I, the slave boy, awaken with the most potent seed!!

Mordred closed the distance to the guard in a heartbeat, his blade piercing through flesh and bone with terrifying ease.

The guard's grunt of surprise turned to a gurgle as blood gushed from the wound and his mouth. With a vicious twist, Mordred wrenched the blade upward, cleaving through cartilage and sinew. The guard's body crumpled to the ground, lifeless.

"An intruder just killed the Captain!" The shout rang out, alerting the entire compound. Guards who had been heading to investigate the disturbance at the back of the mansion now pivoted, racing towards Mordred and his team.

Gustavo, realizing subterfuge was no longer an option, summoned his own blade. It materialized in his hand, gleaming with deadly intent.

He lunged at the approaching guards, his weapon a blur of lethal precision. Each swing found its mark, slicing through armor, flesh, and bone. The air filled with the metallic scent of blood and the gurgles of the fallen.

The mansion erupted into chaos. The infiltrators who had been posing as guards shed their disguises, revealing their true allegiances as they joined the fray. The courtyard became a whirlwind of steel and savagery.

As Gustavo gripped a guard's head, a violent cough wracked his body, causing him to stagger. 'Not again!'

The guard, on the verge of recovery, saw an opportunity. But Gustavo, fighting through his weakness, plunged his blade into the guard's eye socket, twisting it mercilessly and extinguishing the life within.

Another bout of coughing seized Gustavo, forcing him to stumble once more. He could feel strength ebbing from his body with each labored breath. His eyes watered, blurring the chaotic scene around him.

A grim realization settled in his mind: 'Fuck this, I need to claim this bounty and get myself healed, or I might succumb to this.... curse.'

Scanning his surroundings, Gustavo's gaze drifted upward to the room where he had earlier noticed a light. The thought struck him anew, urgency rising in his chest. 'Malachi might already be planning their escape, or worse, alerting the Enforcers. We need to finish this as quickly as possible.'

Gustavo, aware that time was slipping away, called out to Mordred over the din of battle. "Hey! Mordred! Let's go claim our prize before she slips through our fingers!"

Mordred, though clearly relishing the carnage, nodded in agreement. As they approached the mansion's entrance, he turned to Brutus and Ratface, his eyes gleaming with dark intensity. "Make sure you kill everyone," he commanded. "No soul survives, even at the expense of your own lives."

"As usual!"

With that chilling order, Gustavo and Mordred plunged into the depths of Malachi's fortress, leaving a trail of destruction in their wake.

The ornate doors of Malachi Vex's mansion, now covered in blood, crashed open, admitting Gustavo and Mordred into a lavish sitting room.

Outside, the sounds of battle raged on, but inside, an eerie silence reigned—at least for a moment.

'It doesn't feel right.... Why is there no one here. This means Malachi knew we were coming so I believe he's prepared for us.' Gustavo thought as he scanned his surroundings.

His voice suddenly shattered the quiet. "Malachi! Show yourself, you sniveling coward!" His blade scraped along the gilded wallpaper, leaving ugly gashes in its wake.

Mordred moved more cautiously, eyes darting to the shadows.

But Gustavo was beyond caution. He swept his arm across a nearby table, sending priceless trinkets clattering to the floor. "What's the matter, Vex? Too busy cowering behind your fancy walls?"

He kicked over a chair, wood splintering. "Or maybe you're off dallying with some noble's wife while real men do battle!"

"Malachi!" Mordred joined, his face reddening. "Face us like a man! Or are you nothing but a spineless worm hiding in the dirt of your ill-gotten wealth?"

The mansion remained stubbornly silent, save for the echoes of both their rage. Mordred's hand tightened on his weapon, eyes scanning for any sign of movement.

"Perhaps," Gustavo sneered, his voice dripping with contempt, "the great Malachi Vex prefers the company of perfumed sheets to the clash of steel. What say you, coward? Shall we drag you out by your silk nightgown?"

Suddenly, a floorboard creaked overhead, silencing them both. Gustavo's wild grin spread across his face. "Ah," he whispered, "the mouse stirs in his hole."

Just then, a figure descended from the stairs and emerged from the shadows, his silhouette resolving into the form of Malachi Vex.

He wore a long red shirt and a black ring on his right hand. As he approached, he adjusted the ring with a grin on his face, looking completely unfazed by their intrusion.

His voice cut through the air, dripping with disdain. "My, my. What uncouth rabble have the winds blown in? I'd ask if your mothers never taught you manners, but I suspect they were too busy in the brothels to bother."

Gustavo's knuckles whitened on his blade. "You dare—"

"Oh, I dare quite a lot," Malachi interrupted, reaching the bottom of the stairs. He adjusted his ring once again, seemingly unconcerned by the armed intruders. "Tell me, did you two share a brain between you, or did you leave even that meager scrap of intellect behind when you decided to blunder into my mansion?"

Mordred stepped forward, his tone firm. "We're here for Matilda, Vex. Hand her over, and perhaps we can lessen the consequences you'll face."

Malachi's laugh was cold and brittle. "Imagine going through this lot just for a miserable few Thalens. How pathetic!"

"Enough!" Gustavo roared, taking a menacing step forward. "Where is she?"

Malachi's eyes glinted with malice. "If you want her, come and get her."

Gustavo's face contorted with rage. "Then so be it!" With a guttural roar, he lunged at Malachi, his blade whistling through the air. But as he closed the distance, Malachi's arrogant smile only widened.

In a fluid motion, Malachi raised his hand. The polished floor erupted, a slab of stone materializing with frightening speed. It caught Gustavo mid-leap, slamming into his chest with bone-jarring force.

Malachi's wrist twisted. The stone followed, driving Gustavo into the ground with a sickening thud. The impact shook the mansion to its foundations.

Mordred, driven by instinct and fury, charged forward without hesitation. But he managed only a single step before agony exploded through his feet.

Rock burst from the floor, piercing and encasing his legs and yanking him skyward. In a heartbeat, he too was slammed into the unforgiving ground.

Malachi surveyed the fallen men, his voice dripping with contempt. "Did you truly believe you pitiful blade wielders stood a chance against an earth wielder? How utterly pathetic."

He stepped closer, the floor rippling beneath his feet. "I promise you this – your deaths will be as painful as they are regrettable. A fitting end for those foolish enough to invade my home."

His gaze swept between Gustavo and Mordred, both struggling to rise. "Now then," Malachi continued, malevolent amusement coloring his words, "shall we proceed with your executions? Or would you prefer to grovel first? I do so enjoy a good spectacle."