Turning towards the mansion, I made my way inside. However, just as I entered, the door closed behind me, and there stood Sakuya on the grand staircase.
"You've defeated Meiling, I see," she remarked, her voice carrying a mix of observation and acknowledgment.
"Miss Sakuya..."
"What's wrong, Shun? Aren't you going to come closer?"
"I'm coming." I positioned myself, ready for what was to come.
A hint of amusement played on her lips as she gracefully leapt, conjuring a cascade of knives suspended in time. With a fluid motion, time resumed, and the knives filled the air around us.
My reflexes kicked in as I deflected, ducked, and evaded the onslaught, steadily narrowing the distance.
"Hm." Time stopped again, then started anew, delivering a swift and unexpected kick to my face. My balance wavered, but I quickly recovered, refusing to be swayed.
I disengaged, removing my silver youkai blade and producing the crimson crystal. It pulsed with the promise of power, and with a practiced motion, I allowed my blood to infuse it, shaping it into a blood-crimson sword.
"Ah, there it is—your magic sword." Sakuya's laughter echoed as she soared upward.
But I wasn't to be underestimated. ("Illusion Sign 'Killing Doll'") Her knives surged outward, a deadly dance that rushed toward me.
I countered, activating ("Blood Sign: Blood Armament!") Crimson waves surged from the ground, emanating from the blade. They clashed with the knives, diverting their path and creating a temporary shield.
(Time Sign "Private Square") The world around me suddenly shifted, time slowing to a crawl—an ability that Sakuya had mastered. It was her forte, the manipulation of time itself.
As seconds stretched to minutes, she materialized before me, a gleaming knife in hand, poised for a strike. Despite the languid pace of time, the tension and urgency remained palpable.
My instincts guided me, and I moved with precision, predicting her trajectory and evading her attempted stab. However, the glint of her knife intensified, a sign of impending danger.
(Wound Sign "Inscribe Red Soul") In an instant, the situation turned dire. Knives danced in her hands, and with each deft move, they struck like venomous snakes, tearing into me.
Agony rippled through my body, the sensation of the blades slicing and piercing my flesh. I clenched my teeth, refusing to succumb to the pain that threatened to overwhelm me.
I staggered back, the pain of the knives piercing my body overwhelming. Blood dripped from the wounds, staining the ground beneath me.
Each breath was a struggle, my vision blurring as I fought to stay conscious.
Sakuya advanced with measured steps, her intent clear as she closed the distance. The blade she held glinted ominously, its edge pointing at my throat with deadly precision.
"Dear Intruder... I'll give you two choices... Die or Retry."
Struggling against the pain, I managed to sit up, gazing at her. "Miss Sakuya... Why? Why was I turned into an intruder? Aren't I the butler?"
Her response was elusive, a mere hint of a greater truth.
"Hmph... About that..."
A new figure, dressed in a black suit, appeared on the scene. Recognition struck me like a bolt of lightning, leaving me dumbfounded.
"Huh? That's..."
"That's right... I will be taking your place now... as a butler." He smiled, an unsettling aura surrounding him.
"But..."
"Silence," Sakuya's voice was cold and final, the knife inching closer to my throat.
"Leave now."
"Miss Sakuya..."
The tension in the air was palpable, a sense of inevitability weighing down upon me. With a disapproving click of her tongue, she withdrew the blade and, in a swift motion, rendered me unconscious.
As my vision dimmed, I could only gaze at the new butler who now stood before me, his smile haunting and enigmatic. Questions swirled in my mind as darkness overtook me.
Why? How had this happened? What had I done to deserve this fate? Was I no longer the butler?
"Fate... Maybe Lady Remilia changed my fate."