"Sanguina, what are you doing?!" Nana yelled as the rest of the guards scread, "You murderer!"
Sanguina rolled her eyes. "Oh co on, this is bullshit. They attacked first! You can't seriously be mad at ."
Nana clenched her fists, trying to stay calm. "I don't know what's fully going on yet, so I want to avoid killing them if we can."
Sanguina snapped her fingers in quick succession across her body, causing a series of explosions that ignited the ground between her and the guards. The n stepped back, fear evident in their eyes. One of them plunged his sword into the ground, creating a cloud of smoke that billowed around them.
"Well, yes, I can easily disarm them, but it's about respect and—" Sanguina started, but she was cut off as another guard spun out of the smoke, attempting to slash upwards at her. Sanguina remained still, letting the blade strike her right on the chin. Sparks flew as the blade snapped in half, and the man was thrown back by the force.
Sanguina smirked. "They have no hope of hurting , so I guess I can go easy on them."
"Good, if we leave them alive, we can question them and see what's going on!" Nana said.
"Right, what about your giant green friend?" Sanguina asked as the sound of snoring began to fill the room.
"Ah… I'll wake him up in a second," Nana replied, just as the old lady sprang from the ground, sliding her left hand across her chest. "Don't you dare underestimate !"
The kettle in Sanguina's hand began glowing red hot. Sanguina noticed it and muttered, "Hot explosion?"
The kettle turned bright red and began spinning. Sanguina turned her head slightly. "Exploding?"
Monts later, the kettle erupted in a giant explosion, black smoke filling the entire room and rushing out through the doors the guards had walked in.
When the smoke cleared, Sanguina was in front of the old lady, down on one knee. "Hey old lady, you're going to listen to and answer so questions, okay?"
"Like I would ever—" The old lady started, but her defiance was cut short as Sanguina's eyes glowed bright red. The old woman's eyes mirrored the glow, and she dropped her left arm. Sanguina wrapped her hand around the old lady's severed arm, burning and searing the wound closed.
"Let's start with sothing simple," Sanguina said, her voice cold and commanding. "Where did they take Elithira and the King?"
Nana watched as she engaged in a hushed conversation with the old lady. She then rushed over to the man Sanguina had injured. "What are you idiots doing! Go get dical staff before he dies!"
The guards looked on with mixed emotions, their hands shaking.
"Listen, I don't know what's going on, but I've been through these walls for months. We can handle whatever issue is happening, but are you really going to let him die right now?!"
A man with red hair, looking conflicted, finally snapped. "Damnit! Fine, go get dical staff from North Wing R1 down here right now and see to the man the woman injured!"
Two guards dispatched quickly, following his orders. The redheaded guard turned back to Nana and Sanguina, his expression stern. "Put your hands in the air and do not fight back!"
Nana shook her head firmly. "No can do. I'm not sure what's going on, but you've been told a lie sowhere!"
"The King would never lie to us," the redheaded guard insisted.
Nana took a deep breath, trying to calm the situation. "Think about it. Does this really make sense? Why would we attack if we didn't have a reason? We're trying to save soone, just like you would for your comrades."
The guard hesitated, uncertainty flashing across his face. "What do you an?"
Sanguina, still holding the old lady, added, "We've been trying to find Elithira and get to the bottom of what's happening here. The King and Erebos have been manipulating things behind the scenes. They're using all of us."
"I'm sorry, Erebos? I... I don't know who that is," the redheaded guard stamred.
"Of course you do," Nana insisted. "He's the one who attacked a year before I got here."
The guard put a hand on his head, looking overwheld. "This is too much. I just—"
Sanguina cut him off, her tone sharp. "She spoke. She is a slave of the king. She used to be a rebel who believed in the teachings of soone nad Legato. She was caught and sentenced to servitude."
The guard's eyes widened in shock. "That's nonsense! Grand Lady Rima has been around these walls since I was a kid!"
He glanced over at Rima, now slumped to her knees, her eyes glowing red. His gaze fell on her wrist, noticing the clover pattern. The realization hit him like a ton of bricks.
"No... it can't be," he whispered, his voice trembling.
Rima, now visibly weakened, looked up with a defiant expression. "It's true. I followed Legato because I believed in a better future.
"But the King was rciful to and let live," Rima continued, her voice shaking. "Legato went away and never ca back, so I did what I could to hold out as long as I could. When I saw the skeleton guy and his power, sothing in hoped for a better future though..."
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Monts later, dical staff rushed in, followed by General Mattison. He surveyed the scene, his eyes wide with shock. "What the hell is going on here?" he demanded, his gaze landing on Rima. "Grand Lady Rima?! What happened here?"
Rima, her eyes still glowing red, struggled to respond. "I... I was instructed to carry out the execution of Lady Nana and the red head by the King..."
General Mattison's face twisted in confusion and anger. "Execution? What are you talking about? Why would the King order such a thing?"
"I... don't know fully," Rima said, her voice trembling. "He stated it's because they are a threat to the peace of this kingdom and could lead to a change that can never be undone if they are allowed to stay."
Sanguina cut in, her tone sharp. "Regardless, where did he take Elithira?"
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