Chapter 54: Falling Down

The next day we awoke intending to leave the mansion and enlist our knights' help in taking care of Tyranus.

In the hallway near the entrance, Amelia approached us.

"Mizik! Isabella! Thank the gods!" She said.

"Amelia? What's wrong?" I asked.

She looked hesitant to answer for a moment.

"Mizik...the knights...the Kings officials...your servants...even Sir Gordon! I went down to the Inn to have a chat with them. Exchange information like I always do... I found them all dead!" she said.

Mine and Isabella's eyes went wide.

"How is that possible!? Who killed them? Who could have been able to kill Sir Gordon of all people!?!?" Isabella said in a panic.

"I also found Lamarr dead in his room when I went to speak to him! He was drugged at some point last night, it seems. Mizik, Isabella, I worry that you two may also be in grave-"

"Danger?" A smooth yet commanding voice said behind us said.

We turned and saw Tyranus standing with Alice at his side. She looked quite upset. She kept her head low and averted her gaze.

"You son of a bitch," I growled.

"Now now, language, young man. You wanted a chat, yes? Come with me to my office. The one you are quite familiar with by now, that is. We'll have a nice talk before your execution," Tyranus said.

I began feeling an incredible pressure that almost suffocated me where I stood.

"Tyranus! What do you think you're doing!? These two are envoys from Albatross! You have no right to-"

Amelia stopped mid-sentence and fell straight to the ground.

Her throat began gushing huge amounts of blood.

What...what just happened!?

"Poor Amelia. She mourned the loss of Lamarr and the filthy Albatross officials so much that she took her own life. Such a shame..." Tyranus said.

Both Isabella and I were speechless. In complete and utter shock.

"Now then, both of you. With me," Tyranus said.

"L-let's just follow him..." Isabella said

I glanced sadly at Amelia's corpse as we began moving. My heart ached to see my father's beloved sister lying in a pool of her own blood. To die like a dog, not even knowing what happened...

Amelia...I'm so sorry... I'm sorry! Please forgive us... I'll avenge you, I swear it!

We followed Tyranus and eventually came to the office that we had visited last night.

Tyranus sat down and motioned for us to have a seat in the two chairs on the other side of the desk. Two cups of water were on the desk in front of us next to a half-filled pitcher.

"Now then, what is it that you want from me? Your snooping around is quite bothersome, I'll have you know," Tyranus said.

[False wielder! You dare slay my allies and oppose me!? I mark you for execution!]

I took a deep breath to compose myself.

It was hard to focus with Vengeance yelling, so I tried to silence it.

"Please be quiet for a moment. I need to focus," I said.

Tyranus raised an eyebrow at me.

"Not at you, Tyranus. It's my sword."

"Vengeance, correct? The long lost 'demon blade of undying rage'. It used to belong to us, you know? The last person to hold it was from our family. He was consumed by it and the blade was lost," He said calmly.

"I'm not surprised by that," I said.

It really wasn't surprising that our family would have owned such a weapon. Considering our name and family skill, they worked well together.

"Now then. My question begs for an answer. What do you want from me?" Tyranus said.

Alice took her place next to Tyranus and kept her head down.

"We want information and we have a request. But first...why did my father have to go to Lorelei?" I asked.

"Ulysses was a problem. Constantly sticking his nose into the affairs of the underground guild. We have a business to run, after all, and it isn't exactly legal."

"Why did you join the underground guild?" Isabella asked.

Tyranus glared briefly at Isabella and then turned back to me.

"I didn't just join the guild, I took control of it. Just like I did for this country. I wanted power, but Ulysses wouldn't stop hunting the guild until he had destroyed it. We needed to silence him. That insufferable, honor-bound bufoon wanted our country to be free of the guild and to stand proudly on its own without any help. I couldn't let that happen."

"Why? Why is it wrong for the country to be free?" I asked.

"Money," Tyranus said. "We wont make even half as much money as we do without the guild. Additionally, it's about control. We can control the people with fear and money using the power of the guild. With that control, we can unite the world under one banner. The banner of Tyranus Iratus. The guild is a necessary evil."

"You're trying to...take over the world!?" I said.

"Of course. What else is there for me at this point? I already own Kalsa and the Iratus family. I have as much sex as any man could desire, I am rich beyond imagination, I have more power than any man in the world, and I am a genius. World domination is the only step I can take at this point," Tyranus said with a slight smile.

"You are a fool, Tyranus. You do not seem to understand our position so I wil spell it out for you: the world you want to dominate is in danger of being destroyed. The Black Ooze is warping the landscape and summoning monsters. It will not stop until we have been consumed. That's why we need you to put aside your goals and join the united front with Albatross!" Isabella said firmly.

Tyranus smiled and chuckled.

"And how, exactly, do you think I plan to take over the world? Did you think I would just use regular armies? My own power? Nonsense. I know everything there is to know about this substance and more. There is a Source. Whoever controls the Source, controls the Black Ooze. I will take that Source and cleanse the world of all who oppose me. Then I will build a perfect world with myself as its leader. Your pitiful united front is a foolish endeavor. We will never ally ourselves with Albatross."

"You can't just...control the Black Ooze!!! That's insane! Do you have any idea what that vile substance does to people!? You'll be turned into a monster!" I shouted.

"It is true. I was almost consumed by it, myself. I heard the Source and felt his power. It is as vast and bottomless as an endless abyss!" Isabella shouted.

"As is my own power. My blade is more than enough to destroy that vile Source and take its power for myself," Tyranus said calmly.

"You damn naive bastard! The Ooze will devour you whole! You have no idea what kinds of abominations it's capable of creating!" I said angrily.

"Perhaps not, but I have yet to meet a creature that could resist the power of my Justice," he said.

"Tyranus, you need to seriously listen to me. You cannot stop the Ooze. You need to join the united front with Albatross!" Isabella said.

"Ah, this again. You two haven't heard the news, have you?" Tyranus said calmly.

"What news?" I asked.

"I suppose you have been rather sheltered here for a short while...and it did happen only recently. Hilarious."

"What happened!?" Isabella said.

Worry was beginning to creep into her eyes.

"The leader of the united front is gone. Albatross is no more. Starting from Lorelei, probably about the time that you left, the Ooze erupted from the mines and sewers in and around the town. After that, it slaughtered and devoured everyone and everything in its path. Reaching all the way to Albatross city and razing it to the ground. That place is a nightmarish hellscape now. Meaning you aren't a Princess anymore, Isabella, and Mizik is still low-born garbage."

I felt numb upon hearing those words...

Lorelei...Albatross...consumed?

"A pity, really. Duke Oswald was likely devoured. As disgusting as he was, he had quite a bit of skill working with illegal operations. Oh well. He can easily be replaced," Tyranus continued.

But I want paying attention anymore.

I felt a soul-crushing despair enveloping me.

Cleo, Maul, Aria... Everyone at the Inn. Everyone at the castle and in the city...

The Ooze consumed them all?

I glanced over at Isabella and saw a horrified expression on her face.

"No...you're lying... Th-that can't be true... ALBATROSS IS STILL STANDING!!!" Isabella screamed.

Tyranus shook his head.

"It started when you left. It ended probably just as you arrived in Noir. Everything you know is gone. You would do well to accept that."

I couldn't speak at all.

I couldn't even think.

Had we lost already? The united front hinged on the fact that Albatross would lead the charge...

If Albatross was destroyed...how could we form a defense!?

Isabella slumped down in her chair and wept silently.

"You two look quite thirsty after hearing such news. Why not take a drink? Enjoy a glass of water. After all, it may be your last," Tyranus said.

I shakily reached for a glass and held it against my lips. Isabella did the same as she had tears streaming from her eyes.

We both drank and Isabella placed hers back on the desk. The water tasted strange...almost like I had tasted it before...

The taste was so familiar, yet I couldn't place it...

It was delicious, yet also...

It filled me with dread.

My hands began to shake.

I couldn't keep the glass steady and dropped it.

The glass spilled on the floor and the cup shattered against the desk.

"What a pity. You've made such a mess of my wonderful office. Oh well, it's just water and a bit of glass. Alice, be a dear and clean that up for me?" Tyranus said with a smile.

I wanted to kill this guy... I wanted him dead so badly...

I opened my mouth and managed to speak. I glared daggers at him.

"You...greedy...evil BASTARD!!! YOU'VE DOOMED US ALL!!! AVERNIA IS RUINED!!!" I screamed.

"Keep your voice down, boy. I'm right here. Avernia will be perfectly fine in my care. I've already assembled an elite army for combatting the Source unlike you lot. You were so slow to act, it was as if you didn't believe the Ooze was a problem at all. Our victory is assured...now do me a favor and sleep."

A moment later, Isabella collapsed and fell out of her chair.

I looked over and reached out.

My hand felt numb and my vision went blurry.

This is...familiar... Was I drugged again...? No...not like this...not again...!!!

I tried to stand up and pulled Vengeance out of my inventory.

I shakily backed away from the desk as I shook my head to clear my mind.

"You're quite the fighter, Mizik. Unfortunately, that drug is something you're already quite familiar with," Tyranus said.

I fell to the floor as soon as I heard him speak and dropped my sword. Alice walked over and calmly picked it up. She placed it gently in her inventory.

"You won't be needing this where we're taking you," she said.

I saw Alice giving me a seductive smile as my consciousness faded.