A few days after Ryu's battle with Jinsoku several weeks ago, Kurayami and Taika departed ways in the Kingdom of Akai Suna. The third rank demon general had to attend a business meeting in the sprawling merchant city of Tenpo. He was meeting the ninth rank hero Goman Bushido to discuss the details of the next fighting card. As he entered the luxurious hotel Belgrano, he glanced around for Hina and Denki. They had not checked in with him since they departed ways in the Kingdom of Ryze. As he checked into the establishment, he leaned against the counter and started to tap his finger in frustration. They had no reason to be two days late rendezvousing with him. As the receptionist came back with his key card for room five o five, he rudely snatched it out of their hand before heading to the elevator. It was a short ride up before the doors opened to the penthouse rooms.
As he made his way down the hallway, he was not thrilled to be handling Goman on his own. He was the most powerful Simian Beast Folk in the land because he had the strength of a silverback gorilla in the body of a human. Since his strength and speed in hand-to-hand combat were undeniable, it had made him extremely arrogant. As Kurayami entered the room, he was not surprised to find the hero partying. There was tons of beautiful woman walking around in bikini's, live rock music playing, and plenty of drugs and booze lying around the place. As he made his way out to the pool on the sprawling balcony, he could hear Goman's loud thick accented voice as he said, "Kurayami, baby. It is already time for our meeting?"
As he climbed out of the water, his muscles were glistening in the evening sunshine. His short brown hair was slicked back to the side. He had a clean-shaven beard to match his suave style. His body was covered in thick short light brown hair, and his hands were solid black. As his chestnut eyes turned their attention to Kurayami, he cracked a smile with his pearly white teeth as he said, "I got a great list of fighters ready to dance for us in a few weeks in Shinjitsu. How about you?" The demon general nodded as he said, "Can we speak somewhere more private?" Goman motioned for him to follow him down the hallway as one of the voluptuous woman swimming flirtingly said, "Where are you going baby? You going to leave me here all wet and alone." He grinned as he stopped and looked back at her while saying, "Don't you worry sweetie, I'm not done with you yet. I'll make sure to wrap this business up quick." She blew him a kiss as Kurayami opened the door to the office. As Goman swaggered inside and plopped down at the desk, he arrogantly said, "The women can't get enough of yours truly Kuri, what can I say."
The demon general sighed in frustration as he said, "I've told you not to call me that." Goman waved it off as he lit a cigar and started smoking it before saying, "So what demons do you have ready for our card in a few weeks?" Kurayami sat down in the chair on the opposite side of the desk as he said, "I have several lower demons available, and I just acquired a greater demon for the main event." The ninth ranked hero excitedly smacked the table as he said, "The final fight of the night is going to be worth every cent we charge these nobles. A Vice-Captain versus a Greater Demon is absolute cinema." As he finished speaking he pulled out a manila envelope from the desk with papers inside it with all of the details of the event. He tossed it over to Kurayami before continuing, "As usual, I have included the location of y'alls payment. I don't understand why you wouldn't want a cut of the money, but to each there own. That group of villagers are pathetic and are generally unprotected. Easy to get the drop on them."
A sharp knock on the door suddenly interrupted their conversation as Hina's muffled voice on the other side said, "Master, I am sorry to interrupt, but we have a problem." Kurayami quickly got up and swung the door open as he angrily said, "Where have you been? You were supposed to meet with me two days ago." She fell to her knees as she bowed to him while apologetically saying, "I am sorry sir. I can explain everything, but I don't think it is best to do it here." Goman had made his way over to the door and smiled as he said, "I knew we were missing something in our meeting. I would have loved her fine ass standing there looking beautiful for us why we discussed our business." Kurayami grabbed her arm and picked her up while saying, "If we are done here Goman, I have other matters to attend to."
The ninth ranked hero pushed his way past the demon general and waved goodbye as he walked away while saying, "I am good to adjourn our little meeting Kuri. I have a woman to tend to as well. See you again in a few weeks in Shinjitsu." Hina rolled her eyes as she watched him walk away while saying under her breath, "What a pig." Kurayami nodded as he said, "Agreed." They quickly exited the suite and took the elevator back down to the lobby. As they left the hotel Belgrano, the third rank demon general finally asked, "Where is Denki? What delayed you two?" She nervously started to play with her hair as they made their way across the city into the slums. Kurayami was growing frustrated as she remained silent as he angrily said, "Are you really ignoring me Hina?" She quickly shook her head no before looking around. There was a couple people out on the streets, so she pulled him into a side alley before leaning in and whispering, "Denki is dead master."
Kurayami grabbed her by her throat lifting her slightly off the ground as he slowly said, "What do you mean he is dead." She grabbed his arm as she struggled to say, "I.. Don't know… I found him… After Ryu's friends.. Came.. through the portal… In Unemi." The third rank demon general gave her neck a brief squeeze before dropping her to the dirt. As he glared down at her coughing and trying to breathe again, he callously said, "Take me to his body." She nodded as she got back to her feet. Several minutes went by as they continued down several streets till they were almost on the edge of the slums. An old, abandoned warehouse stood in front of them as she came to a stop at a side entrance to the place. It seemed that at one point in time it had been a textile factory, but it had long since been forgotten. As she pushed the rusted door open, a loud metallic creak echoed off of the empty walls.. Kurayami swiftly entered and came to a momentary stop as he looked toward the middle of the room.
Denki's lifeless body lay on an empty table as slits of moonlight shined down upon it through holes in the roof. The third rank demon general briskly continued walking over to his subordinates motionless corpse before coming to a stop again. Hina anxiously stared at him unsure of what he was going to do. Several silent minutes went by before Kurayami suddenly whispered to himself, "Blaze." The fifth rank demon captain's body and the table it lay on were quickly engulfed in a black fireball. In mere seconds, nothing remained of Denki but a pile of ashes on the ground. The third rank demon general swiftly turned around and stormed out of the building while callously telling Hina, "We have to make sure to make Ryu and his comrades suffer dearly for this." She nodded as they left the building and disappeared into the night.
A sharp knock on Ryu's hotel door suddenly woke him up from his slumber. He was certain it was the scout as he quickly got up and made his way over to the entrance. As he opened it, he found nobody standing outside. He stepped out into the hallway and looked both ways. There was no one down either side of the corridor as he confusingly ran his hand through his hair. As he turned to go back into his room, he almost bumped into a masked person standing in his doorway. They were a little shorter then him and very scrawny. Their eleven ears were pointing up into the air outside of their facial covering, and their outfit was very peculiar. Their top closely resembled a poncho while their pants looked like a pair of harem pants. The interesting thing about the entire getup was how it shimmered and appeared see through. It lacked a specific color as the scout started to pull their mask off.
He was slightly surprised by their grey skin as he realized they were a guy. The scout shook his head as he ruffled his shaggy black hair before extending his hand toward Ryu. His amber eyes gently stared at him as he smiled and quietly said, "My name is Adam sir. Your highness told me to meet you here. I am sorry if I scared you." Ryu shook his head as he firmly grabbed his hand while saying, "No apologies needed. It is nice to meet you. My name is Ryu. Can I ask you a question?" Adam nodded as he stood to the side, so Ryu could come back inside. He quickly shut the door as Ryu said, "How the heck did you pull that magic trick off just now?" Adam quietly chuckled to himself before saying, "These outfits are made from a special material with a very high-level enchantment on them. Essentially, you channel your magic through it, and it becomes see through. It takes a Stealth ability that is level eighty-five or higher with a Magic Control skill that is seventy or higher to fully master the power of this outfit."
Ryu could not believe it as he opened the box Adam had placed on his bed when he had stealthily entered his room. He was a little shocked when he saw the base color of the clothing was a shimmering white. As he pulled it out and held it up, he said, "That is unfortunate. My stealth ability is in the mid-fifties, but my control is close though. I am level sixty-six in that skill. Will it stop be from being able to wear this tonight?" Adam shook his head no as he said, "You will just need to maintain your focus more to ensure you don't accidentally shimmer and give away your location." As Ryu quickly changed into the outfit, he continued to listen, "It is also important you know that a clear mind and steady cycle of magic through the gear is what helps regulate your magical presence, so people don't sense you near them." Ryu nodded as he channeled his mana into the outfit. His outfit quickly became see through as he happily admired himself.
Adam grinned as he pulled his mask back up while saying, "You're a natural sir." He swiftly turned to the door and grabbed the handle before pausing as he continued, "I almost forgot, Hakushiki is about to depart from his dinner with Jax at Azules del Norte in the food district of town. Good hunting sir." He quickly exited the room as Ryu hurriedly got ready. As he strapped his holster with his blade around his waist under his outfit, he departed from his room. He speedily navigated his way through the city as he came to a stop on top of a building opposite of the restaurant the vice-captain was dining at with Jax. He patiently waited in the shadows casted by the nearby buildings as the sun descended from the sky. Several minutes went by before Hakushiki walked out of the entrance with Jax.
Ryu watched as they briefly hugged before going their separate ways on the street. As he followed the vice-captain, he was a little surprised by how casually he sauntered down the road. Hakushiki did not look the least bit nervous considering he was heading to an illegal underground fighting ring where there was a chance he could die in his battle. A short time passed before they entered the noble district where the buildings were separated apart further. To avoid detection by using magic, Ryu leapt down from the roof he was on. He decided it was wiser to follow the vice-captain on the street, but he would need to be careful not to get to close to him. If he alerted Hakushiki of his presence before he had led him to the fight location, his mission would be a complete failure. Ryu continued to shadow the vice-captain until he came to a stop at a gated mansion. The property was vast and by far the biggest house on the street as the sun disappeared from the sky. Hakushiki suddenly sneezed as he pulled his hood up and rubbed his hands together to try to warm them up before pushing the archway open.
Ryu shook his head as he tried not to laugh at the vice-captain. It was basically spring in the capital and why it could get a little windy, it was rather nice out now. He quickly made his way over to the gate as he watched Hakushiki head toward a shed to the left of the house. The vice-captain waved to the guards at the front door of the mansion who nodded back as they continued working on checking in guests. They seemed unconcerned with where he was heading, so Ryu was certain he must be entering to an alternative entrance to the arena. To avoid detection, he climbed over the wall and quickly ran to the shed as he remained laser focused on maintaining his magic control to keep his gear from giving him away. He looked around to check if anyone was watching the shack before swiftly entering. He gently closed the door behind himself before turning around to check out the inside of the place.
The space was not very large as he noticed some gardening gear on some shelves to his left. On his right, there was a few more shelves with various tools on them. A bunch of hay bales lined the back wall as he started to try to figure out where Hakushiki had gone from here. There was no other entrance to the shed besides the one he had just come through, so that had to mean there was a secret passage. As he carefully rummaged through the various shelves, he was struggling to find a switch to reveal the hidden path. There was nothing out of the ordinary as he stepped back and put his hands on his hips in frustration. The door behind him suddenly started to push open as he barely avoided getting hit in the back with it. As he stood off to the side against the wall, he watched as three people entered. Two of them were human while the other one was an orc. They all appeared to be fighters judging by their physique. The two guys were a little shorter then him, but the orc towered over all of them.
They were in a middle of a conversation as they came in as Ryu listened to the gentleman closest to him with short spiked black hair with frosted tips as he said, "Did you guys see the boss got Hakushiki for the main event." The bulky orc with shaggy red hair and black roots nodded while excitedly saying, "I heard he is undefeated, and his technique is impeccable." The last guy with short, slicked back chocolate hair and a sleeve tattoo of some woman raised his hand out in front of himself. He casted an illumination spell called Radiate as a ball of white light rose above them. A staircase heading downward suddenly appeared as the ground disappeared. They started walking down it as the guy with the brown hair said, "We will have to make sure to catch the vice-captains fight later tonight. It shouldn't last long. I heard he finishes all of his opponents in the first round." Ryu quickly followed them down as the light spell dissipated away sealing the entrance behind him.
About five minutes went by as the staircase turned into a narrow hallway that eventually opened up into a ginormous atrium. Music was blasting and there was multiple different lights flashing around the area. The place was packed with people waiting for the fights to start. A large square arena was in the middle of the stadium with two gates opposite of each other. The walls around it rose several feet into the air to the first row of seats. As Ryu looked around, he noticed the place was heavily secured. There was guards positioned every few feet watching the crowd while an army of waiters moved in and out serving people. As he looked toward the opposite wall, he saw a giant black pane of glass on the wall overlooking the arena. He was certain that it was some kind of V.I.P. box. The glass was not see through from this side probably to protect the people watching behind it from being recognized at an illegal event by the crowd.
He decided to start making his way over there when the lights suddenly cut off as several of the normal fixtures turned to illuminate the arena. A stylish older gentleman was in the middle of the battle ground as he loudly said, "Ladies and Gentlemen, we have our first fighters chomping at the bit ready to entertain y'all tonight. Let's make some noise for them!" The atrium erupted into cheers as everyone excitedly waited for the card to begin. As the noise died down, the man continued, "Then without further ado, let's introduce our contenders!" The gate on the right started to rise into the air as the commentator motioned with his arm and said, "Fighting out of the west corner is an elf that has a record of fifteen wins with nine by knockout and two losses. Introducing Luciano 'The Bright One' Luna." The crowd ignited once again as a muscular thin man came out of the tunnel. He had long flowing blonde hair as he pumped his arms upwards encouraging the crowd to get even louder as he made his way next to the announcer.
They exchanged a quick fist bump before his voice drowned out the cheering as he motioned to the other side while saying, "Fighting out of the east corner is a beast folk of the lion clan with a record of twenty-eight wins with twenty-four by knockout and one loss. Introducing Leon 'The Brawler' Feo." A shirtless man walked out with a dark golden mane and two fangs protruding from his mouth. He was double the size of his opponent as he let out a thunderous roar that momentarily silenced the crowd. As he finished, he leapt across the space between him and the commentary as everybody watching erupted back into cheering. The roof was ready to blow on the place as Ryu neared the door. They had two guards standing next to it preventing him from entering without being noticed. He would have to wait nearby for a high roller to show up, so he could tail them inside to the V.I.P. area. The commentary's suave voice suddenly cut through the cheering as he energetically said, "Remember fighters, this a three-round bout with each round lasting five minutes. The fight is over if you are knocked unconscious, submit to your opponent, or die. If by some miracle we get to the end of the third round, the decision will be decided by our gracious organizer. Are you both ready!?"
They nodded as the announcer quickly retreated back into one of the tunnels. As the gates closed, the lights flashed red soaking the field in the hue before going back to normal. Ryu was confused as everyone started stomping the ground in the stadium. The lights changed briefly once again as everyone began to hum the letter 'a' like they were about to say something. This time the lights blinked green as every single person in the place yelled, "Avanti!" The two fighters started to rapidly move in the arena as the eleven warrior retreated from the beast man. He was using magic to attack and move as the lion continued to advance toward him determined to close the gap between them. Ryu could tell instantly why Leon was known as 'The Brawler'. He was using basic spells to defend himself and was almost purely relying on his strength to protect himself. His reflexes were insane though. They were helping him compensate for his magical deficiency as he weaved past fireballs, ice shards, and wind slashes. Every spell that Luciano missed, smashed straight into what looked like an indestructible magical barrier protecting the people outside of the field.
The relentless action only fueled the crowd's excitement as they continued to cheer the two fighters on. As the round neared its end, Luna started to slow down allowing Feo to finally get his hands on him. He suddenly grabbed his ankle as he was leaping in the air. He violently slammed the eleven warrior into the ground on his back so hard that he bounced slightly back off of it. The lion was lightning fast as he punched him in the chest knocking him flat into the dirt. Luciano quickly covered up as he used barriers to soften the rain of strikes flowing down upon him. He was close to being finished as a loud bell rung three times. Leon suddenly stopped and walked away to his corner pumping his arms upward encouraging the crowd to get even louder. Luciano struggled to get up as he staggered back to his side. As they neared their gates, a person came running out of both tunnels with a towel, a chair, and a bucket that had a bottle of water and a bag of ice in it.
Ryu watched as both fighters appeared to be getting advice from the individuals that came out. Only a minute or two went by before the lights flashed blue signaling the fighters to meet back in the middle, and the coaches to get out of the arena. Luna had multiple bruises on his body, arms, and face, but he stood ready for round two to begin as blood dripped off of a cut on the side of his brow. Feo still looked fresh and confident as the lights turned green. The second stage started similar to the first as Luciano retreated, but he was not wasting his magic like he did in the first round. It appeared he was setting something up as he continued to evade the grasp of Leon. He suddenly came to a stop near the center of the stadium as he yelled, "Divine Intervention!" A brilliant white light shot down from the roof encasing Luna just as Feo swung his claws toward him. The glow deflected his hand, knocking him backwards through the air. He quickly contorted his body in the sky to gracefully land back on his feet as the light shimmered away.
Luciano was now clad from head to toe in golden armor. His helmet was designed to look like it had wings on each side. Below his neck, he had a pair of braces on his arms and a chest plate to match. His thighs and shins were shielded as well by his surprisingly new gear. He was holding a golden beam of light shaped into a sword in one hand with a buckler in the other. A guy a few feet away from Ryu started to yell to his friend, "No fricking way! That is his ultimate move. Nobody has beaten him once he commits all his magic to the divine." Luna was suddenly blindingly fast as he shot toward Feo slamming his shield into him. Leon was quick enough to get his arms up as he rocketed into the far wall. The barrier stopped him protecting the boundary from damage as Luciano appeared in front of him. He swung his sword downward toward the lion's head. Feo swiftly knocked the eleven warriors blade into the ground with a powerful backhand. Luna was briefly frozen from the jarring impact as Leon rolled his whole body to the side and fired a vicious kick into his ribs.
The eleven warrior was sent skidding across the ground as Ryu watched on slightly excited to see a good fight unfolding. Luciano was fast to get back to his feet as Feo exploded through the dust. His right claw was fast approaching Luna's neck, but he was wise to the attack as his left arm shot up with his shield and blocked it. Luciano swiftly changed his light beam to encase his entire arm as he rocketed his fist into Leon's liver leaving a slight burn on his skin. The beast man staggered backwards as he tried to recover, but Luna quickly followed up his first shot with a big hook that landed flush on Feo's chin sending him to the ground. Leon was fast to cover up as Luciano started to rain bombs down on him. The elf was smartly switching his striking up as he attacked the exposed body of his covered opponent before throwing a shot up top. Leon tried to fight back by launching an up kick toward his head, but it just missed allowing Luciano to dive into his guard. His fist slammed into Feo's nose viciously knocking his head backwards into the dirt.
The crowd was going wild as Luciano stopped himself and stood back up. Leon was out cold on the ground as Luna raised his arms up into the air and started to pump them upward encouraging everyone to cheer even louder. The gates rose as a group of people ran out from the east corner with patches on their shirts of a red circle with a white cross in the middle of it. They appeared to be medical personnel as they started to tend to Leon on the ground. They quickly moved him out of the arena as the commentor raced out next to Luciano. He grabbed his wrist as he raised his arm into the air while saying, "We have our winner ladies and gentlemen!" Luna flexed for the crowd and blew kisses as he strolled out of the arena while the announcer started to read out the fighters for the next battle. Ryu patiently waited several more fights before two individuals in cloaks made their way toward the guarded door. He swiftly moved in closer as they opened the entrance for the two hidden figures. They both briskly entered catching Ryu by surprise as he barely snuck inside before the door was shut again.
It was a brief ascension up a staircase before they were in a lavish suite. Ryu quickly recognized several members of nobility in attendance as he continued to follow the two mystery guests in front of him. Everyone was laughing and partying as they watched the fights below. The women inside the area were all scandalously dressed as they walked around serving the guests in the suite. He grew angry as he watched the nobles grope and abuse their position of power to make them do degrading things for them. He noticed they all had the same black chocker tattoo on their necks, but he was unsure what it meant as he moved toward the wall. As the two cloaked individuals came to a stop near a beast person attentively watching the action below, they started to remove their hoods.
Ryu could never have guessed the person under the cape was Kurayami as he stood in front of him. His hatred briefly overwhelmed him turning his eyes red and causing his gear to shimmer for a second. He quickly regained control of his emotions and magical flow as the person next to Kurayami glanced over at him. He had snow white hair with pointy curtain bangs hanging down to his temples, and very pale skin. He looked like a young adult male with a slender build and sharp facial features. His pink eyes stared right through Ryu for several seconds before the beast person in between them leapt to his feet as he disappointingly said, "Aw, Bloody hell!" He turned to the demon general as he ripped up a piece of paper in his hands while continuing, "My parlay is ruined Kuri." Ryu had to stop himself from giggling as Kurayami frustratingly said, "That is not my name Goman, so stop calling me that." The beast man waved it off as he poured himself a glass of champagne. Noburu suddenly walked right past Ryu almost touching him as he came up next to Goman while rudely saying, "Have some respect for our guest ape." The beast man instantly crushed the glass in his hand as he quipped back, "Watch your tongue vampire. I'm not afraid to challenge you for your spot. I heard you got your ass handed to you by some punk nobody kid, so I am sure it would be rather easy for me to beat you."
The suite grew quiet as everyone anxiously stared at them inches away from each other's face. Kurayami sighed in frustration before stepping between them while saying, "You two are causing a scene. Let's just take a breather. We are all on the same side here." Goman started laughing as he stepped away. As he plopped back down in his seat, he said, "You're right Kuri. We have our main event next. What's the word on the greater demon you provided us?" Kurayami stopped himself from snapping on the beast man as he said, "He refused to serve the Demon Lord, so this is his punishment. Taira is strong, but he could easily be dispatched by a capable vice-captain." Noburu smiled one of the creepiest grins Ryu had ever seen as he happily said, "Then this fight should be a blood bath because Hakushiki is more than capable of eviscerating such a weakling." The demon next to Kurayami suddenly raised his arm out from underneath his cloak briefly flashing what appeared to be a revolver on his hip as he pointed directly at where Ryu was standing while saying, "Someone is watching us right there."
Meanwhile down below, the commentator was announcing the last fight of the night. The crowd was in a frenzy as his voice came over the speaker, and he said, "Fighting out of the East corner is a greater demon making his debut fight tonight in the arena. Introducing Taira!" The accursed reluctantly walked out of the tunnel as the crowd furiously booed him. He had a black choker tattoo around his neck and was shirtless. He looked like an adult male in his late twenties, and while he appeared to be on the scrawny side, he was clearly fit. His black mullet bounced with every step between his curled back dark horns as his red skin glistened under the light. His red eyes anxiously stared at the other gate as he awaited to hear his opponent's name. The commentator motioned with his arms for the crowd to quiet down before saying, "Fighting out of the West corner is a champion fighter with a record of fifty-two wins and zero losses. He has finished every single one of his opponents. Introducing Hakushiki "The Executioner" Soga!" The vice-captain casually walked out of the tunnel as the place erupted in cheering. He suddenly sneezed as he neared the two of them in the middle of the arena causing his glasses to slide slightly down his nose.
As he pushed them back up his face, his piercing eyes stared right at Taira as he callously said, "Nobody will recognize you again once I am done with you filthy demon scum." Taira broke into a cold sweat as he gulped. He could tell that the fairy in front of him confidently believed what he had just said to him. He could sense the magic leaking out of him from his suppression and was able to tell he had tremendous power. He did not know whether he should try to flee or fight him as he stood there frozen. The commentator suddenly smacked him on the arm while saying, "Hey, demon. Don't start fighting till the lights flash green above. You understand?" Taira nodded as the old human ran away back to the tunnel he had come out of earlier. As the fixtures blinked red, Kurayami, Noburu, and Goman all turned their eyes to where Ryu was standing in the suite overlooking the stadium as the demon general excitedly said, "Good job finding him Uzu. I was starting to wonder if he had even been smart enough to follow the trail we had left him." Noburu started to eerily giggle to himself while saying, "The little marionette continues his dance for us it seems." Goman was confused as he said, "What are you blokes talking about it? There is no one there."
Ryu quickly drew his blade and casted Aethereal Flames on it as he lunged toward Kurayami. The fire engulfing the dagger gave his position away to everyone immediately, but he had caught them all by surprise and was certain to strike the demon general before anyone could stop him. A portal suddenly appeared inches in front of Kurayami as Ryu flew through it. Everything started to twist and bend for him as he travelled within the rift till he was abruptly ejected from it. He was sent careening through the air right into Hakushiki down in the arena below. They both went tumbling across the ground as they came to a stop in heap on the floor. The crowd was shocked as the cheering abruptly stopped as everyone tried to figure out what had just happened.
Taira was on the ground propped up on his elbow with several cuts across his body. He was covered in his black blood, and his right eye was swollen shut. He quickly scrambled back to his feet as he stared into the cloud of dissipating dust. Inside the haze, Hakushiki shoved Ryu off of him confused on how someone just launched into him out of thin air. As the vice-captain got back to his feet, he immediately recognized the gear as it spastically shimmered before shortening out and turning white. Ryu swiftly sheathed his blade as he got up off of the ground just as Hakushiki grabbed his arm and sternly said, "Who are you?" A loud alarm suddenly started blaring across the sound system as someone came over a megaphone saying, "This is the Shinjitsu Guard. Everyone surrender and walk out calmly and peacefully. This event is being shut down. Resistance is futile and will be meet with severe punishment or death." The entire arena quickly descended into chaos as several people in the crowd started to fight the soldiers as everyone attempted to flee.
A giant fireball suddenly smashed into the ceiling blasting a hole in it causing the sound system and light fixtures to rain down from the sky. Hakushiki reacted quickly and used his wind magic to collect all of the falling pieces. As he flung the debris into one of the side walls, the first row collapsed downward into the arena. The powerful gust knocked Ryu's hood off revealing his face to Hakushiki who was shocked to see him as he said, "What are you doing here?" Taira could not believe his luck as he quickly leapt into the air escaping through the hole in the roof. Hakushiki saw him fleeing as he angrily stared at Ryu who yanked his arm back while saying, "I could ask you the same thing, but I think it is more important we get out of here." The vice-captain frustratingly nodded as he turned toward his tunnel and said, "We will continue this conversation later." He suddenly shot across the field back down the tunnel as Ryu leapt into the air. He swiftly used his wind magic to carry him back up to the surface.
As soon as his feet hit the ground on the surface, a group of guards near the entrance gate saw him and yelled, "Stop right there!" He quickly turned the opposite way and disappeared into the shadows as he fled the scene. He continued to avoid detection as he left the city all together and headed back to the inn. He finally emerged from the darkness at the entrance to the hot springs lodge. As he looked at his gear, it started to shimmer before becoming see through again. He was unsure of what had caused it to stop working, but he was relieved he had not broken it. He snuck back into the inn and kept himself hidden till he was in his room. He sighed in relief to be back as he quickly changed out of his outfit. As he sprawled out on his bed, he started to think about his accomplishments tonight. He had managed to confirm the identities of so many corrupt nobles. It was not much of a shocker to see that Noburu was one of the people working with the demons. The one they called Goman must have been someone powerful as well since the fourth rank hero was hesitant to fight him. He could only hope no one had seen his face when his hood had briefly come off as he dozed off to sleep exhausted from the eventful night.