KEISE - EPISODE 19: "THE LION'S DEN"
FADE IN:
INT. ADVENTURER'S GUILD – NIGHT
The massive door creaked open slowly, metal grinding against metal.
It sounded like the building itself was breathing, its bones cracking.
A toxic green glow burst from inside, burning their eyes and tightening their lungs.
Keise raised his arm to shield his face. His heart hammered wildly in his chest.
Click… Click… Click…
The sound of high heels echoed from the darkness. With every step, the team's breathing grew faster.
Uruse swallowed hard and instinctively hid behind Setsuko.
The blinding light slowly faded.
And she appeared.
A tall woman with long magenta-and-pink hair and piercing green eyes. Her black uniform clung to her body, and a golden lion emblem gleamed on her cap.
LOURILA
Mete Han's grin widened. He looked like he had already caught the scent of prey.
Lourila's eyes scanned the group one by one, finally stopping on Keise.
LOURILA (cold, yet impressed) You tried to humiliate us in front of every guild. Well done. I genuinely admire that.
Her voice cut through the air like a blade.
The wind died completely. A heavy silence fell.
Lourila's presence was suffocating. The sound of her heeled boots echoed across the hall.
Keise swallowed. The tension rose all the way to his throat.
KEISE (sharp, impatient) Enough with the show. Tell me your name.
Lourila laughed. Her laugh was beautiful… and dangerous.
LOURILA I am Lourila. Vice President of the Adventurer's Guild.
She glanced briefly at the cat behind her.
LOURILA Ask the cat back there. He knows me very well.
Erett stepped forward, his voice serious.
ERETT You look like a strong opponent. Which one of us are you dueling?
Lourila's lips curled into a mocking smile.
LOURILA Which one? All of you. But not here.
The moment she finished speaking, she threw a card onto the floor.
BAM!
The stone cracked. A huge purple portal opened, leaking an ominous light.
In an instant, the entire team was teleported away.
EXT. DESERT ARENA – NIGHT
They all landed hard, half-buried in sand.
Keise lifted his head. His hand sank into real, hot, dry sand.
He looked around. They were inside an enormous pit. Everything was covered in sand. The wind stung his skin like whips.
From a distance, Lourila's mocking voice rang out:
LOURILA So… how do you like my arena?
Keise was about to answer when —
WHOOSH!
An arrow shot right past his ear.
Keise spun around.
Lourila stood on top of a sand dune, black ropes glowing in her hands.
"LION'S CLAW"
She spread her arms. From her back, black, shining ropes burst out like living snakes, twisting through the air.
Erett and Mete Han immediately drew their swords.
ERETT (panting) Do these ropes ever end?!
LOURILA (grinning) Whether they end or not… find out for yourselves!
She swung her arms. Even more "Lion's Claw" ropes shot forward.
At that exact moment, Mete Han charged.
There was more than ten meters between them.
But Mete Han closed the distance in a blur of speed. Sand exploded beneath his feet as his body became almost a streak.
BAM!
He slammed the ropes into the ground and pinned them down hard with his feet. The ropes buried themselves in the sand, writhing as they were locked in place.
Lourila's eyes widened in shock.
LOURILA Damn… I really underestimated you.
Before she could finish, Mete Han's fist smashed into her face.
BAMM!
Lourila was sent flying. She spat blood onto the sand.
But she stood up immediately, wiped the blood from her lips, and smiled even more dangerously.
LOURILA Not bad…
She launched a powerful knee strike with her right leg. Mete Han blocked it, but a cracking sound came from his arm. His face twisted in pain.
Just then, an arrow whistled from afar.
WHOOSH!
SETSUKO was sitting on the sand, one eye closed, raining arrows with perfect focus.
One arrow sliced straight through one of Lourila's ropes. Keise was freed.
Setsuko grabbed a sword from the ground and hurled it toward Keise.
KEISE caught the sword mid-air and weighed it in his hand.
ERETT (shouting) KEISE! WATCH OUT!
Keise flinched. When he turned his head, his pupils dilated.
There were only five centimeters between his head and the tip of the rope. This time the tip was sharper and far more lethal.
Keise raised his sword at the last second.
BAMM!
The sound of steel rang across the arena. Keise was thrown backward, his arm bleeding.
Lourila was still grinning.
LOURILA Impressive… but not enough.
Keise took a deep breath. His hand moved toward his card.
KEISE (panting) Erett… I really don't want to use this…
But Lourila's ropes rose into the air again.
Keise hesitated for a moment…
Then he gripped the card tightly and activated it.
FADE TO BLACK.
[END OF EPISODE 19]