Mournful Homecoming [Riley/Closed]

[Battler Myrddin]

----- Demon World, Sleeping Forest -----

With the twisted world around him, Battler sat down on a tree stump. It had been roughly three years since he had returned to this place where everything started. Back then, him and two others were transported to an alternate world. The other two were Riley Aquila, his Guild Master, and her close friend Fawn, the Fairy Tail Guild Master. Everything was so hectic when they first arrived, but they had achieved a lot since then. Found a way of life, befriended demons, fought in power struggles, and survived. That being said, in the last year, Battler had been so preoccupied fighting on the borders of their little 'nation' that he had not met the other two in probably three months in person. He had sent messages via the demons but remained in combat himself. Thanks to it, he had gained a lot of combat experience, but lacked a sort of familiarity with people. Not that he could do much of that with the only other 'people' being his superior, and a girl who could be his little sister.

On his mind back then, he had also decided to separate so that he wouldn't risk changing the status quo. He was a guy, after all. Would be bad if he had cross the line, and gotten to comfortable, too close. And so, he had to make due with the succubi he met. Hey, a man has his needs. Though his constant mingling had influenced his body, as was now apparent. His old friends were sure to be in for a surprise upon seeing him again. Their correspondence consisted of business only, so nothing personal was ever conveyed. The demons had a hard enough time traveling, so the messages needed to be short.

Battler's white skin was now pale, and his previously blue eyes had turned a deep red which were glowing lightly. His black blood and red bones weren't particularly visible, but he had seen them when he got pierced through the chest and his arms slashed open over the last year. His teeth were sharp, with slight fangs visible, matching the beast like appearance of his long and sharp nails. But that was made into a demonic appearance with just a glance of his horns. Truly, he was no longer human. Horns here. Those jet black horns combined with his blood red hair were rather menacing, increasing the aura of demonic energy around him. That said, he could easily retract these differences.

The reason Battler took on this appearance was for the fact that it would be come to known eventually, so it was best to tell his friends now rather than later. Though the fact he had lost his magic would come later. After all, having ones magic type erased and replaced by something demonic in origin, who wouldn't be worried? Well, it was alright for now. But he had seen how risky it could be. Sitting on a stump with his back against the fallen tree, he leaned back with arms propped up to his sides, legs spread out. Similar to as if he was sitting on a couch with arms on the back, relaxing.

---

Tag: Merc

[Merc]

While Battler had been gone for the better part of a year, Riley had been doing her own thing - which usually involved heading back to the place where they had first entered the world and trying to figure out how they were supposed to get back. For some time she had resigned herself to being stuck in this world, but the longer she spent in the demon world the more uneasy she felt, and she wasn't really sure why.

Loneliness, perhaps? Sure, she had Fawn, and Battler to an extent, but there was definitely a void in her heart that needed to be filled. Then again, after how spectacularly her last relationship had failed maybe she was just better off on her own? She wasn't entirely sure, the only thing she was sure of was the fact that her guild was probably hurting without her. It had been on its' last leg when she joined but she had revived it - only to disappear?

A hopeless sigh left her lungs as she slipped through the trees, her dark hair whipping around as a cold breeze woke her from her somber thoughts. Sensing a familiar yet strange aura in the distance she came to a slow halt, pondering the strange feeling for a fleeting moment before heading towards the aura.

It was no surprise to find Battler sitting on a stump, perhaps waiting for her, though he was barely recognizable at a glance. In her own mind she hadn't really changed too much over the years, aside her personality, which had understandably become a lot less meek and carefree than she had been in the past, but Battler's difference was as plain as day. Was it a new magic? Did the demons teach him some of theirs? She wasn't sure, but she pushed a throng of questions from her mind as she approached.

"Battler, are you alright?" She asked the most important one first. From the start she really hadn't wanted him to head off to battle on his own. It wasn't that she didn't trust him or that she doubted his skill, she just didn't want to see anything happen to him. As his guild master, but more importantly as his friend, if he even viewed her as such, she wanted to protect him come hell or high water.

Approaching him slowly, she came to a halt just a few feet short of him as she waited for a response.

[Battler Myrddin]

Since his eyes were opened the entire time, Battler could see the overwhelming magic coming towards him despite the distance being outside of his range of magic sight. Because seriously, the amount of power an S Rank mage leaks out is insane, and it has only improved since being refined in the demon world. That flow of magic he could see emanating in the distance brought a large grin to Battler's face. Which made him look more menacing with his current appearance. As the person herself came into sight of his naked eye, he could see that slight change on her face upon gazing at him. With a light smirk, he also observed her. He hadn't seen her in quite some time, after all. As she came to a halt a little distance from him, he showed one of his more friendly smiles, glad to see someone he truly considered a friend and family, as few of them as he had.

｢Heya there Riley. Yeah, I'm fine. What you see before you is the result of too much mingling. Boring details aside, this is what happens when you sleep with Succubi, *cough* I mean demons a few too many times.｣ Saying all of that sarcastically and a bit dramatically, there was still enough personality in there to know that he was speaking in a roundabout way. Obviously, to those that know him, he was just mentioning how he had slept around too much, and that 'you are what you eat'. Though he conveniently left out the details on how the demonic energy he kept absorbing had eroded his magic until it replaced what it took. Now that he had been seen by his Guild Master, Battler stood up and took a deep breath.

Closing his eyes, he focused the energy within him and began to restrain that demonic energy running rampant within his body. Condensing it, he withdrew it and contained it into his heart, causing his horns to disperse into smoke, and his long nails also did the same. His pale white skin gained back a bit of its color, and his hair gained back its luster that was more brownish red than the blood red previously. Opening his eyes, they were still red, but the glowing part had receded for now. Breathing out, he shook his head as if it was a hassle. Looking behind Riley with his enhanced eyesight, Battler searched for the other member of their group.

｢Where's the pipsqueak? Don't tell me Fawn got lost again... I thought you two were inseparable.｣ Posing that question, he looked at his Guild Master with probing eyes. It was a habit. This world was dangerous, and being alone was like a death wish if unprepared. Battler had gotten along with Fawn after a month or so being trapped together, at least up to the point that he felt like they were close friends and no longer just acquaintances who met the same fate.

---

Tag: Merc

[Merc]

"Ah, Battler... Some things never change." She sighed somewhat desperately as he revealed that the reason he had changed so much was because he was bedding demons. Somehow she wasn't at all surprised by this, though she fleetingly wondered why he had never put the moves on her over the years, she could only push the thoughts aside a few moments later - dismissing her loneliness because it reminded her of many unpleasant things.

Riley was relieved to hear that Battler was, in fact, alright despite his strange appearance. Truth be told it was the first bit of good news that she had received in months. A frown came to her face at this thought, but she managed to restrain her negative emotions up until Battler asked a question that was innocent enough, and yet tore the bandage off of a festering wound that had infected the very core of her being.

She couldn't even look Battler in the eye after he had asked his question. Initially she turned her gaze towards his feet but even that seemed too much for her as she turned her body away from him, looking sidelong to the trees as the burden of her guilt visibly weighed down her thin shoulders, making even a monstrously powerful mage as herself seem terribly frail.

Opening her mouth, no words came out no matter how hard she tried to force them. With a hard swallow, all she could manage to do was shake her head before letting it fall in shame. The seconds ticked by but she swore hours had passed before she tried again.

"When..." She managed a word but her voice was hoarse, thick with emotion. "When I came home one day she just wasn't there..." Riley finally managed, though the pitch of her voice changed frequently despite how little she had said. "That was... Months ago... I didn't want to tell you by letter..." She whispered, her voice feeling strained despite how softly she was speaking. Her bottom lip quivered and she bit down on it with enough force to draw blood.

"I looked... I looked everywhere, but..." Riley swallowed hard, unable to manage any more than that as she shut her moistening eyes. The demon world had hardened her, that much was without question, but losing someone so dear to her had bore a deep hole into whatever was left of her broken heart.

[Battler Myrddin]

Seeing Riley's eyes drop, Battler instantly knew something sad had happened. But he held on to a little bit of hope, remaining optimistic. Maybe she went off to help some of the other demons they were with? As his Guild Master faced away from him, he held his breath for what seemed like an eternity as he waited for her to speak for herself. The more time passed, the more he dreaded what he was going to hear. By what she said, it had happened some months ago. So, despite all that time, she had not returned. With his thoughts turning sour, Battler finally heard the words from Riley's mouth.

For a long time, that little Fawn had been missing. And he never knew. With his mind blank, his emotions ran through everything as his mind organized itself. Fawn was gone. She disappeared months ago. Concern for her. She hasn't been seen since, and there were no traces. Anger. Sadness. But, there was nothing he could do about it at this point. She was gone. Given the nature of the Demon World, a disappearance was less likely than death. Despite being a Guild Master, Fawn was still young and lacking experience. Could she have survived after disappearing? Probably not well. Was she kidnapped? She was too strong to be held down. Then, only death remained as an option.

Grinding his teeth, Battler clenched his fists as his nails, which were sharp like claws, penetrated the skin on his palms. Little bits of black blood began to trickle from his closed hands. There was nothing he could do. He didn't even know until it was already over. And the one who had to live with that, and the one who had to explain to another what had happened, was the one standing in front of him. With a trembling breath, Battler calmed himself down, and stood next to Riley. Standing in front of her, he turned her face to him with both his hands to look her in the eyes.

With mouth opening and closing, he tried to find words to say. But nothing would come out. In the end, after staring at her for a while, he wrapped his arms around her head and pull her into his chest. Taking long, deep breaths, he kept himself calm, trying to find the words he wanted. ｢You've been through a lot. Thank you for surviving. I'll be here for you. That's what friends are for, after all.｣ Pulling her into a hug was also to hide his own twisted face and to comfort himself. His voice was trembling slightly, but it was deep. He had grown, after all. A deep, manly voice full of resolve and experience.

---

Tag: Merc

[Merc]

Riley swallowed hard as she imagined the turmoil that Battler must have been experiencing at the moment. Would he hate her for not telling him sooner? Would he blame her for letting Fawn out of her sight or for not finding her? She had done everything she could to try to track the girl down, searched tirelessly for days using her Stellar Body spell and then faced an exhaustion unlike any other when she came out of the spell. She had been unable to move for days and wept where she had fallen on the ground, but it hadn't mattered at the time. A part of her would have been happy if a demon came along to finish her off.

She thought that a lot recently.

Blinking herself from her thoughts as Battler appeared in front of her and she felt his hands cup her face, she tensed up slightly, her emotional weakness making her body feel the same as a whimper escaped her throat. She felt something warm and wet on her cheek but she wasn't yet sure what it was or could be, but it felt like it was spreading along her face. Riley reluctantly obliged when he tried to raise her head, though continued casting her eyes to the side after looking up at him for the first time since she broke the news. Her green eyes were bright in color but somehow seemed void of life as tears threatened to fall from where they were building in the corners of her eyes. He couldn't even say anything to her, and as powerful as she was, Riley was afraid of what that meant.

All she had left in this world was Battler, if he left her too...

She felt him embrace her, found herself buried in his chest and somehow his warmth saddened her all the more and she finally began to let herself cry. Wrapping her arms around his torso, her fingers sunk lightly into his shoulders as she trembled and cried quietly in his arms.

"I'm sorry..." She whispered, saying the words over and over again, she wasn't sure if she was saying them to him or to Fawn, but she felt like she had to apologize for everything. For letting them get dragged to such a strange place, for letting them suffer, for not being able to protect them the way that she wanted to. The guilt pushed down on her and she hugged him a little tighter without noticing.

[Battler Myrddin]

Several minutes later...

After some time had passed, Battler separated from Riley and sat her down next to him on that stump from earlier. He could tell what she was thinking after seeing her eyes. Losing someone is painful, sometimes too painful to take. And being trapped alone in this sort of place with no one around to support you, it would definitely get to you. Battler himself had a lot of trouble as well, but he slept his pains away in the arms of the demons he bedded. With his eyes downcast, the red irises were glowing very faintly, but the color was more of a hazy red now, displaying some of his feelings. Still with an arm around Riley, comforting her, he spoke up.

｢You've felt the pulse. Though probably stronger than me, since my body has changed. The magic that trapped us here. The same thing is calling us back. It's time to go home. Who knows, maybe Fawn felt it too and will find her own way out.｣ Not wanting to get his hopes up, he ended his talk there. Taking a deep breath, he looked around. This was the area they had first appeared. In their correspondence, they each found that they felt magic similar to what brought them to this world, resonating with their body like a faint heartbeat. It had gotten stronger over the couple of weeks, so a chance to leave may have been approaching. Instinctively, they knew it would be this day. Three years to date after their arrival.

Looking down at his stinging hands, Battler noticed the black blood and pulled a cloth from his suit's inner pocket and wiped his hands on the dirtied white cloth. He had been traveling for a week non-stop to get back here in time to rendezvous with Riley. Looking at the cut marks from his nails on the palms of his hands, he watched as the demonic energy in the air flowed to it and sealed it. He was like a vampire. No, he pretty much was a demon now. Looking at Riley's face, he noticed a slight mishap that had occurred.

Putting the dirty cloth away, he pulled out a white handkerchief from a separate pocket, still clean. It was one he had gotten from Riley back when they first arrived. Using it, he tilted her face to his as he wiped the black blood from her cheeks before holding that dirtied handkerchief between the two of them, somewhat disheartened. ｢Black blood. I hope this doesn't mean I've got a black heart... I guess I truly did adapt to this world, down to my very blood. Best not let others see this when we return.｣ Saying that with a sigh, he thought of the troubles that would come about upon their return.

---

Tag: Merc

[Merc]

Riley exhaled raggedly as they sat together on the stump, she could feel Battler's arm over her and felt relief in the contact, as though it assured her that he was still there, still himself, despite the demonic appearance he had appeared in.

As he spoke, she nodded. She had felt the sensation but she wasn't sure whether she believed it to be true, or rather she wasn't sure that she could stand getting her hopes up and then crushed once more. She wasn't really sure how much more of that she could stand to take.

"Perhaps." Was all she could muster in response as she finally allowed herself to look at him in time to see him observing his hands. Following his gaze, she blinked at the sight of the black blood. It seemed that his appearance hadn't been the only thing to change because of the demon world - or more specifically his activities within it.

"Oh, Battler. What have you done to yourself this time?" She gently scolded in a manner similar to how she would chide him in the past whenever a lady friend of his showed up at the guild. A faltering smile appeared for a fraction of a second, but she sighed it away.

When he directed her head again she quirked a brow as the cloth gently ran along her face. "Ah." She whispered, peering down at the soiled cloth that looked strangely familiar. At his words, she frowned, allowing one of her much smaller hands to rest over his reassuringly. "You're too kind to have a black heart, Battler. I know that and and I wont let you or anyone else say such things." She promised, offering a gentle smile.

[Battler Myrddin]

Several minutes later...

Smiling back at Riley, the red in his eyes returned to a deep red as he felt the warmth from her hands. They were close to the appointed time, Battler could feel it. While waiting, he thought about why he called his own heart black. He had held in a lot in the past. Forced to murder his family, keeping everyone at arms length, and then attacking the people who he got too close to. All things were forgiven, but it doesn't erase the fact he had tried to murder his Guild Master and someone he considered his little sister.

With his new maturity from three years of brooding, Battler knew what he had done and had accepted it. He would atone for it in his own way. The Battler who entered the demon world was dead, and in his place was someone with his memories and thoughts. After all, his memories were probably the only thing unchanged compared to the past. As he thought that, a flash of light appeared several meters away as a magic circle appeared on the ground.

Standing up and taking a stance with his fists to his waist, ready to be lunged forward, he observed the light in case something bad happened. At that point, he felt his body resonating with the magic. This was it. He could feel it. The same magic that drew them into the demon world before, was now before them to release them. Three years being imprisoned in an alternate world full of demons, and it was coming to an end. Steeling his heart, he looked to Riley and held out his hand to her.

｢We go together. Through thick and thin. I consider us to be at least open heart friends with each other, so I'll give you the hope you need until you can stand by yourself.｣ With that said, with his hand in Riley's or not, he stepped onto the magic circle and felt his body being electrocuted. Probably because of the demon energy in his body not mixing well with the magic of his own world, as he had experienced when his own body was converted.

With that, the light faded, and he could see he was on the outskirts what should be Onibas. But... The scenery was wrong. Although the same, there were differences here and there, as if the passage of time. Oh, that's right. Three years have gone by... But... Where's the guild headquarters?

---

Tag: Merc

[Merc]

Riley cast a sidelong glance to the magic circle that appeared on the ground a little ways away from them, hesitant to assume that it was there to release them and not take them someplace worse. Watching Battler stand, she remained seated for a moment, contemplating whether or not she wanted to go through with everything now that she stood on the brink of it all.

How would she be able to just go back to living in their world after being away for so long? Could she make that adjustment again? She had always been adaptable, but at the same time she felt as though she was nearing the end of her chain and would soon end up strangling herself.

Looking to his outstretched hand, she rose her eyes to his face as his words registered on her. Without further delay she grasped onto his hand and rose off of the stump, following him to the circle and becoming absorbed by it in the same manner that he did.

When it was finally over she knew they were in their world again, the air was much easier to breathe and the magic surrounding them felt nostalgic - unfortunately the feeling ended there when she realized that something was wrong. Something was very wrong. The place where the guild once stood, should still be standing, was empty.

No, it wasn't empty, there was still some rubble there, some crumbled foundation. The only hint that the building had ever been there to begin with. She slipped away from Battler's grasp to get closer, but she only made it a few steps away from him.

Riley's knees gave way beneath her at the same moment that an intense magical pressure began to weigh down on the area surrounding them, stretching through the streets further than she could even see. "No..." She whispered, voice calm, as though her mind was still in shock, still processing what she was seeing. The ground around her began to crack, crumbling as the pressure intensified when her befuddled mind finally started to grasp the situation. Tears fell to the dry, cracked earth and she whispered the word over and over again, fist punching the ground, then pounding both of her fists against it each time she uttered the word, and then she grew still, eerily quiet.

The calm before the storm it seemed, as she fell back on her knees, her face to the sky. Her hands tangled in her dark hair, tugging viciously at the roots as she let out a cry of frustration, of pain, of anger and wrath, that echoed and seemed to rock the few buildings that were nearby. With this, she sobbed openly, unable to hold herself back any longer as she fell to all fours again.

[Battler Myrddin]

Feeling the heat leave his hand, Battler saw Riley try to walk, but fall to her knees. He himself could understand. They just simply never thought about it, because they refused to accept the fact. The fact that three years would have passed in the world. About to kneel beside her, Battler felt the immense pressure released from her leaking magic power. In fact, he could see it. Taken by surprise since it had been quite some time since he felt it, he was brought down to his knees where he stood, his body feeling like lead. Being right next to the source, it was no wonder.

He could feel his demonic conversion coming into affect, working hard to convert the magic suppressing him into demonic energy, but there was simply too much. Not only that, Battler knew that having this much energy leak out so far would be dangerous for others that were not accustomed to such magic pressure. Steeling himself, he looked over to Riley just in time to see her cry out and then go on all fours in tears. Now was as good a time as any. He just hoped his body would agree with him. He was about to poison it, after all.

Pumping the demonic energy throughout his entire body, he activated his Erebea Miasma on the area surrounding him and Riley, but not allowing it to touch her. As he did so, the pressure let up as the miasma at B Rank was enough to absorb and consume the leaking energy. At least for now. It had become to the point that a mage would just feel uncomfortable. Walking over and sitting next to Riley, Battler pulled the fallen Riley onto his lap, stroking her hair. There was nothing he could say. There was nothing to say in the face o the facts in front of them now.

With the miasma around them, it circled them in a sphere, creating a smokescreen of sorts so no one could see inside of it. Battler could still see outside of it, though. Sitting there, Battler could only do his best to comfort his friend and stay by their side. He wanted to go investigate, but with the current state of things, that wouldn't be possible. If Riley cried herself to sleep, then he could at least carry her to an inn and recover there, go to a bar and listen in on conversations, maybe ask around town and find his previous contacts.

Or simply camp out in the nearby forest if they couldn't bare being at the ruins of their guild. One thing was for sure. The perpetrator had best fear for their life. Even Battler, with his new persona and demeanor, wouldn't be so forgiving and uncaring as he previously would have been. Releasing his miasma, he looked at Riley to check her condition.

---

Tag: Merc

Erosion Level | 5

[Merc]

Riley didn't fight Battler as he pulled her into his lap, or rather she didn't have the strength to push him away even if she had wanted to. Resting her head against him, she trembled as her tears blurred her vision and continued to pour down her cheeks no matter how much she mentally willed them to stop.

When she had finally calmed enough to stop sobbing she wiped at the fresh tears, feeling ashamed of herself for more reasons than she could even count on two hands. "Battler..." She whispered, her voice hoarse again, even sadder than before. She had never thought that returning to earth would make her unhappier than she had been in that hellish world of demons, but now that she had crossed over she was already regretting not staying behind.

"What am I even supposed to do now?" She quietly asked, closing her eyes and shaking her head. "What could have happened, even the building is..." Her voice trailed off to silence as she recalled Griffin Wing headquarters, lively and old, but sturdy and strong. It even had some magical defenses, so there was no way that it could have just fallen down - and if it did there was no way that the members of the guild wouldn't have rebuilt it.

"Did the government..." Riley's incoherent mumbling was barely audible as she lifted her head, trails of tears still evident on her face as she looked up at Battler as though she suddenly remembered that he was there. Exhaling raggedly, she rest her forehead on his shoulder for a moment longer before lifting her head, forcing herself to swallow her feelings - like she had been taught so long ago, back when she was being trained as an assassin. The magic that had been leaking from her aura dried up all at once with a measured exhale. 

 "We need to find out what happened." She finally managed, her green eyes dim as she crawled to her feet and offered him her hand to help him up. Having used him as a crutch twice in the short time since their reunion it was about time she stood on her own feet.

 And possibly crushed her enemies with her own power, depending on what happened. 

[Battler Myrddin]

Seeing that Riley had pulled herself together for the meantime, Battler stroked her hair a few more times before she stood up, accepting her help in getting up. His legs were aching after that pressure. Standing on his feet, he looked at the rubble in Onibas, feeling disheartened, but more so angry. After all, a government sanctioned guild like Griffin Wing, even without their Guild Master, would remain standing in years to come. Only a few things could cause what was seen now. And the highest one on the list was a Dark Guild attack.

With the Guild Master missing, what better time to attack a Light Guild and destroy it? It was the highest likely possibility, so he would look for information based on that. Following next to his Guild Master, Battler went into the city. ｢I'll meet you at my old apartment in a few hours. Since I lived outside of the guild, it probably didn't meet the same fate.｣ Stating this with a business tone, Battler split off and began walking around to places he use to visit.

He started with the food places he frequented in the past. Some of them were closed down and replaced with another shop, but majority of the places he saw had withstood the test of time. With his required energy for his body only being demonic energy which can provide him with nutrients, there was no longer a need to eat or drink. However, the taste would still be welcoming. A nostalgic taste. Stopping his thoughts there, Battler carried on. This wasn't the time to indulge.

After the food places, he visited the previous stores he had been to before, and had a drink in a pub, listening in on conversations. Where did he get the money after all this time? Simple. He mugged some thugs in the back alleys. Then the last thing to check on was the friends with benefits network. Out of the odd 17 he could remember, only five were still single and/or living in Onibas. Talking to those five, they were quite surprised to see him after he vanished three years back.

And it was from then that he heard the story. Riley would not be happy. With the time he said arriving, he headed back to his old apartment which, for some reason, was still owned by him. After reaching his room, he found out the reason. The girl next door who he had taught massaging to, and whom he had gotten reasonably close to. Riley had met her before as well. After talking, it seems she had been paying for the room, knowing Battler wouldn't be dead.

Returning to her own room, Battler was left with the nostalgia of all the things in his own room. Sitting on the bed, he looked at how everything had been preserved and left exactly how he left it that day he left. There was no time to reminisce, he had to make sure Riley didn't go on a murder spree after she finds out.

---

Tag: Merc

Erosion Level | 4

[Merc]

Riley had agreed to part ways with Battler for the time being in order to gather information, and it really didn't take long for her to start finding out details of what had happened - and furthermore that a lot of people were blaming her for what had happened. Rightfully so, perhaps, she blamed herself too, but it still hurt more to hear it coming from someone else.

For a long time she wandered Onibas, uncertain. The guild was her home, her family, and it was gone because she hadn't been around to protect it. All because of...

She bit down on her lip and came to a slow halt as she reached Battler's apartment. She had no idea what time it was, but it appeared to be getting late so she assumed that in her stupor she had neglected to realize just how much time had passed. She felt so numb to everything that for all she knew she could have been wandering around for days. 

The young woman didn't even bother to knock as she twisted the knob and let herself into the apartment - it wasn't like there was much of him that she hadn't seen, anyways. "Battler?" She called, tone flat, face unreadable. Shutting the door behind her she glanced around, noticing that everything looking very familiar. She wandered around the apartment until she managed to find him, at which point she stopped, leaning on a wall for support.

Somehow, the aura of magic that she naturally gave off felt cold, unfamiliar, perhaps even a little dangerous.

"What did you find out?" Though she asked, she was pretty sure that she already knew.

[Battler Myrddin]

It had been a couple more hours than what Battler had said. It couldn't be helped, in hindsight. Battler was sitting at the small desk in his room, with the short side against the wall so that both long sides of the table could be used. The items that were previously on it were swept on the floor, ruining the cleanliness that it use to look like. Instead, on the desk was two plates, holding a curry. It was cold by now, but that was to be expected. It was apparently something left over from the night before that his friend brought over. His own plate was untouched, waiting for Riley to arrive before eating.

Seeing the door open, Battler didn't even have to think. Seeing the person standing there, he knew what she had figured out. No doubt, she had come to the same conclusion he had. She even went and asked him it. Looking at her expression and seeing the flow of her magic, he could tell how disturbed she was. Looking at his plate, he took a deep breath before speaking. ｢I'll say this now. You aren't the one to blame. After all, the one who dragged you into that fight, the one who caused you to be taken to the demon world, the one who pulled you away from the Guild for three years and leaving it to the mercy of a Dark Guild... was undoubtedly me.｣ With the last few words barely being audible, Battler clenched his fist.

His deep voice resonated with his room. It truly was all his fault. For his own personal gain, he had used Griffin Wing to gain knowledge on the person he was hunting. After causing trouble when unofficially resigning from the Guild, Riley had chased him down and gotten involved in his fight. The person he was hunting used a magic and transported them to the Demon World. It was his fault. Blame lies with him. With head downcast, he took another deep breath and sighed, trying to vent out some of his emotions so he could clear up his foggy mind.

｢Because of my selfishness, my former colleagues and friends are gone. Sakura has gone missing, though I have an idea what has happened to her. The name of the Guild that attacked was Phantom Cloak. But not only that, I hear the World Government let it happen, from the testament of my info network. They said the World Government only showed up when the citizens were at risk.｣ Which means the targets of my rage have been increased by one... Saying that to himself in his mind, his clenched fist was turning even paler as he gripped harder on top of the desk.

---

Tag: Merc

Erosion Level | 3