Elias looked around and thought to himself.
"What a mistake it was deciding to come here... What was I even thinking when I said I wanted to fight!?"
William placed his pipe between his lips, pointed toward the steel door of the block ahead, and said:
"I think our target is probably behind that door..."
Suddenly, Frederick approached William from behind, pulled the pipe from his mouth, and dropped it onto the ground.
"You've smoked enough for today!"
William stared at his fallen pipe for a moment, then dropped to his knees, picked it up with trembling hands, and said:
"How could you do that? I bought this just this morning!!!"
Frederick was about to say something when they noticed Elias and Sebastian standing in front of the first block. Elias stared at its steel doors.
A thin mist was escaping through the gap beneath the door.
Suddenly, Sebastian slid his spear into the narrow opening and began forcing the door sideways. The mist pouring out from beneath it grew thicker and thicker.
Sebastian calmly stepped inside the block.
Frederick and William followed him together.
Elias, however, remained standing outside, lost in his thoughts.
"What? What made me want to come out here in the first place? This is ridiculous... Why did I even think of doing this!?"
Suddenly, Frederick called out:
"My Lord, is something wrong?"
Elias snapped back to reality at Frederick's voice. He raised his head and gave a trembling smile.
"N-No... I'll be there in a moment!"
He then slowly entered the block.
Morning sunlight poured through the glass ceiling, illuminating the interior.
Frederick glanced around before walking toward one of the nearby walls. He grabbed a sledgehammer with his left hand and turned back toward the others.
Sebastian turned around to say something to Frederick, but suddenly, the sound of applause echoed throughout the block.
William lowered his head slightly and smiled.
Frederick placed the sledgehammer on the ground and stared at William.
Elias and Sebastian, however, hurriedly looked around in fear.
Suddenly, a man dressed entirely in gray threw himself down from one of the roof's support beams.
The moment his body struck the mist-covered ground, it transformed into mist, only to reform a moment later.
Frederick moved slightly closer to Elias and asked:
"Who is that?"
Sebastian tightened his grip on his spear.
Elias's eyes trembled for a moment before he answered in a worried voice:
"The Gray Man."
The Gray Man removed his hat and tossed it into the mist. A proud smile appeared on his face.
"You've given me an interesting nickname, my dear Duke. Perhaps I'll accept it as a second title, but..."
The Gray Man spread his arms and raised his head, his arrogant smile growing wider.
"I'm very, very, very pleased about that... but I'd much rather you call me The Lunatic!!!"
Sebastian stepped in front of Elias.
"If you can, provide support!"
Frederick rested a hand on the handle of the sledgehammer lying on the ground.
"I hope you'll get some rest at the manor after today, my Lord!"
The Gray Man lowered his arms and looked at William, who was standing apart from the others.
William stared back at him.
The Gray Man turned his head toward Elias. His arrogant smile changed into something far more unsettling.
"My dear Duke... two old men as your shields this time? Are you really that afraid of me?"
Elias clenched his teeth.
But suddenly, William stared at the Gray Man with wide eyes.
"Two old men? Are you blind? I'm still very young! I'm only in my mid-forties!!!"
He turned around and pointed at Frederick, who was standing silently.
"Call him old, not me!!!"
Elias, Sebastian, and the Gray Man all stared at William in surprise.
The Gray Man's eyelids twitched with irritation. He clenched his fists and muttered:
"You're even more ridiculous than I am..."
His body exploded into mist and was pulled into the fog covering the ground.
Sebastian hurriedly looked around.
William calmly closed his eyes with a smile and muttered:
"How far you've fallen... old man."
Frederick turned toward William.
"What time is it?"
William let out a silent laugh and reached into his pocket for his watch, but suddenly, Frederick swept his leg across the ground toward the space behind Elias.
His hand firmly seized the Gray Man's wrist. He frowned slightly before throwing the Gray Man toward William.
William jumped a few steps backward as the Gray Man slammed into the steel beams along the wall.
William said:
"Was there no room, old man? Were you aiming for me or him?"
Frederick picked up the sledgehammer again.
"William... I'll leave the precision to you."
Sebastian and Elias stared at Frederick and William in surprise.
Then the Gray Man spoke.
"A Guardian... How many years have you been retired?"
William chuckled and looked at Frederick.
"You should work on your stealth a little more, old man."
Frederick was about to respond, but the Gray Man suddenly burst into laughter.
His laughter grew louder and louder.
Once again, his body exploded into mist.
Five bodies identical to the Gray Man formed around them and slowly advanced.
Frederick tightened his grip on the sledgehammer.
Sebastian shook his head to clear his doubts, tightened his grip on his spear, and glanced at his lantern, which was growing hotter and hotter.
Elias took a step backward.
Frederick said:
"Don't worry, my Lord. This gray-haired youngster is nothing special enough to frighten you."
Elias felt some of his fear fade at those words.
But suddenly, William shouted:
"Fourth corner!"
Sebastian looked at him in confusion, but Frederick immediately charged toward the fourth copy of the Gray Man.
Before Frederick reached him, the other copies began disappearing one after another.
The fourth copy remained.
Frederick stopped directly in front of him and drove his sledgehammer straight into the Gray Man's stomach.
The Gray Man was thrown toward one of the walls, but dragged his feet across the floor to avoid crashing into it.
Suddenly, Sebastian's spear pierced through his shoulder from behind.
Sebastian pulled the spear free and leapt over the Gray Man's head toward Frederick.
When he landed beside him, he said:
"You can't have all the glory to yourself, old man."
Frederick rested his sledgehammer on his shoulder.
"Those young people these days..."
The Gray Man was hunched over, blood dripping from his pierced shoulder onto the floor.
The mist around them had begun turning red.
Elias stared in disbelief, his gaze shifting between Frederick and the Gray Man.
Suddenly, the butt of a weapon was placed against the ground beside him.
"Beautiful scene, my Lord, isn't it? It's been decades since I last saw him fight seriously."
Elias looked at William in confusion.
"You... When did you get here? And what is that?"
William smiled and raised the weapon.
"They make military weapons here. I noticed this beautiful Whitworth sitting in the corner, so I thought I'd take it for myself."
Elias was about to respond when a scream filled the entire block.
"I hate all of you... I hate you, I hate you, I hate you! Dieeeee!!!"
Frederick and Sebastian took a small step backward, then another forward.
Elias raised his hand in fear, preparing to cast a spell.
William's eyes trembled for a moment.
The gray mist surrounding them slammed violently into the walls of the block.
The Gray Man's clothes turned the color of his own blood, while the mist covering the floor began turning red.
Suddenly, Frederick was thrown backward, and a powerful punch struck Sebastian in the jaw.
Blood burst from Sebastian's mouth.
The Gray Man twisted his fist downward toward the floor, then suddenly leapt.
Sebastian was blasted through the ceiling of the block.
The heat from the explosion above the Royal Arsenal scorched part of his clothing.
Frederick charged toward the Gray Man and aimed his sledgehammer at his chest.
This time, however, the Gray Man blocked the blow and was thrown backward.
Elias's fear intensified.
But suddenly, he spoke.
"Sleep..."
His fingers instinctively curled toward the center of his palm.
The blue arrow in his hand glowed faintly before launching itself without his command.
Frederick stared at the Gray Man in front of him.
Suddenly, he disappeared.
A strange impact sounded.
Frederick turned his head slightly.
Elias's blue arrow had struck the Gray Man's head.
Yet he was completely unharmed.
Frederick clenched his teeth.
William frowned as well.
Suddenly, something struck the glass.
Frederick looked upward, but the Gray Man took advantage of the distraction and punched him hard.
He twisted his fist again, but Frederick's sledgehammer slammed into the Gray Man's back, sending him crashing to the ground for a moment.
Frederick stepped backward and wiped the blood from his mouth.
Elias collapsed to the ground.
Perhaps from fear.
Perhaps from worry.
Or perhaps because he had finally realized how much he needed those around him.
William looked at Elias lying on the ground, then stepped forward slightly.
"You can keep going... old man."
Frederick lowered his sledgehammer slightly onto the ground.
"Barely..."
Elias stared at the two of them.
He clenched his teeth and made a decision.
Slowly, he rose from the ground.
He looked at William standing in front of him and shouted through his fear:
"William... what is the fifth Tier 1 Spell?"
William turned around and stared at Elias in surprise.
"W-What?"
Elias steadied himself and stood straight.
He spoke with a firmer voice.
"I said, what is the last Tier 1 Spell of Sleepiness?"
William turned toward Elias with fear and anxiety.
"W-Why? Why do you want to know? How long has it even been since your adaptation? You should..."
Before William could finish, Elias shouted:
"I only asked you for one word!!!"
The Gray Man looked toward Elias after hearing his scream.
He changed direction and began moving toward Elias.
But suddenly, Frederick charged at the Gray Man.
William clenched his fist and said:
"Afternoon..."
Elias slowly raised his hand and whispered:
"Afternoon."
The symbol engraved on the back of Elias's hand began to glow.
The red mist surrounding Elias slowly turned blue.
But Elias suddenly closed his eyes and grabbed his head tightly with his other hand.
He forced his right eye open.
The moment he saw his hand, he froze in terror.
Something beneath his skin was moving toward the engraved symbol.
Things that looked like worms.
Elias's eyes trembled more violently with every passing moment.
Suddenly, one of Elias's eyes changed color, turning blue.
William shouted:
"That's enough, my Lord!!!"
But suddenly, everything disappeared.
The blue mist turned red again.
The engraved symbol vanished.
The things moving beneath Elias's skin disappeared as well.
William took a step toward Elias.
Suddenly, Elias collapsed.
Frederick tried to move toward him, but the Gray Man suddenly appeared in front of him.
Then a spear tore through the ceiling and entered the block at incredible speed, piercing straight through the Gray Man's side.
Sebastian stood on the roof, breathing heavily, his clothes scorched, staring down at the Gray Man.
Frederick tightened his grip on his sledgehammer.
William raised the Whitworth with one hand and aimed it at the Gray Man.
─────────────────────────
The Magician calmly stood before Nathaniel.
Nathaniel raised his head slightly and closed his eyes.
The Magician pulled his spear back, then thrust it forward with incredible speed.
Blood burst from Nathaniel's waist and splattered across the scorched ground of Buckingham Palace.
The Guardians dropped their swords and shields upon seeing the scene.
One of them hurriedly carried Cedric's lifeless body away.
Suddenly, a tremendous impact erupted somewhere in the palace courtyard.
The Magician left his spear embedded in Nathaniel's body and stepped forward slightly.
But the Guardians suddenly dropped to one knee.
Even the Guardian carrying Cedric knelt down.
A man slowly emerged from the dust.
The half-cloak around his body fluttered slightly.
He raised his right hand and looked at the symbol on his wrist.
The spell engraved on the back of his hand glowed faintly.
Then, in a calm and reassuring voice, he said:
"I think I saw you somewhere a few years ago."
Seven translucent blades began rotating around him.
The Guardians shouted:
"Greetings, Lord Marshal!"
The Magician smiled.
The translucent blades surrounding the Lord Marshal shot toward The Magician and struck him.
Blood spilled onto the ground.
He fell to his knees.
Then he transformed into a pigeon.
The Lord Marshal's blades turned and flew back toward him.
Everyone remained silent.
The Lord Marshal finally spoke:
"How long are you planning to stay hidden?"
Suddenly, in the middle of the courtyard where there had been nothing, a wooden body wearing the same clothes as The Magician appeared.
Two small clouds formed above its head, with two wooden hands emerging from them.
Lord Marshal said:
"It's obvious you're not in London... old enemy."
The wooden puppet's mouth began opening and closing.
No sound came from it.
Only the faint clacking of two wooden surfaces.
When the puppet's mouth closed, The Magician's voice echoed throughout the courtyard.
"The show is over... ticketless spectator."
The strings attached to the wooden puppet snapped.
It collapsed onto the ground.
The hands were pulled back into the clouds, which then transformed into more pigeons.
Lord Marshal clenched his fists.
His eyes trembled.
"Return to headquarters..."
Once all the Guardians stood and began leaving the palace courtyard, Lord Marshal fell to his knees.
He clawed at the scorched earth beneath him.
"I'm sorry, Nathaniel... I couldn't protect your family... and I couldn't protect you either."