They made it to the city, through the gates, and onto the streets with no issues.
It was probably just that the Knight had not encountered anything that strong, just being so passive. Even with Banneret Vice and the angel, they adjusted to the Knight's existence. Overall, this was probably one of the other species that pure souls had evolved into.
A true beast is a what happens when a pure soul is reborn into the body of an animal, and then that animal gains enough will and power to evolve its soul including its temple, its body.
They are all extremely dangerous. There are animals out there with souls but no real power, these are known as beasts, then there are those that evolved to resemble humans, known as beast folk, these however, are beasts that furthered their souls to attain a power.
Beast folk can assume the form of a true beast but only temporarily. Most beasts are mindless but have souls, these are usually hunted and sold to be trained to become true beasts. Normal animals without souls are just used as food, they are more plenty. There are conservationists who use soul checking tools to identify the beasts within the animal farms and 'protect them.'
Animals are usually farmed for food, or sometimes hunted for game, but once in a while some of these will possess souls and become beasts. The beasts are usually removed and not consumed as food. From these beasts some become beast folk, others become true beasts, some remain beasts. But the children of true beasts are born true beasts, just taking some time to unlock their power.
These are the ones that did not follow the normal path, which is longer, animal to beast to true beast/beast folk. The children of beast folk are also born as beast folk, and they usually have an easier time temporarily transforming into true beasts. The true beast is the pinnacle form of all animals. Every true beast is a disaster on its own, but not all are as powerful.
This amongst other reasons is why adventurers usually hunt for a beast and train it to become a true beast. There are those who eat beasts and true beasts, similar to those who eat monsters, but there are consequences to eating an animal with a soul.
The beast folk are more human than animal, as such they have formed a nation and become part of the society of life on this planet. There is still the problem that the price they pay for their power is that they can be tamed, but the good thing is that their master has to be way stronger than them, and it is harder to maintain if the tamed is unwilling.
This is why some people would hunt beasts and train them to evolve into beast folk, which is near impossible, since the beast has to gain enough knowledge stats and have the will to evolve that direction, but it is not impossible. One will be chopped down on site if they are seen infringing on the souls of others, like trying to make a beast folk unwillingly tamed, or make a beast into a beast folk.
The reason most avoid taming beasts that have already become true beasts is because if one fails to tame a true beast they will either die or be tamed themselves. There are few true beasts that possess intelligence, but few, these just eat the failed challengers, having no use for the tamed soul. This just meant that someone in this city has tamed an actual disaster type true beast and kept it below the city. 'Must be one of the Bannerets.'
'But aren't they thinking about what will happen should they fall?'
After a while, the Knight got used to the oppressive feeling of the true beast Wargnier slumbering somewhere beneath the city. This city is known as the city of humans, but across the streets the Knight finally saw the diversity of beings all across the city.
"I guess this is city of Arulli."
The place is huge, its walls were towering so high, the stratus clouds were almost within reach, if you dip your fingers down enough. They possessed some patterns that allowed light into the city, creating the illusion the walls weren't there, only floating patterns, and the hundred metre oblique base. Travelling through the thick walls was a whole journey itself.
The buildings were also a feast to the eyes, with varying Romanic structures, but as usual, there were patterns carved onto the thick metal plating's plastered onto the walls. The architect must have had a vision, one blending ancient human designs with modern understandings of structures and added the benefit of patterns to stabilize the buildings and make them more protected in this world filled with so much peril.
Then up higher in the sky was a floating island, almost bordering on the edge of the atmosphere, the Knight could not see much, but it had a dome around it pushing the clouds away in all directions central to the island. Taking its gaze away from the site the Knight decided to give a closer look to the populus.
There were beast folk, humans, some beasts in the mix, no true beasts in sight 'sadly.' There were these bulky people, pointy eared, mostly covered in body hair, most wearing overalls and handy tool belts, if the Knight had to guess these were the mountain folk, mostly known for their strength and crafting prowess. Another deeper look, the Knight saw the forest folk, adorned in stylish clothing, each almost looking like the royals of the wild.
They had an opposing build to the mountain folk, they even had… The Knight looked closer to see and noticed that they were being followed by fragments of souls, some were even followed by full souls, spirits. They had been giving the Knight strange looks; the fragmented spirits were moving away from the Knight.
'Don't tell me that they can see Mugaw.'
"They can boss. Those ferries and pixies are not avoiding me though; it's you they are avoiding."
The Knight thought only the strong like Vice could actually see Mugaw, but now there is a whole species capable of seeing not just the soul of Mugaw on the plume, but also they can either sense the dozens of souls in the inventory, since normal beings cannot rip souls from the cycle of death and rebirth, taking away their eternal peace. Or it could also be that they can see the dreaded/vile soul of the Knight, or even the void contained within it. 'This might be bad, let's hope none of them get any funny ideas.'
The Knight ignored the looks from the forest folk and decided to check what other people it could spot in the crowd. There were beast folk that primarily lived in water, they kept peeking out of the water, and in their mostly human form, some were up and about, very few visible, possibly alluding to the human form not being favoured or just harder to do.
There was a whole section of the city that was simi-aquatic. There was a channel flowing in it, extending deep, the buildings were mostly submerged, even the Knight could not tell just how deep the aquatic area was, or how deep the buildings extended. Something was also intriguing the Knight, what type of patterns does the buildings have?
There was even a silly thought asking if they shouldn't be living in shells or coral, but once imagined, one realises that beast folk live in buildings as well, why shouldn't they, being a variety of the same people, in the end they had evolved to be more human, their ancestors did anyway.
The rest were too few and far between people in the crowds for the Knight to pick them out. It was too late anyway; they had reached the headquarters of the knights. These places were not frivolously decorated to present some version of power. Instead, this place was massive, it was like the city was compressed, reduced to the bare necessities, fortified, and efficiently build too.
The Knight had seen it in Maroon city, but here and now it was sure; the base of the knights' post is to be used as a last post in the event the walls have been reached. During the fight with Campbell, in the colosseum, all of the people were fitted, and there was still room for more. The barrier used in the fight could probably be extended to cover a larger area. This place was like a large-scale military prison, no bars, and just enough decorum, to look like a neat modest home.
Just staring at it, one could see what the knights prioritised more than anything else, the safety of the people they protect. The patterns themselves would give any uninvited guest a freight. The gates were the one part that had more armament, and somehow managed to look like the entrance to a royal palace. The gates were too heavy to be opened whenever someone enters, that was not a problem though, it seems if you have been given permission you just phase through the gate and inside was a smaller gate.
'Must be one complex runic pattern to only be used on just this one gate and not the entire city walls or it's just incredibly hard to maintain.'
They had entered and the trend in design that the Knight had seen was continued, amazing stone architecture, subtle hints of composites, simple decorum to make the military design look less like a prison.
The rooms were fully furnished since the knights actually live here, wouldn't want a team of fighters starved of relaxing bedrest. The hallways were presentable enough as to allow awe, but the space was effectively utilised to allow beauty while being utilitarian in nature. The patterns did make the place look more welcoming.
Once the main official business was addressed, the Knight avoided the rest, leaving it to Zuri. The Knight then explored the new base the Knight would use for the future. The Colosseum here was even grander, even currently it had been full of knights duelling. Multiple duels were taking place simultaneously.
In a weeks' time, the Knight would be the one holding the public spectacle. This will be the first fight the Knight will have with a knight without holding back, that was because the Knight will be fighting one of the Bannerets, which the Knight was going to meet some time tomorrow.