" Investigation is still being carried out. However, at this rate, if the true culprits are not determined soon enough, Xixin's Institution is most likely to become the battlefield for Hunters and Summoners  once again."

            Maria turned off the TV, lying down on her kingside bed with her arm on her forehead. She stared at the transparent ceiling with her half-closed eyes. " I miscalculated the power of the one pulling the strings."She said.

            Wander, sitting in a chair across from her bed, his feet on a table, put down the newspaper he was reading to look at her. "How?" He asked.

            " I had expected my machine would generate an Demex strong enough to knock out 99% of New York's population. Both summoners and hunters."

            Wander frowned. " Why do you want to knock them out?"

            Maria closed her eyes. " A few days after we ran into those Summoners, I visited your school. I walked straight into it, without disguising myself. No one batted an eye, even the summoners. They really are under the strange impression that I'm one of them."

            " Did you find your long-lost twin then?"The golden wallpaper began to sting Wander's eyes.

            " I wish I could say yes. It would have ridded my mind of the creepy conclusion that someone was using my face to execute their scheme. I knew immediately that it was no random they chose my face. It was actually impossible to choose it in the first place. I have no trace in this world. Well, not in form of pictures."

            Wander inhaled. He recalled that Maria was over 100 years old.

            " This person, or worse, these people, they know me, Wander. If you're in my shoe, you will understand how eerie that possibility is. It's like you have lived like a shadow all the time, and suddenly one day you wake up a celebrity without knowing how you get there. Every student from Hamilton School, and a lot from yours, recognize me. I talked to some of them. One particularly caught my attention. His name is Jake Malton."

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            Xixin Howard Nate- born 1945, the charismatic co-leader of the Union Movement, the head of the External Affair sector within the Council, a former candidate for the High Chancellor position, the star of the Cold Decades.

            "And yet you want to be a principal till the end. Such extravagant resolution."

            Maria touch the cold brick wall surrounding the institution, feeling its rough texture. Thanks to the energetic atmosphere exuded by the students, the institution managed not to resemble a prison, what with the high walls and steel gates. Perhaps Xixin once had the inkling that his school would be mistaken for a prison, and thus planting as many Green Firework as possible to prevent the misthinking.

             Leaving her contemplation behind, Maria walked towards the nearest school gate. It was then she heard her name uttered, with a voice she had not heard before. "Well, well, well, Maria Gwendolyn! And  I thought you would never appear again!"

            Maria smiled at the boy she had never seen before. She took the time to observe him."Retractable Staff, Tech-On, summoner most likely. Perhaps Mulattoe. Upright posture, small but quick steps, privileged family. This Aura...he has great potential.

             "Sorry, I just want to stay away from school. I bet you feel the same from times to times, right Alan?"

            The boy frowned. "Alan? Who? I'm Jake."

            Maria chuckled. "That was just a joke, Jake."

            Jake grinned. " Never thought you got a sense of humor."

            Ignoring the somewhat subtle insult, Maria continued."So have you guys done preparing for the contest?"

            "You really don't care about school. We have not prepared anything yet."

            "Sorry to hear that. And how's principal Hamilton? He's not pushing you guys?"

            Jake scratched his head. " Yeah, principal Hamilton, he's not feeling well, so I doubt he can care much. Especially after what happened in Mirilad."

            " I see. No surprise he's like that. The demon is still on the loose."

            Jake stared at Maria with eyes wide open.  He stopped scratching his head." How do you know it's a demon?" He asked.

            Maria raised her eyebrows. " Jake, it was also a joke. We all know it's not a demon, right?"

            Jake's entire body froze. It took a few seconds for his facial muscles to move again. He burst out laughing. " Of course it's a joke!"

            " Really? Because from what you said, it seems like you seriously think there is a demon."

            Jake stared at Maria, grinning to his ears. His hands fidgeted. "Hahah, I was just playing along."

            " Are you doubting principal Hamilton?" She stared into his eyes.

            Jake shook his head hard, a sweat rolled down his cheeck. " No, of course not. I trust him. There must be a good reason he brought that machine to New York."

            " Where is it now, by the way? If we are not careful, chances are that it will activate again."

            " It's in the Scientia building. Don't worry, it's broken, and many people are guarding it. "

            Maria nodded her head. " That's good to hear. Anyhow, I'm going to town. See you later!"

            Jake waved at Maria, then quickly ran inside Afflia as if he was running away from a demon.

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            Wander chuckled. " You really made that guy anxious."

            " I assume he was one of the few in Mirilad that day. He knew stuffs."

            " Indeed he was. He also helped Hiatus and Aria with their investigation."

            Maria touched her chin. " I did some research into him. His family is politically influential."

            " Back to your investigation, I doubt you left school after that conversation."

            " Of course. I needed to see the machine."

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            Scientia made Maria squint as soon as she entered. The lights inside the building was unpleasant, making her eyes, which had never been accustomed to artificial light, teary  and aching. She closed her eyes, massaging them.  It took a minute or two for her to be able to adjust.

            The building's walls were built out of a type of plastic with great reflectivity, which in turned made it a well-lit place. The walls gave an impression that they were emitting light on their own. To others, this instilled a sense of security; for Maria, it was nothing but an irritability.

            The entrance of the building was followed by a short corridor, which led to the great hall where a few summoners and hunters were attending their business. Some talked, some read books, some showed off their power to one another. Maria clicked her tongue and frowned as she noticed Victor and his gangs. She made a brisk walk towards the elevator, turning her face away from them and praying she could finish her investigation without them noticing.

            Maria's wish was not answered.

            " Oh, look, the ice queen." The high-pitched voice of the girl sucking lollipop made her cringe.

            Victor and his gang turned their heads at Maria. They approached her, not forgetting to put on their dagger looks. Victor raised his hand, signaling them to stop. He walked towards her alone.

            "Titanium Staff, how the heck did he get that at such an age? But then again, why do I bother?"

            Victor smirked. " Bored of playing truant, Maria? What brought you here?" He said.

            Maria ignored the questions. She impatiently glanced at the up and down buttons.

            " Why so cold? We were having quite a good time back then, right?"

            Maria let out an urg from her throat. She glanced at Victor. " What exactly did we do again?"

            " Well," Victor leaned towards Maria, whispering in her ears." Our lips touched."

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            Wander and Maria stared at each other. Their lips curved into a grin, and they burst out into gales of laughter simultaneously.

            " Oh wow. I don't know who the imposter is, but they are sick. " Wander held his stomach. " Now I understand why he glared at me."

            Maria shook her head, smiling." I was almost dead back there, trying not to laugh. Mostly because the way he said "our lips touched".  I mean, who even says that? Well, my ex did but he was centuries ago."

            "Agree. Tho- Wait, what, your ex?"

            " Anyways, back to the topic."

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            Maria raised her eyebrows.  She clenched her fists and pursed her lips, trying to hold her body still. After a while, she let out a sigh. " Can we talk about this later?" She asked.

           " Sure, anytime you want." Victor put his hand on her shoulder." But that loser who was with you, he's nothing, right?"

            " Yeah, he was just showing me around. We met accidentally." Maria knew she did not lie.

            " Well then, see you later. I'm looking forward to our next date."

If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.

            Maria nodded. She enter the elevator as soon as it opened. She covered her mouth, suppressing her laughter as her whole body trembled.

            The elevator brought her to the top floor in a flash. A couple of summoners blocked her ways as she stepped out of it. They squinted at her, then their eyes widened.

            " Maria?" A blond girl raised her voice." You? At school?"

            Maria started to feel annoyed.

            She smiled. " Principal Hamilton warned me of my excessive truancy. Don't want to be expelled, so yeah, here I am."

            " You're here to see the machine, right? That thing is a tourist attraction now."

            " It's in that big room at the end of the corridor?"

            The girl nodded. " Don't stay there for long. The Demex can get into your head." She chuckled.

            Maria thanked the girl then proceeded to finish her investigation. She noticed all the rooms, except for one, had been locked down. " No more classes. No hunter has any reason to be on this floor, except for Xixin. And the summoners."

            Maria attracted the looks of every Summoner in the room  the moment she walked in. They whispered to each other, and Maria knew they were puzzled by the fact that she suddenly appeared at school, or for that matter, that she appeared.  She ignored their curiosity, focusing on the machine instead. She leaned towards it, disregarding the warnings from others. Her eyes reached its every nook and cranny, missing not even a small piece of metal. After a while, she reached her conclusion.

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            "That contraption is a malfunctioned electricity generator at best, and at worse, it's nothing more than a pile of metallic junks." Maria said, gazing at the triggerfish swimming outside the ship."A Demex generator cannot be without the black core, a component that can mimic the chemical process of a demon when it exudes Demex. The core is very unstable. If it's destroyed, it will instantly cause the inside of the machine to scatter meters away from its original location. That machine, though, was destroyed by a wind-type spell, and its components did not scatter."

            " So it's a fake." Wander frowned.

            Maria nodded." I believe that thing is part of the attempt to conceal your existence. Everybody assumed it emitted Demex, not you. "

            " Someone was trying to help me?"

            " I would like to think so. But unfortunately, they had no intention of helping you. It did not take a genius to see that the fake contraption was a clumsy last-minute gimmick to conceal you. Whoever put it in Mirilad must have previously assumed they would not have to use it. They were sure."

            " About what?"

            " About capturing you, boy."

            Wander nodded. " The beast and the fake machine owner was in league."

            " To be precise, the beast is very likely the owner's Familiar. You were, and are, their target. And when they failed to capture you, they had to think of some ways to hide you in quite a short period."

            Wander felt a chill down his spine.

            " It must have something to do with your peculiar biological characteristic. Green blood of demon, Demex, but no reaction against thermal type-3. A hunter trapped in an interminable demon form."

            Maria stood up, walking around the room. After a while, she turned to Wander. " I think you are well aware of what you really are. Mind telling me what truly happened to you?"

            Wander stared at Maria, words stuck in his throat. A few second passed, and he averted his eyes from hers. " No, I can't."

            Maria shrugged, pouting. "Fair enough."

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            Maria nodded at the blond girl and her friend as she entered the elevator.  She pressed the button 1. A song started playing.

            The elevator made a sudden stop when it reached floor 6. Maria glanced at the position indicator.  She assumed it was a technical problem and decided to wait.

            A few minutes passed and the elevator showed no sign of operating any time soon. Maria presses the alarm button. There was no one responding to the distress call.

            " The quick way then." Maria cut the cable holding the elevator with successive wind blades.

            She kept her body float in the air during the free fall of the elevator. A loud " Bang" incurred, and dust was everywhere. The light in the elevator went out of power and the panel shot out electric spark. Maria forced her way through the door, and stumbled on something lying on the ground. She knew that sensation, the softness of the skin when she stepped on it. Maria inhaled deeply; she knew what she would see.

            No one was conscious. The teachers, the students, Hunters, Summoners, Victor's gang, they lied on the floor, deep in a slumber.

______________________________________________________________________________

            Wander  cleared his throat. " And you just walked out of there like nothing happened?"

            Maria knocked on a porthole near her." I checked their pulses. I made sure they were still alive. Then I left. I would be in deep trouble if people found me the only conscious one there."

            " The one who stole the fake machine was in that building with you. You were so close to catching them."

            Maria shook her head." Or they were very close to catching me. That incident made me realize one thing: The mastermind possesses great power, great enough to cause massive consciousness loss. Spells that mess with the mind are unthinkably intricate, and only master of masters could have cast such a widespread one.It worried me. I was made aware that they could manipulate a great deal of individuals if they wanted to. And I was right, they did mind control the summoners and force them to attack hunters and their own comrades. "

            Wander frowned. He lied down; his head rested on his hands."You wanted to knock out every one in the town to make sure that even if they were mind controlled, they would not be able to do anything." He said.

            It was only then did Wander realize that if most of the summoners had not been unconscious, the whole city could have turned into a blood bath. What seemed like a hostile act on Maria's part turned out to be the best move she could have made without revealing herself. The city was saved thanks to her. And maybe not only the city owned her a debt. Had most of the summoners not been unconscious, a total war between hunters and summoners could have ensued.

            Maria tilted her head." Yes. And even though my plan would cause panic, even in the case the mastermind would not execute his plan during the contest, it would still alert the hunter community and make them be on guard. I created a threat for them. The mastermind's plan would be hindered. That's what I thought. However, the spell cast on the summoners was more dangerous than I had expected. It kept them conscious, albeit only a handful of them "

            " If the mastermind had carried out their plan before you activated the machine, what would you have done?"

            " I would have activated it right at that moment. Is it not obvious?"

            " I think instead of using the machine, you should have done something in person." Wander rolled around in his bed.

            " I'm sorry, but if I had done that I would have played right into the enemy's plan. By impersonating me, they make me exposed to the world. I'm certain that both hunters and summoners are investigating me. The last thing I want to do is give them more proof of my existence." Maria clenched her fist." No, they already succeeded. They made it impossible for me to go back to hiding."

            "You are the real target then?"

            "Both of us are their targets. They are also seeking you."

            Wander shook his head." We aren't sure if the forces after me is the same as the ones after you."

            A bubbling sound filled the room. Wander got up and cautiously inspected the surrounding: It was just Maria playing with the water outside the ship. Thousands and thousands of bubbles manifested in front of her; each one had marbles of impurities within them.

            " Yes, we aren't. I need further information. What really worries me right now is the possibility that hunters and summoners will jump to a wrong conclusions. It's easy to manipulate people. You give them a fraction of the truth and they can fabricate the rest. How disturbing it is to think of the assumptions they are making  about me." Maria glanced at Wander." And you."

            Wander bit his lips. " Aria and Hiatus knew what truly happened. They were there with me. They will figure out the truth. "

            Maria threw Wander a quick glance. " Do you really believe so?"

            " I do." Wander said, his lips curved into the most confident smile he had ever had, eyes brimming with glowing sparks.

            Maria gazed at him, eyes filled with pleasant curiosity. She let out a faint "huh" sound from her throat; a no less faint smile bloomed on her visage. All the bubbles behind her back popped simultaneously.

            " I see," She made for her bed, spreading her arms wide then fell on it." That's good to hear. Anyhow, that machine is also meant to lead the investigation back to Hamilton, to the summoners and away from me.  It will be okay for now."

            Maria compressed her brows, recalling something. She lifted a cushion with a spell and threw it at Wander. He caught it, frowning at her. " Okay, what's that?" He asked.

            Maria glanced at Wander. " That is for hiding things from me."

            " I apologize, Ms. Self-revelation-is-a-choice."

            " There is a limit to that rule." Maria turned off the light with a clap." You are approaching it fast."

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This storyline will converge with the one in part 1 soon. The true events back in Mirilad and New York are slowly revealing themselves. Hoep you guys enjoy! Thanks for reading.