Thirty minutes back.
Two knights were patrolling around the city when they saw a few women walking by with a dazed look. At first, they didn't think much about it, until a man ran to them; taking deep breaths as he reported that his wife suddenly stepped out of their home. And when he tried to stop her, she pushed him out of her path and walked away.
Hearing the man, the two knights first calmed him down. Then one of the two went ahead to see where the woman was going, while the other took the man with him to report the incident.
But the first knight who went ahead to follow the woman lost his way; as he too slowly turned back and went to join the other knight.
Back to the present; Diark stood on top of the roof while looking down at Harold and the two café owners; one with an apron, the other wore a cap.
"Ughh! How does it work again?" Still under the cover, Ray tried to call Kai by the earpiece; only to end up forgetting how to call. While he kept trying, Diark confronted the three.
"That's Diark. That famous assassin…"
The one wearing the apron spoke up, while Harold took his steps back. His mind was already screaming at him to run, as he commanded the two to make sure Diark won't catch him; as he tried to flee the scene.
"Not so fast," Diark spoke to himself as he raised his hand, a force pulsing with an obsidian glow at his right arm. A low hum began to vibrate in the air as shadows stretch unnaturally long, writhing as if alive from the floor.
In the process, Ray was caught off guard as he almost slipped. "Ack-! The shadows are rising!?"
From these shadows, serpents begin to slither upward—black, eyeless, with faint silver cracks running along their bodies like glowing veins. Their tongues flicker, hissing without sound, feeding on the silence.
"Astra-Core: Cursed style," Diark spoke in a faint voice.
"First form: Blind Serpents!"
Diark slammed his hand on the floor, as the serpents disappeared into the darkness; crawling down from the roof to the ground as if sliding across the shadows like water; forward to the three on the ground.
Before the three could react, the shadow beneath their feet erupted upward. The serpents coiled around their arms, legs, and torso with terrifying speed. Harold in haste; tried to slash them with a dagger, but the blade passed through the misty darkness while the serpents tightened like iron chains.
"Wh-What the hell is this!? Let m-me out!!"
Harold was struggling to break free, but the serpents open their maws—not to bite, but to release a low-frequency vibration. The sound wasn't heard but felt: in the bones, in the skull, in the very mind. Harold and the two staggered as the resonance made their vision blur, thoughts scatter, and nerves scream with pain. The three were forced to their knees; with the shadows pulling them down as the serpents anchor them to the earth.
Ray watched the whole battle while in hiding.
"Woah… He caught them in just one move."
The three were tied down, as Diark landed on the ground. Slowly walking up to the three, reaching his hand to Harold when he felt a strong current through his body. He quickly jumped back, and at that moment, the shadows holding the two subordinates of Harold shattered and the two stood up.
Diark was momentary surprised; same for Ray who was peeking out to the battle. The two had their eyes closed with a still calmness around them. And when they opened their eyes, Diark and Ray were taken a back; as the two in front of them had one eye each of a mutated being. A few veins popping out near their eyes, with the iris turned into a shade of deep violet and the pupil of white. Each had their one eye turned to so; the one with cap had his right eye while the apron guy had his left.
While Diark tried to process, the two turned to each other as they conversed to send Harold back first. One reached to Harold and broke his bindings, while the other whistled and a giant dark bird got summoned right next to him.
"No you don't!" Diark rushed forward, but the one that summoned the bird lifted his hand to Diark; casting some spell of unknown language, as a glowing sword materialized in front of his palm and launched towards Diark. The speed was fast; as Diark too understood that he might need to counter it. But just as it was a few inches away, with Diark ready hit back; a gunshot sound echoed around as the sword's trajectory got countered and it fell to the side, slowly disappearing.
Diark paused, and he looked back to see Ray standing up with his arquebus on armed. The other two as well looked up, seeing Ray and slowly getting on guard to his presence. They quickly got the unconscious Harold on the bird's back and made it flee the scene.
Noticing the movement, Diark tried to launch his first attack at the bird; but again, got interrupted by the two in front. In the meantime, Ray as well jumped down to stand alongside Diark.
"It's the crown prince. We can't escape anymore."
One said, taking off his cap.
"Then we just have to kill them both,"
Said the other who threw away his apron.
"This will be dangerous crown prince… I suggest you to escape as fast as you can," Diark spoke, taking his stance with his right fist glowing in a dark aura. But to his warning, Ray chuckled and responded back; saying he knows it's dangerous and that is why he too stepped out from hiding to assist him. Having the grip on his arquebus tighter, he looked at the two ahead with a cold expression.
"The two ahead we see now aren't humans anymore… They are demonoids."
The two man then looked at Ray in surprise, with a look on their faces expressing their question on how Ray knows that. Same for Diark, who turned to Ray in wonder, but quickly looked back at the two in front as he questioned Ray; asking how can it be, since according to history, demonoids should have been no longer to exist since the four heroes should have taken care of them around twenty years back. But Ray simply shook his head, as a image of his father talking with some people came into his mind. The people in it had the same eyes, but also a gentle look. Unlike the two in front who had a hostile look; ready for a battle.
"Well, according to my father, what we learn in the history is mostly thirty percent of what actually happened back then. The rest seventy percent is never mentioned."
Ray pointed his arquebus forward, as he spoke. Diark paused for a while, but slowly nodded as he slammed his fist on the ground; bringing out the blind serpents at the two. But this time, they countered back as they grabbed the serpents with their hands. Diark was surprised, but quickly planned the next move, as the serpents exploded creating smoke.
The two demonoids inside the smoke tried to move back, but till then Diark had closed in on one; as he punched one of them right in the jaw and sent him flying inside the café. Next, he turned to the other but the other demonoid saw his movement and made his left arm change shape into of a blade as he tried to slice Diark's neck. But once again, the trajectory was changed and the blade only cut a little to Diark's arm. Diark quickly jumped back, as the demonoid looked at Ray with furious look.
"Are you alright?" Ray asked, as he kept his aim at the demonoid. Diark looked down at his left arm where he got the cut, noticing the wound turning purple and infection trying to take over. But the wound then suddenly healed; as Diark sighed and looked back in front. The one whom he sent flying also walked back; as Diark warned Ray about the toxic attack of the demonoids.
But then, one of the two demonoids rushed ahead; as Ray leaped to the air while Diark engaged in a close combat with the one who rushed. Ray again aimed to assist Diark, but this time the other one appeared in front of him; giving him no chance to assist.
At the same time, the two knights were running to the knights' quarter; when they saw a familiar face by a bench on the street. It was none other than Justin; principal of the Lunara empire's magic academy. But it seemed like he was in a drunken stage; as he was sleeping on the bench. Yet still, the knights felt like they found their life line as the quickly woke up the drunken Justin; and described what's happening and about a few more reports they got about more woman suddenly walking away from their homes with a dazed look.
Meanwhile, Ray was struggling a bit while Diark was unable to land any solid hit to his opponent. Time was ticking, and the two demonoids knew about it. In a split second, the two locked eyes and nodded. Both took a few steps back from Ray and Diark; as they charged an intense amount of magic around their fist and aimed for the two.
Diark and Ray both noticed the threat as they moved the other way of the trajectory. But it seemed that they were being played, as the one facing off against Diark turned his attack to Ray; while the one facing Ray turned his aim to Diark.
Caught off guard, Ray froze in mid-air.
"What…!?" Ray thought, closing his eyes as if accepting his fate. But Diark jumped in between; raising his fist towards the incoming trajectory.
"Astra-Core: Cursed style," Diark chanted in a soft voice; as Ray opened his eyes to see him in front.
"Second form: Resonant Claw!"
The attacked came in contact to Diark; as an explosion erupted in the air. The two demonoids looked at the cloud of smoke as they conversed about how the two must be dead now. And the blame for the crown prince's death will land on Diark; as people might think that Ray confronted Diark and the two died in a battle with each other.
But as the two were about to flee the scene, a black lightning bolt came straight to the one who's attacked hit just now; striking his hard and making him go unconscious. The other stood in shock; but quickly sat down checking on the unconscious one. He then turned back to see where the lightning bolt came from; as he saw Diark in mid-air; by holding onto Ray's shoulder for support with his right arm extended that held a few sparks of black lightning.
The two were unharmed; as Ray landed back on the ground with Diark. But it appeared that Diark was injured, as his footing was off balanced and he was groaning in pain. Ray being careful, looked down as he saw Diark's left leg was injured and bleeding.
"This…?" Ray asked, as Diark responded about getting hit by the attacked of the other one when he jumped up towards Ray.
But in the meantime; the other demonoid looked at its subordinate's body as he apologizes to him in a hushed tone. Placing his hand on his subordinate's back; a powerful black aura began to run wild around them as Diark and Ray turned their attention towards them.
"This is bad. We need to run!" Diark spoke in a tone of urgency, but it was too late. The black aura quickly took on a sphere shape, then slowly forming back into a figure of a person. With the darkness fading; the person came in view with dark purple eyes and long black hair; wearing an elegant blue tailcoat. The air around his was heavy; as he stared straight to Ray and Diark with a murderous intent. The two knew it was danger for them, but they were frozen; unable to thought properly and their legs won't move.
"I can't move…," both Ray and Diark thought the same; feeling how much of a power difference there is between them. And then, the powered up demonoid raised his hand as a purple flame appeared and levitated on top. Balling his fist, the flame started to get intense; as it began to circle around until it took the form of a small purple ball, glowing with intense magic power stored within.
"We can't escape that…," Ray spoke first; as Diark too agreed to him. The two knew that even if they run, that one attack hold the power to destroy the entire area leaving no traces behind.
But just then, Ray noticed something. In a few distance, on the roof of a building; Kai sat while watching them. Lights retuned to Ray's eyes; he wanted to speak, but saw Kai raising his hands as something materialized in his hands. From Ray's view, it was a dark, long tube with a trigger; similar to his arquebus, but a bit bigger.
Kai handled it carefully, with his one knee on the roof floor and the other leg up; sitting a bit higher than a prone. Holding it close to his body; as he scoped in while he whispered.
"It's AWM time."
Kai pulled the triggered; as a sharp snapping sound cracked the silent night, making Ray and Diark flinch; even the demonoid was caught off guard. And in just a few seconds, the hand which held the purple ball came down, falling off the demonoid's body. Ray, Diark and even the demonoid was stunned. The three slowly turned towards the fallen hand first; and then next towards the source of the sound; where they saw Kai standing on the roof of a far away building; and he held his AWM on his shoulder.
"Did he do that…?" Diark asked, turning to Ray. In response, Ray just chuckled as the two slowly fell on the ground, their legs giving in as Ray responded.
"Believe me, that guy is gonna do something more than this anytime now."
Just then, the demonoid reattached his fallen hand by the blood flowing down from his wrist; looking up at Kai who was massaging his shoulders. Maybe seeing how carefree Kai was; the demonoid got a bit worked up, as the mana around him started to run wild again. Lots of magic circle appeared around him; aimed to Kai. But he still stayed relaxed, sighing on how he wished to capture it alive but he needs to finish the battle fast.
Snapping his finger, Kai whispered;
"Divine sorcery: Excalibur!"
As he chanted, a giant, shiny magic circle formed behind him. And from it, came out a great sword which glowed so intense that it made the night feel like a day time. And as it came in its complete form, Kai motioned his hand like a gun towards the demonoid and fire at it; to which the sword flew in a swift motion towards it; piercing through its chest with a bright shimmering light.
By the time the light faded, not even the remains of the demonoid were to be found.
"And it's done!"
Kai landed down right in front of the Ray and Diark; but the two were knocked down, probably cause the sword was coming right towards them and they got scared and fainted. Kai just sighed, whispering that he will have to clean the mess himself now, as he slowly pulled a joker mask using a dimensional magic; which connected his location to the other place through a magic circle.
And as if just in cue, right behind him appeared lots of knights; along with Justin who was now sobered up. Looking around, he felt the remaining faint amount of mana of the demonoid; as he looked at Kai's back.
"Surrender yourself young man. I don't know if you were helping or creating the mess, but I know for sure that you are quite dangerous. Just come with us and-!"
But before Justin would finish, Kai had raised his right hand; snapping his finger as Justin felt a powerful force of magic run pass through him. He quickly looked around; wary of what spell was casted. And just then, the calm weather which was there a split second ago, changed into a stormy weather; with heaving rainfall and very strong winds blowing around.
The knights wondered what happened, but Justin began to laugh as he looked in front of him towards Kai who had his joker mask on. And in an instant; right in front of him, Kai vanished, taking Ray and Diark with him. And right after he vanished, the storm too quickly vanished as quickly as it came.
-To be Continued