Eternal Undying Chronicles

The world rippled like water as a black bicorn appeared on the rooftop of a tall building, its infernal form cutting an imposing silhouette against the night sky. The creature's eyes glowed a menacing violet, while its hooves, wreathed in violet infernal flames, left scorched prints on the roof's surface.

Riding atop the beast was a woman, her dark hair billowing in the wind, and behind her, a grim reaper-like figure, shrouded in dark vestments, held her securely by the waist with one gauntlet-covered hand while the other gripped the reins of his terrifying steed.

As they came to a halt, the reaper dismounted with an eerie grace, his movements silent and fluid. He turned, his gauntleted hand reaching out to the woman.

Placing his hands firmly yet gently on her waist, he lifted her as if she weighed nothing, effortlessly setting her down on the ground beside him. The woman's stern expression didn't waver as she stepped away from the bicorn, her eyes cold and calculating.

"We retrieved the data, in a not-so-discreet fashion," Malefica's voice echoed, her tone sharp with a hint of reproach.

"Wow, you came all the way... to supervise, only for our cover to still be blown. You and I aren't fit to be Shinobi," Alicarde retorted with a snarky tone, a hint of a smirk playing beneath his hood.

"I don't need to be a ninja. I'm already a witch," Malefica shot back, her voice tinged with pride.

"Oh, and how's that working for you? Three spells a day and some parlor tricks?" Alicarde continued, his words dripping with sarcasm.

Malefica glared at him, her patience wearing thin. She realized this bastard was getting bolder by the minute and even started to wonder if he had a bipolar disorder.

"You're really getting bolder with each passing minute. Don't forget, I am still your professor."

"Not here you're not," Alicarde's voice echoed ominously through the shadow of his hood, his violet eyes briefly flickering with amusement.

"I still am. I can shut you up with a curse. Try me, and you'll find out the hard way," Malefica warned.

"You can, but did you forget our pact? I have a freedom of speech clause. If you did that, I can extract a penalty," Alicarde replied.

"I knew it. That was the reason after all," Malefica gave him a knowing look.

"Wait, huh? Did I just get baited... hmmm, oh well. Guess you didn't live a thousand years for nothing," Alicarde mused.

"Then again, so what if you know? Trust me, I can get more annoying," Alicarde continued.

Realizing it was futile to pursue the argument, Malefica waved her cane with a flick of her wrist. A sleek laptop materialized out of thin air, its surface gleaming under the dim rooftop lights.

She gestured for Alicarde to hand over the flash drive. He placed the drive on the laptop, and it stuck like a magnet before it began to upload the data.

"Hmmm, there isn't anything new here. I wonder, why didn't they just keep all this data on the main databank?" Alicarde mused, leaning over her shoulder to peek at the screen.

"You don't put all your eggs in one basket, that's why," Malefica's imperious voice cut through the night air, her eyes never leaving the laptop's screen. Enjoy new tales from empire

Alicarde nodded in agreement, stepping back as he observed their surroundings. The city below was alive with chaos. The distant wail of sirens and the buzz of helicopter blades filled the air as searchlights cut through the darkness, scouring the streets and rooftops. Yet, unbeknownst to the police, their quarry stood right above them, hidden in plain sight on the roof of the adjacent building.

"Alright, I've got something," Malefica announced, her eyes narrowing as she sifted through the data.

"It seems our targets all changed hideouts after your little display last night. Now we don't know where they are. That said, while they can hide, they can't stop their activities. The underlings they employ are still active."

She turned to Alicarde, her gaze cold and accusing, silently blaming him for their current predicament.

"It seems the Carmine Mad Dog has a club he frequents. Go find him. If you do, you'll find their underground dealings there too... and no need to hold back, bring him back alive so I can extract information."

Alicarde smiled under his hood, a dark grin that promised violence. Finally, the boring part was over.

"But first, you need to drop me off at my residence. I still need to process the rest of the data. We divide and conquer," Malefica declared, closing the laptop with a snap.

"No need. Give me the location, and I'll get there on my own while Wrath takes you home," Alicarde replied, his eagerness for revenge clear in his voice.

Malefica looked at the bicorn, then nodded, showing Alicarde the location on the laptop before it disappeared into the ether.

She approached Wrath, the large steed snorting as it watched her with glowing eyes. The beast was difficult to mount, but Malefica didn't bother trying.

Instead, she turned to Alicarde, who was already stepping forward with a smile hidden beneath his hood. He grabbed her waist, lifting her effortlessly onto the bicorn's back. Wrath shifted slightly, his wings spreading wide as Alicarde handed Malefica the reins.

"Your waist ar—"

"Say anything about my waist, and you'll be sorry," Malefica interrupted.

"Point taken," Alicarde replied.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

"Take her home," Alicarde commanded, his voice resonating with authority. The bicorn growled softly, its wings beating against the night air before it launched into the sky, soaring away from the rooftop.

Alicarde watched as they disappeared into the darkness, the violet flames from Wrath's hooves leaving a trail of light in the night sky.

The world around him shimmered as Alicarde stood at the edge of the roof, the city sprawled below like a chaotic maze of lights. Without hesitation, he leapt from the building, his body diving headfirst into the night.

The wind roared in his ears, and the ground rushed up at a terrifying speed. Just before he hit the street below, Alicarde activated his gravity-altering ability, [Flux Field]. A soft hum filled the air as the forces around him shifted, slowing his rapid descent.

The ground, once an inevitable threat, now seemed distant as he hovered precariously above it, the sensation of weightlessness pulling him in all directions.

As Alicarde soared forward, the gravity field crackled and fluctuated. The neon lights of the city below blurred into streaks of color as his flight became erratic, the unsteady control of his power sending him veering left and right.

He clenched his jaw, concentrating on stabilizing himself, but his body wobbled in the air, fighting the invisible forces. His movements were less like graceful flight and more like a man struggling against an unseen current.

"I really need to figure out how to use this ability without the downsides," he muttered through clenched teeth, his voice drowned by the wind rushing past.

His focus, however, remained unbroken as he powered through, locking his sights on the next building.

The rooftop came fast, too fast, and despite Alicarde's efforts to slow down, he smashed into the ground with a deafening impact. His body hit the concrete hard, the force of the collision sending spiderweb cracks rippling out from where he landed.

The shock reverberated through his bones, and for a moment, he lay there, the world spinning around him.

Pulling himself to his feet, Alicarde staggered, disoriented, as he scanned the rooftop for any potential witnesses. His violet eyes darted through the shadows, but the roof was deserted. He let out a breath, grateful his less-than-perfect landing had gone unseen.

His head still spun from the aftereffects of the [Flux Field]. The disorienting sensation was familiar—he knew using his gravity manipulation came at a cost.

While he could alter gravity, it was far from an exact science. Too much force, and he risked blacking out, too little, and he crashed headlong into walls or the ground. The toll on his body was clear now, with the lingering sense of vertigo gnawing at him.

"I should've mastered flight by now," he grumbled, rubbing his temples.

His frustration was palpable, and a small smile crept onto his lips as he imagined how Malefica would've reacted to seeing him fumble.

'She'd never let me live it down,' he mused.

Shaking his head to clear his thoughts, he refocused on his next move. He eyed the adjacent skyscraper, its towering presence looming over him. With a determined glance, Alicarde sprinted toward the edge, his muscles coiling as he prepared to jump.

He leaped through the air, his arms outstretched, aiming for the building's side. But his trajectory was off. Midair, he realized he wouldn't make it, and with no time to correct his course, he flung his hand forward, his gauntleted fingers scraping against the building's steel exterior.

The sharp tips of his gauntlet dug into the metal, sending sparks flying as he latched onto the wall, hanging precariously. The skyscraper groaned under his weight, but it held, his grip firm.

"Not as smooth as I planned," he muttered, grinning to himself as he dangled from the building. "But long gone are the days when a flat wall stopped me."

He shifted his weight and reduced his mass again with [Flux Field], propelling himself up the side of the building with swift, calculated movements.

His body became a blur as he ascended, finally reaching the top in a matter of seconds. The moment his feet hit the rooftop, he was already running, not giving himself a moment to rest. The city skyline stretched out before him as he launched himself from rooftop to rooftop.

Each leap was precise, each landing effortless. He flowed through the cityscape with the ease of someone who had done this countless times before.

The wind whipped around him as he dodged air vents, scaled antennae, and vaulted over obstacles with near-perfect agility. His training with Argint had refined his natural abilities into a deadly combination of speed and power.

His feet barely touched the ground as he bounded from building to building, the dark rooftops nothing more than stepping stones in his pursuit of vengeance.

The city below was alive, but for Alicarde, it was silent—his focus was absolute, his body a well-oiled machine honed for one purpose. The wind carried the faint sounds of sirens and traffic, but they barely registered in his mind as he closed in on his destination.

Finally, he reached the last rooftop, landing with a skidding stop, the gravel beneath his boots scattering with the momentum. Breathing heavily, he stood at the edge, peering down into the bustling city streets below.

Neon lights flickered from a nightclub across the street, the building alive with activity. The thumping bass of music vibrated through the ground, a stark contrast to the quiet isolation of the rooftop.

This was it. His target was somewhere inside, hiding among the flashing lights and deafening music, thinking they were safe. Alicarde's violet eyes narrowed as he stared at the club, the tension in his muscles coiling like a spring ready to unleash.

The time for subtlety had ended. Now, it was time for blood. The hunt begins.