After the school day ended, the students all headed to their homes, a few staying behind to complete their extracurricular activities.
However, Brun could not afford such privileges, for time was money and his family was desperate for more of both.
He slowly made his way to the shoddy house, reminiscing about the stranger he met a while ago, Alcaeus. Brun wondered when he would get to see him again, to see something new in his mundane life.
The student stopped in his steps when he saw a familiar carriage parked outside of their house. It was a fancy, jet-black carriage run on an electrical engine - the latest of its kind. Brun braced his heart and mind before carefully entering the house.
His sisters were hiding in their room while his mother was away, but the living room was occupied by a large man in an officer’s uniform.
“...Why are you here?” asked Brun
“Am I not allowed to come back to my family?”
“We’re not your family. Not after you left us like that”
“So cold. And to hear those words from my own son’s mouth, tragic” said Brun’s father, carefully standing up
“...What do you want?”
“I don’t want anything. I’m just here to investigate some matter”
“Good luck then, officer”
Brun tried to go to his sisters’ room but was stopped by his father grabbing his shoulder
“I need you to answer a few questions for me”
“...Fine”
Brun and his father sat across a small table in the middle of the room. The dim light illuminated what should’ve been a meeting between a father and son, but this was simply a talk between an officer and a witness.
“There was a report that someone brought an injured person to this house. The trail of blood was clear to see, is that correct?”
“...That is correct”
“Did he tell you his name?”
“...”
The officer leaned on the table, almost crushing it under his weight. His face was mere inches away from Brun’s, he could even feel his father’s breath.
“Did. He. Tell you. His. Name?”
“...I don’t have to answer that”
Brun father slammed the table, which made Brun flinch. However, he wasn’t going to back down anymore. He needed to be the one to end this cycle.
“Do you think I’m playing a game? When an officer asks you a question, you answer. This isn’t some back alley murder case, this is much greater than you can ever imagine”
“...I know the law, I have my rights to”
The officer slapped Brun across his cheek, leaving a stinging print.
“You’re forgetting that I am also your father”
The air fell silent, the sound of the attack subsiding. Brun remained perfectly still.
The abuse they endured.
The trauma they endured.
His mother.
His sisters.
He was ready to take on the consequences, and he would not forgive himself if he failed.
“⌈Ghost⌋!”
Brun phased through the table as well as his father and took the blade given to him by the principal next to the door, which stood there as their only measure of security. His father was no longer a guest in this house, but an intruder. The son took his battle stance, ready to finally end this cycle of abuse.
“...Are you sure you want to do this?” asked the officer
“...I’ve been waiting for this moment for as long as I can remember”
…
Meanwhile, in the demon lords’ castle, Karudo noticed that one of the cursed weapons was being used so late in the day. Curious, he decided to track the location of the map using the enchanted table that displayed the map of the Western sphere. The glowing screen zoomed in further and further until it showed the rooftop top of what looked like an abandoned house. However, he noticed that laundry was hung in their backyard, making him rethink the probable cause.
“Domestic dispute…?”
The pulse on the map continued to spike, showing that the weapon was slowly being damaged. Nowhere near enough to destroy it, but significant enough to the point of worry for the wellbeing of his student.
Karudo knew that Brun was useless to him. While the demon lord needed the warriors decapacitated, that would be done at the most crucial moment when it mattered. Dying any other way would be through a wrench into their plan.
Attila leaving the capital was trouble enough, any more changes to the plan would be a headache. Therefore, Karudo decided to give Alcaeus a visit.
He teleported and knocked on the wooden door, to no reply. Karudo could sense that Alcaeus was in his room due to the subtle sounds of pen and the scent of fresh paper.
“I’m coming in, Alcaeus”
The demon lord was at his desk, scribbling away in his notes regarding the different heroes and everything he knew about them. Being one of the weakest demon lords, he only had his gadgets and his strategies to match his opponents. While he was able to escape Avangarden both times alive, there was no guarantee that he would a third time.
“Could I talk to you for a minute? It’s urgent”
“...What is it?”
“It’s about your friend in Avangarden. Remember how I gave him that weapon? Well, he’s using it in his house, and he’s losing. Losing a potential insider and leverage would be bad, so do you mind helping me out a bit?”
“Why me?” said Alcaeus, now turned around to listen to Karudo attentively
“You’re the one who’d be the least suspicious to help him. I mean, you have met him before. I suppose I could go as well, but it’d be strange for a principal to trespass into a student’s home”
“And it’s normal if I trespass?”
“...You do give off a slight impression of a hoodlum, yes. Besides, you saved his life before, right? Or I suppose your ‘sister’ did… Anyhow, we better hurry up. Will you assist me, or not?”
“...Fine, I’ll go”
“Thank you”
Karudo grabbed Alcaeus’s shoulder and in an instant, the two were transported to the inner edge of the wall surrounding the capital. The thick layer of Poda-Bruss’s domain stood behind them, as they watched over the entirety of Cadra atop the colossal wall.
Alcaeus brought himself up before locating Brun’s house. The dim light shone weakly, and it flickered often.
“Make sure to pick me up after I’m done. It takes days for me to return to Satana, you know”
“Of course, but how will you signal me to pick you up?”
“Do you have to go back to Satana? I’ll be done soon, you know”
“I have a lot of work to do. I can’t afford to just stand around doing nothing”
“...Fine. Then how about this: I’ll sharpen Brun’s blade when I’m done. You should be able to see that on the table”
“Of course, then I wish you luck”
Karudo disappeared in an instant, leaving the lone hero behind. Alcaeus assumed that this would be quick work. It made him wish they had a minion-creating demon lord on their side. Velvel had sadly passed away, so most of the demon lord work now had to be done in person.
This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it.
Anyhow, he was already here. The demon lord revealed the Hesperides from his assortment of gadgets, appearing from thin air. He balanced atop the golden apple while carefully calibrating its weight, then carefully drifted down onto the streets, the apple’s buoyancy countering gravity.
…
Brun’s father kicked his son across the living room, destroying the door to the backyard. He stepped outside to take a look at his pitiful son.
“Even with a talent, you’re still a disappointment”
“W-why are you disappointed? I’m just a stranger to you aren’t I?”
“Heh, quick to move on, huh?” said the father “It was fun, playing house, but it’s the strong who decide what they want to do, and I merely followed my destiny. Though I can admit that this ‘family’ was a mistake”
“Kh…!”
Brun lifted himself off the ground and charged at his opponent. The father raised his guard, expecting an attack, but Brun’s intangibility allowed him to phase through him, an effective cross-up. He swiftly connected his motion, the momentum of his arm swinging all the way around toward his father’s turned face, but Brun was far too slow, his father parrying the attack in time.
“Is that all you can do? You’re a disgrace of a talent-holder. If the Goddess hadn’t blessed you, you’d be nothing”
“Shut up!”
Brun continued his strikes, but his strength, speed and defence paled in comparison to his foe. He seemed to be always two steps behind, never able to reach his father.
“...I’m not afraid to kill you, boy. As an officer, I must react appropriately to threats, and I can kill you in self-defence”
“Well, you’re not doing a very good job then”
“...”
After parrying another strike, Brun’s father followed up with a kick to the chest, knocking him into the dirt. He raised his blade, ready to execute his target.
“...I hate you, you smug little brat. Do you think just because you have a talent, you’re strong? That you’re worth something? Wake up to reality, strength stems from dedication, just gifts from the Goddess won’t suffice. You think you can stand up to me with a week of school?”
“...I-I have to do what I can”
“Well then you’ll die having done nothing”
“Wait!”
Before Brun’s father could end his son’s life, the two heard a familiar voice. It was his mother, finally back from work, dark circles under her eyes and still in company uniform.
“...Justus, what are you doing?”
“It’s none of your concern, wench”
“...W-what has my son done to deserve this?”
“M-mom, get out of here with my sisters…”
“Silence. This boy has brought this upon himself, and you’ll be next if you stand against me as well”
“...”
The mother carefully stepped toward the destroyed entrance to the backyard, moonlight shining brightly upon the three. Brun’s sisters watched in worry through a small slot through the bedroom door, unable to escape.
Brun’s mother put her head against the soil, her legs folded behind her, begging for her son’s life.
“I beg you… I’ll do whatever you want, just don’t touch Brun”
“...It seems that no one in this family knows how the world works. I do not want anything, I am simply retaliating with an appropriate response”
“Then please, let me pay with my blood”
“Heh, I do not wish for a vengeful son who will haunt me in the future. Now, stop bothering an officer on duty”
Justus raised his blade once again, pointing it at the barely conscious Brun. Perhaps he had enough strength to use his talent one more time, but his body was bruised and exhausted. None of his muscles would listen to him and felt as if they were on fire. Brun closed his eyes, ready for eternal rest.
However, he’d have to wait longer for Elysium as the expected jolt of pain never arrived, and he was instead awoken by the screams of his father.
After opening his eyes once again, he saw a strange sight. His father’s entire shoulder had been dismembered from his body, taking his arm and everything attached to it with it. The hand stuck out from the soil buried under as if it was being dragged into Hades.
“Damn, I missed”
Alcaeus hopped down to the ground next to Justus. He looked around to analyze the situation. A beaten Brun, his mother crying on the floor and, his sisters shivering in fear in their small room. Everything was clear now, and the demon lord knew exactly who to kill.
However, the explosive bat would be too messy for a mere human to withstand and other methods such as the bull and the horses would be undesirable as well.
For the first time in years, Alcaeus bore his fangs, proving his daywalker bloodline. He was not particularly fond of using his abilities tied to his species, preferring to solve most of his problems using the 12 gadgets granted to him by God. However, this was an unusual occasion, fighting an opponent so much weaker than himself. Most of the time, he was punched down, barely managing to battle his powerful opponents day after day.
He sunk his sharp teeth into the shocked officer, who was rendered immobile due to the loss of blood. Alcaeus would make sure that he had no more blood left after this encounter.
Brun’s father slowly turned pale, the light fading from his eyes. As his body fell onto the cold ground motionlessly, Alcaeus felt a bit more lively. His midnight snack wasn’t its usual kind, but blood wasn’t too bad once in a while.
As only half-daywalker - the other half unknown to him, he could simply eat normal food and he usually did so. Of course, he had the option to drink blood, but only human blood tasted good, everything else tasting of rotten meat. Therefore, it was difficult for him to regularly dine on blood, not that he wanted to do it much anyway.
Alcaeus finally turned around to help Brun, pouring a glass of the Lernaean, an extremely potent demonic healing potion.
“Y-you are… I remember you”
“I’m glad you do. It’s Alcaeus, by the way”
“H-heh, I know”
Brun’s mother watched Alcaeus in horror after watching him cleave a shoulder clean off and then drain the grown man with ease in seconds.
“W-who are you?”
“Don’t be afraid, I don’t do that to just anyone. I’m just here to help you guys out”
“B-but… why?”
“Well, let’s just say that Brun saved my life before, and I’d like to repay the debt”
“Y-your sister already repaid your debt for you, and you brought us gold as well. We’re far from even, I am indebted to you” interjected Brun
“My sister…? Oh, ‘Arcadia’. Well, do you need a reason to save a life?”
“...But what will we do now?” worried Brun’s mother “Justus is dead, and he’s a high-ranking detective… The family will be in ruin!”
“Hm… I see” said Alcaeus “Well then, come with me if you want to not be in ruin”
The demon lord picked Brun up from the floor after most of his wounds healed. However, his stamina was still depleted and needed Alcaeus’s help just to walk. His sisters soon opened their doors to help their mother as well as Brun.
“It’s okay Mom, we’ve met him before. He’s a good man”
“...”
In front of the house, Alcaeus summoned the Diomedes, man-eating horses meant to single-handedly destroy a city. However, that was not their duty for today.
“Podargos, Lampon, Xanthos, and Deinos. You guys are not allowed to eat any human today, got it?”
The horses reluctantly neighed in agreement, though their muscles still flexed in excitement being around so much prey. However, Alcaeus trained these horses well ever since their birth, and they followed his commands without question.
“Alright guys, get on!”
The group hit the road soon after, the wind rushing past them as they made their way to the Royal Gladiatorial Academy where Karudo was waiting. The empty roads allowed the horses to run freely, running on both street and sidewalk.
Karudo was surprised to see more guests than he expected but listened to their story nonetheless.
“I see… Then we definitely can’t bring them to Sonosis, it’ll be too dangerous for them”
“They’re just humans after all… But they’ll probably be investigated and wanted by the authorities for the death of Brun’s father”
“In that case, I recommend going to a rural area in Avangarden. No matter how high status the officer was, they were unlikely to search too far outside of the capital. At most, you’ll have to worry about wanted posters”
“...Then could you help us get to a good place”
“...Fine” replied Karudo with a sigh
At Karudo’s instruction, the entire group made a circle, everyone connected through a chain of grasped hands. To Brun and others’ surprise, they were transported to a forest on short notice.
“Well, are you planning to stay with them?” asked Karudo
“...Why do you ask?”
“I’m just saying, it’s alright if you want. You deserve some rest”
“...Heh, it’s a bit hypocritical, coming from a workaholic”
“I suppose you could say that” replied Karudo, walking away with his back turning to face them “I’ll be back when you sharpen the blade. See you later!”
Karudo teleported away back to Sonosis, leaving the others behind in the strange forest. None of them recognized the location, the red and yellow leaves surrounding them. Piles and piles were also on the floor, creating a thick layer reaching up to their ankles.
“...I didn’t know the principal could teleport. How do you know the principal anyways?” asked Brun
“It’s a long story. Anyways, you should take this” said Alcaeus while handing the Hippolyta
“...A choker?”
“It’s magical. Keeps you disguised just in case someone recognizes you”
As soon as Brun put the equipment around his neck, a bright flash of light occurred and left behind a female version of him to his family’s surprise.
“Wow, we got a new sister now!” said one of Brun’s younger sisters
“T-thanks”
“Now, let’s get to a nearby hotel or an inn first before we discuss anything further”
…
Within the large, cozy room afforded by the demon lords’ treasury, Alcaeus pondered whether he should expose his true identity to the others, but decided against it. Instead, coming up with a new identity.
“My name is Alcaeus and I’m just a wandering adventurer. I came to Cadra for no particular reasons and due to shenanigans, I met Karudo as well as Brun”
“What about your horses, magic choker and the fact that you seem to have vampiric abilities?”
“...Look, my journey was long and arduous, many, many things happened. It’d be too long for me to explain everything, and all you need to know is that I’m here to help you”
“...I think we can trust him, Mom” assured Brun
“...Thank you for saving us, I am truly grateful. Let us introduce ourselves as well” said Brun’s mother “My name is Julia, Brun's mother. My daughters here are Angelina, Melt, Eris, Sophie and Kiana and it seems that you’ve met my son already”
“Nice to meet you,” said Angelina, the oldest of the six siblings
Angelina was the oldest sibling, already of marrying age. However, she was busy taking care of her sisters as well as the household, making it difficult for her to work on personal matters. Melt was the second oldest, just two years older than Brun. However, she was not fortunate enough to attend school and instead worked at a bar for most of her day. Eris was two years younger than Brun, already a teenager before Brun knew it. She aspired to become a warrior like Brun, though she did not hold any talent. Sophie and Kiana were the youngest at only ten years old, around the time when Brun’s father abandoned the family.
This were a lot of names for Alcaeus to remember, but he was sure that he could make things work. Perhaps fate was giving him another chance at becoming a part of a family, something he had not experienced for decades from his perspective.
“Nice to meet everyone. Well, our priority is shelter and food. I trust Karudo picked a good place for us, so I’ll start looking for a place to stay. It could be our new home for the next few years, so the decision will be important”
“Then Melt and I will start looking for work around,” said Angelina
“Heh, I’m used to switching jobs often. This should be easy”
“Let me help you with searching for a house as well” added Julia
“Meanwhile, I’ll do some more investigation into the town, find everything there is to know. Meanwhile, I’m trusting you two to hold the fort, alright?” said Brun to Sophie and Kiana
“O-okay…”
Brun could see in his younger sisters’ eyes that they were still shaken from their father’s arrival and his brutal death. Everyone was. However, this was a time when every second mattered-
Suddenly, Brun’s mother hugged him after seeing his troubled expression. She was soon joined by his sisters, all together in this tragedy. No matter the hardships, as long as they were together, everything was going to be okay.
Alcaeus smiled as he watched from his chair. The next few weeks would be busy for Brun’s family, but they were entering a new, better chapter of their lives.