Fight or Flight

1543

10:00 AM

Old Swiss confederation.

Inside a modest tent nestled within a bustling mercenary encampment, a young lad named Guto emerged, intent on cleansing himself. He approached a makeshift barrel filled with water, crowned by a battered mirror.

'It's hard to believe it's been eight long years of this wretched life,' he thought to himself, gazing at his overgrown hair cascading down to his shoulders. His hand moved to trace a scar on his left cheekbone, a reminder of past trials.

'I should restrain my powers, my hair is becoming more purple each time I use them.'

A gruff voice disrupted his thoughts. "Hey, Guto!"

Guto sighed inwardly. 'Tsk... Throel.'

Throel, a burly figure with a shaven head, a thick black beard, and piercing black eyes, clutched an imposing axe. 

"Why must you always rise so late?" Throel's voice dripped with impatience.

"We have an hour until we march into battle," he retorted. "Worry about yourself. I'll manage just fine."

"Tsk... do you even remember your objective?"

"Of course, it's to dispatch that madman, or whatever they call him."

"They call him Lugarius The BloodWeaver. Be cautious, I've heard rumors of his formidable mutations. But his bounty is substantial, we can't afford to fail."

Guto pondered the name. "The BloodWeaver, huh?"

"Anyway, I need to go get my armor," Guto declared, retreating into his tent. "This cape is cool. I'm lucky to have come across that lynx in the forest. As for my armguard, it's seen better days, courtesy of that lynx's ferocious bite. If only the old coot would invest in decent equipment. Perhaps I'd fare better in battle."

  ***

10:43 AM

"Guto!"

"I'm on my way."

"Guto, we're about to breach Oberhofen Castle. Your mission is to secure Lugarius's head. He's likely in the main building within the castle."

"Understood."

  ***

11:07 AM

Guto stood ready, awaiting Throel's signal to commence the assault.

Throel's small army had reached the castle, with its rear bordered by the sea and its front defended by four towers connecting to massive walls. In the middle loomed the primary castle structure. The mercenary band attempted to breach the castle using a ram and two siege towers. While the siege towers advanced, the ram struggled against a hail of arrows from Lugarius's soldiers. Throel observed the ram's dilemma and ordered, "Advance with the towers, secure the walls, and eliminate the archers. We'll proceed with the ram."

  ***

10:32 AM

"Guto, we've breached the castle. Now, go claim that bastard's head."

Guto charged through the gates, behind the vanguard of the assault.

"To find this 'Loguetiny' character, I need to reach the front lines," Guto thought as he dispatched foes with ease. "These soldiers seem weaker than I anticipated."

He sprinted toward the frontline, striking down enemies on his path. Spotting a grand edifice, he knew it was his target. "Throel did mention this building."

Guto progressed unhindered, eliminating any opposition. Upon reaching the edifice, he entered and barred the door with a hefty piece of wood.

"No welcoming committee? Such arrogance?" Guto mused.

He explored the building, seizing any available valuables, until he entered the throne room. A solitary figure occupied the throne, an individual in their thirties, with black hair tied in a ponytail, brown eyes, a goatee, and a prominent scar on their right neck.

"You must be Lugarious. I've been seeking you. I regret to inform you that I need your head for my leader. It's nothing personal," Guto declared with a confident tone.

Lugarius responded calmly, "An intriguing choice of weapons you wield, a small dagger and a petite but deadly sword."

Guto lunged at Lugarius, but his strike was effortlessly parried. Interrupting Lugarius's words, he said, "Shut up."

Guto attempted a kick, but Lugarius blocked and shoved him away.

'Damn he is strong,' Guto thought as he staggered back. 'I'll need to employ my Black Plague mutation to defeat him. Yet, even then, he might surpass me. I have to try something else."

With a deep breath, Guto imbued his weapons with a strange, purplish substance, turning his hands and blade a matching purple.

"Oh, it appears you've enhanced your body with the world's blessings." noted Lugarius.

"Yes, and now brace yourself," Guto responded.

Guto and Lugarius engaged in a fierce sword duel. Guto used his tiny dagger to parry and block while wielding his sword for swings and stabs. However, it was evident that Lugarius had the upper hand due to his extensive training.

Guto eventually abandoned his dagger, opting to use both hands on his sword. He closed in on Lugarius, attempting a head strike, but Lugarius effortlessly blocked it, launching a counterattack. Guto swiftly evaded and touched Lugarius's belly with his purple-tinted hand.

Lugarius countered with a powerful swing at Guto's body, but Guto leaped back, avoiding the attack. As Lugarius inspected the area Guto had touched, he noticed the skin had turned a lifeless shade of purple.

Lugarius chuckled dryly. "You're clever, damaging my skin tissue to make it more vulnerable. But it won't matter if you can't match my power or speed."

Guto realized he needed to find a way to exploit this weakness. With determination, he rushed toward Lugarius, aiming his sword at the vulnerable area.

"As I said, you're too impulsive," Lugarius remarked as he blocked the attack.

Suddenly, Lugarius felt a sharp pain in his right leg. He looked down and discovered the small dagger Guto had sheathed earlier. In response, he delivered a powerful kick to Guto, who managed to block it but was still pushed back by the force.

"Do you truly believe that will affect me?" Lugarius scoffed. "I've grown tired of this. I'll finish it now."

However, Lugarius's vision started to blur, and he felt lightheaded.

'What's happening? Could he have poisoned the dagger?' Lugarius wondered.

Guto smirked.

Suddenly, Lugarius began bleeding from his eyes, nose, and mouth.

"What's going on?" Guto exclaimed in shock.

Lugarius started manipulating his own blood, separating the poison from it.

"Aconitine... deadly in the right dosage," Lugarius muttered while manipulating his blood, giving him a monstrous appearance.

"Prepare to die child," Lugarius declared with his sinister, blood-covered visage.

Guto was overwhelmed with fear and confusion, unsure of how to confront this horrifying transformation.

'What is this creature? I can't face it,' Guto thought.

Terrified, Guto abandoned the fight and fled. He found himself racing through a long hall, where he touched a wooden pillar supporting the ceiling, causing it to rot and collapse, blocking the path between them.

Guto glanced back to see Lugarius attempting to break through the fallen debris, resembling a bloodthirsty beast. Guto resumed his desperate flight, encountering around 100 soldiers as he reached an exit at the back of the building. With no other option but to run, he dodged and blocked their attacks as best he could, finally escaping the castle and seeking refuge in a nearby forest.

Exhausted and drained, Guto collapsed on the ground due to his extreme fatigue.