In the following weeks, the districts dominated by crime were invaded by a figure full of determination, who caught the criminals and arrested them, alerting the police.
When they arrived, the woman did not look at them, she only left with an expression full of darkness. Cas watched this, asked what had happened. She only shrugged, as if she had reached a dark clarity about her own life. And she answered no more.
In the early mornings, she drank her coffee and continued investigating the killer. Every corner, every splash of blood was analyzed and compared against patterns recognized by renowned experts.
Compared to the last few years, there was one detail more. brutality. This man, or whoever it was, was losing control of his desires. The killer was not only preparing to end her career, but also seemed to enjoy every death. It was like someone seeking to make something perfect.
By chance, was that massacre the perfect murder, or was it only part of one of his theaters. No, he was an individual who would not do anything without completing it, as fit with the years that had shaped her.
Or maybe she was just too tired to think any more. What hell.
Rin Yuang rose from her chair, looked at the bottom of her cup, the little black liquid still remaining. She drank it all at once and undressed, lying down on the bed with an exhausted groan.
Now it would take a while to fall asleep.
***
In the middle of the forest, Elisa walked with her sword resting on her shoulders, whistling a soft, bored melody, her eyes not focusing on anything in particular. Before her lay wreckage buried in mountains. Old flags still waved over buildings, dwellings, and other structures.
It was as if, after the First Renkai Awakening, everything humanity had built had melted together.
She entered a building that looked like a house. It was covered in cobwebs and dust, which made her cough. However, right after, a sound of something moving echoed. She readied her sword at once, her heart racing. Let it come, damn it.
In an answer from fate, multiple red eyes appeared in the darkness. An arachnid, something like a spider mixed with a hairy scorpion, leapt toward her face. Elisa parried, the Renkata that made up her father's blade striking against the shell and fur, making the creature only scuttle off to the other side, its tail whipping against the doors.
She muttered a vulgar curse related to the progenitor of such an abomination. If she had sharpened that blade, she would have cut the thing in half, damn lucky bastard.
The demonic arachnid moved back and forth, Elisa stepping back, grinding her teeth. Let it come, you hideous filth.
And once again it did, opening its mouth full of strangely human, sharp teeth, the claws on the sides of its face spreading open. Elisa lunged and drove the blade into its mouth, pushing it to the ground and stepping with her feet onto its carcass. She twisted the blade, the muscles of her arms tensing beneath the thin fabric of her black shirt.
Its legs struck against her own. Jets shot from its tail, missing, but ending up corroding the walls within seconds. With a swift thrust, she twisted the sword, tearing it open from the inside out. The pulsing organs spilled from its body, the demon letting out contorted screams before the glow of its eyes went out.
Elisa spat on its corpse. How could something so resilient be in these homes. Hopefully there weren't any more.
And, indeed, there weren't.
However, surprisingly, there were human bones remarkably well preserved, considering all the centuries. Of course, there'd probably be recent bones in this place. After all, why would they have sent her to investigate this place. Why, really.
Dismissing the thoughts, Elisa knelt down, opening a drawer in the house. Inside, insects lay dead in a state that could barely even be called decomposition, they had practically already vanished. But, among that filth, there was a paper, and a diary beside it.
Arching an eyebrow, Elisa sat down beside the bones, opened the notebook and read the paper. Both were in an unknown language. Well, how could they not be. After all, after Satan's imprisonment in his own Inferius, humanity had to create a universal language, spreading it across the Recognized Countries, but leaving the Unknown Countries at the mercy of ignorance. Or maybe they simply hadn't wanted to join the majority. Well, she wasn't the one with the answers.
The diary too was in an unknown language, but strangely familiar. Observing the writing patterns, there were date markings, drawings of flowers and people. It seemed like someone truly devoted to remembering the past. If the Renkai Energy, or whatever it was, had wanted to preserve a little of the dead's memory for the present people to read and absorb, it had chosen its target well.
There were no descriptions of magic or of anything she imagined had emerged after the First Renkai Awakening. A simpler time, she believed. Whose only evil was only the human being, not the supernatural that had become natural.
Elisa let out a sigh, she wished to keep that diary, but its state, the stench and the emanation of red energy made her give up. With a shrug, she put the paper and the diary back in their old place, leaving the room.
Then she went back and picked up both with a glove. She needed proof that she had worked that day.
Later, cutting through thorny tree branches, Elisa lifted a layer of leaves and spotted a temple. What madness. She looked around, only the whistle of the wind crossing the countless trees. She walked slowly to the temple, the stone steps bearing her weight. Upon entering, Elisa picked up a branch resting on the floor and scraped it swiftly against the stone wall, lighting flames.
In the center, there was a figure resembling the gods that people in the Old Society believed in so strongly, a Buddha. Real or not, after the chaos, the greatest of all religions became Christianity, and also Satanism, in smaller amount. There was nothing that revealed another identity beyond above the Earth and below it. If there was something like that, then it was only waiting to be discovered, if it hadn't been already.
The figure sat cross-legged, leaning into a smile with closed eyes, its hair tied in a round bun. Its robe slipped off one of its shoulders, but on its chest there was a hole, like half its face, which had been destroyed. How had that survived all the destruction.
Elisa concluded she was overthinking. It was just a day to explore the wreckage no one had had the courage to visit, only the idiot standing there. Well, if no one had returned from that place, it was because there was an unfortunate reason.
Entering through one of the openings behind the statue, a corridor of stairs was revealed, whose walls no longer existed, only a dark abyss between that corridor and the one beside it.
Descending, Elisa raised the improvised torch. Reaching the end, an empty room received her. Before her, a curtain of drawings revealed itself, dusty and torn. It was the Buddha itself there, lit by the sun behind it. Nothing else besides that, a simple piece of art.
Walking toward it to examine it more closely, without noticing, a rise in the floor made her trip and fall. But, instead of hitting solid matter, she passed through the curtain, falling into another corridor, this one wider and different from the others, with torches as well, as if it had been visited at some point.
Elisa walked once more, lighting the torch from the flame of the others. Reaching the end, there was nothing but darkness and a wide room. She stretched her legs to walk more slowly, her ears sensitive to any sound.
However, the torch lit up something. Flesh, which moved.
Before she could react, she was struck against the wall.
Cursing whatever the creature was, she threw the torch toward it. The fire rose, along with a scream that resembled a baby's cry. Under the flame, what it was stood revealed.
It was like a mixture of many demons. It had two tails resembling whips. Multiple arms limited to pincers, humanoid hands, claws, among others. In the center of its head, there was only one eye, and its entire structure was a combination hard to describe between the humanoid and the quadruped, with several legs tearing through the sides of its fleshy body.
And now that thing was staring at Elisa, its mouth full of crooked teeth and a long tongue swinging.
Then it lunged.
Elisa forced her legs to leap aside, rolling and steadying her position with her free hand. The monster slammed its face into the wall, the fire beginning to lose strength. Shit, she couldn't let that fire go out.
She ran to the torches, the creature advancing alongside, ending up grabbing her by the feet and slamming her against the floor, creating a crack, making her head bleed. Everything went dark for a moment, her body swaying in the air. Biting her lips until they bled, the pain cleared her mind a little.
Then, she drove the blade into the flesh, the blood transferring inward, some spikes emerging, tearing the monster from the inside out, which let out a roar and let her go.
Elisa landed on her feet, her vision swaying after the blow. The monster let out roars and staggered around the room. Soon, it turned toward her, saliva dripping so thick that not even the fire itself put it out. With that, it ran at her.
She drove the blade into its throat, trying to pull away as it kept closing in despite its condition. It let out a groan, its feet moving to curl, wrap itself in blood and kick the creature, which flew to the opposite side.
The torches fell, filling everything with fire once more. The creature's distorted scream made Elisa cover her ears and close her eyes. Damned cursed demon. But, keeping her hands occupied with the blade, she advanced and pierced its chest. She tore it open from there to the abdomen and, in the next second, made the blood that had entered inside the creature leak out and spread across the walls, pinning it in place.
The creature tried to destroy her with its countless hands, legs and even by whipping her, but, in the end, she held on, with small cuts on her hip, until she heard the Fused Renkai Creature lose its movements and go silent, the fire now consuming it completely.
Elisa collapsed to the floor, breathing heavily. Was this the life of a hunter. God, if that wretched thing wasn't even as strong as the demons she'd already seen more experienced hunters kill, what would become of her in a few years.
Lifting her head, she saw the wound, Renkai Energy beginning to emanate from it. It couldn't be.
She tried to concentrate to make the contaminated blood go away, but nothing obeyed, the exhaustion, even after a fight of only a few seconds, had already caught up with her. Her heart beat at frequencies she couldn't count and her vision began to blur.
Would this be her end, same as other weaker ones who had also been destined for it.
Damned cruel world.
A voice insisted that she wake up, calling her a lucky girl and warning, amid loose curses, that closing her eyes now would be cheating.
The blur she had seen before gradually faded, showing her a figure with gray hair. She didn't have a very clear expression, it shifted between the sweat on her face and a brief smile.
The woman said that it was fine now, that Elisa shouldn't push herself too hard, because the Renkai Energy had been somewhat cruel to her, but that at least it was already possible to tell she wouldn't suffer the Test of Sin. It had been a very small amount, almost nonexistent.
She laughed, helping Elisa sit up. The younger girl's pupils studied her clothing, a lab coat, a skirt. Elisa coughed and asked, with a weak voice, if she was okay.
The woman confirmed she was, and asked her to stay there, there were some things she needed to deal with, things Elisa herself had discovered, for her and for the world.
Aurora stood up, raising her arms above her head and letting out a yawn. A robot emerged from the darkness, positioning itself beside Elisa. With a pout on her lips, Aurora placed a device on the ground that emitted a light and lit up the entire room, revealing its true nature.
Elisa couldn't hold back a sound of astonishment at the sight.
What was revealed was a room covered in mathematical equations on the walls, now more visible thanks to the equipment's lighting. Aurora walked toward them, crossing her arms. Some of the equations she even recognized, but others made her arch an eyebrow, what madness was this.
When she turned, she saw, consequently, a Renkata gate. Beside it, four hearts. One made of pure ice, another of pure fire, another of pure electric glow, another of pure water. All connected to wires that led to something Aurora couldn't imagine. The intensity with which both pulsed, still full of life, was revealing. Beneath that gate, a glow emanated, and from that glow the equipment warned of excessive concentrated energy.
Elisa barely understood what was happening, until she saw Aurora's eyes widen. That was a way of using Destroyers' hearts to generate energy, an unlimited power source. If used in greater quantity, they could sustain an entire city. But what, after all, was someone trying to sustain down there.
Aurora crossed her arms, placed a device on the door, which exploded. An invisible barrier prevented any harm to her or to Elisa. When the dust settled, the door remained intact.
She frowned.
The robot delivered a powerful punch. No effect.
She gritted her teeth.
The robot raised its fist, a laser coming out, leaving scorch marks, but nothing beyond that.
Aurora concluded she would have to raise the level, and picked up the phone.
***
In a landscape infested with trees that reached the dark sky, a white haired man leapt between branches, carrying a woman by the legs on his back. Both stopped on a particular branch, where he set her down gently.
Faller asked, in his ceremonious, old fashioned tone, whether she was truly convinced she would be able to eliminate that unfortunate creature using only the equipment she carried. Slady answered, dryly, that it was just a test, it had been a while since she'd practiced that.
Pulling from the pocket of an overcoat a device with a red light, she held it out into the air and released it, the creation descending at supernatural speed and latching onto a sleeping carnivorous plant. When its claws reached it, the demon rose, its mouth with rows of sharp teeth opening and letting out a distorted scream.
Faller's eyes widened, holding Slady firmly by the shoulders, while she remained impassive, her hair flying in the wind.
Slady counted softly to three.
Suddenly, an electric discharge ran through the monster's entire large structure, which, within seconds, had its green, delicate tissue replaced by a thick gray color, the thing freezing in that position and crumbling apart within less than a minute.
Faller remarked, with his usual formality, that this was truly frightening. Slady didn't deny it, it was a good creation, it had been a while since she'd done that kind of thing, not since the mechanical arm, as he recalled. She confirmed that she used to have a larger reserve of those little things, but had ended up using them all on a few Inferius. When he asked if the old ones were efficient, she answered very much so, and that this one here was only a prototype, she still intended to apply a few more adjustments.
Faller felt the hair all over his body stand on end, and murmured that he hoped she enjoyed every second of that process of creation.
Suddenly, the man's pants pocket vibrated. Could it be Victoria already missing him. However, the familiar name made him answer faster.
After a few seconds of conversation that Slady didn't hear, he turned to her, and she asked what it was about. Faller smiled faintly and returned the question, asking whether she wished to behold something as interesting as her own, magnificent creation.
***
Upon arriving at the temple, specifically at the part where the Renkata door stood, Aurora arched an eyebrow at who the uninvited guest was. Faller briefly explained that she was a friend, and Elisa's father, or adoptive mother. The girl, hearing this, agreed and greeted Slady, who gave a small smile.
Aurora crossed her arms and sighed, if that was how it was, fine. Finally, she continued showing why she wanted his presence there, pointing to the door.
Faller wanted to confirm he had understood her reasoning correctly, whether she was curious about what lay behind that reinforced barrier and therefore wanted him to use his abilities to destroy it. Aurora confirmed yes, exactly that.
Faller stretched and asked the ladies to step back. That done, a movement of the blade produced a flash that blinded everyone. When their vision returned to normal, the door had a faint scratch, but no considerable result.
Aurora lowered her head, what a shame. Elisa narrowed her eyes, still feeling the wound on her abdomen, but now clean. And Slady kept staring fixedly at the door.
Faller apologized for not having been enough, and Aurora gave him a weak slap on the shoulder, nothing could be done, in the end. She'd figure out what to do later. So, it was time to leave.
As everyone moved toward the exit, Slady remained there, arms crossed. Elisa glanced at her over her shoulder, and everyone did the same.
Elisa asked if she wasn't coming. Slady answered no, she felt she could help with that, and asked Aurora for permission. The latter hesitated, doubting she would be capable of destroying a door like that. It was Faller who stepped in, recommending, with his usual formality, that she not underestimate too much someone whose abilities she didn't know. As a friend, he could say with certainty that Slady was more than capable of achieving a satisfactory result. Aurora gave in, saying that if he vouched for her, she could try, and that if it worked, she'd already know who to call.
Left alone, Slady walked slowly through the room, touching the walls and the equations, her pupils not dilating as she read. Suddenly, a sound of something emerging from one of the walls echoed, a robotic female voice making itself heard.
The voice greeted him, calling him Lord Slady and asking if there was anything it could help with. Slady answered that she didn't need anything, and asked it not to reveal itself to anyone else, only in her presence. Curious, she wanted to know how she had been recognized. The voice explained that it was exactly the way she had programmed it to recognize her. Satisfied, she wished it peace and then turned and left.
***
On a morning when snow fell over the city, a cup sat on a table, steam rising from the liquid and drifting aimlessly wherever the wind took it.
Slady sat in the chair, closed her eyes, sighed. Then she picked up the cup and brought it to her lips, her throat moving as she swallowed each sip.
Finally, she let the same steam out through her mouth. How perfect. She watched the streets, resting her cheek against her fist. The snow kept falling, strange, that cold of the past few days, but what could be done. Nothing.
Suddenly, there was a knock at the door. Slady raised her eyebrows and went to it, opening it.
It was Aurora.
Aurora greeted her, asking if she remembered that day at the temple. Slady confirmed she did, and noted that if she had come for books, the library had been closed that day. Aurora clarified that no, actually she had come to understand how Slady had managed to discover the surveillance systems installed in her own house, to the point of accessing her cameras.
Slady's expression turned dark. So that was it. But she couldn't deny, she hadn't liked having her privacy disturbed by a stranger. Aurora apologized, but argued she needed to be certain she was truly trustworthy.
And, now having an idea of her abilities, maybe she wasn't so trustworthy anymore. But there was no denying there was a standoff here. Both had done something questionable, why not talk it out to resolve that unfortunate problem.
Slady said she had no objection, and added that if that was what Aurora wanted, they should indeed be fair with each other. Invading her personal space, she slipped her hand into the pocket of Aurora's lab coat, pulling out a voice recorder and turning it off. Was there anything else she needed to remove. Aurora only shrugged, acknowledging that they were now truly even.
Not waiting for permission, Slady served her a cup of coffee already made. Aurora stared at the liquid for long seconds before declining it, thanking her, but saying she didn't want any. Then there would be more left. Slady took a sip from her own cup.
Closing her eyelids, Aurora drank as well, this time with less suspicion. At least there was no poison. Why would there be.
Slady declared that matter didn't matter for now, and that they should get to what truly mattered.
Aurora rested her arms on the table, her chest sinking against the wood. There was something to question, for, among the people she knew, she had discovered a pattern. people with a tendency to trust, however reckless that might be.
Faller and Victoria had been through a lot in the past, and someone who didn't try to use their strength for personal gain would easily earn their trust. Slady had been capable of that, not even Aurora, who was their leader, trusted them that much. There was also Elisa and Shaphira, surprisingly unique things.
After all, Elisa was the daughter of a deceased Hunter of Destruction, and Shaphira was a girl with unique abilities. And Aurora also knew that Slady was friends with Rin Yuang and Roger, who had their minds shaken by the Theatrical Killer case, but trusted her. Wouldn't it be unsurprising if someone like her were using all these people for something.
Or rather, especially in relation to Raizer Fainer, who would be as close to him as someone who wasn't family. Ah, yes, the Hunters of Complexity, a dead group, with the exception of one member. the Servant of Truth.
And then, without beating around the bush, Aurora asked if, by chance, Slady was the Servant of Truth.
Slady felt the sensation of a wave of water with doubled weight falling over her. Too much information, too many facts. That woman had gotten very close in very little time. And how, really, had no one noticed. When Raizer had spoken of her to Faller, had he referred to Slady as the Servant of Truth, or just as a mutual friend.
Apparently, as a mutual friend.
Slady answered no, but that she had known him. He was a truly powerful man, even more intelligent, but who, like everyone, had died too soon, in the Second Renkai Awakening.
Aurora then asked why Raizer had never mentioned his death. Slady explained it was because he had never been able to believe that loss. Raintalya had been his wife, Elisa his daughter, the Vick brothers like his first children though not of his blood, and the Servant of Truth like a brother, a brother of existence. He had never accepted losing him alongside his wife and everything else.
Aurora only murmured that she understood.
Aurora laced her fingers together for a moment, watching the emptiness of the library with a faint glow in her eyes. There were no questions nor answers, only thirty seconds of silence that both respected.
After a while, Aurora broke the silence, asking, since Slady knew so much, what his name was. It wouldn't hurt to remember someone who had already passed, would it. Slady confirmed it wouldn't, and revealed, with a pause before the name, that his name was Skyler, Skyler Fogue. Aurora considered it a good name, and wanted to know where, after all, Slady had come into all their lives. The answer came simple.
She had simply been a mutual friend.
Aurora nodded and stood up, offering her hand. It had been good to have that conversation, that clarity. Slady shook her hand, feeling the firmness of the woman's fingers against her palm.
As she turned to leave, Slady cleared her throat, there was still one round of questions, it was her turn.
Aurora smiled. She would get to know her soon.
With that, she left, and the smile dissolved into an expression full of darkness. Slady crossed her arms, alone. Better to prepare herself, that woman wouldn't be satisfied until she had laid her bare completely.
With that, Slady returned to the table and finished her coffee.