I skip steps as I rush downstairs, to the hallway where my room was across from Hale's.
"H-Hale!"
I jump to the bottom from a few steps up and bolt down the hall. This is the first time I've ran since getting my new body, so I can't control the speed…!
I skid down the hallway and stumble, rolling a bit on the ground and stopping just before Hale's room.
I reach up to bang on the door, but-
Crack!
I punched through the wood by accident.
'S-shit!'
"Hale! Are you okay!?"
I quickly pry open the door and kick my hand out of it. I look around to see where Hale is.
I see him in the bathroom.
"Fault-?"
He looks exhausted for some reason.
"Hale! Something happened outside, we gotta go!"
I reach across to pull him with me as I start running.
"W-woah! Hey!"
He catches up and I let go of him, and he starts running toward the stairs alongside me.
"I heard it too, but what exactly is happening!?"
We reach the stairs and start going up.
I could see a soft gold light behind us, just outside my center of vision, but I ignored it for now.
"Something called a Chaotic! A species of Daemon! Do you know what that is?"
We reach the top of the stairs and dart down the next halls, seeing rows of the soldiers in armor and other guards prepping themselves.
"N-no! What?"
"H-Here, let's see if we can find a place to watch what's happening!"
I run toward the gardens' edge and look down.
It's my first time seeing the rest of the city from the castle.
The castle is on a higher plateau than the rest, even if it's just a tiny bit higher elevation.
Smoke, signals of fire, and civilians fleeing from where the smoke bellowed out of.
"T-there! I see it!"
I point where it was at. I search for a way down and see a slope I can head down, so I do so.
I slide down the bottom side of the gardens' walls and down onto the street below.
People are feeling all around me, heading in the opposite direction from where the fire was ignited. I could see more guards either flying in or running in that direction as well, swarming it all around.
"NO USE IN CALMING IT! DON'T TRY TO REASON WITH IT!"
"IT'S A CHAOTIC SPECIES! IT'LL ONLY BE SATISFIED WITH BLOOD!"
Differing shouts all around are giving orders, and describing whatever is in there.
Hale skids down next to me, slowing to a stop as he squints his eyes to get a better look at whatever it is.
I can somewhat tell, even when I'm not looking at him.
But he seems somewhat out of it.
Has something happened…?
"RROOOOAAARRRR"
A bone-chilling scream roars from inside the burning house. The blue lights and sparks from that building flicker on and off.
As one ignites, a red hand grabs the blue spark and attempts to bring it to its mouth, walking out of the flame.
Inhuman.
That's what described what I saw.
It was a humanoid shape, sure, but it was definitely not a human.
The growing of horns on its head. Its skin was a dark red, as deep as blood. It held claws that resembled horrible gauntlets on its arms. Behind its waist, on its back was something that resembled a wing, one of them.
Its eyes were a fiery red, enough so that if they weren't separated from the bursting flames behind it, then I wouldn't have been able to tell that it was…
…looking at…
"...us?"
*****
Hale felt awful. He shouldn't have ran out here with Fault.
Nope. Not at all.
He swallowed a mouthful of his saliva. He could tell that the 'Chaotic' species, or whatever it was called, was looking directly at them.
Confirming his suspicions to his horror, Hale looked around and behind him and Fault. He saw that the other civilians had ran, and more guards were coming in from the sides.
His back was still searing, but it had definitely calmed down a tiny bit.
He figured it was mana beginning its circulation into his infusion and body, but boy did it hurt like hell for him.
He couldn't tell the ability of the infusion yet, as he hadn't used it. But, he knew that it was two classes, and something rare.
Gold colored, and accelerator plus manipulator class.
Too bad he hadn't had an opportunity to try it yet before he found himself in this situation.
Hale looks over at Fault who-
"Look out!!"
BOOM
Fault shoves Hale out of the way, a loud rumble erupting from where they were just standing.
The Chaotic flew at them faster than Hale could react while he was looking at his friend.
"Ack-!"
The wind blows Hale and Fault apart, the Chaotic snarls after dashing.
"Rghghhgg…"
"Watch out! Get the kids to safety!"
Guards call out as they rush to put themselves between Fault and Hale.
"What're you two doing out here!? Evacuate!"
Multiple other guards fall in to swarm the Chaotic.
"RAAAHHHHHH!!"
A roar booms and a blast of wind bellows once more.
Then, a silvery-blue light shines from above.
A man stands clad in silver armor, a dark blue crest hanging on his fists, making gauntlets.
"Stand back! I need to check for something."
It's Duke Lynel, his voice commanding the guards to back away from the animalistic daemon.
He jumps down and stands before it, in between the daemon and everyone else present.
"Well, it seems you're… attacking Gate, yes?"
"Rrrh…"
It only snarls back, drool leaking from its sharp teeth.
It holds a firm, sharp wing on its back, which Lynel notices.
"You must've killed a lot, to have achieved one-winged already."
He sighs and turns around, "Men, return to handling evacuation of this quadrant of the city. Leave the two boys back there alone with me."
The guards stand up straight and give a sort of salute, their hands making a circle around where their heart would be.
"Yes, my Duke!" All of their voices ring out and move to action, away from Lynel, Hale, and Fault.
They run in an orderly fashion, hastily moving until they're out of earshot.
"Now…" Lynel turns to Fault, "I need to experiment with you."
He looks at Hale, "You as well."
"RAHAHAHAHA!" The Chaotic behind Lynel lunges at him, its claws extended as it attempts to pierce his head.
Lynel looks around his shoulder and grabs the claw, immediately shattering its fingers with a sickening crack, and tossing its center of gravity aside.
"Do not interrupt me while I am speaking." He takes out the Chaotic's legs, and sends it blasting backward with his other fist.
He takes a breath and turns to Fault, "You do what you think is right."
Then to Hale, "You attempt to fight the Chaotic."
"...!? What!?" Fault's eyebrows tense into a scowl, "N-No! Hale will die! Look at that thing!"
He points at the Chaotic, writing while doubled over, attempting to ease the pain in its wounds.
"That's why you need to do what you think is right, child." Lynel's voice turns stern, "I need to see what you're aligned with, exactly."
Fault opens his mouth to retort, but can only grit his teeth and hold his tongue.
Hale looks at Fault and then back at the daemon.
He didn't know what daemons were, but he could take a guess.
He had learned of the daemon continent that's located on the other side of the Slash. Maybe some tales of the species, too.
But he didn't believe they were real, or that daemons were an actual species.
He swallows, "What do I need to do…?"
Lynel starts to smirk a bit, then points his finger at Hale, "Just find out how to activate your infusion there on your back."
Fault's eye widens and he turns to look at Hale's back.
He sees the golden glow and the strange markings along his spine, then it makes its way toward his shoulders and stops just before his elbows.
"I-is that all? Just find out how to activate it?"
Lynel nods, "Just find that out, then once you do, and can utilize it in the way it's marked out… then I can guarantee your safety."
His eyes narrow a bit and he turns to Fault, "You, on the other hand… your safety will be judged after your actions within these next few moments."
He takes a few steps to the side, showing that the Chaotic has already begun to recover and was standing up.
"Now… go ahead."
Lynel opens his palms, the soft glow of his infusion on the backside of his hands.
"Show me that you're no threat to us here at Gate, or a threat to humans in general. Show me that I can believe in you two, who came from Tenna."
His silver eyes shine with the fire going off in the building before him.
"Show me that you're not a liar."