Dark trouble at the Bright Festival [Rank D]

[Atrum Furea]

Festivals were supposed to be fun, not that Atrum had much experience with them personally but everything he had heard lent itself to the idea.  He could see why others like it, it was actually quite the wonderful affair.  Lights, games, food, music.  This place was a dream come true when he thought about it, but something was wrong.  The feeling of fun was absent, people were laughing but the joy was somehow dampened as if they were trying to forced the feeling out or simply pretending to enjoy themselves.  Well it was obvious that something was wrong here, and if nothing else that meant that he had to deal with it.  This problem wouldn't solve itself and he had some free time on his hands, at least that is what he thought when the night started.

"You must find who doing this and stop them."  He had been told, "You must find the children."  Thanks for telling him what he already knew.  Atrum was frustrated with the man, sir Renold if he remembered correctly.  He had good intentions sure, keeping people from panicking and all that sweet stuff. Still The large heavy set man with his stupid looking moustache.  Atrum couldn't just deny a cry for help like this, not when people were in danger and he seemed genuinely worried about the missing people.  He grumbled as his mind turned to the real source of his frustration; he had no idea where to look for the missing people.  He had been forced to walk around the entire area multiple times and not once had he seen any sign of anything suspicious.

"Blazin' Hells." He cursed under his breath sitting down for a sort break to clear his head.  He needed to find the person doing this but he was having trouble searching the place from the ground.  He blinked and the soft smiled the never left his face growing as he chuckled to himself.  "The ferris wheel would give me a perfect view of most of the area."  He said standing up and making his way towards the large ride,  adjusting his hat unconsciously.  He was starting to get close to the ride when he notice a purple light emanating from the area around it.  Well that was weird, magic fireworks?  Something told the large man that the guess was wrong.  

"Sir, may I ask who you are?" Atrum wasn't sure at first is the person he had seen was in fact real.  He was dressed like a cultist or something, his attire completely black and the man stood out so much it was hard to believe he might've missed him earlier.  Atrum felt a pressure in his stomach and he knew he didn't like the person.  The man turned to Atrum and ran a hand through his blonde hair a strange look in his eye that made Atrum pull his hands from his pocket.

"Good sir, please tell me you have found them."  A familiar voice sound from behind Atrum, That was sir Renolds voice.  Atrum's eyes widened as the strange man's grin grew wide and imposing.  He focused on Atrum and looked rather calm considering he was staring down a giant.  

"So you've come to stop me, of course you did."  The man spoke at Atrum who's eyes narrowed and who smile nearly faded away.  "I'll make this quick then."  The man said as shadows began gathering around him.  Atrum's smile grew a bit and he gave an honest smile his eyes closed as he took his hat off and passed it to Renolds who was still standing behind him.

"Take care of that for me, it would be terrible if it got damaged by accident."  He said walking forward slowly toward the strange man.  "You have exactly one minute before I wake up."

Word Count: 637/500 base for a D rank mission.

[Atrum Furea]

Atrum just barely managed to duck under the sword as it swung over his head.  he didn't know what he was expecting when he had saw the shadows grow, this sword was definitely not it.  The shadow born blade was annoying him, it kept him from getting more than ten meters close to his opponent and all but one of his spells were close ranged.  He didn't really want to use it but this guy was most definitely responsible for the disappearances you don't get this lucky when it came to coincidences.

"Fifty seconds."  Atrum spoke jumping back just out of the blades reach, the smile never leaving his face.

"Counting down?  You are not going to intimidate me with such a pathetic excuse for psychological warfare!"  The dark man growled frustrated taking a few steps to bring Atrum back into his range.  "I am Relic and you shall fall to my blade!"  He growled swing the blade all the way down towards Atrum's head.  

"Geh heh," Atrum chuckles as his head became engulf in flames just as the sword connected causing a surprisingly large explosion for what had just happened.  The shadow blade returning to shadows as the explosion dealt more damage to it than it could take.  "Thirty five seconds."  Atrum said dusting himself off. making his way back towards Relic as he fumbled to summon another blade.  

"Cheap tricks!"  He shouted swinging the blade at Atrum again surprisingly fast.  The large man threw himself to the side that thing wasn't very strong all things considered but it did have some gracious speed.  The blade came down again and Atrum failed to notice it immediately earning a gash on his shoulder for his trouble.  This was one of his only good shirts, that would not stand.

"Twenty seconds."  He growled smiling at his opponent raising a finger in the direction of the blade.  Relic stomped his foot on the ground in frustration.  Atrum's behavior was getting to him and it showed.  

"STOP SMILING AND STOP COUNTING YOU FREAK!"  He shouted swinging the blade straight down. "HURRY UP AND DIE!" That's when Atrum's hand light up a Bolt of flame almost mistakable for lighting erupted from his hand and shattered the shadow blade.  Atrum stood up and acted immediately.

"Ten."  He ran at the man closing the distance faster than he was before.  He was going to finish this now.

"Why you!"  The man readied another blade in haste Atrum was gaining ground to fast and he needed him to back off.  He wasn't willing to go into close combat with a giant like him

"Nine."  He slipped into a slide ducking under the blade The man retreated from Atrum's unyielding advance bring the blade that had missed and trying to take the giants legs out from under him.

"Eight."  Atrum had no way of telling that the blade was coming at him besides the panicked Relic's hand motion allowing him to just barely side step the attack.  this was why he fought the way he did.

"No."  Relic blinked disbelieving, there wasn't anyway the giant could have seen that attack coming at him.

"Seven."  Atrum continued the count, he was so close now the blade had returned to it's position between him and his target but it was hardly a problem now.  He extended his hand and smiled a flash of light bursting from it and shattering the blade between him and his target.

"No." Relic said it again, trying once more to bring up his best defense but by this time Atrum was already on top of him he had no choice but to us it as a close range weapon.  He took hold of his blade and brought it up preparing to swing at the giant bearing down on him.

"Six."  Atrum threw the punch fast his flaming fist connecting with the blade and exploding just like before throwing Relic to the ground a full three feet away from him.  Atrum shook his hand and slowed his advance to a walk.

"Five." He said approaching the downed man  as he struggled to get up. "Four."  Relic's eyes locked onto the man he had attacked he had been so confident of victory not just a minute ago.  "Three."  Atrum knelt down towards Relic his hands reaching for his face grabbing him and pulling him close to stare him in the eye.  "Two"  Relic stared back at the giant terror in his eyes at what the man might do to him. "Give up?"  He asked simply.   Relic blinked at the statement, the counting down before had he been just doing that to scare him?  Of course he was it had worked to but not anymore he knew the trick and hs had one advantage.  The Giant thought he had won, his blade created itself silently hanging behind Atrum's back ready to impale itself deep.

"Yes."  Relic tried to say meekly as Atrum closed his eyes and gave a small nod.  Relic tried hard to resist grinning, he had won and all he had to do was say he had given up.

"That's too bad."  Atrum Spoke softly the smile growing across his face as his right hand disappeared from relic's face.  confusion registered in Relics eyes before understanding came to the forefront.

"One."  Atrum said slamming his burning fist to the side of of Relics face the resulting explosion throwing the man to the ground.  With Relic unconscious his spells faded revealing the missing children  Atrum stood up giving them a look and stretched himself out putting a hand up the back of his shirt and bringing it out to look at it.  "Blood.  A single second later and he might have won our little bout."  Atrum mused to himself as Renold walked up to him.

"You did it, you beat him and saved the children."  The old man spoke glancing at the unconscious trouble maker.  

"Indeed, though I'm glad that the children were nearby, as it saved me the trouble of having to interrogate him for their location."  He complained still smiling as he stretched out his back.  

"Here let me get you your rewa-"  Atrum cut Renold off grinning.

"Let's make sure everyone gets to their families first, and get Relic over here locked up tight.  They come first anyway."  He said walking over to the unsconscious man and picking him up throwing him over his shoulder.  "Well?  What are we waiting for Sir Renold?  The night is still young, let us do a little more good before the dawn greets us."

Word count: 1706/500

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