1.6 - ESCALATION

Books rained onto the wooden flooring, slamming down with loud thunderclaps. One almost nailed Shiro between the eyes before he cut it in half, he looked down to see in disbelief at two Black Keys the ones Kirei held in his hands earlier. 

His vision was filled with static as he was transported to Times and Eras- 

“Shirou!” He was snapped out of it by Miso. There in front of them was a large muscle bound biker, with as many scars as he had muscles, he radiated an aura of anger and death. Looking at him made Shirou want to puke. 

While he was distracted the Biker walked forward, “I have a job for the lot of you.” 

Klaus frowned, “While we do accept any pleas for help, any and all contracts must come through the-”

The man dressed in a biker’s outfit with flaming shades hiding something behind his eyes continued, “I'll do that when I feel like pansy. Like the idiot that thought it was a good idea to steal my boar. I need a bitc-”

Klaus loudly coughed, “Please try to maintain decorum, there are kids present.”

“As I was saying, interrupt me again I will blast the lot of you. Some two bit thief stole my property and that challenge needs to be answered, go get it back,” The biker then proceeded to walk back out. 

“Hold on who are you?” asked the KK. 

“If you maggots can’t tell then there isn’t any point.” He looked to us, and opened his shades to reveal- 

Death, Murder, Carnage, Overflowing Blood, Rot, Rusted Iron, Broken Bones, Despair, Survival, Death, Families Screaming. -

He put his shades back on as Kirei and the blonde staggered nearly falling over, Miso had tears in her eyes as she looked at him in feral rage. Klaus on the other hand, looked to the children and his expression tightened. He started to walk forward. 

“Oh ho, interesting, you’re unaffected, but continue to walk closer and I will punch you.” He stated dismissively, not bothering to look in his direction. Klaus moved with sudden speed socking him in the face. The Biker looked as if no one had ever remotely hurt him before in his life even with all the scars on his face made by a sword. He threw back his head and started to laugh, “Hahaha, I’ve never seen anyone with so much spunk, tell you what kids, I’ll let you have the honour of being smashed by Ares, the King of War.” 

Klaus' next punch was wrapped in a leather grip before Ares stomped his foot shattering the ground causing massive cracks snaking their way across the entire floor. The minor shockwave had also sent Klaus into the potted plant in the corner of the room. From within the cracks Skeletons wielding a variety of weapons from swords to guns and odd implements, such as chainsaws, popped out. One Shiro noted he went down after fighting spies, the rest fought in some ancient war or the world wars. 

Then the monsters started to rip through reality. Bullmen, Horse-Tigers with fangs and glowing eyes cantered onto the ruined flooring. Other terrifying monsters from the depths growled besides each other. 

Klaus’s knuckle dusters gleamed in the open air sun alongside Kirei’s swords that he held between his fingers, and K.K brought out the large gun on her back. 

Ares grinned, “Have fun.” His face distorted as a bullet went through it, dissipating into smoke.  

The Monsters roared in defiance and all hell broke loose.

KK clicked her tongue, the headshot a missed opportunity. The Minotaur with large claws and tusks had on plated armour and a massive axe on its back roared like an angry bull brandishing it like a lightsaber. Considering the thing was glowing with power it might as well have been. 

Words tumbled out of Klaus’ mouth. Miso missed them but Shiro understood them perfectly. 

“Brain Grid Blood Battle Style: Pattern 13 - Finger Greed.” 

Shiro was in shock but not as much for the same reasons, he had read the history of the weapons on his hands and couldn’t help but admire the kind of person Klaus was. His life was absolutely incredible. The double shock from being able to trace his blades allowed him to finally understand Klaus’ weapons, and swords in his hands, exactly who Kirei was and where he had come from felt his entire world shift into something that made more sense. There was a sense of belonging as something clicked into place and his subconscious sensed it intuitively.  

It felt like he was underwater as he watched Klaus smash his weapon against the Minotaur’s axe exploding with power as both were blasted off the building in the resulting shockwave. KK jumped back to regain her footing riding the force of the explosion, Miso less graceful joining the furniture in their tumble through the room. 

Out of sheer muscle memory and instinct he cut through the wind staying in place. He noted the Black Keys, the swords that Kirei had brought out, flash by him stabbing into some of the knocked over monsters and others into the shadows holding them in place. 

Kirei not far behind as his fist reared under ribs before lashing out, sending the horse demon off the side of the building. KK had regained her footing as she shot the rest of them full of holes, the ones without armour at least died nearly instantaneously. The others merely roared in defiance struggling to move in place the swords having held their shadows and their existence. 

There were more than a few monsters that had escaped his grasp, one of them a large golem had broken free moving with supernatural speed. Shirou had blinked and it stood in front of him with its arm raised. KK’ gunfire wasn’t slowing the thing down as Shirou moved with precision imitating what he had seen before. Throwing more than one into its shadow avoiding Kirei’s mistakes. Even then it barely slowed down. Shirou had just managed to jump out of its smash range. 

There was a sound reminiscent of a tank shell being loaded before gunfire switched to artillery fire blowing small chunks off the golem. The Magical bindings glowing with power as it deflected much of the damage. 

“What the hell is this thing made of!?” Firing on it repeatedly, her reload speed was something Shirou could barely register. He made his over to her as it walked forward with impunity. 

“I suspect we’re ill equipped to face it. Klaus or Steven would be better here.” Kirei walked ten meters to the left of it as he approached KK. 

“Don’t give me that bullshit! Just use your magic!” 

Miso was up as she grabbed the bookcase in the corner struggling to lift it before chucking it at the Golem. It broke, barely stopping it. 

You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.

“It’s not magic,” Shirou could hear the frown in his voice. 

“I don’t care!” 

Miso grit her teeth as she lifted the Mahogany Table over her shoulder before throwing that as well. It was joined by other assortment of collectibles Klaus had, the small stuffed pandaman bounced off the golem's head, everything else in pieces around it as it continued its advance. 

Kirei sighed, pulling up his sleeves to reveal miniature yellow writing on the bandages that were wrapped around his arm. He seemed to focus as they glowed before he loosened them. Shouting something intelligible, the wrappings snaked around the golem like a strait jacket and much longer than Shirou thought. There seemed to be easily 30 kg worth. 

The thing ground to a halt straining against its bindings.  

“Finally,” she murmured, “Klaus!” She ran to the other end of the room where the hole in the wall had been made by him. She could see him on the building rooftop having landed in the soft earth of a greenhouse, Miso had run over as she shouted, “Are you alright?!”

KK saw Klaus wave, standing over the defeated Minotaur, his shirt cut up and a growing red on his under white shirt below his vest. KK sighed in relief. 

“I don’t understand, he left before he could tell us what he wanted.” Shirou walked over to Kirei and asked. 

Kirei hummed, his voice a strange tenor, “Are you sure?” he then walked over to Klaus’ desk where glowing letter sat, picking it up and he read it out, “‘Libra will check up on a Ichor Inc. off the coast of Los Angeles to see why production has been halted, and find my BOAR. I would go myself but I have a date.’” 

Just as Kirei had finished reading, the letter tore itself into five pieces, before flying towards everyone here. It wrapped around their wrists tightly, Shirou hissed in pain before floating glowing green Greek Numbers appeared on the band counting down. 

Kirei said, “Ah, well this is a problem.” 

+/MML/+

“It's strange he didn’t go after anything in any other part of Libra.” After Klaus had gotten back to the floor. 

“I very much doubt the pagan idiots put much thought into anything.” The sky rumbled and Kirei merely smiled as it suddenly ceased. 

Miso asked, “What was that?” looking out the window. 

“A child.” Kirei’s eyes gleamed. 

Shirou put it together, “Wait was that Zeus just now?” 

Kirei looked at him, “It is likely, he’s childish enough to respond to basic provocations,” then Kirei turned serious, “It's best if you don’t speak their names, names hold power and you yield it everytime you utter them.” 

“Huh?” Miso questioned. 

“Don’t say their names or they become more powerful,” KK simplified as she leaned over with the smile of a mother, “Not by a lot but enough to make a difference.”

Miso seemed to like KK a lot as she cheerily replied, “Okay!”

Klaus brought the focus back on the glowing yellow bands around their wrists with ancient greek numbers, “I’m assuming these are ticking time bombs?”

“Yes.” He smiled. 

KK growled, “Why are you so happy about that!? The kids also have them!” Hugging Miso to herself. 

Kirei raised an eyebrow, “You should have been aware of this when you elected to have them join Libra.” 

“As support workers, or assistants! Not on the front lines! We have programs for people to train them for that or the ones where people have nowhere to go. Not this!” 

Shirou and Miso frowned, neither happy with the proclamation they were to be sidelined. 

“It doesn’t matter, they would’ve been in danger from the moment they joined,” He didn’t hold anything back, a blunt instrument of truth, “Now that isn’t important as they are very capable, this young girl more so than the boy, having faced monsters regularly on the streets.” 

Miso preened, “Yep! Weird Antler Horse Monsters, and Bull People, sometimes noodle monsters. They don’t taste like ramen when you cook them though,” She glowered feelings of betrayal as she remembered biting into them. 

Kirei nodded, “This young man isn’t too far-” suddenly swiping his sword at his head which Shirou blocked with the Black Keys flashing into existence, “-Behind either.” 

KK’s eye twitched as she had leveled the enormous gun at Kirei’s head, “If you attack him again I will kill you.” 

“Ah, only him? Do you not care for the girl?” 

“Kirei!” easily rising to the provocation, Shirou noted he was an easy guy to hate.

Klaus had kept silent the entire time cut in, “Kirei stop provoking her, and don’t attack our members especially new recruits, or I’ll deduct your pay,” when he didn’t respond Klaus added, almost as an afterthought, “I’ll tell Mrs. Sumeragi of the location of your new restaurant.” Kirei kept smiling but there was a noticeable air of something. 

“Please don’t.” Before he put down his weapons and KK reluctantly did as well. 

Klaus sighed, “While I don’t like it, the two can come with however they must follow everything to the letter,” His eyes flashed with authority, “Am I clear?” 

“Yes.” “Yep”

“As for why they didn’t go for the rest of Libra,” Kirei paused, “I’m not sure if they have the capacity to think that far ahead.” 

Klaus raised an eyebrow gesturing for him to continue. 

“They haven’t changed much in the thousands of years since their banishment, they’ve integrated well enough however they are playing the same drama they’ve always done. The very little regard for human life, common sense or logic. The usual greek tragedies in full display. However, something to note would be their reduced presence. The number of incidents in the past millennia have dropped compared to the past according to the records, rarely have they been so bold.” 

“Something’s happening behind the scenes.” Klaus deduced.

Kirei smiled, “Something indeed.” 

+/MML/+

Shirou and Miso found themselves in one of the many rooms on the floor, this in particular was very strange as they found the tops of the redwood trees disappearing into the clouds. 

“Whoa! How is there so many big trees in this room?!” 

“How are there so many trees,” KK corrected, “And the answer to the question is that we’re not entirely sure.” 

Miso blinked, “Huh?” 

Shirou noted KK visibly restrained herself from pinching Miso’s cheeks, she had tried before. “You will find Hellsalem’s is odd, where space and time are sometimes irrelevant, this is one of those instances. There is a place called the Delta Ruins, it consumes and transforms abandoned and sometimes living buildings into dangerous caricatures. People go in to never come out, this room is part of it.” 

“Wait then why are we in here?” 

“For training. This room unlike the rest of the ruins was locked in place by Battle Blood Style Sealing Techniques, Kirei helped with his own brand of sealing. Think of it like if you had dropped a bucket of ink into the water and scooped out a portion of it and put it in a cup. The Delta Ruins would be the Ink, the water would be Hellsalem’s Lot, and the cup the techniques that separated it from the main body.” 

She pulled a small gun, “These are loaded with non-lethal rounds, here we’ll test what you know and what can be improved. With the clock ticking we have a few hours to spare before we have to move, and I’m going to make it count.” 

Miso caught on faster than Shirou did, "Cheese it!" Vanishing into the trees. Shirou was too slow tracing and throwing Kirei's Black Keys towards her shadow. She shot the hilts diverting them off course and glancing off missing Shirou by a few centimeters.

"Sorry about this but the world outside won't be as kind." Heartbroken expression on her face as she fired with the speed of an Uzi while holding regular pistols.

"Don't worry we understand, and appreciate it. Thank you." Shirou tried to keep an earnest expression on his face even as he was riddled with bullets that he didn't manage to deflect with his swords.

"Aw, you're so adorable! This is making it harder than it needs to be." She smashed the two pistols together as the mecha-shifted into a large sniper rifle.

Shirou paled.

"Try to dodge as best you can."

+/MML/+