Aurelis scoffed "Slash huh?"

  Slash nodded, tapping his chest lightly with his knife "Slash! Has a spike to it. Then again, I don't care about names."

  He tilted his head "Anyways, welcome to my den!"

  He raised his hands "I cut this podium a moment ago, once i felt your presence!"

  The cut pillar he stood on creaked with his movement.

  Aurelis raised an eyebrow "A moment ago?"

  Slash scoffed "Yes yes! A moment ago. Will you stop asking these stupid questions?"

  Slash leaped down, landing on the ground.

  His landing eerily silent "Well then, shall we begin?"

  Aurelis exhaled, cold mist forming out of his breath, he squeezed his eyes "Begin what?"

  Slash stepped forward, in the blink of an eye, he appeared right behind Aurelis.

  Aurelis turned around, forming an ice lance.

  Slash leaned forward, easily dodging the lance.

  He whispered in Aurelis' ear "The play."

  Aurelis leaped backwards, mumbling "How? What?"

  Slash chuckled, his butterfly knife tapping his wrist methodically "We wouldn't want to waste time on meaningless questions."

  he pressed his knife harder on his wrist, purple blood oozing out.

  Aurelis' eyes locked on Slash, his breath steadied.

  Slash raised an eyebrow, his smile stretching "Gonna stay frozen in place?"

  He raised his hand.

  Aurelis stumbled back, cold sweat dripping down his face.

  He formed ice needles, throwing them at Slash.

  Slash's smile widened.

  He walked forward, flinging his knife on the ice needles, cutting them with swift movement "Now that's more like it!"

  Aurelis turned around, his face meeting a pillar.

  Slash chuckled "Fine fine! Lets make this fair. As long as you follow these rules, I wont attack!"

  Aurelis sighed, tilting his head back "Lets hear it."

  Slash takes a step back, stretching his hands "First rule! No touching pillars."

  He placed his hand on a pillar "Those precious things were created by someone even greater!"

  He rubbed his finger on it, his nail biting in slightly.

  Aurelis stepped back, towards the middle of the room "Well, what else?"

  Slash scratched his head "Lets see.. ah! No using habels.. that includes your little ice needles."

  Aurelis nodded "That's it?"

  Slash chuckled "Where is the fun in that? You need a challenge!"

  Aurelis' eye twitched.

  Slash tapped his chin with his knife "Lets see.."

  He stretched his knife upwards, and with precise movements, he cuts off a single strand of hair from his head.

  He caught the piece of hair as it fell.

  He shook the strand "If you catch this, you may see the blacksmith!"

  Aurelis bit his lip "I have no interest in 'The blacksmith'. I simply came here with a friend."

  Slash scoffed, once again pressing his knife against his wrist, leaking another drop of blood "Well, I don't care! catch it and you're free."

  Aurelis stepped forward "seems easy enough.."

  Slash's smile widened, stepping towards Aurelis "That's the attitude!"

  The two closed distance.

  Aurelis leaped forward, stretching his hand.

  His eyes darted between Slash and the strand.

  Slash chuckled, clapping Aurelis' hand "nice try, less blunt next time."

  Aurelis gritted his teeth, leaping once again.

  Slash smirked, throwing his butterfly knife above Aurelis.

  Aurelis pushed his legs down, launching him to the side.

  His eyes gazed the knife.

  Slash leaped forward, grabbing the knife.

  He twirled it on his wrist, letting another drop bleed "What? Scared you?"

  Aurelis sighed "What the hell is your habel?"

  Slash chuckled, swiping a fake tear away with his knife "If it was that easy to figure out other's habels, I wouldn't even be here!"

  Aurelis stepped forward, his mouth twitched.

  Slash raised an eyebrow "Deliberately slow now are we?"

  He approached Aurelis, shaking the hair strand in his hand "Its that easy.."

  Aurelis exhaled "Will you shut up?"

  He sprints forward, his hand aiming towards the strand.

  As slash sidesteps, Aurelis' finger grazes his chest.

  Slash shrivels as his feet touch the ground "Cold touch you got there, you sure you're alive?"

  Aurelis opens his mouth, when a loud thump echoes across the room.

  Slash licks his lips "Another guest!"

  On the ground, a person with heavy winter attire, a ski mask covering his face.

  He collected himself, scratching his head "this must be the blacksmith's den?"

  He looked around, his eyes stopping at Slash "Ah!"

  He approached Slash "You must be the guardian of this place?"

  Slash nodded enthusiastically "Yes!"

  He clasped his hands "two participants, how wonderful."

  He turned to Aurelis "Its a race now! Good luck!"

  The person groaned "A race?"

  Slash nodded "First to catch this strand,"

  He presented the strand of hair "Gets to see the blacksmith! Easy enough."

  The person slowly turned his head to Aurelis "Between me and him?"

  He pointed at Aurelis.

  Slash leaped backwards "Start!"

  The person rushed towards Slash, Aurelis following behind him.

  The person tilted his head back, pointing at himself "call me Tarame!"

  Aurelis sighed, answering flatly "Aurelis."

  Tarame pulled a knife out of his pocket, stretching it towards Slash.

  Slash ducked under the knife "Another lame one?"

  Tarame spun his knife, striking downwards.

  Slash rolled, chuckling as he leaped back up "Smart, I'll give you that!"

  Aurelis ran past Tarame, sliding towards Slash.

  Slash disappeared, reappearing behind Aurelis "Almost!"

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  Slash grazed his knife over his wrist, dripping another drop of blood.

  Tarame sighed, stretching his hand towards Aurelis "We have to work together, there's no way we are catching that strand if we go wild."

  Aurelis exhaled, mist forming out of his mouth "Haven't you heard the lizard? Only one winner."

  He slapped Tarame's hand away.

  Tarame's hand flinched as their hands collide "No need to be so rude."

  He turned to Slash, a cloud of air escapes his mask "Seems like I'll have to be working alone.."

  He walked around slash, deliberately slow.

  Slash leaned on a pillar, observing the two with a wide grin.

  Aurelis exhaled, stepping forward.

  Slash twirled his knife, grazing it over his shoulder.

  Tarame kicks forward, aiming his knife at Slash.

  Slash raised his arm, stopping the knife's movement with his butterfly knife.

  Tarame slid the knife downwards, hitting Slash's leg.

  Slash kicked Tarame as Tarame's knife pierced his knee.

  He flailed his leg, kicking the knife off.

  Tarame clenched his fist, jumping up "I did it."

  Slash chuckled "Yea!"

  Aurelis stretched his hand forward, grabbing Slash's tail.

  Slash stepped forward, his tail flailing wildly.

  He jumped forward, flinging Aurelis off and reaching Tarame in an instant.

  Tarame held his hands high in a defensive stance.

  Slash spun, his tail smashing Tarame to the middle of the room.

  Tarame got flung back, his sleeve filled with blood as his hand gets motionless.

  He shouted in pain, and with deliberate motion, he pulled out of his pocket a long rapier, too long to fit in his pocket.

  The rapier had a black tint across it, and a purple serpent on the handle.

  Slash raised an eyebrow "interesting, a cursed weapon?"

  Tarame grumbled "I have to play smart.."

  He wielded the rapier with one hand, his other staying idle.

  Aurelis stepped back, observing Tarame "A cursed weapon?"

  Tarame dashed forward, the air around him rustled wildly.

  His rapier shot forward, with a precise swing, piercing Slash's palm.

  Slash's eyes glinted "Interesting!"

  Slash slid his hand downwards, splitting his palm into two.

  His blood oozed over the rapier.

  Tarame waved his rapier, flinging some blood away.

  After a moment, it soaked the leftover blood.

  Tarame coughed "Shi-"

  He stumbled, his body flinging wildly around.

  His hand raised in an instant, deliberately aiming towards Slash again.

  His hand forced its movement towards Slash, his legs dragged across the ground.

  His head remained motionless, tilted at the ceiling.

  Slash wagged his finger "That's no good!"

  Tarame's head snapped back, his legs picking up the hand's pace.

  He screeched, a deafening screech.

  His rapier collided with Slash's knife.

  Slash tilted the knife right, dragging the rapier with it.

  Tarame flung his other hand at slash, striking him in the face.

  As his hand collided, Slash pulled his knife up, piercing Tarame's hand.

  Slash pulled the knife out, jumping back.

  Tarame breathed heavily "S-stop! Please.."

  He approached slash, his hands dragging on the floor.

  Slash chuckled "Poor boy, Lost control?"

  Tarame's head snapped up, his body flung itself on Slash.

  Slash spun, kicking Tarame into a pillar.

  Tarame's body collided with the pillar, the sound of rubbles falling filled the air.

  Tarame coughed, pushing himself up.

  Slash exclaimed "Rule broken!"

  In an instant, he appeared behind Tarame.

  A split second passes, and the body splatters with blood.

  Its clothes cut into millions of cuts.

  Slash waved his knife over his hand, and as it passed over his split palm, it stitched back, no marks left.

  Slash strikes his own wrist.

  The knife tore through his wrist, blood soaking the butterfly knife.

  He pulled it out, as some blood leaves alongside the knife.

  He steps forward, leaning over Tarame's motionless body.

  Slash's smirk freezes for a moment "That's no fun. Being controlled now are we?"

  His body curled backwards as Tarame's hand moved.

  The rapier struck where Slash's head was mere moments ago.

  Slash leaped back, raising an eyebrow "Resisting death?"

  The hand spun, the rapier tearing it off Tarame.

  Slash's smirk widened "No."

  His butterfly knife glowed brighter.

  The arm shot at Slash, tearing through the air.

  Slash raised his knife, blocking the rapier with its handle "Interesting weapon."

  He slid his knife under the rapier, striking Tarame's hand in an instant.

  He flung his knife, flopping the hand on the ground alongside the rapier.

  He walked forward "dead!"

  He chuckled, tilting towards Aurelis.

  He pointed at Tarame "Your opponent is dead!"

  Aurelis slowly nodded, his eyes lingering on Slash "Yeah.. can I go then?"

  Slash approached Aurelis "Tell the blacksmith that one lizardman sent you! It was fun playing!"

  Aurelis exhaled "To... where?"

  Slash turned around, his knife cutting through a nearby pillar.

  As the pillar fell, it shattered into pieces, shaking the area.

  Slash kicked the rubbles, dust emitting from them.

  He waved his hand, clearing the dust off.

  The dust disappeared into the air, revealing a wooden rectangle cutout behind it.

  Slash kicked the cutout, slamming it into the wall.

  He tilted his head back "Hope we get to play again!"

  He waved Aurelis off.

  Aurelis exhaled, his legs trembled as he entered the passage.