The Dark Rose

Chapter 22

Author's Note: Sorry I haven't been updating as frequently as I used to do, my real life issues have been a bit more hectic than usual. I also want to say Happy Holidays to you all.

Anyways, sorry for the long wait and thank you all for waiting patiently for this numbnuts of an author to update, lol. Enjoy.

Alzack stared blankly at the light armored, scarlet haired customer in front of his cash register. "Do I know you?" He asked her, not knowing what the woman's intentions were with him.

"No, nor do I know you but…" Erza hovered around the front of the cash register, intimidating the man. "A bird, who I'm so eager to kill now, told me you may have some information for me on his… whereabouts." She placed her kunai on the table, showing more intimidation than earlier, this time more than before.

"…" Alzack took a slight look at her readied weapon in hand and back at her, changing from his serious tone to his cautious one.

"Talk!" She yelled, slamming her left fist on his counter. "I know you have the information I need!"

"I don't… I don't know what you're talking about…" Slowly, he took small steps backwards.

Erza then lobbed over the counter, grabbing the man by his collar and slamming him to the wall right behind him. The very slam quaked everything on the wall, from small batteries to candy, everything fell to the floor.

He hovered as she held him with her right arm on his chest while her other hand still quivered with her Sai, placing the tip at his right cheek. Alzack started to frantically pant, paranoid of what's to come next.

"I'm not going to ask again," she made a small incision on his cheek, small drops of blood oozed out. "Where is Dobengal!?"

"… sorry, that name rings no bells…" His coward composure turned to that of a grin followed with a snicker that only annoyed Erza more.

"I'm sick of playing this game!" She added more strength to her right arm, only letting small gasps of air go into his lungs.

"Gahh!" He yelped about, helplessly.

"I'm going to ask one more time and this time the right answer better come out of your mouth." She warned him.

"What… happens… if I don't?" He can barely say anything with his current position.

"I will cut you limb from limb, that's what'll happen," she licked her lips before continuing. "Now where's Dobengal?"

"…" He said nothing, which only angered Erza more.

"Hey, I'm talking to you!" She switched the end of her Sai, using the grip and hitting the man in the lower abdomen. He squirmed. "Answer my question, final warning."

"Go ahead, kill me, you're not getting anything from me." Alzack told her. Not the response she wanted, not in the very least.

She raised the sharp edge of her Sai and was ready to strike him down. "You son of a bi-"

"Papa, I made you something!" Suddenly, the sound of a young child was heard, coming towards the two which made Erza stop. The little girl appeared right in front of the two, holding a piece of paper with an undiscernible drawing in front of her face. "Daddy-"

"Asuka, go back upstairs, please…" The man's misdemeanor changed immediately upon seeing his little angel facing him and his attacker.

"Daddy? What's going on?" She saw the position her father was. She saw Erza, looking right back at her.

Without hesitation, Erza slammed her Sai in her hand, right through the man's clothing pinning him to the wall. "What are you doing!?" Alzack continued to hover over the ground, unable to take off the Sais that held him high. He saw Erza closing in on Asuka, and with that in mind, he flailed around in fear. "Get away from my daughter!"