The man stood there wide eyed initially unable to hide his shock. Mr Blade was a tall broad man standing at six feet three inches. He had a black shirt on that clung to his skin revealing his muscular physique and black trousers. The light from the warehouse shined off his clearly shaven head and highlighted his infamous scar that ran across his eye his and down his neck.

“Eric. What a delight” he said while quickly composing himself, his gaze then hovered on Kate, “Miss Lock good to see you again. So nice of you to have shut down so many of my operations this last month”.

“My pleasure John” Kate responded happily. His face grimaced at someone calling him his real name.

“And who is this?” Blade asked his eyes switching to Lucina.

“Lucina Athra” she responded calmly.

“Lewis Athra’s sister I assume” Blade stated with a grim smile on his face. It was subtle but Eric saw the cloaked figures demeanour change when Lucina stated her name. They were growing hostile. People Lewis had pissed off he imagined.

“What are those documents?” Kate suddenly asked. The girl beside Blade paled slightly under Kate’s glare.

“This has been a fun reunion but I’m afraid I’m quite busy” Blade stated his irritation leaking through his composure. He made a quick gesture with his hand, and it was followed by the sound of heavy running on gravel. Instantly a group of men and women lined up behind Blade.

Blade then looked to women with the documents on his left “Leave” he commanded. Instantly she sprinted off and Kate didn’t waste a second sprinting off after her. The male cloaked figure dashed forward however, there was a flash of silver and the air crackled. Lucina’s whip cut across the side of its hood tearing it apart revealing a man with short black hair and dull brown eyes. The force of the attack sent him recoiling back into the gravel. The second cloaked figure leapt at Lucina, but Eric stepped forward. He grabbed a handful of fabric and threw the figure back. Without hesitation Lucina augmented her body and darted forward shoving her boot into the figures chest sending it skidding across the ground and instantly Eric was on Blade preventing him from intercepting Kate. He threw a straight right into his jaw and sent him tumbling onto the ground with a front kick. The group Blade had just called quickly gathered in front to protect their boss from Eric. Sparing a glance to his right he could see Lucina duelling with the cloaked figure he’d tossed its hood now down revealing a woman with dark hair and crimson eyes. Lucina was seemingly winning the duel not letting her opponent recover from having the air kicked from her lungs but suddenly the cloaked man sprinted across the gravel straight through Blade’s group knocking it apart and leapt at Lucina.

She noticed last second and defended his takedown with a sprawl. They engaged in a grapple however, the man had bought his partner the time she needed to recover. She lashed out planting her leg deep into Lucina’s side. Lucina grunted and reeled back. The cloaked man dragged his fist across her jaw sending her stumbling back. Before Lucina could recover the cloaked women grabbed her combat jacket and a red glow rose in her arm’s mana veins.

‘Crimson’.

Eric attempted rush over and help, but it was too late, in an instant a red glow leaked from her palm into the air infront of Lucina and clung to her body like an aura. A rapid spark shot from the women’s hand and the aura ignited. A crimson eruption that engulfed Lucina, the force rocketing her across the depot and sending her crashing through the shutters of a warehouse the next row down, a smoke trail lagging behind. Instantly they quickly pursued after Lucina.

‘Shit’ Eric quickly attempted to end her attackers but was quickly forced to leap back. Blade’s group launched a plethora of fireballs, jade orbs, and other magical spells towards him.

“Enough” he growled. Before they could ready their next spells, Eric unleashed his silver hand cannons. Bullets flew through the air at ridiculous speed and not a single one was off target. They all dropped to the ground, some lay there groaning others didn’t. His attention then fell onto Blade who was looking at his people with a disappointed gaze. He then turned to Eric and raised his hand, a golden ring with a red gem was wrapped around the third finger. He infused mana into his storage ring and in a stream of red energy his machete was moulded into his hand. It was a long, large grey blade with ancient writing inscribed onto both sides, its handle wrapped in old blood-stained brown cloth. It was his renowned weapon and how he gained his title.

“It was only a year ago that we were in this exact situation was it not?” Blade asked him.

“Yeah” Eric responded coldly, drawing his black blade from the sheath on his back ‘But this time I’ll fix my mistake’.