There was a loud honk meant for a passenger recklessly rushing in front of the tram and managed to hop on. Behind it, several other wheeled cabins waited for the tram to clear out of the way. Neon bright signs flashed colorful lighting on roads filled with moving mechanical boxes on wheels. Pedestrians flocked towards every direction no different than those from the material plane.
Kihet stared at everything around him like a lost child. Cities he visited were always lively with people, but there was so much activity around him that even the background was just as busy. Maybe because the city was preparing to hold off against the onslaught of Shadows that most stores were closed. People moved supplies to the inner parts of the city and nearly every street had construction raising barricades.
“Do you want to grab something to eat before we get there?”
“Do spirits need to eat?”
“Hmm… it’s not that we get hungry, but it would be boring if we didn’t eat, right?” Lemi pointed towards one of the food stalls. “That one’s pretty good. My treat.”
Not that the dead required sustenance. It was because eating was ingrained into them when they were alive. It became a luxury which fulfilled a feeling of being alive in the world where spirits thrived.
They strolled up to a stall busily serving their customers. Behind the counter was all sorts of noise popping, crackling, clanging. Curious, Kihet took a peek and saw the finished product of all the ruckus was a golden brown disc tucked neatly in a paper bag. The scent of something being fried and the sizzling smell of meat lured him in.
“One of choice A, two C and two E please. Kihet, have you decided?”
“No, I umm…”
Standing at the front of the counter, he looked up at the menu serving a variety of different kinds. He saw colorfully lit moving pictures, but he couldn’t read its strange letters different than ones from his world. His eyes swirled from all the choices he had to choose within the short time frame to not hold up the line behind him.
“I’m sure choice C would suit your pallet.” Lemi suggested, sensing Kihet feeling overwhelmed.
“Sure, let’s go with that one.”
Not a moment too soon, he held one of the golden discs in his hands. He squeezed the paper bag and felt its crispy skin. It was fuzzy to touch but also squishy like pastry. He was amazed at the texture even though he experienced food cooked with the same method before. They were nothing like this.
“Kihet, if you play with your food like that. It’s going to-.”
Then suddenly, he accidentally touched its burning surface. His sudden movement caused it to roll out of the paper bag and was about to drop to the floor. With two quick swipes, both his attempts to catch it midair failed as he kept accidently knocked it further up, his hands stretching towards it.
It was going over the heads of a crowd. Knowing how much longer he had to wait to purchase a second one if he spoiled it, Kihet chased after it.
“Be careful of the people around you!” Lemi shouted but didn’t know if her warning fell on death ears. She hurriedly chased after Kihet who was about to disappear behind people, but she could follow the fried treat being tossed into the sky.
Right when she was about to cast a spell to fish it out of the air, a string of distorted light similar to her [Ribbon] yanked it down. The crowd parted from the area only for Lemi to find Kihet prone with his hand outstretched and dumbfounded. The fried good wasn’t in his hand, but rather, suspended in the air by a magical chain manifested out of his will to eat the croquette.
“I thought you couldn’t use [Ribbon].” Lemi gasped. “Doesn’t it look a bit different?”
“It looks like a chain.” After being helped up, Kihet reeled it back like it was natural and bagged the fried treat. He smacked the [Chain], expecting it to dispel at the slightest contact, but it remained. “Huh… it’s different.”
“It didn’t look like you hit it softly either.”
“Do you think it changed since I couldn’t cast [Ribbon] for so long?”
“I’m not an expert like Elius at magic, but that could be it. Kihet, are you listening?”
Kihet could no longer hear Lemi as devoted his attention to the food in front of him. His mouth watered, as it has been long since he expected anything to have taste. He quickly took a bite into the fried treat before the situation repeated itself.
A crisp crunch sounded. He tasted the variety of strong sweet and savory spices melting in his mouth. The meat mixed with its yellowish gravy was tender that it could swallowed without chewing.
“Mmph!” He snapped back holding his mouth. “It’s hot!”
“What did you expect? It just came out of frying like a few minutes ago.” Lemi laughed.
“But it’s so good! What is this?”
“They’re called croquettes.”
After overcoming the heat, he wolfed it down like his life depended on it. Crumbs on both sides of his mouth remained. He never thought to be able to taste anything landing on his tongue until now.
“Knowing you, that wouldn’t be enough.” Lemi shook the bag containing the rest. “You can eat another one when we get there and you better clean your mouth before a certain someone finds out you took an early bite.”
“Shibata?”
“Nope.”
“Alam?”
“It’s not Kridas either. Try again.”
Kihet licked the sides of his mouth and looked around. He thought it really was peaceful in this realm that it could be mistaken as the beyond.
The duo stopped in front of the building Shibata had asked him after his meeting with Elenora.
“I don’t know.” Answering her previous question, Kihet shrugged.
“We’ll see when we get there.”
Lemi pushed on the door leading to a busy lobby. It looked to be a guild packed with armed individuals, but the place was much well furnished than all the other ones he went.
A lot of alien technology surrounded the place as chandelier holding up many glowing bulbs lit the cozy building and boards emitting light that had moving pictures on them. A mechanical voice from a hanging horn ornament would occasionally call out a number, prompting a team of adventurers in the waiting lounge to move up to one of the available counters.
Kihet and Lemi moved to the second floor unrestricted whereas others seeking an audience with the guildmaster had to book an appointment in advance. Lemi reached towards the doorknob and held it for a moment, listening in on the chatter behind the door.
“Can you revise the evacuation procedures? Some instructions need further clarification.” An old voice said.
“Got it. And I need you approved of an extension for Kaeth’s patrol. From his report, he discovered several more spawning zones he’d like to clear.”
“Sounds like we won’t need to worry the south wall being swarmed but we’ll still need all the hands we can get.”
“Hannah will help! Hannah can swing a sword!”
Upon hearing the child who spoke in third person, Kihet ushered Lemi to swing open the door looking for the owner of the voice. He teared up seeing the shocked immaculate little girl in shock stare back at him
“Hannah!”
The little girl’s response to Kihet calling out her name was having the same expression as him but shedding even more teardrops and was now sprinting towards him. Her feathered ears fluttered, her short red hair bobbed up and down. She pushed everything out of her way, with her arms spread apart demanding a hug.
And it was too late as Kihet remembered something. Whenever Hannah went in for a hug, she always had a habit of tackling him.
Hannah face planted into his stomach bringing him down and hugged him like her most treasured stuffed toy. Her childlike arms squeezed him as if she was trying her hardest to pop a balloon. She embraced him and sobbed convulsively as she cried out his name. Her ironclad grip wouldn’t let go of him.
“It’sh really Kihet! Hannah finally gwot to shee Kihet!”
The last time Kihet saw her was when he put her mutilated body together and cremated her remains. Deep down, he apologized for not having to been with her when she most needed him. It must’ve been scary. Here, he was thankful Hannah managed to stay strong willed even from witnessing the village’s massacre.
“Alright, break it up you two. I won’t be able to come through the door.” Lemi held up the bag of goods. “Hannah, come here for a second. I got you a little something~.”
“Croquettes!”
And almost all the emotion built up between the two was thrown aside as Hannah dropped Kihet. She stopped in front of Lemi with huge sparkly eyes staring at the bag of food like she found a stash of sweets and a bit of drool dripped down the corner of her mouth.
Kihet was speechless at how fast their reunion ended and powerlessly watched Lemi made a “This is how you tame her” face.
“Young, Kihet. It’s so great to see you.”
An elderly Enui let out a grunt, moving up from his seat. He had braided long haired. Eight [Ribbons] sprouted from his back to set the cup from his hands and papers on the desk while one brought him his wooden cane.
“I hope you haven’t forgotten me. That would make me very sad.”
“Elder, you’re here too! Does that mean the rest of the village is here as well?”
“It’ll take time for us to explain everything.”
Hearing this, Kihet unconsciously gulped while mentally preparing himself to hear the Elder’s words, though the very detailed set of the city’s layout on the table did take away some anxiousness. It was built to be easy to navigate but with the upcoming defensive battle, choke points were placed to divide the districts.
“Apologies, Guildmaster. I’m aware you’d like to reminisce with Kihet as do I, but we’re short on time.”
“Elder, you’re the Guildmaster?”
“It was either that or the governor.” The elder heartily laughed. “I’ve only managed and made decisions for us Enuis. I do not have the confidence to run as governor for the entire populace including other races.
“That means that role went to Shiba.”
“As tempting as it sounds, I’ve had enough of my share of the politics. This is the Saint’s city. Naturally it is hers to manage. I, however, was appointed as advisor for the Minister of Defense, though others view me more as Vice Guildmaster.” Shibata shrugged. “Guildmaster, if you’d be so kind as to inform Kihet.”
“I will simplify the situation as best I can.” The Elder nodded. “Young Kihet, those who have died are here, but some of our kind still lives.”
“Irvan, right?”
“And a few.”
“He should’ve at least saved Hannah.” Kihet muttered to himself. “Did they move to Stusis?”
“That I do not know. Also, before my death, I wasn’t sure you heard my parting words. Young Megith, Draigh, Vol and Sorah are alive and well. As for Malth, neither the Saint nor I could locate him.”
“I see. I found Megith and Draigh. Vol’s got himself into a nasty bit but thank goodness Sorah’s alright.” Kihet sighed. “What about Elius? Last I heard he’s with Irvan.”
“My grandson is very much alive, but the Saint mentioned his memories are jumbled up when she attempted to read his thoughts. I suspect he has contracted amnesia. The next time you meet him, he may not be himself. Take caution, young Kihet.”
“No wonder he attacked Draigh.” Kihet thought to himself and looked at the table. “What’s this I’m seeing? Elenora told me something about the monsters attacking.”
“About that.”
While Shibata briefed the situation at hand, Lemi neatly placed the croquettes on a plate and handed Hannah her share.
“Don’t eat too fast and mind your manners, okay?”
“Thank you, angel sis!”
“You’re very welcome-. Hannah, where are you going?”
Lemi watched Hannah pattered towards the strategic meeting. She pushed a stool next to Kihet. Kihet however, was focused on the matter in front of him that he didn’t realize the child beside him happily munching on her treat while pretending to listen in. The feeling of victory from before was just an illusion as Lemi pouted but couldn’t help and let it go since the two haven’t seen each other for a long time.
“I won’t have access to the Oracle’s powers in here.”
“Don’t worry about that, Young Kihet. The monsters have lost the ability to regenerate indefinitely under the Saint’s blessing and we have been preparing for this day.”
“The main problem is the sheer numbers they possess.” Shibata added. “Thankfully, they wander about with no leader. We also have someone taking care of the numbers building from the south, but that still leaves the north, east and west to be contested. We’ll eventually be overwhelmed and be forced to withdraw at each checkpoint.”
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“Could we make a moat or dig some pit falls to slow them down?”
“The ground is not dirt. Digging in this realm is impossible even though some of these buildings have cellars and basements. Things here are a bit different.”
As Kihet learned the laws of the spirit world, Hannah snagged two wagons off the war map and played with them. She saw some of the pieces stand up like pins and rolled it back and forth, aiming towards them. The toy vehicle slipped from her fingers, flew down the city street and wheeled into a model building.
“Oops.”
“Hannah? When did you get here?”
“When Kihet was busy. Hehe!” Hannah smiled adorably prompting him to grab a napkin. She narrowed her eyes and lifted her face, obediently letting Kihet wipe off the crumbs stuck on her cheek.
He thought of how troublesome she was, but he couldn’t help it and spoil her. It was fun watching the aura of happiness around her, a feeling he missed experiencing. Unfortunately, he tried his hardest to return a smile to Hannah but he couldn’t feel the muscles to make one on his face.
“Hey, kid. These aren’t toys.” Shibata scolded. “If you want to play, go play with other children.”
“Hannah wants to be with Kihet. Even if Hannah accidentally broke one, Saint said she can make more.”
“We can’t always depend on her for mundane things like this. She may be the master of this realm but she has limits like the rest of us.”
“Everything here is created by Elenora?” Kihet leaned over towards the Elder.
“Drawing from the Tower’s energy, she manifests objects she’s familiar with from her previous life. However, I agree with Shibata it is a burden on her. Unless it’s something very important, I don’t recommend you ask for anything ridiculous.”
“She will without a doubt have to endure to keep our defenses up as we fight.” Shibata clicked his tongue. “And we have to hold out for five whole days of relentless attacks. Then supposedly, we’d be saved or so she says.”
And supposedly, the Acolyte of the Cerulean Tower would appear to give Kihet answers.
There were only three days before the assault. Preparations were done as best they could. Analyzing the rushed barricades placed throughout the streets, it was clear they won’t hold off the enemy for long.
“Hannah is bored! Kihet, play with Hannah.” She shook his arm vigorously to get his attention once more.
“Later. Sorry, but this is important.”
“Kihet only just got here. Kihet should rest.”
Hannah was only going to stop the meeting from proceeding. Perhaps everyone was overworked that none of them have the energy to calm the restless little girl.
Lemi decided best if the group refresh their minds. “It’s going to go nowhere like this. Shibata, I think you have been doing a great job but everyone seems distracted right now. How about taking a breather?” She suggested. “Kihet hasn’t seen the full extent of the city. You could guide him around and explain to him everything.”
“Excellent suggestion.” Shibata forcibly stood up from his chair. “That way, we can also see progress of the barricades.”
“Hannah wants to go too! Hannah wants to go with Kihet and walk around the city!”
----------------------------------------
“The difference between a well made and a rushed wall is being able to buy us precious time even if it’s only a few seconds. I must ensure everything is done correctly because our lives will depend on it.” Is what Shibata said as he received a report from each foreman responsible of every wall.
Although there was no sun, the sky turned orange to mimic the sunset as evening came. By the time Shibata’s inspection was completed, he and Hannah heard Kihet’s stomach growled even though he ate not too long ago.
“Kihet’s stomach made a funny noise!” Hannah giggled. “Hannah knows a place that has Hannah’s favorite food.”
“I suppose Kihet is unlike the rest of us.” Shibata commented. “Lead the way kid. Hopefully the place is still in proper condition to conduct proper business.”
“It is! Earlier Hannah saw it opened!”
They eventually found themselves sitting in a restaurant. With food on the table, Hannah was occupied with hamburger steaks in front of her while Kihet and Shibata waited for their meal.
“By the way, how was my family? A decade should’ve passed, and my child should be about twelve years old by now.”
“About that. You have a son and Miyabe named him Kenji. Let’s just say he has your looks, but a bratty personality. He like putting on a strong front and when something unexpected gets put in front of him, his bravado breaks.”
“Seriously? That’s excellent! He’s like me.”
“You don’t seem like the type who’d cower from being glare down.”
“It would be unfitting for me to act as I am now. I was very much like how you described my son.”
“That’s news.”
“Through years of being pressured to take the mantle of ruling Xu, I was forced to adapt and strive beyond my cowardly self. No one is born strong. Just fortunate.” Shibata took a swig from his cup. “How has my wife managed Xu in my absence?”
“With the crown given back to them, she said Kenji will inherit the throne no problem. Martha, Toudo and others are supporting them.”
“That’s excellent news. To hear General Toudo, one of the three heavenly Generals and Sayuri- I meant Martha, still stand beside them is a relief. By any chance, have you taken Sayu-Martha as your concubine yet?”
“What kind of question is that? Are you drunk?”
“I jest, but you must be dense despite how dedicated she was from the way she portrayed herself towards you.”
“No! Bad Shibby!” Hannah slammed her tiny fist on the table and shouted with a mouthful of food. “Kihet has Sorah! Hannah will not allow anyone else to take Kihet!”
“Child, I’m merely asked the questions. I’m not responsible if Kihet has fallen for one of my people’s charms. If anything, Martha and my poor dear sister Tomoe both are absolutely infatuated with him.”
“Kihet!”
“Shiba, stop making this worse for me. I didn’t do anything.” Kihet sighed. “By the way, you’re fine with being called Shibby?”
“The Child wouldn’t address me with my proper name. She gives nicknames to everyone and we’ve long accepted that.” Shibata put an elbow on the table and casually flipped a fork around his fingers.
“I see. Anyways, what did you want to say about Eizan?”
“Yeah, what about Eizan?” Hannah being the nosey child she was, questioned Shibata.
Her eyes narrowed down at him holding a frown, but she was ignored as Shibata quickly went through the menu. After flipping through some pages, he set his finger firmly on a picture and hollered for a waitress.
“Excuse me, I’d like to add an order of this dessert for this child.”
“Oh, this is rare! Shibby is nice to Hannah! But Hannah likes Kihet more.”
“No one asked.” Shibata groaned and waited until Hannah devoted her attention to the bowl of iced treat in front of her. “Kihet, I’d like to apologize for not believing you. I’d never thought of all people Eizan would betray me. He even dared to send his adoptive son to kill me.”
“You didn’t know.”
“I would’ve if only I had been blinded by my feelings. I should have noticed abnormal behavior Eizan was displaying, but I gave him the benefit of doubt. How much do you know about the revolution before your first time visit to Xu?”
“An innkeeper gave me the gist of it. He mentioned Eizan stood with you every moment of the way.”
“That is why it was difficult for me to accuse of him. I treated him as my best friend and a brother. To think it was all a façade, or…” He paused. “Back in Rozzosea, I vaguely saw the Oracle’s mark drawn within papers you and Kridas’ granddaughter discovered. What do you know about it?”
“I think Eizan knows more than me. He revers it as the symbol of the false world. Aside from that, I want to know how he encountered it.”
“It might be the artifacts we stumbled during our rebellion days. If I recalled, someone broken into the royal vault once and only one item went missing. We couldn’t locate or determine the thief.”
“Was it something with the Oracle’s mark?”
“I’m not certain but it must’ve been. I don’t like it. It must’ve tampered with his mind.”
Kihet thought that could be the same case as Elius. He knew Elius had a hobby to study ancient magic and that hobby of his may have led him to turn like Eizan.
“Gack! Brain freeze! Kuuuu!” Hannah suddenly shouted as she grabbed the sides of her head. “Shibby!”
“Why is it my fault? You know better than to eat that fast.” Shibata smirked.
“Kihet, Shibby is a mean person after all!”
“He treated you and this is how you thank him?”
“Urk! Hannah will remember this!” She growled. “Thank you for the meal.”
While Kihet praised Hannah for her manners, he heard Shibata’s weapon rattle and saw him holding his scabbard. Looking to where Shibata eyed, he noticed a hooded figure sitting a few tables away trying to sneak some glances at them.
“That guy’s been tailing us. Kihet, do you have any recollection of him?”
“I did meet a lot of people during my travels. So, I don’t know. When did you noticed?”
“Lemi brought it to my attention. There isn’t just one, but several all around the room. They seemed to have been stalking you for whole the day. Hannah, watch over Kihet.”
Shibata was well known as the vice guildmaster. His presence would catch interest of everyone around him as he stood up and moved away from his table.
“Is he crazy?!”
“Kihet, stay. Hannah can fight. Hannah will protect Kihet no matter what.”
Hannah reached down and unsheathed a small knife with a cute tiny tiger mascot ornament as its pommel. Her gaze turned fierce like tiger laying in wait to pounce on her prey. Kihet never knew a child like Hannah could make this kind of expression and was worried for what was going to happen. All he could do was listen in on Shibata’s conversation.
“Hey there. I couldn’t help but noticed you’ve been eyeing my friend for a while. If you’d like, maybe I can introduce you to him.”
The cloaked figure brought a cup to its lips, taking a quiet sip. Shibata’s smile slowly faded, patiently waiting for the hooded figure to respond.
“Perhaps I should introduce myself. Wu Shibata is my name. I am the vice Guildmaster.” He set his sword on the table. “Part of my duty is to question those with ill intent and maintain order. If this is merely a coincidence, do correct me. However, I see you’re armed. May I your license to know if you are a registered adventurer?”
“Tsk.”
A dagger suddenly sprung towards Shibata. In one swift motion, Shibata deflected it effortlessly with his sheathed blade and thrust the blunt tip at his attackers throat, temporarily downing his opponent.
There was a crystal clear snap as six hooded figures surrounding Kihet’s table rushed him. A table beside Kihet was flipped to hide where two attackers were charging from.
“Tiger kick! Gauu!”
Hannah ran and dropped kicked the flying table which in turn knocked down the assailants behind it. She reached into her backpack and pulled out a one handed crossbow, launching a blunt bolt at a ambusher’s head rushing Kihet.
“Damn you, kid! Don’t help that murderer!” A hooded figure screamed.
The movement of his attacker was slow and sluggish unlike the dangers Kihet faced in the material world. He sidestepped a sword swung at him and dug his fist straight into his opponent’s abdomen with a resounding thump that shook the air.
The hooded face was revealed. Kihet’s attackers had feathered ears and the infamous fanned tipped tail like he once had. They were Enuis, more specifically, Irvan’s band of hunting group in the old days and they harbored intense hatred for Kihet.
“Friends of yours?” Shibata whispered.
“My friends wouldn’t want to kill me without a good reason. Irvan’s lackeys.”
“Ah. That fella you and Lemi mentioned?”
“Yup.”
“Why are you getting treated so well?” The Enui groaned, steadily rising onto his feet. “You’re a sinner! You killed a group of hunters already, and if that’s not enough, you did something that sent monsters to destroy our village! We’re here to make sure we get our revenge!”
Irvan’s lackey swung his saber fueled by emotions rather than technique and skill. Even Hannah using a small knife was able to quickly disarm him. She aimed her crossbow at the lacky’s temple with her finger on the trigger.
“Kihet is someone important to Hannah and Hannah knows Kihet didn’t do it. Kihet didn’t hurt anyone. Kihet never wanted to hurt anyone. The monsters were the ones who hurt us.”
“Shut up, twerp! That doesn’t change the fact he’s responsible for all of the despair he brought to the village-. You dammed devil folk, what are you laughing at?!”
“Hmm?” Shibata scoffed at the Enui’s complaint. “I am amused by your imitation of the revered race. Of all the imposters I’ve met, none are as pathetic as your band.”
“He’s the coward! If only he got executed back then!”
“Silence.”
The restaurant filled with whispers obeyed Shibata’s words as the air hanged in silence upon his demand. The Enuis accusing Kihet didn’t make a noise upon witnessing Shibata’s authority.
“It’s only fair there are a few bad apples among the bunch. Fine, I’ll believe you seven are the Holy Enuis. However, you are acting immature and below abysmal standards how you holy ones should act.”
“Shut it. You’re just a Devil Folk. You shouldn’t even be involved!”
“As vice Guildmaster I full rights to intervene. I must add not only do you not understand Kihet’s circumstances, but you had the audacity to target him for your weakness. It should be in all of your interest to know he is the Oracle.”
The time Kihet was treated as a regular denizen of Elenora’s city came to abrupt end as the room ran with whispers debating whether or not Shibata’s words were true.
“And know what defying his will to fulfill his duties mean, holy ones. Will you continue to oppose?”
It was clear three of the seven attackers bitterly accepted Shibata’s statement and lowered their weapons. However, the other four were too consumed by rage.
“Dammit!”
One took Hannah by surprise and slapped her crossbow out of her hand. Before it could be aimed back at Hannah, the attacker saw a hand covering his entire view.
Pain gradually spread over the Enui’s head as Kihet’s grip tightened. The feeling of being crushed was becoming unbearable causing the Enui to scream out in pain. Three other Enuis rushed to free their friend only to see the back of their friend smack into their faces. All of them tumbled towards the entrance.
“Did you guys spend your time fooling around for the past decade?” Kihet asked. “You’re only going to have trouble killing the tower monsters.”
“Screw you! We’ll kill you for everything you’ve done!” The four Enuis tore their cloaks off, revealing their fully armor cladded bodies and aimed their weapons at Kihet.
“So, they have no intention of settling this peacefully. Twice has my warning been ignored.” Shibata drew his blade. “Hannah, they have pronounced themselves as a threat to Kihet. I will permit the use of lethal force against them but direct the civilians out of the building first.”
“Everyone, out now!” Hannah shouted. “Go, go, go!”
One of the Enuis threw a canister into the middle of the three of them and lifted their arms up. Kihet recognized it was the same contraption he’d use to blind his foes and he was quick to counter by swiping it further behind.
“Don’t look back!”
A flash of light painted everything behind them using their backs as a cover to mitigate the effectiveness of the Enui’s flash bomb. However, preventing Shibata and Hannah from going blind placed him forward at a vulnerable spot as two Enuis lunged at him.
A loud noise of metal rend as the two blades swerved away from Kihet. After parrying, Shibata unleashed a swift uppercut slash cutting one of his enemies in a single flash. Aside from the body split into two, the entrails stayed within the halves obscured by white light. Spirits that were defeated revert into a small glowing orb with harmless flame flickering on it.
“Yah!” Hannah plunged her knife into the Enui’s side.
“Urk! You little-! Ack!” The Fighter suddenly was kicked in the stomach by Kihet and rolled in the front of his group. “Why aren’t you guys doing anything?!”
The remaining four joined in at the assault to assassinate Kihet. The Archer loosened his arrows which were deflected skillfully by Shibata. The Defender rushed Kihet with her shield to ram him and the Caster invoked spells to barrage his group.
“Kihet, use this!” Hannah snagged a cutlery fork and handed it to Kihet.
“What am I supposed to do with this-, Ah dammit!”
With two quick steps, Kihet used [Crescent Dance] to avoid the Defender. Once he circled around her, he mercilessly shoved the full length of the cutlery fork in between the armor’s gap. Before the Defender shrunk into a small flaming orb, he waved her vanishing body around to use as cover against magic shot at him.
“It’s only my first day here and I’m already being attacked.” Kihet sighed, quickly picking up a sword and strapping on a tower shield plucked from the fallen Defender’s body.
“Think of it like a warm up for the upcoming battle.” Shibata smirked, clashing blades with another Enui. “Just be careful. We may be undying even though we’re slain, but you aren’t as lucky as us.”
“I’ll keep that in mind.”
More arrows peppered Kihet, but he was able to tank everything thrown at him thanks to the sturdy shield. While he was under a barrage of arrows, he shot out a [Chain] and flicked another sword to his arsenal. The Caster noticed the Archer had a hard time bypassing the shield and curved her magic in an attempt to bypass his defense. Just as she added more words into her incantation, she felt a projectile lodged into her throat and her form was unable to maintain her appearance.
Hannah ducked behind the counter and popped up again to shoot at the Archer. Even when the Archer returned arrows, Hannah’s small stature allowed her to nimbly avoid being struck until she got behind Kihet.
That was when the Archer noticed his mistake of taking his attention off Kihet. He felt a sharp pain crawl up his leg, finding a sword lodged in his foot.
A terrible screech clawed his ears and when he looked up, a wall rapidly closed in on him. Wooden splinters and debris were thrown into the air as the bottom of the tower shield scrapped against the floor. The noise was like a cry of a rampaging beast, providing complete cover for Kihet’s front and struck the Archer with fear, unable to act at that moment.
The Archer failed to nock an arrow in time then was smashed into the wall. With his bow pinned, he drew a dagger in a ditchless effort to bring Kihet down. Unfortunately, a [Chain] assisted Kihet and positioned a knife in a way Kihet could grab and stabbed the Archer’s eye.
“That’s Irvan’s… move. You copycat…!” The Archer grounded his teeth before becoming incapacitated. All that was left was a soul rendered immobile on the ground and the Archer’s equipment.
Kihet picked up several canisters, imitation of his flash bombs. Proving they might be useful, he tucked them away.
He surveyed the room filled with broken furniture and spoiled food, finding Hannah popping out from behind the bar counter.
“Thanks, Hannah.”
“Hmm!” Hannah put on a great big smile. “Shibby, are you done?”
“Way before you two were.”
Over by Shibata’s side, he stood victorious over his foes. The Fighter was defeated, and the Tracker was apprehended for questioning. Battle scars carved the floor into a rose curve pattern around the Devil Folk indicating he shred his opponents using [Blooming Petal Storm] Miyabe mentioned. The spots where the wooden floor was untouched were where his opponents were hit.
“Kihet, that stunt you performed. I take it you imitated Kridas’ grandaughter whom you fought back at Rozzosea?”
“I always did want to try it out. It’s just that the people I faced are either too fast, too strong or too many. A small shield suits me better.” Kihet laid his borrowed weapons on the ground. “Now what?”
“The Saint will judge them for this offense. We’ve also completed our round of the tour, so all’s left is to prepare and hope for the best. Tomorrow, Kridas will show you how surveys are conducted.”
“There’s going to be more fighting?”
“Obviously. Until the Saint’s acquaintance manifests in this realm, we’ve been holding this city day and night. Though I do believe Kridas wishes to introduce you Kaeth. He’s exceptionally strong, that one.”
“Is he a human?”
“He calls himself an Elf.”
“Not an Alf?”
“Perhaps his kind is the ancestors of Alfs. I’m uncertain.”