[Skyfreix 17, 0100 A.R]
[Transcendent Dawn Camp]

Current in-game time 11:00 PM

One by one the Marked Ones dropped like flies on the floor with a thud, they never saw it coming, an attack which causes one's will to waver. Eyes dilated, Tamaki only gawked as the players helplessly lay on the ground, the once confident and strong, now a bunch of senseless bodies.

From what Filicia could think back to, all of the Marked Ones unleashed a myriad of attacks against one person as if they were a monster, and like a monster he was. The man sheathed his invisible blade as if he were holding a real blade in his hand, letting out a sigh as he turned and looked at the bodies with a pitying expression, "Round them up, make sure to tie them up good."

This was bad, Tamaki and Filicia had to find a way to get out of this building, fast before they get spotted. Thankfully the two of them were small enough to hide behind the counter that no one could even notice they were there.

By the corner, Tamaki could hear heavy footsteps behind them. He would end up peeking his head to the entrance, seeing a bunch of hooded figures tying up the other players. Tamaki turned to Filicia who was tugging at his shirt, then silently, she pointed at a vase a couple of meters away from them. The lad didn't need an explanation as to what he had to do.

Picking up a piece of the debris caused the earlier ruckus, Tamaki chucked it at the vase, causing it to break, all heads turned to it as they began to ponder. Making use of the distraction, the two of them crawled stealthily towards the door.

"Hold it you two," the both of them halted dead on their tracks thanks to a voice calling them. Tamaki's blood ran cold as he recognized who the voice was from. Staring bluntly at them, "Oi, you two, mind turning around a bit?" The man said.

They turned to face the man, seeing that he had already closed the gap between them without them even hearing his footsteps. I couldn't hear his footsteps! Tamaki mentally shouted, feeling both astonished and scared as he did.

The Beastman leaned in to inspect both of them while furiously tapping his chin as he did so, "Now I didn't recon seeing you two earlier, tell me, are you two affiliated with those guys over there?" He was referring to the passed-out Marked Ones outside.

They furiously shook their heads, telling him they were not. Being around his presence felt like Tamaki was talking to Muzui, both of them had that sharp look in their eyes as if they were ready to strike any second. "Oh, is that so?" They furiously nodded their heads, the man smiled then said, "One more thing, you two are siblings right?" The man let out a guess.

Tamaki and Filicia both shared the same, 'What should we say?' look with one another then back at the man. If it meant that they could get out of this situation without a fuzz, then so be it, the two of them awkwardly bobbed their heads up and down.

"Ha! I knew it!" The man looked happy that he was right with his guess that he clapped both his hands together.

"Uhm, does this mean we can go now?" Tamaki asked, half regretting that he even asked and half curious if he would let them.

"Hah? Oh, right. Yeah yeah, you two can go," He shooed them both out. Internally, Tamaki let out a relieved yes as they pass the entrance, although before they could eventually leave, a single; "Oh right, before you two go, mind sparing me a second?"

"What is it?" The boy turned to ask, both of them stopping for a moment to look at the man curiously.

"It won't take long but can I see your hands? You too young miss, I swear it won't take long," The way he said it sounded harmless, Tamaki saw nothing wrong with his request so he showed him his hands along with Filicia. The man stared at their gloved hands, taking note before asking, "Mind taking your gloves off for me?"

Upon taking off their gloves, Tamaki was surprised to see a tattoo stuck to the back of his right hand. He hasn't realized it yet as the Beastman laid eyes on his mark, his face turned grim whilst the air seemed to grow silent, "I've seen enough." The man said.

"Can we, uh, go now?" Tamaki asked.

"Yes, but there's one teensy little problem, I can only let the girl go," he said to them. The two looked at him in disbelief, not noticing the men creeping sneakily behind Tamaki as they pounced on him and grabbed his arms, against Filicia's protest and Tamaki's will.

"What're you doing to him!? Let him go!" No one would listen to Filicia's pleas as she was coldly denied of even coming close to her friend, the Beastman grabbed ahold of her arm as she tried to wriggle free. She can only helplessly watch as Tamaki was dragged out of the building, tied up like the rest, "Let me go!"

"Boy, I really hate it when things like this happen," tightening the grip around the girl's arm, Filicia passed out in an instant thanks to the man hitting her at the back of her head, "Someone please get this girl out here before things get messy," he handed the passed out Filicia to one of his men.

The next thing that Tamaki knew, he had been carelessly dropped onto the ground like a sack of potatoes, he took notice of the many other Marked Ones around him, they were also tied up as some were still unconscious. He tried to wriggle himself free from his restraints, bearing no fruit as he eventually gave up. To be fair, his ropes were connected to thick chains which were seemingly attached to the ground, preventing him from moving his legs and arms.

He turned his attention around him, they were all huddled up in the middle of the town plaza, the very same plaza where they passed by earlier. Up in the cloudless sky, the moon was a full circle as it slowly inched to reach its peak. Tamaki looked beside him and saw a dozen robed men hauling in more people into the pile, a few players spouted insults at them though they only gave a cold shoulder in reply.

"Look's like you're in deep trouble," Tamaki made no visible reactions as he heard a voice talk to him. "I told you to ditch them and get on with the program, but you had to just play along," the voice pestered in a taunting manner. "Look at where that's got you into, more trouble it seems."

He made no effort in replying as he continued to survey everything around him. He thinks that if he was here and they were hauling only players, then there's a chance that either Sylvia and the others are here as well. He wonders what happened to Filicia as the last time he saw her, was the time he was being hauled out before getting punched into the gut.

"Don't bother, I bet they've already forgotten about you," hearing that, Tamaki snapped at the voice inside his head, "Shut up! You don't know anything about them!" A Luar who happens to be tied along with Tamaki spoke, "Am I interrupting something? You sound like you're in distress, not that I'm the one to talk being tied up with you and all."

"I-uh, i-it's nothing, sorry for shouting," he apologized to the one behind him. Thanks to the person, Tamaki couldn't hear the voice as it finally subsided. He turned his head to take a look at the person behind him.

"What's your name boy?" They asked.

"Tamaki, do you have any clue why they're hauling other players?" The young lad could see more and more people being brought in along with them as they talked.

"Nope, not a smidgen. For all I care is that they're going to take us all as hostages, or they could force us into becoming their slaves, but don't take my word for it." The man replied. "How'd you get captured? Got drugged or just got taken out by force?" Tamaki's brows flinched from hearing what they said.

"Got caught sneaking by their leader," He answered.

"The leader you say? You mean that one over there?" Tamaki was pointed towards a woman dressed in gothic clothing sipping on a cup of tea as she held a parasol while sitting down on an empty seat not too far away from where he was. He doesn't recognize who the woman was then shooked his head, if that man wasn't the leader, then does that mean there are people stronger than Muzui's doppelganger? "Oh so which one was it?"

"It was a Beastman claiming to be the swordless swordsman Muzui," even if Tamaki couldn't see their faces, he could sense them making an effort to picture who he was talking about.

"You're saying that Muzui Hanzo is a part of this? The swordless swordsman? Boy, you're right about not fighting back, that guy's a monster," From what Tamaki could tell of the man's reply, Muzui's title might not be just some flashy nickname given to him. "Judging from your silence, you're relieved that you weren't cut down like the others aren't you?"

"I-uhm, yeah, how'd you guess?" Tamaki was honestly surprised that the man was able to figure it out.

"You know how not every player is the same, that's basically how it is when it comes to these types of things." Tamaki nodded his head slightly as he understood what he was saying, "Bwahahaha! I'm just messing with ya! One of the guys who fought back told me, he's actually that Elf looking guy at your left."

After talking for a while, Tamaki noticed the increased number of hooded figures surrounding them. The gothic woman who was earlier drinking some tea now began a slow walk towards them, she said nothing as she passed by the salty players hurling insults towards her. She reached the fountain in the middle where all of them were huddled around.

"Annoying..." In a low whisper, the gothic woman turned to the overbearing crowd of Marked Ones. Her doll-like appearance caught the attention of many as they seemed to be charmed and stuck in a daze, "Oh Marked Ones, lend me your ears and eyes and bear witness to what I am about to say. I am Fluel Alluarte, the spokesperson for the Shepherds, I bring to you a message from our leader."

All eyes glued to Fluel, she spoke with confidence and great clarity, it was like her words were being directly spoken into their ears as Tamaki would call it. Not only were her words enchanting, but they were also poisonous as anyone who hears them would eventually get trapped under her spell if exposed for long.

"It seems that your very presence in this world of ours causes a great imbalance to the world as thanks to your kind, cities are always under constant fear that a Marked One might kill a person. I believe that all of you are aware of the potential each of you has, is stronger than a hundred men, being wiser than the most seasoned tacticians, and having immortal bodies which can recover from grievous wounds. Yes, we are well aware of the fact that most of you mean no harm to us, but that still isn't enough to stop the fear..."

"She's really devoted, isn't she?" Tamaki turned to look beside him, seeing the all too familiar face of the man who caught him from before. The Beastman stared at Fluel with an even gaze, seemingly unaffected by her words.

"Who are you? And what are you planning to do with us?" Tamaki scowled at the man.

With an exasperated sigh, the man scratched the back of his head, "I'm the swordless swordsman, Muzui Hanzo, the leader of this Transcendent Dawn branch. And you should pay attention because Fluel's going to make the point already," as the acclaimed 'Muzui' said until Tamaki couldn't avert his attention from Fluel any longer.

"And as a result, a group of people decided to create a faction dedicated to keeping all of the Marked Ones in check, thus the Shepherds are here to herd you lost lambs." There was a pause as her words took a second to sink in. Taking this time for herself, Fluel turned towards the fountain and into the water which reflected the moon as it neared the very center of the said fountain. "It's almost time..." she whispered.

"It's almost time. Alright, men! Get to work all of you!" In an orderly fashion, the robed men took out their weapons and torches while menacingly staring down at the tied up Marked Ones. The acclaimed 'Muzui' took out his real blade, the same one which Yuna wielded when fighting Muzui back then. It did not take a genius to realize their situation as the players begged Fluel to stop the men.

Tamaki eyed 'Muzui', almost getting crushed from the immense pressure exuding from the Beastman as he slowly took a step towards him, his black blade glistening in the moonlight. A shrill cry rang out as more of it filled the air, the robed men who were once cold and unfeeling, now like beasts stuck in a frenzy as they slaughtered the players. Stains of blood formed puddles on the pavement, some of them were smart enough to try and log out via the settings yet for an unknown reason, they were denied as a screen prompt appeared.

It read as:

No matter how many times they tried to press the button or even activate it telepathically, they were always denied. "Those bastards don't get it, their deaths are inevitable as all things should be. You cannot leave your bodies as long as you're within Fluel's presence," Tamaki gulped as he listened to 'Muzui' talk, stopping in front of the lad and raising his blade.

Reflected by Tamaki's eyes, he saw his death approaching and the voice from before telling him; "Come on, let me take over, I'll get us out of here." It said. But as tempting as the offer sounds, Tamaki remained firm as he said, "No."

"Don't be stupid! You're gonna die!" A fact that Tamaki was aware of.

"I really don't want to do this to you kid, but as long as you Marked Ones exist, the laws of this world will be at risk," Tightening his grip, 'Muzui' prepared to swing his blade while Tamaki kept an adamant and persistent scowl, he was prepared to take the hit, hearing the wind whistling as he closed his eyes. "You idiot!" Angered in tone, Tamaki oddly felt happy that the voice was mad.

Maybe it wasn't so bad to fail.

BAAAAM!!

The ground shook as a loud thud sent pavement tiles flying in every direction, Tamaki would soon open his eyes to see the acclaimed 'Muzui' with his face buried on the floor. The impact was strong enough that a mini-crater was formed around the man's head. Looking at what happened, Tamaki saw two hands grabbing the man's head from behind, it was from someone which Tamaki was glad to see.

"I leave you for just a day and come back to you near being killed," Yuna might sound like she's angry at him but Tamaki could sense the relief reflected from Yuna's eyes. Next to her, the original Muzui nonchalantly looked at the guy they just crushed, "Why am I seeing an evil cosplay of myself, can someone explain that to me?"

They slashed at Tamaki's restraints as Yuna helped him up, "What took you two so long?" Tamaki curiously asked.

Yuna awkwardly chuckled while Muzui shrugged, "We got into some arguments..." Yuna mentioned skeptically. To tell you the whole truth, Yuna and Muzui's reason for being late was an object for debate as even the two of them forgot what it was that they did. For Tamaki, he knew it had something to do with them fighting all over again, how come you ask? Well, it's not like they had a crap ton of bruises all over their bodies.

"Mind stepping to your left, there's something on your face and I can't seem to..." As Yuna had instructed, Tamaki reluctantly stepped towards his left, a sword narrowly missing him from behind as Yuna downed the hooded figure with a single punch, "Got it."

Catching a glimpse of what just happened prompted Tamaki of what their situation was. In a hurried tone, he said to Yuna; "We better help the others! Those men just killed those people!"

"I know, that's why I got you this," Yuna said as she gave him his staff before sidestepping then landing a heel over a man's head. "Go help anyone you can find, don't worry about the others, me and Muzui have some beef with those guys." She turned around to face the gothic woman standing listlessly by the fountain.

"Who are you?" Spat Muzui as he glared at her.

"Fluel Alluarte, spokesperson of the Shepherds, nice to finally meet you sir Muzui Hanzo of the Transcendent Dawn. I hope you took a liking to our little surprise gift, no?" Snobbish acting girls like her was one of the things Muzui hates.

"Cut the flattery and start speaking your age you hag, I want to know why you did this and why I shouldn't kill you in one strike." His hand dangerously floated above his sword's hilt.

"My my, such a sharp tongue you have." Fluel's scheming gaze made Yuna and Muzui rethink their situation. "What I am doing is merely a form of sugar-coating, per se. This can be considered a very generous favor, we get rid of all the Marked Ones in this fortress, and then after a short while, everything would be back to normal. Good as new."

"You're the one to talk, you're a Marked One too. That tattoo of yours says it all," interjecting with their conversation, Yuna shot a few words of her own.

"Oh, this?" Fluel displayed to them her right hand which had a Marked One symbol. With a snap from her fingers, the mark seemed to fade, "Merely a decoration. Though I do hate using this as it makes me look much of a buffoon." Yuna was taken aback as she recognized Fluel as an inhabitant. The pieces fell right into place as Yuna and Muzui both snapped.

They charged at the woman, both their blades drawn threatening to mince her flesh. Yet Fluel stood there without even thinking of moving, she retained an unconcerned gaze as she regarded the two.

Before they could even come close for a fatal strike, their blades were both deflected by the very same man which they easily pummeled earlier on the pavement. Both of them took a few steps back to reevaluate their situation, "Get them!" The Beastman ordered.

All of the robed men in the area all ceased what they were doing just to look at the two with cold dead eyes. Like a riot, Yuna and Muzui were both swarmed by the men while Tamaki undid the chains of the last person he was trying to help. He looked back to see a horde of hooded figures rushing to the middle of the town square like a colony of mindless drones.

Swish!

*Toss*

Crasshhh!

Thuddd!

Tamaki heard the sounds of pavement tiles breaking forcefully as a dozen bodies crash against one another. He saw hooded men landing and breaking some of the building rooftops. Like sacks of potatoes, the men were tossed aside by two people who were a few times smaller in the frame than they were.

Muzui grabbed a man by the hood with his vicious strength, he was able to hurl the man's body towards Yuna who was prepared for the setup as she kicked the man upwards and then landed over the others. At an almost ridiculous chain of fluid motions, Muzui and Yuna's movements seemed too perfect with each other.

Each time Muzui attacks, Yuna always had a follow-up, and vice versa. Like watching a ball, two dancers would always steal the spotlight with their perfectly elegant synchronization.

I wonder if I could do that too, both unconsciously