Edited by: Flubbykin

Blanka was watching magic caster from afar, she doubled the distance between her target in order to avoid his sharp instincts. She watched him stood by the entrance of cave inspecting it carefully.

Man - Zariel - froze in place before he started acting weirdly.

He started inspecting himself with disgust as a noble to was just touched by dirty beggar checking if no dirt was left on his splendid robes,

Then, everything became much more bizarre, he started grinning to himself, laughing like a mad man, before he bite his hand so hard that blood started dripping from the wound

Blanka knew instantly what happened - the pain was the fastest way of freeing yourself from under hypnosis. Magic caster sat on the ground, relaxed, and began casting upon himself dozen of dispelling spells, then...

He started chanting. Warrioress felt the magic brought by the wind - the spell was ugly, dark, unholy. Dark mage - the taboo breaker. This is why he asked to not send anyone for the same quest. Blanka didn't care, for she knew that magic was nothing but a tool and it was the purpose it was used for the only real way of claiming if the magic was "evil" or "good". Same as with sword - blade could be used both by bandits or knights protecting villagers - weapon was never good or evil, only the one who wields it.

But, the taboo-magic tended to be far more corrupting, people using it tend to become selfish, greedy and violent much more often than of the other magical domains, and that was a fact.

The spell brought the shadow that gave birth to a monster, its devilish origin wasn't even masked, the way creature spread its magnificent jet-black wings like a king spreading its coat while saying "I have arrived, and terror follows"!

The two - witch and his familiar started talking. By the gestures and grimaces, she could tell that they were both mocking one another. Good. If he had another form of relations with the devil the likelihood of its betrayal would skyrocket, devils enjoying the company of their "owners" tend to grow attached to them - trying to corrupt them instead of splitting in half when only the power of seal would grow dull.

Whatever the two agreed on, they started heading toward the dungeon, with the devil going first.

But, just before they dived in, the devil turned around and look at her.

It was a terrifying experience. As if her whole consciousness was dragged to him, when their eyes met she became defenseless - the world turned black and red while the aura of devil kept becoming bigger and bigger till it covered the world... or maybe it was her becoming smaller? All she knew, that for that split of a second, she was standing - so tiny - between clawed hands of garuda. Beast was bringing his hands closer and closer together as she was paralyzed with fear, and when she thought that she was about to be crushed, the magic caster asked aloud.

- "Something wrong, Sebastian?"

- "No, master, just a tiny bug dragged my attention."

- "Bug, you say? That's what you are into? Well, who am I to judge?" the way that the summoner addressed this mighty, terrifying creature made her shiver.

- "It was so very similar to you, that for a moment I was wondering to which of you I am supposed to serve."

- "That's the only comeback you could think of? Lame, Sebastian, lame."

- "Your disappointment has been acknowledged. Next time I will try harder."

They left her field of sight.

Blanka's legs were shaking as she collapsed on the earth released from an astral grip. It was clearly a warning - do not interfere. Stay away. Lay low.

...

But Blanka couldn't listen to the voice of reason. She already threw her life away and dedicated it to one purpose. She gathered herself, blow the dust off her coat, waited few more minutes before following the weird duo.

Her equipment vibrated in warning. She was wearing dozen of anti-magical equipment, almost every piece of clothing she was wearing has been enchanted. This is why she realized how powerful curses were almost cast upon her... and she knew that similar curses were cast on the magician.

He didn't have any enchanted equipment, which meant that he get rid of that with pure force of will and own skills - another reason to respect him as an adventurer and be cautious of his actions. The staff member didn't lie, he indeed was a low rank only on paper.

Yet

It didn't

Matter.

They broke the rules, and rules are everything in this ugly, disgusting world. Only rules and law keep people safe. Law and rules were the only measures that separated good people from bandits. They needed to be punished, otherwise, the chaos will emerge...

... but that, for later. For now - the dungeon.

She moved past curtains of moss... and once again the equipment sang a warning song. Poisonous. What, for the mercy of the goddess, is this unholy place!?

She moved past corridor, deeper into the cave, weirdly, despite no light source she had no problem with seeing, quite the opposite, it was as bright as outside, so the cave was indeed a dungeon filled to the brim with magic.

But, for the dungeon to become THIS strong, it needed to grow of years, Tsh, years? CENTURIES! MILLENIA! The traps here were on pair with middle floors of Tower of Despair! Blanka kept walking deeper and deeper until...

She lost the track of Zariel and Devil's footprints. They just vanished in the middle of the path!

Her instincts screamed, and only that saved her from the knife digging in her spine.

She jumped to the side, rolled over the dirt and raised her blade pointing it at...

... white haired magician standing on the tall boulder. Did devil tell him she was following him?

- "When I noticed someone was following me, I thought that my senses were merely playing with me, when I cast the scouting magic and it didn't spot anything - not even birds nor rabbits, I was actually even more suspicious, but as Sebastian told me that... the FUCKING BUG dragged his attention I just knew something was off."

He was playing with another dagger in his hand, ready to throw it if she would do any serious move.

- "... This is why I put the rune on the entrance of the dungeon. As soon as you stepped on it, it let me know that I indeed had a tail."

That sly bastard. He put a rune in place when dungeon attacked everyone who would enter it with dozen of curses, spotting a single, delicate form of a magic in that cluster of spells was impossible. She triggered an alarm without even noticing.

- "Now, I wonder who you are and what you want..." magician continued his monologue, Blanka noticed what he was doing. he knew dual casting. As he was keeping her busy with talking, he was also drawing magical structures on the sides of the room, ready for possible battle "... You are not from the church, you simply lack the air of foolishness and bigotry. You are not a from Sebastian, because your magical aura does not smell like a person touched by the devil. Last time I checked I didn't owe any debt, so you are clearly no debt-collector... either you are an idiot or it is something more personal. You didn't die with your first few steps into the dungeon, so you are not the idiot... So?"

- "I am Blanka." There was no reason to hide it.

- "Blanka? Blan-ka?" the way magician spoke, as if he was tasting her name, every sound of it made him look more devilish than his familar "... it rings a bell, must tell you that. Right, you are an S-rank. An adventurer. BUUUT! If I am not mistaken I politely asked the counter-lady to NOT SEND anyone after me for this quest. Yet here you are, with like, 5-minutes delay? Were you waiting till I pick this particular quest?"

- "No. I wanted to do this quest a week ago, but something more urgent popped out. I have just informed the staff worker that I will be taking that and left as soon as I entered the guild. As I think about it now, she indeed wanted to say something before I left."

Well, she didn't lie, she used truth mixed with partial-truth just to end with almost-truth. Did he take a bait?

- "And this is why you were sneaking, even bothering to avoid detection-magic?" He didn't take the bait.

He was so very cautious. Well, she can't be surprised, he just said that the church has been hunting him, and church is very... dedicated to its hunts.

- "I wanted to do this quest so I took it. Guessing by your pendant you are B rank yourself. Who even allowed you to walk to that part of the quest board?"

- "That is NOT a concern of yours."

- "Quite the opposite!" Blanka was done with answering questions "... I am a higher rank. When two guild members are taking the same quest, the one with a higher rank has priority and, if the dungeon is proved to be too difficult for a lower-ranked, the higher rank becomes the commander in order to ensure the survival of both, that's the law of adventurer's codex..."

- "Codex. Laws..." he jumped off the boulder and started walking in a circle, in this action he resembled a black panther that she once saw "...cluster of useless rules written by weak people for weak people to let them believe they stay on the same level with the stronger."

Eventually, he stopped, moved to the side and hide his dagger back in his pocket on his thighs.

- "Do what you want, as long as you won't get in my way."

Did he decided that she has no ill intentions?... or did he reach the conclusion that she is no threat to him?

He was about to enter one of many corridors when she yelled at him.

- "ZARIEL WHITE RAVEN!" he stopped "... You broke the law! You picked the quest that doesn't match your rank. Your action could bring chaos to the organization and put many lives at unnecessary risk! For now, this dungeon has priority, but as soon as we would be done here, you will pay for your crimes!"

He smiled.

That terrible wolfish smile.

- "Is that so? Are you sure?" he was... mocking her?

- "You are saying that you will not freely embrace a punishment?!"

- "Punishment? Silly little thing. Who will punish me? The guild? The same guild whose leader owes me money and whose daughter-in-law I am dating?..." he was almost laughing "... or the families of adventurers that died in this dungeon, whose death I am about to avenge?"... he was back to walking in circles, his predatory-instincts were just forcing him into acting like the beast he was "... or maybe a king and nobility that owes me a favor... or perhaps... You?"

- "I am Blanka, the swords of judgments. And yes, if every legal institution would fail to punish you for obvious crimes, it is my duty to deliver you what you deserve."

- "How very noble... one single miscalculation on your part though. To deliver a punishment, you would have to challenge me on duel and win..."

She didn't notice when he vanished from her sight just to appear behind her. He hugged her tightly from the back and whispered right into her ear

- "Spoilers alert. This story ends with your death."

She broke free and slashed her swords at the place the man was standing a moment ago.

But he was already back in his previous location.

- "Dear avenger, or whomever you wish to be. This is my only warning and lesson at the very same time. Sometimes a little evil needs to be committed so a greater good can be achieved."

- "That's what spoiled and wicked tells to justify their action."

- "What do you think about my company - the White Raven Apothecary?"

He asked out of blue.

She gathered her thoughts for a moment or two. Was he trying to show how needed by society he is? That would be a very low action. Very low indeed.

- "If you with to hide behind the..."

- "Answer the damn question." his tone was as cold as the blade of northern giants

- "It... It saved the lives of thousands, and will save thousands more..."

- "It started as illegal-crime organization." he disturbed her on the spot "... technically, the Alchemist Guild was the only legal organization working in that market sector at that time. We were called thugs. Murderers. People selling poisons. The law and rules that were established were not meant to save the people, but to maintain the status quo of rich and powerful. This is what laws and rules are to me. The very same thing is happening now. You are deeming my actions as wrong, because the system told you it is wrong. What if your system is wrong, but not me? What if you would never realize how evil your actions were, just because you everyone who tried opening your eyes. Your point of view is limited, your chain of thought afflicted. You are free to try to stop me... just as winds try to move mountain. No matter if it is about making potions more affordable, giving homeless children a place they could live or saving unprepared adventurers from obvious death. I will change this corrupted, evil world. Even when such righteous people like yourself would try to stop me."

He turned back one final time

- "I have told you that before - do as you please, I will react accordingly."

- "What a passionate speech." Sebastian appeared from the shadows when he was sure that Blanka was not around "... who could have thought that fate of orphans lies so heavily on your heart."

- "Orphans like the orphans, but shaking the worldview of people will forever remain the hobby of mine."

- "Are you sure you are not the devil?" Sebastian smiled widely. He indeed could appreciate a job well-done

- "Devil? Please. I am the thing that makes the devil check the underside of his bed."

This day started greatly for two evil-creatures. They had a wonderful meal, each of them at seperate realm, they have just played with mind of righlously-good person, and they were about ot start a slaughterhouse in the dungeon. What more can one want from life?