Belial was in a peaceful sleep, completely unaware of the chaos happening outside. The bed beneath him was as soft as a cloud bringing him comfort after endless days of planning and running. He was lost in his sweet - sweet dreams when a sudden loud commotion broke the silence.
He woke up and automatically leaped out of the bed and grabbed his katana from the table nearby. Before he could grab the handle though, half of the room suddenly blew up! The loud explosion pushed him backwards causing confusion.
Smoke filled the air, debris fell, and the smell of burnt metal filled his nostrils.
Belial strained to rise, exerting himself to glimpse through the mist. An enormous force was clashing just beyond his threshold; he could sense it.
He proceeded carefully towards the open hole in the room, Clearing his vision by blinking away the smoke. In the corridor, he witnessed two individuals engaged in a fierce struggle, a person with green hair was in a fight with a...cyborg?
The sound of metal hitting echoed loudly in the alleyway. Sparks ignited from the cyborgs missile launcher as it plunged into the ground, forming a crater. The green haired individual stood before him arms up protecting him from the full impact of the blast. The stranger remained unharmed despite the smoke enveloping them. The surrounding area, in contrast, was in ruins.
Belial scratched his head, and blinked at the individual In Front of him. A man? A woman? He was unable to determine their gender, but it was evident that they were very appealing to the eye.
Despite the disorder around them, it was impossible to deny their athletic elegance. Watching the stranger battle the cyborg felt like observing a lethal Choreographed performance.
Belial stayed hidden behind a large slab of broken stone, observing carefully as the two fought each other.
"Come on, Lets go!" encouraged the green haired individual, motioning for Belial to come along.
Their voice was soothing but it Carried a sense of urgency that left little room for hesitation. Belial glanced at the cyborg, which had just fired another volley of missiles in their direction. With no time to waste, he decided to trust the stranger.
Darting behind a nearby dumpster, Belial crouched down low, the green haired fighter joined him. The cyborg continued its relentless advance, its metallic body whirring with deadly intent.
"This makes it the third time I've saved you," The stranger muttered, their voice barley audible over the distant explosions.
Belial shot a sidelong glance, a mix of gratitude and suspicion etched across his face. "why are you helping me?"
The green haired individual turned their emerald green eyes toward the cyborg. "Let's just say I think I have unfinished business with that guy."
Belial nodded in comprehension. To be honest this was a coincidence really he too also recently had business with the damned cyborg.
It did blow up his temporary haven Afterall.
It had to go.
And with this beautiful strangers assistance, they could prove to be a valuable partner.
Belial observed The stranger closely, Intrigued by the life of this person He spoke as if he does this every day
"What's up with that guy!" Belial asked, darkness formed around his hand then his katana appeared on his hand.
"I don't know..I was at the tavern area of the inn and he came in firing the missiles like a madman!" The stranger replied clearly annoyed by the cyborg.
The cyborg approached once more it's mechanical limbs whirling with deadly intent. Belial lunged forward, swinging his katana in a precise arc. The blade struck the cyborg, but it barely made a mark. The armor was too thick. Belial cursed under his breath, His failed strike caused Xin into action again, propelling himself with a powerful kick that sent the cyborg crashing into a nearby wall.
"Was..that a Hax?"
"Yeah sound manipulation, cool right?" The stranger responded with a hint of pride.
During his time in the demon realm he's never met a lot of people with Haxes nevertheless a Hax that sounds kind of useless.
He was just about to comment, the cyborg emitted a high pitched beeping sound. A sinking feeling hit Belial. The Cyborg wasn't finished with them. In mere moments it exploded, sending a shockwave through the alley. Acting quickly, Belial bl created a dome of darkness, shielding both himself and the stranger from the blast.
As the dust settled, Belial turned to Xin, "that was close..way too close."
The stranger nodded, catching his breath. "Thanks for covering me. What was that Hax by the way, what's the deal with your Hax?"
Belial glanced at the dark barrier that was begging to fade. He thought for a second then and came to a conclusion, it would only be fair that he also reveals his hand since the stranger Already revealed his own. "Darkness manipulation,"
"Darkness manipulation?" Xin echoed, raising an eyebrow like occult stuff or something? Sorry I'm a little curious"
Belial looked at the beautiful stranger, the stranger reminded him of his hound back home then chuckled. "No, No it's nothing like that I can create objects out of darkness. Think of of as clay or building blocks, I can make anything I want with it."
The stranger's face turned from confused to FAC inaction, "Is there a catch? Shady Haxes like this always have something "
Belial gazed at his katana and looked back into the strangers emerald green eyes,
"No, though it only hurts when I push it too much"
Xin nodded in understanding then paused for a moment scratching his head awkwardly for a moment "Ah..speaking of pushing it, I forgot to ask your name…"the stranger asked slight embarrassment etched in his face
Belial looked at him for a moment, his violet eyes glinting in the pale moonlight.
"The name is Belial, but you can call me Bel. Your name is Xin right? I heard it from one of your friends."
Xin softly smiled an expression so beautiful that it could cause millions to fall to their knees.
The conversation was cut short by a troubling thought the two had at the same time, "Eli!" Xin said, his voice grim. " He could be in danger!"
Belial was thinking of his belongings..but sure 'Eli' the person who tried to rip him off.
They wasted no time, rushing inn where Eli had been. Upon arrival, they found him unconscious but mostly unharmed . Xin checked on his band mates who were shaken but otherwise fine.
After ensuring everyone was safe Xin let out a sigh of relief. His fingers trembled slightly as his luscious green hair back." I know this was our last tour, we got to split early before celebrating some more..I'll send a message when I can. For now, just try not to give too much trouble, okay?"
The four musicians exchanged uneasy glances.
"Are you sure about this?" The tall one with spiked red hair Riven, asked. His voice was a rough contrast to the concern in his eyes.
"Yeah," Xin said with a smile. "It was probably a crazy fan, I'll go home soon."
"Man this is messed up, yan already left" grumbled Dax the one with a leather jacket. He crossed his arms, his expression tense. " Who in their right mind would even do that?"
"Yeah, I didn't sign up to get blown up today," added Kai, shaking his head. His blue highlighted hair was disheveled and the piercings gleamed under the dim light.
The last member, Sid, clutched the strap of her bass. She had barely spoken after the attack, her pink streaked hair falling to her eyes. Finally she muttered, "Just…be careful, okay Xin?"
Xin nodded and smiled. "You too Siddy."
After they gathered their belongings Belial watched them. Their Rockstar aesthetic was undeniable—bold outfits, amazing instruments but they were just kids not much younger than him.
Once the band left, silence settled over the wrecked room. Xin turned, gazing at the destroyed inn. His shoulder slumped, " damn" he muttered under his breath before turning to Belial. "Hey, you still need a place to stay right?"
Belial hesitated, casting a glance at the ruined space around him. "..I'll find another inn. Don't worry about me"
Xin frowned. "Are you sure? The next inn is like 40 minutes away by hansom cab."
Belial sighed. The exhaustion pressed down on him and the thought of wandering the streets looking for another place wasn't exactly appealing. "…Fine."
…
Together they made their way through the winding streets, the city's flickering lamps flickering as they walked in silence. By that time Twenty minutes passed by then they had already reached 490 Roselia street fatigue had settled deep in their bones.
Xin's place was exactly what Belial had expected. Heavy metal posters everywhere, dim lighting to make the place feel bigger than it appeared. Most strikingly though, was the impression of guitars and basses hung on the walls, almost like a shrine to a music god. A nock drum set sat in the corner. Stirring a memory—old and forgotten in Belial's mind.
"You play?" Belial asked, nodding towards the instruments.
Xin grinned. "I dabble."
Belial smirked, but his exhaustion settled won in the end. He collapsed onto the couch, sighing as he stretched out. The silence between them was brief before he broke it.
"So… who do you think wants you dead?"
Xin's smile faded, he ran a hand over his face before sitting at the end of the couch, "…I don't know. I haven't had any time to piss anyone off or get that much attention, I really want to believe that it's a crazy fan"
Belial arched an eyebrow." You sure about that?"
Xin let out a humorless chuckle." No, not really." His fingers drummed against his knee. His mind kept circling back and back to one person but it couldn't be..
"Is everything okay?" Belial asked, suddenly. "What's going on?"
"It's nothing, I'm just thinking.."
Belial's expression was unreadable, and finally he sighed. Rubbing the side of his neck he spoke "I was just thinking..we can't just sit here and wait for them to come after us again."
Xin shook his head." I don't want to drag you into this."
Belial scoffed. "Too late for that But…If I'm helping you, I'll need a place to crash. Temporarily of course."
Xin smirked. "Yeah , yeah. You can stay."
Together they headed into the basement. The wooden steps creaked beneath their weight, and the studio space greeted them with a soft lighting and scattered musical gear. Xin gestured vaguely. "You can sleep down here for now. I'll fix up the guest room later." He yawned, Stretching. " Just don't mess with my stuff."
Belial nodded and sank onto the greyish- black beanbag, finally letting his exhaustion take over. His eyes grew heavy as he exhaled slowly.
First day here, and I'm already in trouble. At Least I've got a place to stay…and a nice roommate but I should be careful. I can't risking my identity. I'll have to ditch as soon as I'm done with him.