VII. It's A Trap

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***

Lucian found himself accompanying Irina to do her shopping. Irina herself requested him to do so, since she was still new to Central City. After hearing the news from his father Marcus, he had no choice but to oblige.

"Someone's hunting the Hunters, huh", he was lost in this thought when Irina called him out.

"Hey! I said how do I look?" Showing the dress she fitted.

Lucian looked up and was awestruck for a moment. "You.. look fine."

But the truth was she looked more than fine. The past weeks had been terrible to Irina, but today she had a different glow in her appearance. Her eyes were more lively, her long brown hair was gorgeous, and her skin looked soft and smooth. "Was she always this.. good-looking", he wondered, carefully choosing his thoughts and shaking his head.

"Oh, great. After trying 10 dresses, I look fine", she replied.

"My job was to ensure your safety, not to choose a dress that makes you pretty."

"So you think I'm pretty, huh?" she said and saw Lucian's face getting serious again. "Hey, I'm just kidding. Fine is the look I'm going for."

"You're not really trying to hide your sarcasm, are you?"

"No, seriously. I want to look normally fine to blend in. I don't want to fashion and stand out, I would just attract more unwanted attention."

"Now I only sense bragging", he said smirking.

"Woah! Is that a smile I see, Lucian?", she teased.

"You know I could as effectively secure you from 20 meters away."

"You could, but you won't. I'm fun to be with", she continued as they approached the counter "But really, thank you for coming with me."

Lucian paid for her things but it was her money. Apparently, part of her adjusting to independence was to manage her expenses, and she needed someone to restrain her. They checked out the store.

"What's with that sudden sentimental tone? I don't like it", he said.

"Nothing. I think I just miss my.." Irina paused for a moment, she was searching for words, "my best friend. He used to come with me to do these things and since he worked for our family since childhood, my aunt and my father trusted him. He's the only, well, as my father calls them, "commoner" I'm friends with so I got to experience this kind of freedom. Now that I think about it, he's the only friend I've had. But that was until three years ago when he left to study and work.", she had s melancholic tone and expression recalling those memories.

They stopped by a food stall to get some snacks. "That's why I told you it's better to have Evangelyn come with you. She's the outgoing one and she has the better sense of fashion."

Irina smiled. "I'm not sure I can be comfortable hanging out with someone who just tried to kill me."

"That was her duty. I tried to kill her, too, but she's fine with it and we're totally cool afterwards. Nothing personal.", he explained.

Irina thought for a moment. She tried to recall the feeling last night. "I understand. I think I'm just scared of her a little for now. Haha!", she forced a laugh.

"She's not as bad as you think. She's just a regular girl like you beneath that mask of a Ranger" he paused for a second. "That's a metaphor. Mask of a ranger. We don't really wear masks, you know?"

She held the urge to punch him playfully. "Look at that. You're getting comfortable with me that you get to make fun of me." she said.

"You did refer to this", he pointed to each other, "as hanging out. I might as well play the part. Again, keeping you sane." Irina chuckled.

They were walking towards the cinema when Lucian held her arm, as if embracing her from behind. "Babe, I forgot my phone in the car. Let me just run and grab it.", he said.

Babe? Car?, she thought. They took a cab to come here. She didn't need further explanation. She played along.

"Don't worry, babe. The movie's in 20. I can come with you and we'll still have time to get popcorn", she replied. They really were going to see a movie, at her request. Now, she had a feeling it's not going to happen.

Lucian held her hand like a regular couple as they walked to the parking lot. It had not been ten steps after entering when she felt a familiar cold on her nape. She had gotten used to it that she know what it meant. Lucian grabbed her by the waist, and pulled her behind a post.

She swallowed nervously as he leaned closer and whispered to her ear. "I need you to call the manor. Tell Mang Raul to contact Evangelyn and have her come to where we are. She'll know I need her help to deal with this Nightmare, and this one is highly intelligent." She dreaded hearing that word, Nightmare. "O-okay."

Lucian handed her the phone and she quickly dialed with her trembling fingers. Lucian stepped out from the post but stayed close to her. A couple of seconds later, his sword materialized, chained on his arm.

"I didn't mean to interrupt you lovebirds making out. Hihihi!", a man's voice said. It sounded crazy as it was scary. He looked like a regular teenage boy, except for his pointed ears and unusually fair skin. Dark smoke encircled his arm but instead of transforming to a Nightmare, only his arm darkened, his forefinger now the size of a short sword.

"I heard about you. You're the one who's been killing Hunters on a rampage." Lucian said.

"My, my! I got famous quick", the boy replied.

"You did. Probably because you're only after Hunters. You're enjoying the challenge, aren't you?"

"Damn right, man! Wait, is that how you call it, Hunters? You guys are worth more than ten elite human soldiers. And it's much easier to lure you into fighting me, instead of finding the opportunity to consume regular humans. I believe it's your "ARK" duty that forces you to fight me, even in the confines of Umbra. That's right, it's a trap and you are locked in here with me. Though we only have about five minutes of playtime, that's about plenty."

Old man Marcus was right, Lucian thought. He took a stance but not a step. He's trying to buy time. "I see. So you would spare my girlfriend? She's not a Hunter."

"What? Only a fool would not recognize her spirit. She's even more powerful than you, man! Maybe not right now, but I'll take her flesh as a trophy until her soul fully develops with overwhelming spirit!" the boy rushed towards Lucian. In just a second, he managed to slash his sword finger four times, and four times it hit the air!

Lucian was already behind the boy, and before the latter could react in time, Lucian's blade was already making its way to cut his face. The boy barely managed to block Lucian's blade and jumped back. "AAAERGH! What the fuck!" as the boy shrieked in pain, his sword finger burned green flames and fell, then vanished before hitting the ground.

"Yes, five minutes is plenty of time. But don't get it wrong, you didn't lock us here", he shifted his stance, preparing to strike the still confused elf who's just beginning to realize which one of them was fooled. "That's right. I baited you to lock yourself with me. It's a trap."

Lucian dashed forward and the boy was just in time to transform another finger to a sword but it was slashed and burned in an instant.

"AAARGH!! F*** YOU!!"

"That's two. Two more fingers and I will have delivered justice for the Hunters' lives you took. Then it will be time for you to die."