Summoning

"What is it with you and bad luck lately, Axel? You go to Lykos and a crazy Rhino attacks, nearly killing you. And when you finally arrive at Little Maw, a clan war breaks out. What's happening with you?"

Shabby's voice came through crystal clear from the other side, cutting through Axel's thoughts like a knife.

For a fleeting moment, Axel wished for the crackling of the line to return, anything to avoid facing the truth.

But deep down, Axel knew that what Shabby was saying was entirely true. Wherever he went, misfortune seemed to follow.

It was as if the universe had a personal vendetta against him, or at least that's how it felt.

"I know. I know."

"So...how are you holding up? You've been all over the news. I've seen what went down."

"I'm at the Kuro clan's castle. One of their guys picked me up. Haven't heard much from them yet, but they'll figure out what to do with me soon, Shabby. I...uh..."

He wanted to express more, to have someone truly listen to him, but the words just seemed to get caught in his throat.

"It's okay. Just take it easy, Axel. I'm relieved you're alive. Don't stress about the clan. If they decide to kick you out, just give Viktor a call.

"He's lurking around Little Maw somewhere, probably buying supplies for his experiments, as always. You know Viktor. He has a way of mysteriously showing up when things go south."

"Viktor? Alright, I'll give it a shot. But you know how he operates. We can't reach him, but somehow, he always manages to find us."

Viktor was that type of man. You couldn't reach out to him, but when you needed him most, he'd appear out of nowhere.

He was the polar opposite of Vektor, who was jovial and energetic. Viktor, on the other hand, spoke as if he held the secrets of the universe in his hands.

"And, Axie... about the job? I couldn't reach the fixer. It's as if he's in some place without proper communication facilities.

"But do your best to complete the job, or worst-case scenario, just bring back the Stick, alright, man?"

Axel craned his neck to glance at the silly cat sprawled out on the bed, her limbs splayed in all directions like a drunkard.

With a gentle touch, he felt the pockets of her harness and found what he was looking for—two Cred sticks tucked safely inside.

Byte stirred from her slumber, opening her eyes with a disgruntled meow, clearly displeased at being disturbed.

Ignoring her protest, Axel scooped her into his arms and pulled her close, snuggling her affectionately. Surprisingly, Byte didn't retaliate but instead nestled closer to him, emitting a contented purr.

"Don't worry. I'll get the job done, Boss man," Axel assured Shabby.

"Good to hear. Alright, I'll check in on you later, boy."

The call dropped, leaving Axel sighing in frustration. Now he had yet another problem on his plate—dealing with the Kuro clan.

Running away seemed like the easy way out, but he knew he had to stick around to finish the job. That meant finding the Data Broker. The bar where the meeting was supposed to take place belonged to these people, and the Fixer had hinted that the Data Broker had some kind of connection with the Kuro clan.

"What am I supposed to do here other than waiting?" 

His gaze wandered away, landing on Byte who purred softly and curled up against his body, nuzzling against his cheek.

"Ah, whatever. Let's just have a nap."

His eyelids growing heavy with fatigue. With a resigned sigh, he closed his eyes, surrendering to the embrace of sleep.

...

Axel's eyes snapped open at the sound of loud bangs on the door, jolting him upright in bed as if someone was about to burst in and attack him.

He scanned the room in panic, only to find Byte still sleeping peacefully, undisturbed by the commotion.

"What a stupid cat."

Taking a deep breath to calm his nerves, Axel realized that the supposed loud bangs were actually soft taps that barely registered on the door.

His mind must have been playing tricks on him, making the noise seem much more threatening than it actually was.

"Axel-sama, are you awake? The Lord requests your presence."

'Lord? Lord Kuro?'

Axel still had the Data Card from the Fixer, which contained basic information about Little Maw, including details about the clans.

It wasn't super detailed, just the basic stuff an outsider should know if they're here for a day or two.

One key point about the Kuro clan caught Axel's eye. It said that the people in this clan obeyed Lord Kuro not just because of his powers or wealth, but because they genuinely respected him.

Unlike the heads of other clans, Lord Kuro commanded respect, and his leadership was built on that foundation.

Feeling a glimmer of hope, Axel believed he might have a chance to sort things out after all.

"Coming."

Axel mumbled groggily as he roused himself from his slumber and made his way to the door.

Byte was still fast asleep, and he didn't want to disturb her. Quietly, he opened the door to find the same lady who had welcomed him to the guest house standing there.

"Axel-Sama, I hope your stay was comfortable. Our lord is ready to meet you," she said with a polite bow.

Axel returned the bow.

"Thank you, Nene-san. Please lead the way." 

"Please follow me."

Nene-san said as she turned and began to walk down the corridor.

The guest house nestled within the lower palace of the castle, and now they had to make their way through the middle palace to reach the high palace where the lord resided.

As Axel and Nene-san made their way through the middle palace, they passed by numerous individuals engaged in rigorous training.

These folks weren't dressed in traditional yukatas like the other servants. Instead, they sported tight black uniforms that hugged their bodies snugly.

Each of them was deeply focused on their training, wielding katanas and other melee weapons with precision.

Axel could only catch a glimpse of them stretching at one end of the palace, and although he couldn't see the other side, the collective sounds of their training echoed throughout the space.

He couldn't help but wonder how many of them were there. If this many people were gearing up for battle here, it was a clear sign that the enemy they faced must be formidable indeed.

'I just hope I'm out of here before that happens. I don't wanna end up in a war that I've got no hand in.'

Nene led Axel through the bustling corridors of the middle palace, where he could see people rushing about with papers and various items in their hands.

Unlike the lower palace, these individuals were equipped with small gadgets, like mind-controlled typewriters that magically transcribed their thoughts onto paper.

Axel couldn't help but marvel at the efficiency and innovation of the clan's operations as they made their way through the busy halls.

"Sensou o Motarasu Mono..."

Muttered one of the men working on some papers as he glared at Axel walking through the door.

"What does that mean?"

"Warbringer, Axel-sama. It means Warbringer"