☀️ Arselia and Akonia

...

Elliot Ironboot listened very carefully to the explanation of the events given by his suspect/witness, but ultimately, he still ordered her to be held in custody until further circumstances could be clarified. Whether this was done to protect her from the killer or because he considered her guilty at that moment, it was difficult to tell due to his impassive expression. Leaving the priestess in the company of four walls and two guards on the other side of the door, the head of the guard retired to contemplate the events of the past week. Antonius Blake => killed in his sleep, appears to be a contract killing, his throat was likely slit to be sure – “just in case,” an ear as proof of the job done. Kligon Vallen => killed by port guards during an attack on his sisters’ lover. Gloria Mansell => killed late at night after her shop closed; no signs of forced entry were found; the woman probably either forgot to lock the door or someone knocked on it, and she had good reason to open it in the middle of the night. 9 employees of the “Chamber of Horrors” => brutally killed at their workplace; the crime scene, along with a suspicious foreigner, was discovered by the port guards. He didn’t want to admit it, but deep down, he felt that he was “missing a few murders” to solve the case. There was something that connected three of the four cases, and this was strongly supported by the story of Aiyano Yamagami, but he was not yet convinced of the truth of this theory. On Friday morning, at the guard headquarters, Elliot summons the captain of the port guard to his office. They chat about this and that, and at some point, the chief suggests that his subordinate take a temporary leave. If his theory was correct, depriving this person of his official powers was a top priority. If the theory turned out to be incorrect, nothing bad would happen – Victor would have a good rest and return to duty full of strength and energy. The head of the guard really didn’t want to suspect, let alone monitor, a subordinate he had trusted for many years, but he had to rule out the theory that had arisen in his mind. “Sir, I don’t think now is the time for a vacation! A dangerous criminal is still at large and threatens the safety of the citizens entrusted to us by the Emperor! I am ready to fulfill my duty twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week! Sir!” “Victor, listen. There have been a lot of incidents in the port lately, and I can see how tired you are. You’ll rest a little, get some sleep, recharge, and come back. I need you healthy and full of energy.” “...” “Well, if you understand, then…” The head of the guard couldn’t finish the sentence he had started – his head flew off his shoulders before he could. No one even heard that something had happened. Leaving the chief’s office, Victor beheaded the unsuspecting colleagues who were guarding his big boss. Then he went down to the cell where Aiyano was held and beheaded the guards who were guarding her. Peeking through the crack in the door and giving her a furious look, he pounded furiously on the doors, but found no key on the bodies of his colleagues – the head of the guard had apparently made sure that it was somewhere else. “Hey, what’s going on here?!” Other guards ran up to Victor. “WE’VE BEEN ATTACKED!!!” he shouts to his colleagues. “IMMEDIATELY ALERT EVERYONE! I REMEMBER THE CRIMINAL’S FACE, DON, NORA – FOLLOW ME, WE WON’T LET HIM ESCAPE!” Victor ran towards the exit, and Don followed him, but Nora grabbed him by the sleeve. “What are you doing?” “Don… Don’t go.” “What are you talking about?” “Just trust me, don’t.” “It’s not time for nonsense!” Don broke free from his girlfriend’s grip, and she remained at the guard headquarters, waiting for instructions from some higher-ranking officer. Some time later, Don ran after Victor through one of the many city alleys. “Sir! Are you sure the criminal ran this way? I don’t see any tracks…” Victor stopped. “Sir…?” Turning around, the captain of the port guard cut the guy in half before he could understand or even feel anything. The truth of what happened was established only a few hours later. Victor Loss was declared wanted. Nariya, who was probably accompanied by Aiko, arrived at the guard headquarters and negotiated with the deputy head of the guard for Aiyano’s release.