I Only Want To Kill-Chapter 150: Unexpected Visitor

"Wake up, Jake! Someone is here to see you!" Cavanaugh enters the room, and immediately, Blaze creeps under his bed unconsciously, turning into a shadow.

"Huh... So that is your power." Cavanaugh laughs.

Blaze reaches out from the ground and turns back to his normal self again. Most of the power of the Shadow Tattered Cloak is locked, but he can still use some of its power with greater restraint. Like the Shadow Form right now, it loses most of its transforming ability, now only able to let him enter the two-dimensional surface for a short while. Maybe it will come into usefulness later down the line.

"Who is it?" Blaze says with his hoarse voice.

"Come. You’ll see."

They both enter the inn, and right there, standing outside the gate, is the hooded figure of the Trader. His bike is right beside him, looking harmless as ever.

"Oh, Trader! Why are you here?"

The Trader shakes his head and sits down on the bar counter. He looks very tired and in a bad mood for some reason. His shoulders are down, and he leans back on the stool. The Trader taps the counter twice, signaling something to Cavanaugh.

"Still the usual? Okay." Cavanaugh says, turning his back to concoct some kind of beverage for our friendly Trader.

The Trader then waves his hand at Blaze, telling him to sit down beside him.

"Yes? What’s the problem?" Blaze says, sitting down with him.

Cavanaugh slides two glasses forward. One dark with a pungent smell, a heavy type of alcohol. The other is a glass of hot tea, preparing for Blaze as he doesn’t drink.

The Trader jerks his head back, knocking all the glass down his throat in one motion. His bandages split temporarily, revealing burned skin under them. He looks like a survivor of a fire.

The bandaged man places a book on a counter, in front of Blaze’s face. Blaze curiously opens the book.

Inside the book is a strand of red hair and a very, very familiar fragrance.

"This is... Alyson? How did she get here?" Blaze’s yellow eyes flicker, signaling his turmoil inside.

The Trader then brings out a map that is similar to the one he gave Blaze. He takes out an old fountain pen and draws a circle on the map, pointing at the strand of hair at the same time.

"Alyson is here? You met her?" Blaze says.

The Trader nods, then he writes the word ’danger’ on the map. Blaze’s expression changes immediately. He stands up, his dark cloak writhing in the air, looking like an agitated snake that is ready to hurt anyone close by.

"It seems like I can’t go to the Undercity yet, Cavanaugh. I have something to do."

"Someone you know, huh? Better hurry up before the Wretched finds her." Cavanaugh looks at the Trader’s map and then points his finger to the pen. "May I borrow it?"

The Trader gives him the pen, and Cavanaugh draws another circle on the map. It is on the opposite side of where Alyson is.

"This is where the key is. A man with the name John has it. Remember, he is not like us but is a spirit similar to the Trader. After getting your friend, you can visit him to get the key. About how to get it from him... He will provide you with a type of mission. If you can accomplish it, he will give you a key."

"John, huh? Thank you, Cavanaugh. I’ll remember to give him a visit."

The Trader gives the new map to Blaze and shakes his hand.

"He means it’s for free, he wants nothing in return for the map." Cavanaugh translates the Trader’s nonverbal gesture.

"I cannot thank you enough, Trader. I need to get going now."

The Trader salutes Blaze, wishing him good luck on his way.

"Godspeed, Jake."

Blaze exits the village and runs at his max speed toward the location on the map. His endurance is pretty good, so he won’t need to worry about exhaustion from a simple marathon.

Back at the inn, Cavanaugh has a drink with Trader.

"Why do you help him, Trader?"

The Trader lets out a long breath, looking up at the dark sky above. He then points to the pile of photos of the Train Home.

"You, too, want to go home, huh? Ain’t we all, Trader? Ain’t we all..."

A few hours pass, and Blaze has arrived at his location, the place where the Trader told him where Alyson is. It is a burned-down house with half of its roof already collapsed.

"She’s here?" Blaze frowns. He breathes in, activating the Outsider effect to make sure he won’t be influenced by any kind of illusions. Then the Twinblade appears in his hands, each short sword in each palm, with the Night Silk wrapped around his wrist.

Blaze kicks the door down and is ready for any fight.

"What have we got here?" A familiar voice but with a completely different mannerism emanates.

Inside the burned house, a young woman with bright red hair and tiny freckles on her face. She seems beautiful as always, but now with a bit more sharpness to her.

Alyson wears a stylish outfit with a strong Renaissance design focus. A type of clothing that is long gone and forgotten in Ranas. The top is a corsage in dark charcoal, worn over a light beige blouse with puffed sleeves gathered at the wrists. The blouse is complemented with a necktie. Below, Alyson wears form-fitting trousers that are tucked into high leather boots. A wide leather belt on her waist with multiple layers and accessories that also acts as a gun holster.

Alyson draws out a flintlock pistol from the belt and aims it at Blaze. Her expression mixes a cautious gaze and a gentle smile.

She looks even better here than in the real world. Her style catches Blaze off guard, and he freezes in place.

"Speak, creature! Why are you here?" Alyson says, but this time with a more threatening tone.

The Twinblade disappears, and Blaze raises his hand to show that he means no harm.

"I am Blaze."

"Blaze, who?"

"Don’t you remember me? I may look a bit different, but you should know me. This is how I looked when I saved you from the Roof."

Alyson frowns further, putting her index finger on the trigger.

"The Roof? What are you talking about?"

"Hmmm? You don’t remember me... You look different also."

Alyson pulls the trigger. The Twinblade materializes again, and Blaze slashes the bullet in two, creating two straight breezes shot at the wall on his sides.

"Heretic?!" Alyson shouts. Her eyes widen in surprise, and she quickly pulls back, extending the distance between them. 𝕗𝐫𝐞𝕖𝕨𝐞𝗯𝚗𝕠𝘃𝐞𝚕.𝐜𝗼𝚖

A faint blue glow appears on her left palm. She slaps that light on the flintlock, and the gun automatically cocks again, another bullet appears in the chamber.

Alyson pulls the trigger again, this time aiming at Blaze’s head. He ducks down and easily gets out of the bullet trajectory.

"What are you doing?" Blaze dashes forward, closing their distance.

Alyson grinds her teeth, dropping the pistol on the ground. The faint blue glow on her left palm suddenly shines brighter, and then a rapier appears in her hand. She thrusts the sword forward only to be deflected easily by Blaze’s Twinblade.

Alyson draws a circle in front of her, and blue energy forms. A blast of translucent blue glow shoots out at Blaze.

He shoots the Grappling Hook to the remaining standing part of the ceiling, pulling him up and out of the way of the blast.

"What is this power? You should not have this power."

Blaze detaches the Grappling Hook in midair and then drops onto Alyson. She reacts fast, pointing the rapier upward to stab at Blaze. He makes a spin in the air, kicking the rapier away from her hand, then drops onto her, pinning her down on the black, charred floor.

"Relax! I’m not here to hurt you." Blaze says.

Alyson growls at him, reaching her hand to the rapier. Blaze grabs her hands and pins them on the floor, stopping her. She then tries to buck him off with her hip, but he is much stronger, sitting down on her belly and restraining her.

"Get off me, Heretic scoundrel! I will not yield!" A faint blush appears on Alyson’s cheeks. This is still the same Alyson he knows with the very emotive face that is easy to blush.

Blaze lowers his face down, meeting her face at a very close distance. Their faces are so close that Blaze can even smell her nice, sweet scent.

"What are you... Let me go!"

"What is your name?" Blaze’s hoarse voice echoed.

"What..." Alyson says.

"Your name is what?"

"What?"

"Do you even understand what I’m saying?"

"Yes, of course!"

Alyson smacks her head forward, trying to headbutt Blaze, but he simply moves out of the way. Her head then rests on his shoulder. Their position is a bit questionable at the moment.

"I ask again. What is your name, woman?" Blaze says.

"Lucia De la Croix, Commander of the Fifteenth Battalion under the Holy Church. In the name of Alexander, the God of War and Conquest, I command thee to release me."

Blaze: "..."