Barn entered the carriage, settling into it and placing the box beside him, signaling to the demons pulling the carriage to start moving. He watched as they passed through the mansion portals; the streets were busy as usual, and without any anomalies, which was good. The sun had begun to dip, casting long shadows across the cobblestone streets, the warm glow reflecting off the metal gates of nearby buildings.
He knew he had already rested, but there was nothing interesting—at least for him—happening around, and he probably wouldn't sleep for a few days. He crossed his arms and leaned against the wall, closing his eyes and trying to empty his thoughts, but he was still thinking about the boy in the box, and the ways he could be useful if he managed to control him.
If he has the surname Kardiá, he was born here... but it's possible he spent most of his life elsewhere, given that he doesn't seem to know that praying to a god in front of someone can be seen as an affront to the Primordials he thought, considering that if he were to keep him, he would have to deal with that. If he was raised on the continent of Mahita or Ghaltheran, it could help us approach the people there. The problem would be if he isn't in the world of the living… I'll think about it later. He sighed and fell asleep not long after; it wasn't a very long journey, and he was only going to nap a little, surely waking before they arrived!
They passed through the large metal gates, finally reaching the Research Center, where several buildings could be seen—one for each specific field of study, or not. The twilight painted the concrete in hues of purple and gold, and lights from the windows flickered like fireflies. The carriage stopped in front of the Department of Containment for the Seven Plagues and stayed in place for five, ten, twenty minutes, and the redhead hadn't come out yet. Had he lost himself in thought?
"Has the master not noticed that we've arrived?" asked one of the drexiths pulling the carriage.
"He must be sleeping!"
"I just hope he wakes up soon; I don't want to stay here another second!"
The drexiths stirred as something rushed at them at high speed—it was a brown wolf, Saphira, wearing a maid outfit. The skirt of her dress fluttered as she ran on her four paws, her golden eyes with orange stripes glowing with pure determination, and her tail wagging joyfully. Dust and small stones kicked up behind her as she sprinted across the open courtyard, her presence almost a streak of light in the fading sun.
"It's Saphira! She's going to hit us!" The drexiths tore the straps binding them to the carriage, moving quickly out of the way.
"Masteeeeeer!" Saphira shouted, excited to see her master again.
Barn opened his eyes, waking at the sound, and seeing who was approaching through the window, he didn't have much time to react before Saphira crashed into the carriage like a bullet, completely destroying it, sending debris flying in every direction, and hurling Barn and Kazumi—who was inside the box—away. Saphira now jumped on the redhead, licking his face and wagging her tail frenetically.
"Stop, stop, get off!" he pushed her away, noticing the mess she had made. "Bad girl."
Saphira lowered her ears, whimpering with a sad look; she was only happy to see him, she wasn't a bad girl!
Barn looked around, searching for the box, which had also been thrown some meters away.
"No, no, no, where did it go?" He spotted the box a few meters away, relieved, but not entirely—If you damaged the box, you'll see!
"Sorry, master…" Tears ran down her face as she cried dramatically.
Barn pressed his hand on the top of the box, opening it normally, certain it hadn't been damaged. He was about to close it again, but Kazumi prevented him, partially sticking out of the box and vomiting on the floor—at least most of it—staining part of his shirt.
"That's it, get it all out," he patted the boy lightly on the back, who looked at him incredulously. "Come here, we're really close, no need for the box anymore." He stretched his arms.
The still-nauseous boy let himself be carried by him, and Barn took him inside the department, where a woman approached—or at least who they thought was a woman—she was actually a demon skeleton wearing tight black clothes and an orange braided wig with little bows.
"The master has finally returned! 03 went out of control during the Wrath Test, she's still like this and said she was going to destroy everything!" A female voice said, but it was better not to rush.
"Ah, what a problem, huh? Get him ready for me, stamp him with two." Barn handed the boy to her and left.
He ran quickly, ignoring anyone trying to speak to him. He had bigger priorities. He saw some staff entering the elevator—but he had to be fast; 880 meters underground, what elevator goes down that fast?! He opened the door leading to the emergency stairs and jumped into the shaft, colliding heavily with the floor after a few seconds. He got up quickly, there was no time to mourn his pain; he had a walking disaster to stop!
"Rooaarrr!" He heard a loud agonizing roar. It wasn't 03, but she had surely caused it.
He followed the sound, running through the underground lab. They were probably in the testing area, but why were two of his experiments there? If 03 killed 05, he'd be furious at whoever placed the two together in that arena. He reached a thick metal door with a crank, turning it to reveal a long corridor that led to another door like the first. When he opened it, he saw 03 confronting 05, who resembled a drexith but had hooved paws and white skin, towering at 30 meters. She, smaller than Barn, easily dominated the colossal creature.
"Lilith! Don't ruin my things!" he shouted to grab her attention.
The open subterranean area shook with every step 05 took. The creature advanced with colossal force, raising clouds of dust and debris. Each stone crushed under its hooves echoed through the underground, announcing the intensity of the battle. The flickering lights above cast shifting shadows across the cracked floor, emphasizing the enormity of the space.
Lilith, 03, stood out with her pink hair and flaming green eyes. Her white wings beat precisely, propelling her through the air, while her halo trembled with the energy surrounding her. Every strike was calculated, elegant, and lethal. She moved like a controlled storm, her body reflecting the perfect combination of angelic grace and demonic power.
05 charged, raising a forepaw to crush her. Lilith dodged with a precise leap, spinning in the air and striking him with a series of rapid attacks. Each impact reverberated across the cracked ground. The creature roared, but its movements began to slow; Lilith's strength was evident, and the creature could no longer respond with the same energy.
She didn't give 05 a moment to recover. With a powerful kick and a strike charged with energy, Lilith knocked the creature off balance, sending it stumbling to its knees, raising dust and debris around it. 05 swayed, breathing heavily, its strength rapidly diminishing. In seconds, the colossal creature collapsed, unconscious, its hooves partially buried in the dust of the courtyard.
Lilith hovered above 05, her wings beating slowly, breathing heavily, but her gaze remained intense and controlled. That's when she sensed something different. A weight, a presence that hadn't been there before. Her green eyes scanned the darkness and finally fixed on Barn, observing from an elevated, strategic position.
For a moment, her fury softened, replaced by a mix of recognition and challenge. A slight smile curved her lips, without breaking her vigilant stance over the fallen 05. She knew Barn was watching, and her evaluation in his eyes was far from complete.
The courtyard fell silent, only the echoes of the confrontation resonating against the underground walls. Lilith remained suspended, watching Barn, aware that this battle had been just a test—and that greater challenges awaited.
"This… isn't over," she murmured, her eyes fixed on Barn. The air was still thick with tension and the premonition of what was to come.