CHAPTER 1
Humans & Monsters
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First day of the year: 7022.
[Mayhem Forest]
In noon there was 4 humans, who were heading towards Mech-City. Among them, one who was in the middle was in handcuff and the other two who were behind him was securing his back side, as for other one, he was walking in front of them.
「Hah, we're finally reaching our city, after walking for a whole week~!」
Short blonde hair with light blue eyes, man who was walking in front of them started to talk with a cheerfultone tone.
「Yeah.... Why don't you release me from this handcuff? So I can kill you right now, you jerk!」
The guy who was in handcuff wasn't talking from the day he was capture, but now it seems that he was in rage.
「Hey! Who gave you the permission to talk with him like that?!」
One of the man who was facing his back talk with stiff voice, as for the other one he punched the man really hard who was in handcuff.
「Hey guys, don't do that. He's angry with me and he has the right to be.....」
「Yeah, you are right....you....you killed my son, Jim! The only person I was living for and the people of your city calls you Guardian, heh.... don't make me laugh!」
He groaned while giving the blood-shot eyes to Jim.
「.... I won't ask for your forgiveness, Nikim, cause I also really know very well that because of my own negligence I wasn't able to save your son.」 < Jim >
Jim who was the present Guardian of this generations was having hard time to forgive himself 'cause he can relate to him, because he also got only one son he most care for.
(I've made up my mind, Jim, I'll give you the same pain that you gave me, just you wait.) < Nikim >
Nikim who used to be leader of small thugs, now thinking various way to take his revenge.
「Jim-dono, we can now see the entrance of the city!」
Then, one of the man who was guarding Nikim, starts to talk.
「Yeah, you're right. Can't wait to lay down on the bed tonight.」< Jim >
Jim was elated after seeing the city entrance.
When they reached the entrance, from inside the city 3 men were coming towards at Jim.
「Hey Jim-dono, welcome back!」
「Oh, hey Ryan-san! Why all of you are in duty uniform? I thought today was holiday, no?」 < Jim >
「I also thought that but out of nowhere, President-dono asked me to survery the borderline of the Mech-County. And yeah, he also told me that 'if you find Jim on your way there then tell him to see me in my office.' He didn't say anything other than that.」 < Ryan >
Among three man; Blue hair with light brown eyes, who was in the middle of them, Spoke to Jim.
「Really? It hasn't even been a minute since I've step my foot on the city and you're telling me that Boss wants to see me?!」< Jim >
Right after returning from his mission, Jim was summon by the President and as for Jim he was in languid mood after hearing this.
「*Sigh* .... So guys, you won't mind to take Nikim to the Prison, right?」< Jim >
Jim asked the soldiers who was with him in his mission.
「「Of course not! Leave it us, Jim-dono!!」」
Both of them said in unison with energetic voice and heads off for the prison.
As for the other two who was with Ryan, they also left Jim and Ryan alone.
「So Ryan I wanna talk to you about something? If you have time then, it's not that important so...」 < Jim >
「Of course, Jim-dono, I've got some time.」 < Ryan >
• •
•
After talking with Ryan, Jim waves his hands saying.
「Well then, I guess I'll take my leave, I don't wanna make Boss angry.」< Jim >
「Yes, I'll also take my leave then, see you later, Jim-dono」< Ryan >
After that, Jim starts to walk all alone towards City HQ.
◆Jim's POV◆
Okey, I'm all alone now, it's been a while since I've walked in streets.
When I look around the streets, it seems that there was still stalls all over the streets and people who owned it, they were now removing the stalls from the streets.
It seems to me that New Year party was a big hit, huh. But I wasn't here to see it and it really hurts me though.
「Ah! Jim-sama, where have you gone yesterday?! We all were expecting to see you, even Prisedent-sama didn't came!!」
A girl who was removing the stall, came to me saying that with a sad face, when I was about to speak.....
!
Other people also started to notice my presence.
And what was about to happen, you ask?
All the people who were busy few moments ago are now have surrounded me from everywhere and telling me thier complaints, I mean 'too many'.
「Jim-sama, why didn't you and President-sama came? Not even Shigeo-dono came!」
「Jim-dono, I understand that you're trying your best to protect us but can't you even stay with us, only for a day?!」
「Jim-dono! I was hoping to give you my homemade cakes at festival but you didn't show up!」
「Jim-sama! Jim-sama!! I'm your biggest fan, P-P-Please shake hands with meee!!!!」
Jeez.....
They've got too many complaints and I can't bear it any longer.... Wait the last one, the girl, she wasn't giving me any complain--
Wait, wait, wait!
I'm getting out of my track here....
「Citizens, I've got work to finish, so if you will....」 < Jim >
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They were giving me disapproval eyes when I said that...
Then I've got no choice, I'm Sorry!
I flew in the sky without looking back, I guess, walking was mistake afterall.
I should've used my Psyhic from the beginning, it seem that I've lost them but I won't go down until I reach the HQ.
When I look down I can see Academy and it's huge ground.
And it seems that their were students from the Academy that were training and instructors were helping them to perfect their magic. If I remember correctly then, Academy will start again from next week.
And there's still some students that are willing to train in thier holidays, huh.
Hats off too them.
Hm?
Wait, is that my son? Is he also training?
Now that I think about it, it's been years since we've talked like father and son.
Well.... my wife died while giving birth to our son.
「Jim....please loo...k after our....son and don't yo...u dare...to....get saddened....or....els...e」
When my wife was taking her last breathe, this was her last words and still to this day I'm trying my best.
Even though she told me not to get sad, I tried my hard everyday to keep the city safe and people of this city also started loves me even more.
But....
'Cause of my job as a Guardian, most of my time had always spend in missions and I could only give little time to my son.
I always knew that he wanted me to be with him, but it didn't happen well and he even started to hate me!
.... But this time I'll ask my boss to give me one week off for sure.
Oh! I've reached the HQ.
I came down from the sky and reached the front door. When I open the door I could see Soldier-class and Warrior-class were going here and there.
It seems that the Boss started to give out the orders that they weren't expecting.
While I was walking through the hallway, everyone was giving me a deep bows and left without saying anything.
「Hey, Jim-dono!」
Hm, who's that?
When I turned around to identify the voice owner, it was Rai-san.
He is an older brother of Ryan and Shikka*, other one age is around my son and he was a good friend of him too.
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Shikka is a Nepali and Hindi word which means coin.
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「Hey Rai-san, what's up with all this commotion here? Did the boss give you all really hard work to handle or what?」< Jim >
「Oh on, President-sama only told us to prepare ourselves for the war. Anyway, Jim-dono, how did your mission go?」 < Rai >
Ah.
So boss is really worried about the war, huh. I don't know why, but it seems that the whole world was shaken up by this news.
It was about 5 years back, when a massive earthquake happened for several minutes and many are speculating that Demons Lords might be behind this.
Because of that, Boss told me to survery the momentum of the enemy on the borderline for weeks.
「I see... and I didn't see anything weird that could peek my eyes. But when I was returning from my mission, I caught the small thugs, who were robing the villages..... But in progess of that, I couldn't save one boy who got impaled by the tree branch....」 < Jim >
While I was saying.... I avert my eyes from him.
「You don't have to regret, Jim-dono! I understand how you feel but please don't let yourself down, there's people who put their everything on you and President-dono, that you both can bring peace to this country.」< Rai >
I don't know if I can bring peace though but he is right, I shouldn't think about it too much, I should be looking forward to future.
And I guess, I'll visit Nikim once he cool down a bit and I'll apologize to him, even if he won't forgive me.
「Yeah, thanks for that, Rai-san.」
「Oh please, Jim-dono. And yes, President-dono is waiting for you in his office.」< Rai >
Oh yeah, it totally slipped out of my mind.
「Yeah, I'll be doing that now.」
I don't know why he wanted to see me and it's not like I hate it or anything, it's just that Boss usually don't summon me immediately whenever I get back.
「Ah yes, elevator is under maintenance, so please use the stairway. Well then, if you excuse me, Jim-dono.」< Rai >
After that, he bow his head to me and turned to leave HQ.
I also turned around and started to walk towards stairway.
Boss office was in 10th floor, so I have to go all the way to top floor.
Such a pain...
While I was making my way up, I turn my head around to left side, there was a big window on the wall, and I can see almost half of the city from here.
Every time I reach the next floor and looked at city and it gets smaller.
Anyways.
It seems that for about 2 years a row, people from the towns or villages who were at our country also started to enter our Rank system and what's more is about 60% of them have already passed the exam and those who didn't are also trying their best to pass this year.
Because of this, me and Boss had to remake our Rank system and it goes this way now:
1. Guardian
2. High-rank Warrior, Mid-rank Warrior & Low-rank Warrior
3. 3rd-class Soldiers, 2nd-class Soldiers & 1st-class Soldiers
And yeah above all, is our boss.
And I've been thinking that, it has been already 5,000 years, when for the first time, gate between the Underworld and the Earth was open.
And from there Devils like; Lucifer, Beelzebub, Belial and many other Devils came from the underworld and thus, the first great war happened.
And it went for several years.
But than the 4 people came ford from the shadows and because of them, humans managed to sent the Devils back to the Underworld.
But however, not all of them had gone back, some of the Demons and Devils were left and they also hid them in the shadows.
And as for the 4 people who helped to finish the war, they spread out to different location from each other, and the people who were at the war, started to follow them.
About more than ten thousand people were following every one of them, and because of that they had no choice but to build a city.
And people started to call them 'Guardians Of Humanity'.
But.... at that same time, the Demons who hid away had also started to build thier own Kingdom.
And at first there were 4 Demon Lords, but now there are 7 Demon Lords.
And in this few recent years, they are actively appearing than before, in every continents.
And many are thinking that all Demon Lords are planing to open the gate of the Underwolrd again.
And if that were to happen then, this time for sure we Humans will be doomed.
「What a mess...」
I mutter in a small voice.
Ah!
I was scratching my heads 'cause this is too much to think, you know.
? I was so zone out that I didn't even realized I was front of Boss Door.
*Knock* *Knock*
「Boss? Are you in there?」< Jim >
I said while knocking on the door.
「Yes, come in.」
When I heard the Boss voice, I entered the room, I saw boss was sitting on the couch which was at the right side of the room.
I can also see there was a chess board on the table and Boss was looking at me.
So I went to him and sat at the other couch which was facing him.
「Jim-san, please don't call me boss will ya? It kinda bother me, ya know?」
「Right... sorry, Rhuko-san, I'll try my best not to call you boss again, hahaha....」 < Jim >
I said in dry laugh.
「You've said that to me more than 100 times, ya know. Anyways, let's play shall we?」< Rhuko >
「You do know that I can't win you in chess, right?」< Jim >
「Come on now, Jim-san. Who knows ya might win this time.」< Rhuko >
And now, I've listened to your monoluge more then 100 times, -_-
「Fine, it can't be helped.」
Then we started to play.
「Hey Jim-san, do ya remember Tom? ....Hoh~ it seems that I can't use the same trick to win, eh.」< Rhuko >
Oh yeah, I remembered that name, if I'm not mistaken then, he was destroying villages and small towns, who were at our land.
「Yeah, I remember him, so what about it?」< Jim >
I asked him nonchalantly.
.... Wait, I thought, I had his king..... So he had put his king for bait, in order to lure my queen out, you trickster!
「..... You see, I think I have found some clues but it can be a hunch too so....」< Rhuko >
Only a hunch, huh.
And I think I should move my knight to save my queen, here goes nothing.
「Ok, I'm listening.」
「....You see, I've been thinking, what if the reason behind to destroy the town and villages are to obtain lands to have advantage in war.」< Rhuko >
「So you're trying to say is Tom is working with Demon Lord Ruiyuko, who lives in the north side of this land?」< Jim >
Hm...!?
H-He had take out my knight! So now, you're using my queen as a bait?!
Tch... really? How much of your brain work Rhuko-san, I can't keep up with two things at the same time like you do, ya know!!
「Yes, think about it! Dwarfs who doesn't interfere with Humans nor Demons, they live their own ways and even if they have Warrior type Dwarfs who can fight, I don't think they will likely to attack us, and as for Elves, their villages was also destroyed by Tom and many of them returned to their homeland and those who didn't are now staying here as civilians and the only one who is suspicious enough is the, Demon Lord, Ruiyuko.」< Rhuko >
He was frantic with worry, I do get it, cause I didn't think that deep.
Actually, my first guess was that they were some kind of lunatics that came from the another land.
「So what's your suggesting, Rhuko-san?」
「Do ya remember, Yuno? The one whom ya caught, when ya had your first encounter with Tom and with his followers.」< Rhuko >
Ah yes!
It has been already 3 years, since I've first meet them and it didn't go well...
「Yes, If I remember correctly then, when we first interrogate him, he said 'We've came from the Mist Land and the only reason we've destroyed the villages was to tell the people of this continent, that we have arrived here and those who try to mess with us will be doomed.' Isn't that what he said?」< Jim >
I said while looking at him, he stopped for a moment and then place his Rook.
And it's a checkmate, huh, well I already knew the result so...
「Yes, and when the rumors' of the great war started to reach every continents of this world, I had no choice but to interrogate Yuno again. When I asked him question like, 'Does Tom work for the Demon Lords?' 'And why did you all came from the Mist Land? I thought that, in that land there's less population and it would be more easy to secure land there.' To which he said 'I don't know anything about the master right now and you also know the reason, and about the Mist Land it's simple-na, because there was no fun in it.' I don't know why but when he said he don't know anything about his master, I was actually expecting him to say 'we don't work for anyone' or something like that, but he didn't...」 < Rhuko >
And that's your reason, why you're so concerned that Tom is on the side Demons, huh.
「I see.」
I nodded in respond.
「So I have request to make, can ya accept it? I know that you've just returned and I'm also not telling ya to go right now, you can wait for Ryan-san to return, it will take him about 4-5 days to come back, so 'til then ya can rest easy.」< Rhuko >
He was giving me grim expression, you know.
And I can't refuse the request from my childhood friend and I'll also have some days off too.
So I'm gonna spend every little with my son.
「Ok! And how's your daughter doing?」< Jim >
「She's fine and still trying her best to improve in healing magic. And yeah, do ya have someone in your mind that you wanna take with ya along in your mission, Jim-san?」 < Rhuko >
「Someone that I wanna bring, huh. Let's see.... if possible I'd like take, Sub, with me, but he won't come.」 < Jim >
Sub is the only one I wanna take with me in this mission.
But because he isn't a citizen nor he is in our rank and he isn't living in this city ethier, but he is living somewhere in this continent, but where no one knows.
Last year when I was around the market, I had first meet him, when I saw him, he's height was same as my son. But he was wearing a black mask, which had plain expression on it and around his neck there was blue scarf and he was also covering his mouth with the scarf and the scarf was hid behind his mask.
When he asked me about the direction of the library, I could tell from his voice that he's age was around 18 to 19, but the voice he had, it had no emotions in it.
But suddenly out of nowhere magical beasts were heading towards the city, from the entrance and when I turned around to Sub to tell him get away from here.
But he wasn't there, and when I turned around were magical beasts wore.
I saw Sub was coming from the entrance and while at it, he said 'Thank you for telling me the way and I've already dealt with the Beasts.'
While saying that, he vanished in mid-way, when he was approaching at me.
When I looked at the entrance, about 20m far from the entrance there was piles of dead bodies of Magical Beasts.
I couldn't even believe what I was seeing that time, he killed all of them in single second.
At that time I was so flabbergasted by that scene and still to this day, I'm still, you know.
「Sub, huh. I think he's an A rank Adventurer, right? And why him?」< Rhuko >
Oh right, I haven't told Rhuko-san yet.
「You can say that I haven't meet someone like him before in my whole life, he was really different.」< Jim >
「Different, you say?」
Rhuko-san tilts his head slightly in question.
「I mean he got himself some followers that not even Humans nor any race can have and I'm just curious what he will do in the future.」< Jim >
「...So can you tell me about his followers, ya know just in case.」< Rhuko >
「*Sigh* First let me say that, Sub-san got only three followers right now and he ask me to keep it a secret from others, but I'll only tell you and keep this secret from others, got it, Rhuko-san?」< Jim >
He nods several times to my word.
「Then, first is Jyoti, every continents know her as one of the four Guardian, A.K.A 'The White Dragon' and another one name is Num and he said; he also got a nickname 'The Monkey King' and the last one name is Kitsune and she also have nickname 'The Nine-Tail Fox'.」< Jim >
I told him what I had known about Sub-san followers.
I'm sorry Sub-san I couldn't keep your promise but don't worry Rhuko-san is a nice guy, so he won't tell anyone.
「I see...」
Rhuko-san mutters in low voice, so I couldn't make what he said.
Then he placed his right hand at his forehand as if trying to remember something. He reads a lot of books, so of course he might read it somewhere.
「Oh! Sorry Jim-san, but can ya leave, I just remembered something that I need to check, so we can talk again after Ryan-san comes back.」< Rhuko >
「Yeah sure, I understand.」
Then I stood up from the couch and bow my head to Rhuko-san and leave the office
And I've lost again to him in chess *Sigh*.
It has already been dusk, huh. I guess I lost the track of time while I was talking with Rhuko-san.
I guess now I'll head home and take a good nap and tomorrow I'll head out somewhere with my son.
◇End of Jim's POV◇
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I hope you enjoy it and sorry for my bad grammar and I hope it's understandable.
And Just so you know English Isn't my first language.
Peace :)