Renon with a weary yawn.

Elis pulled closer to his ear. " You know. Will Kirr get in trouble when the higher-ups find out that three drones were destroyed?"

"The fuck if I know." Spat Renon. "But it was the higher-ups that let that kid in without a leash. It's not our fault if the one that entered this hell was an elite. Did you see how he fucked up those drones? I'd just die." He grinned, elbowing his mate. " Shit was amazing though, wasn't it?"

Elis nodded without words. He was of a similar mind. While the MK-290 wasn't meant for battle, it was known for its sturdiness and speed. Merely cutting through its shell took both strength and a fine weapon. He sighed, reaching to the panel of his room. "Are you sleeping with me, or will you—" He paused as the sliding door opened, revealing a small child resting in his room, curled up in sheets.

"What the… Is that."

"The target?" Renon muttered with widened eyes, stepping in alongside Elis.

Elis frowned. "Bloody Hell. Cap said we should check the facility after seeing vomit in the halls. But I'll be damn. No one thought they'd be stupid enough to stay in our rooms. How the hell did we miss this?" He asked, looming over her.

He scratched his disheveled beard and sighed. "Well, I'd be damn. I guess—"

The words Elis held in him came to a swift halt. A faint wetness trailed down Elis's cheek and onto his tunic. He reached for it, finding the substance lukewarm. Dread echoed through his mind as he peered down at his blood-stained fingers.

"Re—" He whirled to him, finding a headless body spilling nectar of red, when a pinching sensation suddenly slipped towards his spine.

"Feel that?" The shadow behind him coldly asked, gripping a blade with both hands as his sword stood centimeters from Elis's spine. "Unless you want to be a cripple. Keep quiet. If you move, you're dead. If you talk out of turn, you're dead. If you try to scream, you are dead.

Now, raise your arms. High into the air, all the way up."

Fear gripped Elis as tears fueled by grief and rage spilled from his eyes. He lifted his arms, that shuddered with each passing moment.

"From your behavior and the way you all talked when we first met. I figured you guys were uneducated and lazy and that you'd be too stupid to check your living quarters. Looks like I was right." Altair coldly said, without expression. He reached for the two daggers on Elis's waist and tossed them behind him. "Outrunning you all was never a possibility. The moment I saw those drones, I knew.

Who knows what manner of transport you all possess."

"A Night Raid—AHH~" He grunted as Altair's blade touched his spine, nearly severing his bone without issue.

"First warning. Talk out of turn again, and you're dead." Said the Prince through a sliver of ice. "Now. Tell me. How many men."

"Fifty—"

"Lie to me again, and I'll cut off all your limbs," Altair said coldly. ' No way such a big party would be able to keep up with me and Riena. Now speak."

'Monster! Is he really Ten!' Elis gritted his teeth. "They're my brothers."

" Your life or your brothers?" Altair fired back, ready to spill Elis's guts over the marble floor. He could already feel the flow of blood, the pulse of his heartbeat hammering away. "You have five seconds. One…"

Sweat slipped from the tracker's forehead. He gulped. And opened his mouth: " Sixteen."

"So, fourteen if I exclude you two?" Altair confirmed, and Elis wept.

"Y-Y-Yes. Please—"

Altair removed his sword from Elis' spine and stared him down as he buckled to his knees with great relief. When blood sprayed over the ground as the young Prince severed his head without remorse or feeling. As if numb to death itself. He looked over at the bodies, frowning.

'I didn't absorb his soul…' He noted inwardly.

The boy sheath his sword and dragged the sleeping Reina to a corner before tossing the two bodies over her, dousing her with as much blood as possible.

"If she is found… This should give the illusion of death. Let's hope they don't check too close." Altair muttered, somewhat bothered by the level of exhaustion Reina carried. "I still can't believe she hasn't woken up yet. What a mess."

[Divine Sin ' Archeon' smiles in favor of your ruthlessness.]

[Divine Being 'She Who Hunts' nods in agreement.]

[Divine Being 'Piercing Owl' ponders your plan of action]

Altair grinned, wiping the blood off his cheeks. He moved towards the door. "It's simple. They're all going to sleep soon. I'm going to pick them off one by one. I already made a mental map of the layout earlier.

All I need to do is wait a few more hours." His grin turned cold as a serpent. He hopped down in the meditative position. "A few more hours… And I'll kill every last one of these slavers."

[Divine Sin ' Archeon' rises from his Throne of Brimstone to bellow with laughter.]

[DING]

[Sudden Mission!]

[Divine Sin Acheon demands you bathe in the blood of your enemies. Slaughter everyone without mercy]

[Skill Reward: Infernal Bane]

[Do you accept]

A dark profundity pooled through the Prince's eyes, twisting into a killing intent as he gave a stoic nod.

"I accept."