COI C206

Compensation, for only in the weekends. The team reunites their family as an invitation to live in the island. Away from the evacuation areas, and witnessed the people from Fuku City seek refuge and giving to no detail of their origins except mentioning bad experiences. Joanne’s parents are hugging their youngest daughter while Silfa was not here. Joanne gives that look of achievement as they are finally not staying inside the evacuation for once. They will be living near to the elven housings. Where they settled closely to the Enders Embassy.

Joanne sees the other students filled their eyes with envies because of her parents are here. Berserker is alone distracting himself to have a chat with Arsenal who too have no relatives transferred to this world. Healer has his mother, and the shield student has his uncle. His uncle soon left as work in the Taiyou Industries. The need to function the city or else all their needed goods will be scarce and suffer for it. Berserker pulled him into their circle group as others are discussing living temporary in the island.

Joanne’s mother pointed out to the night sky. Ootadakimasu’s mother joined her.

“The sky sure is terrifying when they said it is being ritualized by shamanism”

“Yeah, it looks beautiful without those arrogant faces floating in the night sky”

“Excuse me for being rude, but only you and your son are here. Where’s your husband?”

“. . . Please, we don’t need to talk about it”

“Oh sorry”

“I know you are, but I am glad that the both of me and my son are safe”

“If you are in need someone to talk to, please don’t hesitate to ask. I know that feeling very well when my eldest daughter goes to the wilderness”

“Thank you”

Ootadakimasu heard them and sees his mother still mourning after all those years. He can’t remember his father, but his relatives did come by to show up to raise him better. His father is a foreigner, and disappeared after a strange news of missing people back then. It’s been 13 years and his mother still not letting him go. Without his father’s relative backing them up while his father is gone, he doesn’t know who will he inspired. The determination and the willingness of his life wanting his family safe. In this world, his best bet is to have Enders help.

The shield student, Berserker, and Arsenal are talking about their families. It is clearly showing their faces that they really want to go home. All safe from back to their world and they seemed to miss them. Berserker feels so left out

“. . . I shouldn’t be jealous to Joanne. Her entire family is here, and the city went to shit after a few siege battles. Look how many people have died from the siege”

Arsenal understands him, but she is very envious at the moment “Usweet-uhm, what is your name again?”

Berserker tries to said it proudly, but the shield student stops him “It’s fine, what are you saying exactly”

Berserker frowns as his opportunity to say his name in front of her.

Arsenal continues “Well, I miss my daddy. Joanne’s father is acting so alike when he worries about her. Honestly, I think I rather want my dad not transferred here at all if it did happen”

“Why is that?”

“He is very loyal to his country. He works as a police officer who was involved really dangerous cases. That’s include organized crime. If he was here, I don’t think he will ever stop . . .” Tears dropping out, and the two guys tried to help. Healer appears and gives her a tissue.

“. . . Thank you” She wipes her tears then froze in surprised. “Uh? UH?!!!” She runs away, leaving the boys alone.

Healer says to him “How about you shield? Starting to miss your parents, I presumed”

“Yeah, never thought Joanne’s parents going to mess us up with their little reunion. Sigh*”

Berserker comforted him “Don’t you worry, shield . . . Miyusuki or whatever. Your uncle survived and that’s all you are worried about”

“I worried about you guys too. After that training, I feel like we are not improving”

Healer nods “Sure, it feels like a simulation. But I prefer let that crossbow guy trained us. It’s like they are prepared to beat us. I think we are starting to learn how to beat them”

Back in Taiyou Industries, Haw is busy with his device having a conversation with his girlfriends. As he closes it as soon as he can, he regrouped himself with the other three. They stay on guard in the saferoom as they needed their supplies replenished their equipment.

Voldemyr reviews their conversation “The city is getting stronger. This called city sphere is making them grow to control their powers. They are starting to abuse it on you. However, your friends are stronger than them. That’s both good and bad since you don’t have any ways to fight back”

Haw was focused by Voldemyr’s interest “I can sort it out by myself. What about those two, Hulyir and Ka’zei?”

Ironno pointed out their disadvantage “We lack equipment, and we are using smuggled materials to make our replicas. We really need our guild items”

Haw agrees “Certainly, if only we have those to pursue and get the bounty”

Ironno doubts him “Bounty? You have businesses here, remember?”

“Ironno, in their law I have no rights to own it. My friends are the one who is holding it for me and this not about money”

“Money? You can’t gain glory doing a civil work”

“What glory do you gain by cleaning their mistakes?”

Voldemyr asks “What glory?”

Guildmember sends his thoughts to Voldemyr. Giving his knowledge as every unprotected citizen among the surrounding evacuation areas. The glory is nothing but fame. It is too fragile, and they let that topic removed without a second thought. Following their ways when approaching Enders bring disorder to the neighboring city states are prior to execution under the witness of the elven gods. As their plan to hunt those two down, there are words spread across the city the dangers of fugitive Enders.

Hidden among the high-rise buildings, a certain group to work under the government. Words got out pretty quickly without any news of the citizens become the victims to the so-called Enders outlaws. There are reports among witnesses in Taiyou Industries within Manager Kubo’s supervision. More phenomenon happened through there were countless of weird glowing light, not as bright as the sun, nor as dim as the night. It is able clear the fog of the dusts, and the rain mixed with it has nothing to no effects. Was this a blessing they seek to find them? Or someone else had come to help and disappeared.

This was the speculation of the advisor. Looking through the screens with every one of the cameras were gone by the dusts. They were rune made, and able to struck down in the rain of crystal shards from the sky or anywhere closely magic related. To the highest peaks of their best invention to the basic and affordable ones are all consumed by the dusts. It is true that runes will be able to endure it, but the power lines they used are mana based. Leaking out as the dusts seeps in like bacteria looking for a wound to infect.

His officers report about the situation “Scavengers and looters are scattering only to Taiyou Industries. They are focusing first the remnants of the battles laid by the demons’ army. Furthermore, the two suspects who are describe as Enders are indeed walking through the city. They seem to act according to the looters and such. However, their interest is exterminating them”

The officer says his opinion “Are they really criminals? They seem to help us to deal with them”

Some officers say what they have in mind “Good or not, we never know why they are here”

“Surely, it would be the best idea to let them be. We will sort itself out when troubles getting out of hand”

Official Justice thinks so too. These officers are starting to learn how to be proper public officials for once. He can’t believe after that siege incident and trapping themselves in the evacuation areas made them hardened. The sight they could not resist to look away is the window blocked by dust. Ignoring it made them annoyed, and more so as the sound of the shards cracking and chipped itself down from the window. To where the ground is, there they could the shards raining. The dangers to continue to stay here had drove them back to the evacuation area. Why would they? They can feel the nauseating environment inside.

“. . . There is no way we continue like this. The districts can’t maintain itself because of the presence of that moon above this city. We need to find a way to properly shield against it next time”

“This is not the time to talk about that, we have to fix those bastards out there. Our food and water supplies are close to where they scavenged. These are 3 months living in this condition. We must secure the survivability of our people and . . .”

Advisor breaks the quarrel “We already in the predicament, even having a meeting here is as dangerous as we have thought. Sigh* We need to stop them before they went too deep into the city”

Official Justice left the room, disgust with another plan won’t be executed today. He speaks to himself “Those fuckers, shitheads. Agh, they still won’t be using the secret weapon. How long did they work to get it after getting the resources from Enders Bridge? I can’t even bring my men out to the streets because of our morals are so weak in the evacuation areas. They must keep an eye on them. Those protestors are growing because of the disaster and the bandits entering the city. Shit! We have to rely on the Victory Rooks for now”

Words got through in the island, they have no interest to go through the Jigeram’s light passing at this state of the cycle. The problem grew sinister, as the island is also the safe place away from the influence. Some elves are here in the island watching over the agreement by Lady Hivites’ promises. Although she already broke it, and only here who can still hear her voice. There are more of them in Victory Rooks, but no one knows how many they are. They could only assume they exist.

The elves watch the refugees from Fuku City and Enders’ guests. They walked down from their domains and remember why they are here. “Hmm, these people. They are indeed the Enders causes”

“Shh, we don’t need to talk about it anymore. They are all people who wished to leave, right?”

“I believe so . . . Do you hear that?”

“Our brethren in ruined clothing? Why yes” They turned their gaze to Isekai City. The familiar presence that is identical to the citizens. They can’t be sure that they are related by those forebearers teachings.

Voldemyr and his team had begun their hunt. Not the Enders their own, but the common targets of bandits and looters. Guildmember is gaining information as he seeks deep within the unsuspecting minds. They are not free thinking. Two minds in one body, this is what Lady Hivites is after. She brought her own subordinates to deal with. Under the weather of the dusty wasteland, the rain still pours as they come out in the night. They wore what they have been nostalgic for Haw and Ironno to wear.

Ironno grabs his own shirt and pat it as both muddy dusts and crystals falling down to the ground without even needling through their clothes. “Like the clothes in Rune Isles, you even brought them here, Guildmember”

Guildmember speaks through their mind. The silent keeps it longer where he added more than an answer. In their heads “. . . We all agreed to do this. The recruit we thought would be able to go through here, he must continue to train in this condition without a certain people deemed to be a threat. For now, do we care to take interest of the glow?”

If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it's taken without the author's consent. Report it.

A strong shocked tingling through his head as if some is screaming both to his ears. The telepathy stops Guildmember from getting a headache. They know what that glow was and never dare to interfere. Ironno and Haw knew about it as they met Spokesman in Taiyou Industries a while back. While Voldemyr recognized it as a demon’s involvement. All of them will rather to find the Enders than figure out the mystery of the persisting glow. The glowing lights are neither shamanism nor neutral mana. If both mana types can’t consider it, then this is one invaluable phenomenon must not intervene.

Guildmember though, he had experienced it before. It is also included for the young boy’s training. He didn’t realize it was only him who hears Sanquin’s voice through telepathy and not letting the others know about it. Sanquin is still there, humming in laughter, where he can’t convince them otherwise since she won’t let him reaching out to them. The humming continues as they search. Going through the wasteland, Sanquin’s voice still pesters in his said as she is not favoring him to take care of the shield student. Whispering to her last words to him,

“You already have Tabitha. Split them both as you train them accordingly”

They stop as they see something on the ground. Ironno spotted it first. Voldemyr can’t see it, but Ironno picked the ground where his saferooms are located. A manhole as a saferoom, they broke through and go down. Where they stood beneath the dark, there are a few flashes of light. Devices used as flashlights beside magic, it was the citizens and they were relief as they climb up to them.

“Finally, the Enders! Are you here to save us?!!”

“No way, that’s . . .”

Voldemyr shushes them as they quickly followed him as they are in awe. Ironno took action and reactivate the saferoom’s magic portal. They leave quickly as they were told.

As they left, Guildmember is already collected the memories they have before reaching this place. They were workers, surprisingly, former adventurers at that. They seem to be working part time to fix what is left in the factories. They were caught by the looters and able to run here. The looters weren’t able to get through it and decide to blocked the door as it crystallized. Citizens have no idea to deal with it being blocked from the other side with only strength with neutral mana. Thankfully they were trapped recently during the night.

They moved on, they found the trace. The place they found is not seem to be looters or any Horsin people who come across. This place has reminiscence of old magic practices. The Raker Mawns didn’t hesitate or even tried to analyze it. They went in and exterminate what roams inside. Ironno raises his pickaxe and strike down to the entrance. With massive dusts around them, the dusts weren’t able to catch the bursting mana coming from it. They swoop in a flash leaving no dusts or rain shards coming in.

Ruins, from where they were taken. Recognized as it is been consumed by the demons themselves. Azin’s journey ends there where those two, Haw and Ironno, saw. It feels almost the same except for the remains of the demons’ army. It is supposed to be recent, but empty nonetheless. Haw sees Voldemyr acted lost as they entered here, as if the trail has already gone. But gone doesn’t mean they were destroyed, because the trails they found is not what it seems to be. Voldemyr kneels down and found an unbelievable tracks on the floor.

Shoes worn by any citizens, nowhere it is coming from but leads away from this place. It’s been weeks, no, it feels like after the defense. This is something they didn’t expect it.

“Did anyone know about this?” Ironno only sees the remains of the demons’ army

“I see only their puppets, what else is there?” Haw brings out his potions and mix together into a concoction.

A drop of it to where Voldemyr touched the faint tracks. It spilled on it, but it quickly turns to vapor when it touches the footprints. Haw understood

“Someone is here, alive, and this is clearly a demon”

Guildmember searches with every mind he could reach in this city, to find the minds who have the same footprints from Voldemyr’s finds, and then he stops. The moment of his paused lead only the two of them. He speaks for the rarest of times, slowly and clearly

“You two won’t believe this, but you already met her before. Fuku City, you were involved with another guild but a rational companionship”

Voldemyr asks them “He speaks normally, why are you two didn’t report about it to the guild”

One of them responds “It’s one of our guild members, she seeks her reflection”

“That reflection was involving with the demon”

“Even so, Guildmember may speak normally since this is something he must not loosely witness. A demon like that will appear in dreams or imagination”

“Yet, you two . . .”

“We have the help of other guild’s support. There is no need to worry”

Guildmember talks back “Ahem* Indeed, and it is rather controversial than most. Tabitha’s reflection is rather a curse because of the summoner”

“Including the Not Worthy Guild, they don’t matter the consequences. But odd that none of them pursue us”

This place is getting on their nerve, and decide to leave. An ambushed fell on them as soon as they got out. Already crystallized as they are being cornered, Guildmember is linking their minds, and the four ready themselves by this suspicious attack.

“It’s them, the demons’ army hiding here. They got out”

“Hurry! We need to take them out before they can recover again”

Enders hear voices they could hear, but their attacks are already thrown at them. Haw throws down his potions to form a misty barrier. It siphons any mana escaped from the dusts. Ironno raises his pickaxe and break through the crystallized spell. Leaking it all into the potion’s mist.

A flash of light in lightning-fast speed, blown away from the mist as its fluid still vaporizing. Voldemyr took the shot and perfectly hit the stranger to their knees. The sounds break through the air as if thunder explodes close to them. More spells aimed at them, Ironno releases his runes and scrolls to negate anything on them. Dusts erupted blowing all sides where more of them shooting down with overbearing spells. The mist was able to collect them all and traces down the spells back to the casters. It reaches to them as their limbs getting caught with the protection of their runes.

“What?!”

The fog clears and the rain muddied the ground. Ironno raises up his pickaxe lands down to the ground, unleashing rune magics in a shockwave. The walls of runes passing through their enemies as all of them were not hurt. The sounds of his arrogant voice reach to his group.

“Bah! We are fighting the wrong enemy”

The runes exerted further and the shines of its words glow with little syllables and bolded letterings hidden as the rest of the words faded. A word hidden by another word through different rune channels. A different rune spells release, surprising them.

Maser shouts at Haw “Enders! I mean Haw! Stop it, we got the wrong target”

Haw sees the fog clears as the rain getting stronger. The mist of dusts finally faded to the ground as the rain water had fully washed down the Jigeram’s light. The dusts can’t exceed the rain fall. There they knew who they are, city adventurers, and the people who talked to them before.

“The City Guild, why are you attacking us?”

They respond “We found the two Enders, but we get ourselves lost into the chase and they slid themselves right here”

Guildmember reads their minds, passing through their defenses to be able to read them. He is skilled, by far better than they could imagined. Flashbacks to where they headed, this place where they had found the tracks. Did the Enders actually leave them out from their tracks? Or was there more that they supposed to know earlier? They hold their weapons as they are nearby. Their enemies are close, none of them not going holster their weapons.

“You supposed to report to the island. Why come to this dangerous place?”

“Interest about your new recruit, the things I never believe is him with other citizens. Was it really that bad for him to have such powerful group?”

“It is easily to be alone than with others he knew. His training is less likely memorable now during his nightly session”

“That’s how I met these people, sharing the same interest and concern about them. I can’t say the same thing since I have found rather “culture””

Culture, a secret slang word only by the Agatheans know. Guildmember helps Haw understand what it means, and Haw can’t blame for Maser’s action as he understood it. The secret term for demons’ puppets, from what Maser is trying to say is about the looters and other bandits are nothing but puppets with complete identity and characteristics. The citizens didn’t know about it, this is one of many secrets that Horsin is hiding from Isekai City’s view.

Silfa and the others bow and apologized “Forgive us! We don’t know what we have done during our fight. We thought”

Voldemyr slanders them “Enough! This is too much courtesies I don’t enjoy when I found I saved many of you throughout my journey. You’re all the same to think as almighty. Attacking Enders without even realized how they already walking in your city with dangerous weapons”

They want to answer back, but his presence gives chills in their spine. This is the feeling of their savior trying to ridicule them the things they had done hoping they can return the favor.

Voldemyr had enough “Go! There are more places to go and people to avoid. You already drench in the rain and your bodies will get sick if you stay in the rain for too long”

The adventurers raised their heads “Getting sick?”

Guildmember spoke out “All of you will find out tomorrow. Except this Agathean over there”

Maser is not from Agatheus City, but from Mountaiwall.

“Of course, we will tell the others and . . .”

Silfa falls down and feel the shock where the exposure seeps through their rune armor. It’s starting.

Maser already takes action and pulled all the adventurers towards him. Drop down by the sudden jolt in their bodies, fall into victims where the dusts watch down on their bodies. One by one, all of their senses are numb leaving them into a temporary coma state. Gently along the dusty muddy ground, as their body grew with shards all around them. The Raker Mawns take action. Guildmember starts his telepathy, and Maser pulled the city adventurers who are close to him.

The rest pulled into Guildmember for the first time, his mind is now channeling through them. Haw, Ironno and Voldemyr are given the powers through their minds. Clear, Refined, and magic for them to used. Knowledge goes through, with their runes unleashing true strength. Guildmember blows away the mud sticking to the adventurers’ body. Moving the muddy shards with psychic powers, the magic he excels are reaching to the same power level as the adventurers. His hat appears on his head, forging into the light as he once called guildmember with a hat.

The adventurers are safe, clouded in to the chamber close to Guildmember. Maser bring the other few as the enemies barrage them with demonic magic. The wind blows as the shards shatters and spread like mini-bombs to where they stand. Ironno throws his scrolls trying to defend themselves. It breaks. Voldemyr and Haw combined what’s left with their crafted items. It still breaks and through Guildmember’s protective magic. Quickly, they disappeared with Guildmember’s powerful magic through the negating dusts.

The unknown threat keeps chasing. Too powerful as it knows whose spell it chases. Guildmember is certain, they faced a demon. Closing into them, they entered the saferoom at the right time. Guildmember’s secret magic was able brought them out without harm. Time moved fast while their sense of time nulled because of his magic. To stop the adventurers using their abilities unconsciously, he found more than hiding his own will of mind to bear. His luck from not being touched the demon’s hunger for his magic.

Guildmember spoke out, dispersing all magic. Wiping clean through all the dusts, mud, and shards from their bodies. The first to wake up was Silfa, Puma was summoned back as she was nearly getting herself in harm way.

“What just happened?”

She looks at her UI where warning signs are rapidly calling to her as more notifications before that were corrupted and hiding away the real threat was coming to them.

“How did we managed to escape? Voldemyr, Sir?”

Her face is trembling, and she brings out her device to see many contacts trying to reach her, like her mother.

Soon more of them woken up and see the same condition as hers. Voldemyr regroups his team and said

“That was disappointing, Guildmember. You are using rare magic and to find out we are facing a demon. Was that the same reason why those two are looking for?”

Guildmember responds in telepathy “We never know, but it seems that we have what those Not Worthy Guild members suspect. Fuku City, hmm. We should be cautious about this and send the message to the guild”

Somewhere in the ruins, two Enders are running away from someone. Normally running, without blocking their path or creating the diversion as they move on. The path was easily broken through, the rain keeps going as if it follows them. This magic phenomenon can’t be spotted to any living mortals who had observe the rain.

“This daemos is annoying”

“We are supposed to find him. This is not we are searching for since the end of this siege”

Daemos heard them “And that “him” is where I can find from you two”

They fell to the ground revealing the same dummies as before going down to the ground as lifeless baits. The demon failed again. She looks around and sees that they sent her where the evacuation areas are. In Mihayara District, where there are some roaming pedestrians walking through the safe zone.

“Hey good looking, why are you here alone in the rain? You know it will hurt you”

Passerby trying to flirt with the demon in her disguised, acting a bit rowdy then lightning and thunder flashes around them. She disappeared, and the passerby who are hitting loses their memory at that moment.

Other citizens found their friends left standing there. “You guys, stop spacing in the rain. It stings really bad here if you keep standing around”

“Wha?”

“We could’ve sworn there was person here”

“It can’t be, how in the right mind could you see someone here and you guys idling around in this harsh environment”

“Shut the fuck, you are washing yourselves in mud and shards here. Ouch! We really need to get the fuck out of here”

The rain turns like hail as the muddy rain drops turned into crystallized shards, they began running away as soon their head start getting spike over their heads.

The rest of the citizens start leaving, leaving only the same demon who they thought left after the flash. She breathes through the harsh shards as their mana leaks off from their body. A whiff is enough of its gruesome taste, the mana in shards open like nuts inside the shell. With more and more shattering before her and the muddy dusts wipe clean with more rain dropping down to the city. The Jigeram’s light able to light a way to show its demonic hidden face. A normal citizen’s face appeared, and the clear remaining rain water on the puddle gaze up to her view.

She, being herself, the demon in disguised and the incarnate with purpose. She speaks herself, her name. “Yayoi, damn it, even the last army you have by your old friend’s help. Why am I losing by those two? Those are from Enders, the creation of the Hero’s Faction. Your friend had study them in order to break their final production of their own warriors. Cough* Rumbling belly* Ugh, I need to eat something. I should’ve listened to him to never wonder off in the Jigeram’s light. This body is too new and I can’t let it die”

She fell down almost immediately but soon catches herself. Someone or something pulled her off from resting down on the horrible muddy dusts. A demon’s army puppets, a bird like creature and other forms of pets helped her. Yayoi recognized them all, it is not something she could be glad, but mix for now. The puppet speaks messaged from the demons from the other side of the continent.

“The traitor had found herself”

“. . .” She kept them silent

“A demon knows its kind. We admit, we never thought it was you brought him out. For now, we will just thank you. Still, are you really not going to help us?”

“. . .”

The puppets begin running back away from this district to where they could migrate and hide. The other demons from Agatheans are thrilled to find these finest creatures created by Norvait, the demons’ last surviving demon city. The adventurers thought they could get rid of them with the dusts. Little did they know the puppets’ souls trapped in the materials their masters made, difficult to cleanse its demonic power from within. However, they are slowly able to find a way. One of them secretly running, the Stinger Rayer, proud of its endless hunt and chases. Begin moving feathered itself in shards. The dusts sometime can’t fully destroy the demons’ creations.

Yayoi left behind as the city personnel found her and called out to her. “Ma’am, please returned back to the evacuation area, we have emergency public assembly”

“Cough* Sorry would you help me carry me over there. I don’t think I could make it”

The personnel see her under the light bluish moonlight. Gazed by her beauty as if she was tempting them. Yet, the insist with their new rune technology. She pulled up to the air begin escorting her without touching her. She feels the domination magic inside the runes. She first feels the dystopian of this city’s new technology.