Alexander's heart was racing as his opponents were giving him no time to relax. He jumps back, sidesteps as the yellow-hooded figure spins, and swings an odd-looking pickaxe. It was a very peculiar weapon to use in a fight. Alexander thought it was obviously a relic because it was twice the size of a normal conventional digging tool.
The ground erupted with every missed strike, concrete splintering into jagged shards as craters bloomed beneath every missed swing of the pickaxe. The force of the impact sent tremors up Alexander's legs, but he barely flinched. He danced around each deadly swing, his polished shoes gliding across the fractured terrain like he was waltzing at a grand ball.
Alexander was feeling so happy to have met these people. They had such unique abilities and bloodlines. He would give anything to study their genetics. It was such a shame that the Captain forbade capturing anyone on this mission.
"Fascinating," Alexander muttered, eyes gleaming with delight. "Your weapon—it manipulates the earth's density, doesn't it? Or is it more complex than that?"
He didn't answer, his face shadowed beneath the yellow hood, but the tension in his movements betrayed his frustration. The pickaxe arced through the air again, and Alexander sidestepped at the last second, a gust of displaced wind brushing against his cheek. The pickaxe slammed into the ground, and this time, Alexander acted.
He flicked a marble with his thumb, and as soon as it touched the weapon's handle, it expanded, morphing into a massive boulder of dense black ore. The weapon's weight quadrupled instantly, dragging the handle from Bruno's grip. He stumbled back, staring at the lodged relic with confusion.
Alexander turned to meet the eyes of the woman who had been keeping her distance. She was undoubtedly sizing him up, he imagined. The blue hooded figure rushed him out of nowhere. He unsheathed the two arm-length machetes from the holsters on his back.
The machetes caught Alexander's eye due to their abnormal shape and size. He couldn't help but notice the three holes in the middle of its deadly, sharp steel. The blue-hooded man started on an onslaught of extremely fast slashes. Alexander was once again placed on the defensive as he weaved and dodged each slash.
Alexander's body moved on instinct, weaving through the assault with unnerving grace. His dodges were impossibly precise, each movement a fraction of an inch from death. He spun and dipped, the machetes slicing through the space where his body had just been, but never making contact.
"Marvelous speed," Alexander cooed, eyes sharp despite his casual tone. "Your technique reminds me of Dante's. But he carries a sharper edge."
From the sidelines, Thalia watched in disbelief. It wasn't just that Alexander was dodging—he was playing. His body flowed like liquid, every twist and step executed with the precision of a choreographed performance. His laughter echoed through the ruined street, a chilling contrast to the life-or-death struggle unfolding before them. However, if the man in the blue hood's attacks were pressuring him or tiring him out, Alexander wasn't showing it in the slightest. He looked just as relaxed as they did when he was lying on Valerie's lap back at the rail station.
"Do it now, Bruno!" The woman with the red hood yelled in a thick accent.
The man in the yellow hood slammed the pickaxe into the ground. The earth split beneath Alexander's feet, a gaping chasm opening like a beast's maw to swallow him whole. He fell, laughter echoing as he descended, disappearing into the darkness.
"That was close, Johana. Sorry for the delay. It took me a while to figure out how to get the Totengräber out from underneath that boulder." The yellow-hooded man replied to the woman, breaking the silence.
Dust settled as the ground stopped shaking, and the siblings peered down into the chasm. But their victory was short-lived. A figure stood at the bottom, dusting off his black suit with exaggerated care. Alexander glanced up, his smile still firmly in place.
"Totengräber," Alexander mused, voice echoing against the stone walls. "German, yes? A fitting name for such a destructive weapon."
"You are a very intelligent man, Mr.....? Well, I don't know your name." The woman in the red says, pulling her hood down and revealing her long brunette hair.
Alexander tipped his hat, bowing with an exaggerated flourish. "Alexander Numek, at your service." He ran his gloveless fingers over a handful of marbles, the tiny spheres catching the dim light like stars. Some glistened like diamonds, others swirled with vibrant, chaotic colors.
"Well, now that I have introduced myself, it is only natural to know who my opponents are this fine evening." Alexander flips his hat off, revealing his styled and pristine short blonde hair. He pulls the hat to his chest in the spirit of a true gentleman.
"Ah, where are our manners? My name is Johanna," she looked over at the other two. The man in the yellow hood looked disinterested in the conversation, while the smaller man in the blue was glaring down at Alexander.
"The man in the yellow holding the pickaxe is my older brother, Bruno, and the swordsman in the blue is my younger brother, Felix," Johana said, pointing to introduce her two brothers.
Alexander's smile sharpened. "A pleasure to meet you all. Though I suspect this will end poorly for you."
"I don't understand why you are bothering to have a conversation with a soon-to-be dead man. Let's just kill him and move on. We need to back up the captain. That other man looked incredibly strong." Felix said, looking over at his sister and back at the kids fighting their soldiers behind them.
"It is because you have brought so many young faces with you. It brings me to question whether or not you could be reasoned with." Johanna says, her dull blue eyes looking down at Alexander intently.
Felix sneered, fingers twitching around his blades. "Let's just kill him."
But Johanna held up a hand, her gaze never leaving Alexander's. "I wanted to see if you and your team could be reasoned with. To see if this bloodshed was avoidable."
"Ah, I see, so that is what you were pondering while your two brothers were keeping me company." Alexander places his hat back on his head.
"Yes, I was considering whether I could persuade you and your people to leave this place." She said, trying to suppress the faint sound of hopefulness in her tone.
There was a long pause. The silence made the two brothers uncomfortable, and they talked quietly amongst each other. They couldn't fathom what their sister's was thinking. At the same time, Johanna's eyes have yet to leave Alexander's direction.
For the first time, Alexander's smile faltered. But it wasn't kindness that dimmed his expression — it was disappointment. His face contorted, the gentlemanly facade slipping to reveal something far more sinister.
This sudden personality switch-up was no surprise to Thalia. She had extensive training sessions with the vice-captain. It was not the first time she saw him lift his composed facade, revealing his more sinister nature. Alexander was notorious for losing his composure, especially when he found that something he believed was intriguing or interesting was nothing more than bland or routine.
"What a dull, pathetic notion," Alexander hissed. His voice was laced with venom. "To think you were contemplating peace while we were dancing. How utterly boring."
Johanna's heart skipped a beat, a chill racing down her spine. She had faced countless enemies, but none had unnerved her like this.
Without another word, she raised her hand, dragging her fingers across her face. A mask materialized, covering her mouth and nose like porcelain fused with her skin. Her aura surged, crimson flames licking at the edges of her cloak.
"I tried," she muttered, her voice distorted beneath the mask.
Johanna's demeanor changes from unsteady and hopeful to calm and resentful. She obviously did not want to fight or kill him. However, she must perform her duty as does every other member of the Höllentrupp. She was no exception, and the man in front of her was her enemy.
Felix and Bruno fell into formation, their auras flaring to match their sister's. Alexander only laughed, his eyes gleaming with unbridled excitement as he twirled a marble between his fingers.
"Oh, this is going to be delightful," he whispered, and in the dim light, his shadow twisted — moving unnaturally, as if something inside it was alive.
The battlefield grew silent for a heartbeat.
Then, chaos erupted.