Soon Jade would come across another one; this time an antique wooden door. It looked somewhat sinister and mysterious. The handle was… inviting.
Jade shook her head why though letting out a sigh she slowly opened the door peeking in "H-hello?"
There was a person inside the dimly lit room. He had headphones on and was reading a book while supinely laying on a beanbag. He was also singing along to the song that’s playing in the headphones he was wearing.
Softly, the lyrics can be heard from the man.
”Lovin’ and fightin’, accusin’ and denyin’. I can’t imagine the world with you gone—“
(Song : ‘Hold On’ by ‘Chord Overstreet’) (This song will be important to someone’s storyline)
Jade made a small light orb but hoped the glow didn't draw the man's attention as she slipped into the room as quietly as she could
The bullets were all golden with a white, shiny tip. It seemed like some sort of liquid was painted on the bullet to give it its white tip. There were three around Adara, none of which were damaging her in the slightest. There wasn’t anything particularly interesting about the bullets themselves.
She eyed them and shrugged. She reached out her hand and took a few of them, then looked past the bullets.
”Sounds like you really wanna kill him and you know what? I’m in” Sora claimed, summoning a small portal and throwing the glass in there before closing it.
”Warning though, you aren’t allowed to use that on him. You know how damaging that would be” Ichika warned.
”Don’t worry, that’s a last resort method” the Bartender put his hands in his pockets.
Hinata looked between Ichika and Sora, not much caring what "that" was. If he wasn't going to use it, it didn't matter to her.
"Great," she said.
As Jade would’ve wanted, the man did not notice her. She had some time to explore the room now.
(The desk?)
(The bookshelf?)
(The cloth rack?)
(The cabinets?)
(The door itself?)
The sounds around her would’ve stopped. Adara was met with silence.
Matthew was gone as well… and that wasn’t a good thing in the slightest.
Chris, the scientist, stepped out with an annoyed groan.
”Damn those people…” he complained.
The ‘Jewelry’ hunters, now that four of them were together, realized something when they checked their energy levels.
”C-Can anyone get in contact with Matthew’s link?” Sora asked, voice slightly shaking.
”I can’t…?” Ichika was clearly baffled.
”I can’t either” Eisuke sighed after he answered.
”I can only pinpoint where he is—“ Ichika mentioned, eyes widening when he saw the spot ”—…the Grassland Pavilion, that’s where Julian was, right?!” Ichika’s eyes sharpened again.
”No time to think anymore” Eisuke rushed down the hall, opening the door for everyone.
”We’re heading there now, no matter the consequences”
She blinked. "What just happened?" She winced and rubbed her ears at the sudden silence, feeling as though cotton had been shoved in her ears. She looked around for Matthew, and when she didn't see him, she was worried. "Where'd he go?"
Hinata had been thinking over the situation, and a strategy, when Sora spoke. She immediately snapped back to the now, listening to the others speak with growing apprehension.
"Shit," she mumbled under her breath, shaking a little as she ran out the door Eisuke had opened. Not of fear, though that was definitely present in her mind, but rage. If that man so much as laid a finger on Matthew, she was going to blow his head off.
When the three hunters left the building, followed by the drunk Naoki, they had to travel to the Grassland as quickly as possible. Flying would do but that’d take five minutes, a bit too much to risk.
”Sora, interior portal” Eisuke mentioned as the Bartender summoned a red-edged portal, leading to the Grassland, some meters away from the Pavilion’s area.
As Jade would’ve wanted, the man did not notice her. She had some time to explore the room now.
(The desk?)
(The bookshelf?)
(The cloth rack?)
(The cabinets?)
(The door itself?)
Jade looked round seeing a nearby bookshelf ad checked it out hoping to find some familiar titles but who knew maybe there weren't any she knew on the shelves
On the bookshelf, there were a lot of books, none of which were in the English language. Some looked similar to English, some looked like scribbled symbols, and some of the titles were just blank.
(Read the one which looked similar to English?)
(Read the one which looked like symbols?)
(Read the one with no title?)
When the three hunters left the building, followed by the drunk Naoki, they had to travel to the Grassland as quickly as possible. Flying would do but that’d take five minutes, a bit too much to risk.
”Sora, interior portal” Eisuke mentioned as the Bartender summoned a red-edged portal, leading to the Grassland, some meters away from the Pavilion’s area.
Hinata didn't wait for the others, ducking through the portal. She was quite literally ready to tear someone's head off if Matthew was being hurt. A great many heads.
As Hinata stepped out, the hunters followed.
Within the Pavilion, the Viscount was sitting down and sipping his tea. Beside the Pavilion was a tree stem with Matthew inside, unconscious and motionless.
”About…” the Viscount set down the cup ”—time” he stood up and looked at the group.
Hinata was this close to just throwing herself up onto the pavilion and murdering this man in many different horrible ways, but she head herself back, mostly because Matthew was not in the best position for her to be doing that. Of course, she didn't bother hiding this fact from the Viscount, her intentions written clearly across her face. She didn't speak, knowing it also wasn't a very good idea to be cussing this man out.
”Look… I know you probably hate me right now… but I want you to know—“ the Viscount stated ”—that if you hurt me, I will increase the speed in which I am sucking out his life energy…” the Viscount claimed.
He summoned out his spear, one that had a curved, metallic end.
”Come on… show me your worst…”
”Hm? Not around here but there’re definitely some scattered around. The Gardens were made to be plains after all” the Knight claimed. They looked out into the fields and sighed.
”Do you know how to ride horses?” they asked out of nowhere, slowly walking out towards it.
"I do. Where I come from not knowing how to ride a horse is like not knowing how to walk," Kye gave a laugh. "They are one of the main sources of transportation. Why do you ask?"
”Oh, it’s just that I enjoy riding them and that they’re parts of my ‘ability’ per say” the Knight answered. With that said, they waved their hand around and two horses made from green aura.
The Knight got on one of them and gestured for Kye to get on the other.
”Don’t worry, they’re friendly. Let me guide you to the cave systems”
"Um thank you for the ride, but actually I need to find the place farthest from the caves," Kye explained as he mounted the other horse with ease. "The reason being because I know that the person I am looking for will do everything in her power to avoid caves unless absolutely necessary."
Just like you and snakes.
And we are not going to talk about snakes if we want to live.
Why would we die by me talking about snakes?
I would throw myself from a building and purposefully land square on my head. To make sure we die.
I think that's a little bit of an overreaction.
Then I would refrain from talking of snakes.
”Look… I know you probably hate me right now… but I want you to know—“ the Viscount stated ”—that if you hurt me, I will increase the speed in which I am sucking out his life energy…” the Viscount claimed.
He summoned out his spear, one that had a curved, metallic end.
”Come on… show me your worst…”
Of course. Of freaking course. 'Fight me, but if you actually hurt me I'll kill him faster.'
Hinata, we should talk this over with the others.
…I'm just gonna kill him real quick.
Um?! No?! A good plan of action is needed here!!
Too late. Hinata let out a low sound of disgust, drawing her swords.
You're gonna be the one to make Matthew di-
Shut up!! Shut. Up. Speak again, I dare you. With that Hinata took off towards the Viscount. Logic had officially checked out, and she was working on pure instinct.
Kazumi gasped slightly.
”I apologize! I actually know a place that is far, and I mean far away from all the cave systems. Would you like me to take you there?” the Knight asked, trying to make up for their mistake.
The Viscount smiled when Hinata rushed him.
”As expected of the Balance Keeper—“ he disappeared from where he was, only to appear again above her ”—still as arrogant as ever” he attempted to stab Hinata with the spear.
”Not. So. Fast.” Ichika had grabbed the man by his throat, only to throw him straight at one of the pavilion’s pillars.
Eisuke was taking off his glasses as six ribbon-like weapons emerged from his arms, wrapping around the Viscount and throwing him towards Sora.
”My bone the handle—“ the Bartender’s skin disintegrated, revealing his skeletal arm ”—my blood the blade” the disintegrated parts of his arms came back, forming a large blade which was used to slice the Viscount’s body… only for him to disappear.
A sigh came from above the Pavilion.
”Sometimes I question…” Julian clenched his fist as Matthew let out a painful groan ”…how did you get your roles in the Multiverse… ‘Jewelry Hunters’…” he smiled teasingly.
When he finished, scars of blades could be seen on the Draconian’s, the Doctor’s, and the Bartender’s faces.
Hinata scowled, snarl building up inside of her when the Viscount called her arrogant. It died when she heard Matthew groan, though, teeth grinding together and hands clenched. She didn't care about the other's scars, and she sure as hell didn't care about what the Viscount was saying. She jumped up to the man, swords slashing out at him.
Kazumi gasped slightly.
”I apologize! I actually know a place that is far, and I mean far away from all the cave systems. Would you like me to take you there?” the Knight asked, trying to make up for their mistake.
"You can not blame yourself, for two reasons. One you did not know why I asked about caves in the first place. Two I did not say who I was looking for so you did not know," Kye gave a smile. "Therefore you can not blame yourself. And anyways it was an honest mistake, we all make them. If you would take me to the place you just mentioned, that would be nice."
The Viscount wasn't able to dodge the blades this time so he was slashed directly. He clenched his fist again as Matthew let out a pained scream. He wasn't dying physically but his magic was being sucked out of him as time went on. Fifteen minutes and Matthew would be nothing but a mere human.
"Well Balance Keeper… shall I give you an offer? If you'd let me do as I plan, I'd share with you fifty percent of that slave's magic energy. You know how strong his aura is, right?! You'd know you'd benefit more with the magic than with him–" the Viscount began to offer as his eyes turned to a bright, shining green "–RIGHT?!"
Hinata was about to say exactly where Julian could shove his plans before hesitating. It would seem like she was considering actually agreeing with the man. In truth, she was thinking about if she should do it, but for different reasons. If she could manage to claim some of Matthew's energy, perhaps she could get it back to him… That's when the Viscount's words came back to her.
"He'll probably die in the process."
No, no, she wasn't going to let that happen. It also didn't help that the Viscount had just called Matthew a slave. She gritted her teeth.
"The f-ck makes you think I would let you do this to my friend?" she growled. A solid no from her.
Kazumi smiled.
"Come on–" they turned towards the plains "–follow me, I'll show you some nice views along the way" the horse they were on started pacing down.
Julian grinned.
"Oh? A 'Friend'? Don't. Make. Me. Laugh." he pointed his spear at Hinata.
"It's people like you who made the Knights lose their trust in us, Viscounts. It is because people like you–" he pointed his spear to Matthew "–and him" his voice was sharp, a critical statement.
"We were supposed to be the examples, WE were supposed to be the idol… and what the fuck is this? You're regarded as a greater figure within the Labyrinth and that we are nothing compared to you…" he started to tear up a bit.
"Let me change that… I'll show them and I'll definitely show you–" a glowing wooden helm and armor covered his body as he spoke "–MY WORTH AND DIGNITY WILL NEVER DISAPPEAR" he disappeared, appearing again behind Hinata and launching her up into the air, jumping up and sending her down on the Pavilion's roof.