The rain fell heavily, generating drumming sounds on the rooftops. People who were caught off unprepared and unable to seek refuge fled. They raced with their palms up, while the rest simply stood there, epting their fate of getting soaked to the skin.


    This was the same for the four individuals in a certain alley where no people ventured.


    Charrio sidestepped when Irisunched with her spear towards him. Not stopping her movement, Iris twisted her hand in ateral motion to stab back Charrio. But Charrio once again evaded her attack.


    "Give her to me." Iris said between her barrage of attacks.


    "..." Charrio just stared at her wordlessly, not intending to speak anything. He switched his hold to Dorris and instead he put her to his shoulders.


    The water on the ground sshed as Iris threw side right kick, but the strike was again blocked. ''He doesn''t want to talk to me or give me the girl.'' If this continues, I''ll be the first to exhaust.'' Iris paused her strikes and leaped a few meters away from Charrio.


    She flipped her spear around and flung it to her side.


    "Give her to me," Iris said once again but in a much calmer voice. She looked directly at Charrio''s eyes. ''Tsk. Since he is not a character I wrote, this could be tricky.''


    "She''s already dead." Charrio finally spoke.


    Hearing this statement, Can who was an onlooker on the side widened his eyes. A burst of anger rose inside his heart. "Father! What do you mean by that?!" He clenched his fist to stop it from trembling. ''I must mishear things.''


    "I meant what I said."


    "Then let me have her, so I could at least bury her," Iris replied.


    There was once again a heavy silence in the air. And the rattling sounds of the rain added more to this heaviness.


    "No. I would not let my daughter fall into some stranger''s hands. If you don''t want to die, leave now." Charrio said as he turned around.


    ''Ah. The stereotypical viin number three. The pretentious viin with his own twisted principles to follow and for some reason, I''m not sure of...'' Iris cast a sidelong nce towards the other person who was wrapped in bandages. ''He''s putting on a show for those close to him. That maid would be killed if this youngster didn''t show up.''


    Iris returned her gaze towards Charrio. ''If you''re going to infuriate a viin like this, you must hit their sore spot. And this guy has something that was reeking since we fought.''


    "You''re reeking of dark magic," Iris said.


    Charrio didn''t halt in his stride since, since most dark magicians were regarded as terrible individuals, they weren''t all that rare in society. But Iris was just not done yet...


    "Ah, wait." A grin escaped her lips. "It was more precisely of a certain curse."


    "Die," Charrio muttered tly as he materialized in front of Iris. His palms sprouted long, sharp nails, and he struck it to Iris.


    ''Sh*t! ''Iris winced as she shielded Charrio''s assault with her right arm. Charrio''s long nails punctured her skin all the way to the flesh. Her blood trickled and mingled with the damp pavement, turning it crimson.


    ''That speed was no joke!''


    Iris got no time to rest when Charrio''s shadows became sharp des pointing at her. As Iris nced around, other shadows were also binding her. ''Ah seriously!'' No matter how hard she struggled, she couldn''t move at all.


    "How did you know?" Charrio''s low voice resounded.


    ''Well, that was because you don''t have a reflection!'' Iris nced at the water on the ground. Only her reflection and Dorris were what she could see. ''You''re either a cursed soul already or someone who was cursed using forbidden dark arts! But in this situation, if I said that, I''d definitely die.''


    "Ah! I was just talking to myself. I''m cursed for being pretty but poor. Hahaha!" Iris tried to stifle augh. "See. Nothing rting to you."


    But Charrio''s expression didn''t change,


    "Begone." Iris trembled with that one word.


    ''Ah. Sh*t.'' Iris with frantic eyes watched as the shadow des flew towards her.


    Just an inch to her face, a familiar weird boomerang flew towards the shadow des making it all vanish in the air. The boomerang went back and this time it was heading now towards Charrio.


    Charrio narrowed his eyes as he jumped back to avoid the flying boomerang. At the same time, Iris could feel she could move again and used this chance to move away.


    A white monkey jumped right in front of her shoulders.


    "Both of you took so long, I nearly died," Iris said as she stopped in front of certain individuals.


    "We can''t understand monkeynguage," Mya said a bit sarcastically. "But at least, you''re alive, author.''


    "Hah." Iris released a deep sigh of annoyance. "Medical fee should be included as well with this."


    "Why do all of you want me to be broke?" Mya muttered to herself but the two still hear it.


    "Welle on, it''s because you''re rich. Just ept your fate like that." Iris said.


    "Mdy, Dorris!"


    Rein interrupted the two from firing more snarky talks to each other.


    "Dorris!" Mya turned around and saw Dorris on the shoulder of an unfamiliar man with dark hair. Mya was about to run and strike when Iris pulled her back.


    "Hah." Iris said. "Hmm...What kind of novel are we in right now?"


    "Iris you know too well, that this we are in reality now," Mya red at her.


    "Yeah, and what?" Iris rolled her eyes as she restrained Mya from striking Charrio. "Dear student of my nemesis," she emphasized, "even if you say it like that, everything has a story involved in their life, whether it''s dull or not. There could be a lot of endings we could end up with if we''re not careful. And that guy is far stronger than us."


    "I am careful." Mya''s grasp on her trinity tightened. "Enough with the preaching and let me go."


    "Don''t worry, she is still alive," Iris said as she whispered again.


    "What should we do, Mdy?" Rein who waited for the two to finish their banter finally spoke.


    "I''ll handle this for now." Mya turned to Charrio then to the guy who kidnapped Dorris. "If both of you mind, would you please return Dorris back to us?"


    "Seriously. Saying please, moron, why would you say that?" Iris whispered.


    "That''s because you probably ask them in a rude way seeing your attitude. No one would want to be told rudely, you know."


    ---???---


    Three hourster...


    There was only one torch in a certain dark underground basement that served as one light to the closed room. Four people were chained to their feet.


    "Say again with asking politely?" Iris said with sarcasm.


    "Well, it''s better than him killing us right?" Mya replied. "And Rein, why did you not fight back?"


    "He is stronger than me as well." Rein casually remarked.


    "Ah. You got a point."


    "Mdy..." Both of the three turned towards Dorris who murmured under her sleep.


    "Well, I guess that doesn''t matter." Mya sighed. "At least we are now also imprisoned along with Dorris." Mya held Dorris'' right hand. The wounds she got inflicted were now treated.


    To not make anyone confused, when Mya asked to give Dorris to them, they were all bound by Charrio''s shadows and carried all the way here and imprisoned them.


    "Your odd positivity is not reassuring," Iris said as she cross-seated on the floor. "And here I thought you would do something great like defeating the viin, saving the damsel in distress, making everyone astonished and say inside their minds, ''wow she''s amazing. I''m gonna follow her now for the rest of my life or raise gs to guys saying, `she''s interesting yadah, yadah."


    "Hahaha, I didn''t know you thought so highly of me, miss author." Mya stifled augh.


    "And that thinking went instantly downhill. I shouldn''t have imagined too much.." Iris replied with a tired voice. "So now what''s the real n?"