Sicarius tightened his grip on his rope dart as he and Princess dashed away from Caretaker's life draining aura. He hadn't been affected by it, but he knew just making contact with Caretaker's power was suicide. Considering what happened to the mouthed opening, it seemed as if Caretaker was a status 2 being, capable of Life Drain, or whatever of the same capacity. There were thousands of variations of the life draining ability that he had encountered throughout the galaxy, and as of now what he could do against it was simply to fight long range.
"Fight with long ranged weapons," He said, "Don't get near him or you're dead."
Princess nodded. Her lance dissolved into the air while she manifested a bow and arrow. She fired with her weapon, sending an arrow right toward Caretaker's chest. Despite the arrow's speed, Caretaker merely sidestepped to dodge before advancing. He didn't even need to attack, just his getting nearer was lethal for the two children.
Sicarius maximized his hyperfocus. To be sensitive to the maximum capacity regarding every sensation was vital when handling weapons as the slightest deviation could be a lethal mistake. He held his rope dart in his hands and twirled it in the air before sending it towards Caretaker with immense control.
"Foolish boy!' Caretaker yelled as he readied his hand to catch the rope dart. To his surprise, the rope dart seemed to have a consciousness of its own as it flew to the side and lashed at him like a whip. A few fingers fell off his right hand, and yet before he could even process what happened he heard the whistling of an arrow headed straight at him.
He dashed back, dodging the arrow and putting pressure on his severed fingers that sprinkled blood on the floor. He eyed the two children with a grimace plastered on his face.
"Once I get my hands on you I'll--" Before he could even his sentence Sicarius whipped his rope dart at him once more.
There was no chance Sicarius was going to let him speak freely. Repeatedly the two children attacked ferociously, Sicarius with his rope dart and Princess with her bow and arrows. Caretaker seemed to be powerless against the barrage of attacks until he stilled, he raised his right hand and pointed with his remaining finger.
Sicarius felt the familiar feeling of death looming over him. An oppressive aura quickly surged toward them like the wild waves of a raging tide.
"Form a shield right now." He said as he hid behind Princess. Princess obeyed and formed a shield big enough to cover them both. Just as she finished manifesting her shield a wave of life draining aura came over them. Sicarius could hear the footsteps of Caretaker nearing their position, but he couldn't keep him away as the barrage of life draining aura did not cease.
"It's over!" Caretaker yelled as he neared the two children.
Sicarius peeked from behind Princess, and he noticed that the area at Caretaker's sides and behind were now free of the aura. Caretaker didn't have an infinite amount of aura to manifest around him. Once Sicarius diverged from Princess he was sure that Caretaker would aim at him, giving Princess space to attack.
Caretaker was a skilled combatant, and with his ability to drain vitality from his opponents, he was as hard to kill as a cockroach. Caretaker had only one weakness that Sicarius knew of, and it was in the form of a girl that could manifest weapons at will.
No matter what happened, Sicarius was sure that Caretaker cannot possibly let Princess be harmed. An idea formed within his mind, an idea that if fails would cause him to lose a weapon, but at least it wouldn't be used against him.
"When I attack, I want you to charge at him." Sicarius whispered, "I'll cover you from behind."
"You want me to die!?" Princess yelled, her trembling hands on the shield that was barely able to keep on blocking Caretaker's aura.
"If you don't listen to me, you'll die for sure," Sicarius said as he jumped out of her cover. In a swift motion, he heaved the rope dart forward. The minute moment he made contact with Caretaker's aura he felt his body weaken a considerable amount, while Caretaker, who had sucked his vitality, seemed to be growing back his severed fingers. Sicarius, unused to the sudden weakness, almost collapsed to his feet.
"I got you, you pest!" Caretaker yelled as he directed his aura at Sicarius who was now a free target, however, before his aura could even reach the boy, Princess had charged towards him, a spear manifesting in her hand.
She let out a war cry as she hurled her spear right at Caretaker. Caretaker held the spear by the handle and pulled Princess to pull her behind him, and yet when he tried he was met by a shield bash to the face.
Sicarius's rope dart came speeding toward Caretaker as he was stunned, but it wasn't quick enough. Caretaker had ample time to see its trajectory, then his expression paled. There was no time to hesitate, the rope dart sped like a bullet, not toward him, but toward the girl in front of him. The boy was aiming to kill Princess!
He leaped, aiming to push the girl aside.
Princess seeing Caretaker leap towards her, drove her spear into his heart, oblivious of the rope dart that aimed to pierce her skull from behind. Even in his last breath, Caretaker reached behind her in an attempt to block the rope dart. He let the rope dart pierce through his hand, saving Princess from a journey to hell that he himself could not escape.
Sicarius quickly retracted his rope dart as Caretaker's body went limp. Blood dripped down the spear handle and onto Princess's arm. On Caretaker's face was an expression of sorrow that stuck even in death.
Princess was the foundation of the Cult of Sin's plans, if she died then all their efforts will be for naught. Sicarius knowing this had aimed to kill Princess. No matter the result, it would have benefitted him and what happened was simply the better of the two. Caretaker had sacrificed himself to make sure that Princess would live on.
Princess kicked the corpse to the ground and let her spear dissolve into the air as she collapsed on the floor from exhaustion. Behind her, she heard Sicarius's steps getting closer. As she was on the floor gasping for air she was startled by him suddenly hopping onto the corpse.
Sicarius held Caretaker's head by the chin, and twisted, making it face the floor despite his body facing the ceiling. Once he made sure that Caretaker was dead, he turned to face Princess. He eyed the blood that splattered all over her and proceeded to cut off a piece of cloth from the corpse before wiping her clean.
"Watch where your touching!" She exclaimed, to which Sicarius replied by forcefully wiping the blood on her face.
"Get up and make sure you look decent,' he said as he wrapped his rope dart hidden underneath his jacket, "I'm taking you to safety."
The boy stood by the exit, illuminated by the light from above. She gazed at the boy who she chose to believe was her savior, there will always be doubts in her heart but for now, she would follow. He was the only one that she could follow.
"What's your name?" she asked as she stood up,
Sicarius was already pacing towards the stairs when Princess asked, he turned to face the girl. A weapon of mass destruction, and she was his to control. He motioned for the girl to come closer, then he offered his hand in order to guide her.
"I am Carius Gray."
Princess took his hand and together they began to walk up the stairs that eventually led them to the orphanage. After Sicarius stole clothing from a clothesline for the both of them, they fled, leaving the gruesome sight of Caretaker's corpse below, and the mouthed opening unhidden for the whole world to see.