Chapter 104: Four the jubge
A wet, spattering sound echoed through the corridor as Sarah’s head erupted in a violent explosion of gore. Eren’s muscles locked in shock, his body frozen as crimson mist settled over the polished stone floor. Where the elven guard had stood just moments ago, only a headless corpse remained upright for one impossible moment before collapsing with a dull thud.
From the shadows at the far end of the corridor, a figure emerged. Tall and imposing, she walked with measured steps through the pool of blood, seemingly unbothered as the dark liquid soaked the hem of her flowing robes. Two silent guards flanked her, their expressions impassive behind half-masks of burnished metal.
Eren’s eyes fixed on the woman’s forehead, where the number ’4’ was etched into her skin in elaborate script that seemed to shimmer with a faint golden light. Her features were sharp, almost predatory—high cheekbones, a narrow nose, and lips pressed into a thin line of disapproval. Unlike Seven’s wild intensity, Four carried herself with cold, calculated precision.
"I was expecting to add her head to my collection," Four remarked, her voice carrying the cadence of one discussing the weather rather than a brutal execution. "Though there isn’t much left to collect now, is there?"
Horror and rage warred within Eren. His fingers trembled at his sides as water began to materialize around him—droplets forming from the very air, swirling in agitated circles that mirrored his internal turmoil. The elemental energy responded to his emotions, gathering instinctively for battle. The water flowed around his hands like living serpents, ready to strike at his command.
Four’s eyes tracked the manifestation of his power with clinical interest. She showed no fear, no concern at the display. Instead, her lips curved into what might have been amusement.
"Oh, Veilwalker," she called out, closing the distance between them with unhurried steps. "I never expected to see you here. What a delightful surprise." Her gaze flicked briefly to the blood-spattered walls. "Though your timing is rather unfortunate."
The water around Eren surged, coalescing into a protective barrier between himself and Four. Droplets hung suspended in the air, charged with his power, ready to become lethal projectiles at a moment’s notice. His control over the element was instinctive now, the water responding to his emotional state like an extension of his own body.
"Why?" he demanded, his voice low and dangerous. "Why kill her?"