The night air was thick with the scent of rain and rot as Seraphis moved
silently
through the slums. The ruins of the old cathedral loomed ahead, its once-grand structure now a shattered husk of stone and ivy.
A fortress beneath a church… fitting.
She crouched on a nearby rooftop, her
white hair blending
with the pale moonlight.
Her silver eyes
scanned the area.
Mercenaries patrolled the ruins, their boots crunching against loose rubble. Their armor was mismatched—pieces stolen from fallen soldiers, bandits, and bounty hunters. But their weapons were polished, well-maintained.
Not just common thugs.
She counted at least
thirty men.
The entrance was an old
stone staircase
, leading underground, flanked by two massive brutes wielding greatswords.
Seraphis
smirked.
Getting in wouldn’t be a problem.
But
getting out?
That depended on Lord V.
Shadows and Steel
She
moved fast.
A single leap, and she was behind the first guard.
Before he could turn—
SLK!
Her playing card
slid across his throat,
blood spilling over his armor.
The second brute barely had time to grunt before her
dagger plunged into his skull.
The bodies hit the ground
without a sound.
Seraphis
descended
the staircase, her footsteps light, her pulse steady.
The underground fortress was
massive.
Torches lined the stone walls, casting
dancing shadows
across bloodstained floors. The corridors twisted and turned, leading deeper into the underworld of the capital.
She could hear
muffled voices
ahead.
Guards.
She pressed against the wall, listening.
"Lord V’s in the chamber," one of them muttered. "Said he’s expecting trouble tonight."
"Of course he is. That crazy b*tch’s been carving through the nobles like a damn butcher."
Seraphis
grinned.
She stepped into the light.
The guards barely had time to react.
The first one’s
skull split open
as a playing card
whipped through his forehead.
The second tried to
draw his sword
Too slow.
She
closed the distance
in a heartbeat, her blade
slashing across his gut.
His insides
spilled onto the floor.
The rest of the guards?
They never even saw her.
The Throne of a Dead Man
The doors to the chamber were
huge
, reinforced with steel and magic.
Seraphis didn’t
bother knocking.
She lifted a single
playing card
And
flicked it.
BOOM!
The explosion
shattered the doors.
Smoke and dust filled the air.
As it cleared, she stepped forward, her silhouette
outlined in the chaos.
At the center of the room sat
Lord V.
A tall man, clad in black and gold, with
piercing red eyes.
His fingers tapped against the armrest of his chair, his expression
calm.
"Seraphis," he mused. "I was wondering when you’d arrive."
She
smirked.
"And here I thought I’d have to hunt you down."
Lord V stood, his presence
commanding.
"You’ve killed my men," he said. "You’ve butchered my allies."
Seraphis
rolled her neck.
"You make it sound like a bad thing."
Lord V sighed.
"You’ve caused quite the mess."
Seraphis
grinned.
"I’m not done yet."
Lord V’s
eyes darkened.
"Neither am I."
He
moved.
Fast.
Seraphis barely dodged as his
blade
whistled past her neck.
Not just a noble. A warrior.
She
twisted
, launching a flurry of
playing cards
Lord V
deflected them all.
His
sword flickered
, a shadowy aura
wrapping around it.
"Magic, huh?" Seraphis mused. "Cute."
Lord V’s expression
didn’t change.
Then—
He vanished.
Seraphis
reacted instantly.
She spun—
CLANG!
Her dagger met his
blade
, sparks flying.
Lord V’s
strength was monstrous.
Her arms
strained
against the pressure—
But she didn’t break.
Instead, she
laughed.
"Not bad," she said. "But let’s see how long you last."
Blood and Ash
The fight was
relentless.
Steel
clashed
against steel.
Lord V moved like a
phantom
, his sword a blur of
shadow and death.
Seraphis countered with
speed, precision, and magic.
She feinted left—
Then flicked a card at his eye.
Lord V dodged, but—
SLK!
A second card
sliced his cheek open.
His
eyes narrowed.
He attacked again, his sword
coated in black flames.
Seraphis
dropped low
, spinning—
Her
heel slammed into his ribs.
Lord V
staggered.
She followed up—
A
dagger to the gut.
SHLK!
Lord V
gasped.
Blood
bloomed
from the wound.
Seraphis leaned in, her breath
warm against his ear.
"Checkmate."
Then she
twisted the blade.
Lord V
collapsed
, his body hitting the ground with a dull
thud.
Seraphis wiped the blood from her hands,
smiling.
"One down," she murmured. "Who’s next?"
She turned toward the shadows—
Because she
wasn’t alone.
More enemies were waiting.
And Seraphis?
She was
ready.