Chapter 5
Mika sat alone in her dimly lit office, her mind racing with the possibilities. She was convinced that the last famous knight who retired was somehow connected to the last hero. The five years of research were finally starting to pay off, and she could feel the end was in sight. But she knew she couldn't trust her team, not yet. They might spoil her investigation, and she couldn't risk that. With a determined glint in her eye, she made up her mind to investigate the knight's family on her own.
Days passed, and the atmosphere in Elysia remained tense. The people lived in fear of the demons and the Empire's army, and the city was on high alert. But then, a sudden commotion broke out. Running footsteps echoed through the corridors, heading towards Haruto's office. The door burst open, and Mika stood there, breathing heavily.
"Sir, we have a big problem," she said, her voice urgent.
Haruto looked up from his desk, surprised. "What? What's the problem?"
Mika's eyes were wide with fear. "It's even more than that."
Haruto's expression turned serious. "What do you mean? Tell me it's not about the Empire's army or the monster thing."
Mika hesitated, and Haruto's eyes narrowed. "Tell me, quick," he said, his voice firm.
But Mika's words caught in her throat, and she couldn't speak.
Later that day, Haruto gathered the elders of Elysia in an underground meeting. Mika was there too, looking worried and on edge. The atmosphere was thick with tension, and it was clear that Elysia was in chaos.
"Sorry for disturbing you all," Haruto began. "I'm sure you had better things to do than stay here. My City Peace Investigator, Mika, reported a very mysterious message today. I couldn't digest it on my own, so that's why I called you all here to help me digest this."
Shinji spoke up, his voice curious. "What's wrong?"
Haruto smiled wryly. "I'm certainly sure that all of you want to ask the same question. That's why I brought her here to convey the same message to your ears. Some of you should have questions on why she is here, so let's listen to her story."
Mika took a deep breath and began. "Today, 5 of my crew members witnessed the dehumanization. Humans with spiritual powers are mostly teenagers; some of them can't control their spirit power things, so they are causing chaos in the streets. I can't explain it in words, but according to what I learned about monsters, I guess they have turned into monsters, because monsters are the only species that can use those spiritual powers."
The Elysian elders started talking to each other in hushed tones, their faces pale with fear. Mika's eyes darted around the room, terrified that they might think she was exaggerating.
One of the elders, a grizzled old man, spoke up. "Ohh, so it has gotten to that point. I thought there were just rumors; I heard the same kind of story last night."
Another elder, a woman with a stern expression, asked, "So what are we going to do? I heard that 3 eastern houses got destroyed by monsters last night, and I haven't heard any withdrawal rumors about the Empire."
A third elder, a frail old man, looked like he was on the verge of tears. "Elysia is doomed! What are we going to do?"
Haruto's voice was calm and authoritative. "Calm down, everyone. Let's figure something out. To minimize the loss of lives in the city, we should inform the king and take a new step. It's either we arrest them, find an antidote to neutralize their powers, or we kill them."
The room fell silent as the elders considered Haruto's words. Finally, one of them spoke up. "I guess you are right, Mr. Haruto; they have turned into monsters, and I'm sure there's no turning them back."
As the meeting continued, Mika's frustration grew. She knew that the elders were looking down on the CPI, and it was clear that they didn't think much of their abilities. When Haruto asked her how many of her team members had experience in combat, she hesitated before answering. "Ten or less, I guess."
Haruto's expression turned grim. "I guess you were right, Ryota; we don't have an actual army, only a bunch of spies."
Mika's face burned with anger, but she kept her cool. She knew that she had to focus on finding a way to neutralize the human-monsters. As she left the meeting, she made up her mind to research the knight again. It would be a long process, but she was determined to make it short.
As the night fell, Akirion and his parents sat down to enjoy their dinner. The atmosphere in the house was warm and cozy, with the smell of freshly cooked food wafting through the air. But suddenly, they started to hear a lot of footsteps outside their house. Eriolth's expression turned serious, and he got up to check the window.
His eyes widened in fear as he looked out into the night. Akirion's curiosity was piqued, and he asked, "Dad, what's wrong?"
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