The night was cold. All that she could see were illuminated only by the red lights of the factory and the almost unearthly glow that shone from the water, a reflection of the factory complex she was currently inside. There was no life around her, only the hum of machinery.

Her boots clacked against the concrete floor as she walked. Not exactly inside the complex, but instead walking along its outer boundary, she stopped. A chill in the air made her long red coat billow in the air, accompanying her similarly red, fiery hair. Sharp green eyes, however, kept focused on what was ahead of her. A single crate, one among dozens, was in front of her.

"Is this the one?" she asked.

"Absolutely."

The second voice was feminine and sounded like it had come from a young, rather haughty child. It also had no visible source, but that did not disturb her in the slightest. Walking right up to the one crate out of dozen, the girl took a deep breath and drew her right arm back.

Then, with a small shout, she struck the crate with enough force with her fist that the area around her blew back, bringing up a fine layer of smoke and dust.

The girl stood there, not moving, her fist still outstretched with barely a mark. Then, something within the smoke stirred.

A robotic whirring began to sound from the smoke as blue humanoid robots emerged, each of them aiming what the girl recognized assault rifles right at her. Even with those lethal weapons aimed right for her heart, she did not falter. Releasing something in the sleeves of her long coat, two silver, metallic tonfa weapons fell into her waiting grasp.

In the span of the androids merely pressing the triggers of their weapons, the girl leaped into the air. The bullets whizzed harmlessly underneath her feet as she flipped forward in the air, landing right in the midst of the half a dozen robots trying to kill her.

Smashing one with the back of her right tonfa, she spun her left one to knock the rifle of another android out of its hands before rearing forward and smashing it right in its face with her right again. One by one, as the androids tried to turn to face her she dispatched them with quick, two hit combinations. Dented, electrical parts clearly smashed beyond recognition, the robots fell to the ground.

And yet, even as they fell, they got up. It was something no programmer would possibly be able to explain. With the internal hardware no nothing but rattling piles of silicon and copper, there was no command, no system to direct them to get up. And yet, they still did.

"It looks like they're being controlled by the Horror." the voice with no source said. "You'll have to force it out and kill it to end this."

"But which one is it?" the girl asked even as she smacked another robot down for the third time. "There seems to be no end to them-!"

Then, her tonfas hit a robot it did not seem to have hit before. Rather than being dented, this robot kept its shape. Its armor did not break. Instead, it simply flew back and bounced on the floor like a kicked trash can. As it bounced, the other robots collapsed, either falling right to the ground or just giving up on their process of standing back up.

"There, that's the one!" the voice called out.

The robot staggered up, its eye lights dimming before vanishing into nothing but empty holes. It dropped its rifle and its hands began to form into sharp claws. Metal deformed and no longer cared for the aesthetics of the original design, forming something bestial. Monstrous.

"Makai... Knight..." it spoke out in an electric, screeching tone. Then, with unprecedented speed, far beyond the robot's specifications, it charged at the girl.

The girl ducked to avoid a swipe of its claws and struck with her tonfas, spinning them in her grasp to strike at its eyes only to find herself blocked by its other arm. Flipping back, she kicked up with her legs to throw the robot horror's arms to the side and open up its main body for assault, an opportunity she took advantage of when she delivered three quick, successive strikes to its central body.

Metal and electronics flew out of it and a black smoke began to hiss from the robot as it turned right towards the girl again.

"Makai... knight...! E-LIMINATE!"

The fallen bodies of other robots began to shake where they laid. Then, they flew right towards the horror within the robot, combining with it. Their bodies formed scrap and wreckage until it formed one large amalgamation, a blue ogre of steel and wire. None of its parts were glowing, and instead two empty holes existed where its eyes were.

Raising a large fist, the giant struck at the now much smaller girl. However, instead of running or avoiding the strike, the girl raised her tonfas into the night sky.

The fist struck, and dust filled the air.

What walked out of the dusk was a beast in human form. A wolf in the guise of jade green metal armor. What little red light there was reflected upon its shining form. Even within the darkness, two blue orbs from the wolf's eyes shone, piercing the darkness that threatened to engulf their battle. As it walked forward, a long, silver trident gleamed in its hands. Inscriptions ran up and down the shaft of the trident.

The knight slowly walked towards the robotic horror. The horror screeched as it saw the approaching Makai Knight – the approaching doom. Like a boar cornered by wolves, it began to roar and lash in defiance of its imminent demise.

"SILVER TRIDENT... CONTRADITION: FEMALE, MAKAI KNIGHT... STATEMENT: YOU ARE JADE! STATEMENT: YOU ARE NOT A MAKAI KNIGHT! STATEMENT: YOU WILL DIE!"

An hourglass spun, and a countdown from 99 seconds began.

"The Horror Terrorbite is one that likes to infect man-made systems and objects. Long ago, it used to reside in puppets. I guess you could say robots are just another form of puppet." the voice, now speaking from almost inside the armor, explained. "There is nothing special about it – Do your duty as a knight and eliminate it, Hayate!"

The wolf in knightly form did not even reply as she leaped into the air. Spinning the trident above her head, she easily slashed aside two mountains of steel and wire that had risen up from the pile of scrap that formed the body of the horror in a futile attempt to strike her down.

Jabbing the trident right into the monster's head, the canine knight brought it down, driving a gash right down through the monster's gargantuan body. The monster gave out a metallic roar, a screech as if steel and metal were being crushed under a compressor. The knight drew back her trident as she landed, then leaped forward once more.

The knight gave a battle cry as she jabbed the trident right into the monster's center.

The horror's screech only intensified before it finally stopped, echoing into the night. The pile of scraps began to have some parts of it dissolve while the rest began falling down like a building with its foundations suddenly removed. Hardware fragments, snapped wires and steel frame fell down around the knight, but she did not move, staying her her stance,waiting for the last bits to fall around her...

Hayate stood among the wreckage, brushing off her long-coat, tonfas returned to their sheathes underneath the sleeves of her coat. Raising her right arm, she brushed her long hair back, revealing a gray hairpin with an unsettling face as its pattern.

"Well," the hairpin spoke, "That's the end of that. All that's left is to report back to the Watchdog."

"Right." Hayate nodded. She turned to leave, her coat beginning to flutter in the wind again -

Then, suddenly, an alarm ran throughout the facility she was right next to.

Snapping her head high, Hayate was alert. Already exhausted, she wasn't sure if she could handle another incident so soon. "Pochiba, what's going on!?"

"That alarm's coming from the factory!" the hairpin spoke. "We need to get out of here!"

A slight sigh of frustration escaped the girl's lips as she began to run, finding the closest alleys she could find to slip into and disappear.

"Ugh, what's even causing that ruckus?" she asked as she continued to run down the alleys. "Did the battle just now trip an alarm?"

"Hardly." Pochiba replied. "If I had to guess, whatever caused it is unrelated – maybe a bunch of thieves trying to steal some parts."

"From a facility guarded by gun wielding robots?" Hayate retorted as she finally came to a dockside and stopped to catch her breath, knowing she was safe. Turning back towards the factory, she let out a second, more open sigh . "Who could even be that stupid?"

"Who knows?" Pochiba shrugged. "Who knows how stupid humans can be?"

There was only silence.

"...Hey, Hayate, are you listening!?"

Hayate only shushed her. Squinting her eyes, she looked into the night, near the roof of the factory.

"...four figures. Jumping on the roofs." she reported. "Are they... priests?"

"I doubt it." Pochiba scoffed. "Who'd want to volunteer to serve in the district of a no-good tradition-breaking knight like you? Maybe they're those allies of justice that the townsfolk are talking about lately."

"What makes you think that?" she asked, not even responding to the jab at her.

"If that factory's been up to no good, I can see why Terrorbyte would be attracted to it." Pochiba explained. "And if it was up to no good, then wouldn't it make sense for heroes of justice to be there?"

"...you don't sound very approving."

"It's not a matter of approving or not. I just don't care. Silly humans can do silly little things without knowing how much danger they're really in. Just how close darkness can encroach." Pochiba gave a large, exaggerated yawn. "Come on, Hayate, hup-to. There's school tomorrow – the first day of your last year. You wouldn't want to disappoint your father by sleeping through it, right?"

"I guess you're right." Hayate nodded, turning away to begin the slow walk home. "What happens in the human world is none of our business."

But as she walked away, she gave one last look to the now peaceful, empty skyline of the factory.

Where there is light, shadows lurk and fear reigns. Yet by the blade of knights, mankind was given hope.

A GARO/Release the SPYCE fan fiction story

JADE: Reflection of the Moonlight

Hayate Hirasaka liked going to school.

When her father first informed her that he would only break tradition and allow her to become a Makai Knight if she would go to school like other children her age, she considered it a chore. An annoyance. Just a meaningless hurdle to her taking up her father's armor. She had already gone all the way to the high school curriculum without even setting foot in a classroom; what point was there in going now, she had argued? However, over time, the idea of going to school began to grow on her. She enjoyed being able to be near others her age. To be able to be a regular teenager. They became bright points in her life as she began to immerse herself into training. As her father called it, they were almost like breathing points for a swimmer, moments to learn just what she was treasuring and training to protect.

As such, as she put on the uniform of Sorasaki high school, she had a smile on as the sunlight flooded into her room. Mostly pure white with simple, functional furniture, Hayate found little use for luxuries or colorful design. There was, however, one exception on a counter-top near the door.

Straightening her uniform, she walked over towards the counter-top – and the shrine set up above it. It was a memorial shrine, not unlike the Buddhist altars other Japanese households would have. However, instead of Buddhist ornaments and symbols, this one was adorned with the words and prayers of the Makai Order.

The picture in the center of the altar was that of a smiling woman. Long, waist length red hair was tied back in a ponytail and blue eyes showed gentleness frozen in an image of a single snapshot.

Putting her hands together in prayer, Hayate stood still for a moment.

"I'm heading off, mother." she said softly. "Please take care of dad for me."

Picking up her bag, she stopped at the door to pick up something from a silver, ornate stand. The hairpin buried itself smoothly into her hair before letting out a small sigh.

"You know," Pochiba said softly, "You look just like her. You're the splitting image of your mother, if only your eyes were blue."

"You only remind me everyday." Hayate said as she put her shoes on. Opening the door, she stepped outside and glanced at the skyline of Sorasaki city from the balcony hall of her apartment complex. The sky was blue, the air was clean and it seemed like not a single spec of darkness had befallen the town she protected.

"Alright," she said as a smile returned to her face. "Let's get going!"

"What about breakfast?" Pochiba asked.

"We'll stop by Alice's place." Hayate replied as she began skipping down the stairs, two steps at a time. "We've got to report on Terrorbite's hunt too!"

"W-wait, slow down!" Pochiba protested to no avail. "At least go down the steps normally! Seriously, what kind of Makai Knight acts like an excited child..."

The cafe she had entered was on the edge of the shopping district. Brick walls and European trappings gave the cafe a feeling of antiquity and class. The sign on the wooden door simply said "Cafe Mondlicht". A bell on the door rang as Hayate made her way inside.

"Good Morning, my lady". Several tall young men – and women – dressed in the tailcoat costume of a butler bowed in her direction as she entered. One stepped forward and led her towards an oak table with a candle placed in the center. A leather bound menu was placed before her and she took the time to open it, pouring through each option with the focus of someone plotting their next course of action in chess.

"Our breakfast special this morning is a chocolate crepe served with whipped cream and an assortment of seasonal berries." the butler explained as he began pouring tea into a teacup. As he placed it on the table, he continued. "If you would so inclined, we may ask the chef to prepare it for you immediately."

"Right, make it so!" Hayate responded cheerily, snapping the leather menu shut and handing it off to him.

"At once, my lady." the butler bowed before walking off. While it was early in the morning, the proximity of the establishment to the shopping district made it a popular – if not somewhat unconventional - destination for the store-owners of the various stores to have something to eat. She could see some of them inside already, with one older lady fawning over the butler serving her and comparing him to her grandson.

"My lady," another butler said as he came up to her table, "Please pardon the interruption, but the majordomo would like to speak to you."

"Oh, right." Hayate snapped out of her observations as she responded. Clearing her throat, she began to straighten out some nonexistent wrinkles out of her uniform as the owner of the cafe approached.

She was tall and handsome, wearing the same tail coat as the rest of her employees with the exception of golden embroidery on her jacket. The embroidery formed the pattern of a howling wolf. Short cut lavender hair ended above cool, purple eyes.

The owner sat down in the table across from Hayate. With a snap of her fingers, two of her employees closed a curtain around their table, blocking out their view – and sound as well.

"Miss Alice," Hayate nodded, "Good morning."

"Good morning to you too, Hayate." the owner, or Alice, smiled. "How is my favorite Makai Knight doing?"

"We both know that she's the ONLY Makai Knight you service, Alice." Pochiba interjected. "Stop trying to talk like that; it's creepy for a watchdog!"

"Nice to see you too, Pochiba!" Alice fawned as she reached into Hayate's hair. Without Hayate's resistance, Alice easily plucked the Madou tool from its place and began rubbing it with her gloved finger. "I see you're just as childish and bratty as usual!"

"I am NOT childish and bratty!" Pochiba protested. "I am an ancient tool that has served the Hirasaka family of knights for generations; I deserve more respect – hey! Hey stop! I smudge easily! Hayate help! Save me from this depraved woman's dirtying clutches!"

Hayate could only let out a small chuckle as she watched the antics of the watchdog and the Madou tool before looking at her watch.

"Sorry to cut this short, but I have to go soon. Can we make this quick, Miss Alice?"

"Why of course!" she placed Pochiba back onto the table, and Hayate picked up the now crying and sniffling tool, placing it back in her hair where it belonged. "Now, tell me how the hunt last night went."

"It was definitely Terrorbite." Hayate nodded. "There was no doubt. It hid in human made machinery and used artificial materials to regenerate itself. Why do you ask?"

Alice thought about how to answer the question for a moment before continuing.

"Yesterday, a knight in Vietnam reported the successful extermination of a Terrorbite." she explained. "And a week ago, an extermination order for Terrorbite was issued in America. Three times."

The information made Hayate pause.

"That's impossible." Pochiba responded. "A Horror can't escape a seal quickly. These reports have to be wrong -"

"Those reports were verified by the watchdogs of each area." Alice responded, hiding her mouth behind raised clasped hands. "They also examined the crystals extracted from their knights' swords. There was no doubt about it. Terrorbite appeared in America and Vietnam before appearing here. It somehow escaped."

"But that doesn't make sense." Hayate shook her head. "How did Terrorbite get around so quickly? Or reform so quickly?"

"There is one other explanation." Pochiba pitched, pausing for dramatic effect and making sure both the knight and watchdog had their attention on her before continuing. "There is more than one Terrorbite."

That idea made everyone in that space hesitate.

"Is... is that possible?" Hayate asked

"Not normally, no." Alice let out a tired sigh. "But I won't be able to get any other sort of information from the other watchdogs to find out just what's going on either. It's not like they'll talk to us-"

She stopped when she noticed Hayate's downward gaze and immediately backtracked.

"It's not your fault, you know." she consoled. "It's the rest of the Order that are bone-heads. Just because you're a girl, they ignore the fact you managed to master soul metal and don your father's armor. Honestly, I think it's because those old knights are afraid. Or maybe they're so used to other men they've gone gynophobic." she scoffed. "Maybe that's why a lot of Horrors take the shape of women. They know it internally scares Knights."

Hayate chuckled at the thought before shaking her head.

"But it doesn't change the fact you've done so much for me." she responded. "And by agreeing to let me serve this district, you've made so many enemies in the Order."

"Ah, I've never really been bothered." Alice waved her off. "What's important is that we've got a strong and determined knight protecting this city from Horrors! Who cares whether you're a boy or a girl?"

"The order does." Hayate answered. "The other knights do. The priests and priestesses do."

"And none of them matter. What matters is that you protect this town and you're good at it. Let them be jealous!" Alice answered. "Come on, Hayate. We can't keep doing this forever."

Suddenly, there was a gentle gut on the curtains around them, causing Hayate and Alice to turn.

"Please excuse the interruption milady, majordomo." one of the employees said as he entered with a slight bowing of his head. "I wished to inform milady that the food is prepared."

"Hang on, wait a moment." Hayate replied, with a nod from Alice.

"Understood. Please call us when ready." the butler nodded before disappearing behind the curtains again. When the curtains closed, Alice stood up.

"Well then, let's not make this take any more time. Hayate, your weapons please."

Hayate retrieved the tonfas from her sleeves and laid them out on the table. Alice clapped her hands and, despite the curtains being soundproofed, two of the employees brought in a large object with a cloth draped over it. Giving a silent bow, they left, closing the curtain once again.

Alice lifted the cloth off of the object, revealing a large stone object shaped like a wolf's head. Rather, there were two of these heads, both howling towards the ceiling and like a mirror image.

Hayate inserted her tonfas into the mouths of the wolves, then removed them. A hiss of smoke emanated from each mouth before a glowing ornate blade began to form above the monument. Alice took the blade with her gloved hand and examined it cautiously.

"...looks like this is the real deal. Congratulations, Hayate." Alice smiled before standing up. The two butlers from earlier placed the cloth back on the object and carried it out while two more opened the curtains.

"My goodness, look at the time!" she exclaimed as she stood up. "If you don't eat now, you'll be late for school!"

Hayate was about to protest when a butler placed the ordered crepe in front of her. All of her thoughts and questions vanished as a huge smile appeared on her face. With almost sparkling eyes, she cut off a piece of the crepe with her fork and brought it to the mouth.

Hayate would later insist that the other patrons definitely only imagined the squeal of delight she gave.

Sorasaki high school was a far contrast to any Makai architecture – which had also coincidentally been most of the architecture she had seen until she first laid eyes on the building. When she first saw the school, she thought it a massive monument to human excess. What kind of a school, after all, needed to be so large and have windowed walls?

But she found the light was comforting. She liked being surrounded by natural light even in the midst of a building. It was a far cry from the darkness that she was so used to lurking around in.

Sitting in the new classroom for her year, Hayate exchanged small conversation with her classmates. While she would definitely not claim to be a friend to any of them – how could she, when her own job was so dangerous and prone to attracting danger? - she enjoyed talking to them and exchanging information on how their time went.

"Seriously," Pochiba whispered into her ear, "I don't understand how you can stand talking to these kids all day."

"I'm a kid just like them too, Pochiba." Hayate whispered back. "It's only natural-"

"Hello!"

Hayate and Pochiba both stopped mid-sentence. The Makai Knight looked up from her desk to find a blonde girl with glasses standing over her with a smile on her face. She struggled to form a response from the sudden social frontal assault.

"Um, hi?"

"You're Hayate Hirasaka, right?" The girl asked, the smile not disappearing from her face. "We were in different classes last year so we didn't see each other much, but I'm so glad to get a chance to know you! My name is Hatsume Aoba!"

"Er... likewise. Hayate Hirasaka." Hayate responded, trying to match the girl's pace. It was not as if the girl was energetic or anything; perhaps it was the part where she was interrupted speaking to her tool that caught her off guard.

It was then that Hayate noticed another girl standing a bit behind her. She had blue hair tied back two tails, but the most glaring feature of her face was the scar that closed one of her eyelids. If Hayate had to guess, she most likely didn't have the eye that used to be underneath it anymore.

"Oh," Hatsume looked towards the blue haired girl as well. "That's Yuki. Yuki Hanzomon. Yuki, come say hi!"

Yuki gave Hayate a nod.

"Nice to meet you."

"She's not exactly the friendliest type, is she?" Pochiba whispered into Hayate's ear as Hayate nodded back, already wearing away the initial shock of the situation.

"Nice to meet you as well." She said, a small smile returning to her face. Yuki simply returned to her seat, leaving Pochiba to chuckle at Hayate's failed interaction.

"Please don't mind her; she's really picky about who she talks to." Hatsume apologized. "I don't think she meant to come off as rude either - anyways!"

She clasped her hands and the smile returned.

"I was hoping to get to know you better, Hayate! I haven't seen you around much but you always seem to be alone! Is there any chance you're free after school?"

Hayate considered her offer carefully for a moment.

"Wait, are you saying I'm a loner?"

"No, of course not!" Hatsume insisted. "But you don't seem like you have any close friends."

"Sorry," Hayate shook her head, "But I'm actually pretty busy after school most days. I've got a part time job and there's a lot of extra stuff I have to do."

Suddenly, there was a loud, accusing yell and and a pair of arms crashed into Hayate's back, wrapping themselves around Hayate's neck and clinging furiously.

"Hatsume, you can't steal Hayate!" the girl who clung to her spoke. "She has to be with the basketball club! Right Hayate!?"

"No fair! Cheater!" Another girl stood up in opposition. "Hayate needs to be with the soccer club!"

"Ha! As if! After what she pulled last year, Hirasaka should TOTALLY be in the judo club!" a third spoke. Soon, an argument among the class threatened to break out with a dozen or so sports and martial clubs arguing over who 'deserved' Hayate.

"Hey, why's everyone arguing over her?" Hayate could overhear one of her classmates asking her friend. "Is she good at sports or something?"

"Not just that, but she's also super strong! Last year, when a bunch of first year girls were being harassed by bikers, Hirasaka beat them up on her own!"

"Wow... she's that strong?"

"Yeah! I bet she can even take on Hanzomon too!"

"Not only that but she's got perfect grades and is a VIP at Cafe Mondlicht! She's like the perfect example of a modern refined lady!"

Hayate and Pochiba listened to the chatter for a while longer before the basketball team's representative turned her attention directly back on Hayate.

"So, Hayate, this year we're definitely getting you to join our team!"

And that was when she finally put the foot down.

"Sorry," she said a in a voice that was more than a little firm, "But I have commitments after school. I appreciate that all of you invited me but I really can't commit to a team. I wouldn't be able to show up half the time."

A chorus of groans rang around the class as most of them went back to whatever they were talking about a moment ago.

"Oh... that's too bad." Hatsume looked crestfallen for a moment. "But if you ever find some free time, feel free to come hang out with us! Yuki and I like to go to Wasabi; have you heard of it? It's a curry place!"

"I've passed it once or twice, yeah." Hayate confirmed. Just then, the bell rang, signaling the start of the school day.

"Oh, darn, we're out of time." Hatsume frowned. "I'll talk to you later, okay?"

"Of course." Hayate nodded as the teacher came in and the chatter ceased.

The light shined a warm glow into the classroom. The school day was over and Hayate was ready to leave.

With her bag slung over her shoulders, she walked through the halls as the orange red glow of sunset lit up the corridors. The day had been a good one. The new class was friendly, the material was as simple as ever and there was no emergency that required her to leave class.

"Hey, Pochiba?" Hayate asked as she walked, eyes still completely focused on the road ahead.

"Hmm?"

"Do I really look and feel like a loner?"

"Who knows?" Pochiba gave a noncommital answer. "As far as I'm concerned, you're the most social Makai Knight I've ever seen. Most Makai Knights definitely wouldn't go out and meet people like you do."

"Is this another sign I'm unfit?"

"Oh yeah – definitely." Pochiba replied, making Hayate stop in her tracks for a moment.

"Or at least that's what they'd tell you." Pochiba continued. "You know how knights are. To them, meeting others is a weakness. To be involved with the human world is a gateway to evil thoughts. But you know what your father thought of that?"

"If the human world really does tempt knights to darkness, then why do we defend it, right?" Hayate answered. "After all, it's because humans are also beautiful that we defend them."

"Every day, you start talking more like your old man." Pochiba said proudly. "Sooner or later you'll start hitting on women." She remarked in a much softer voice.

"I heard that, Pochiba."

The room was pitch dark. Only a candle upon a single wooden table gave any sort of light. The flickering flames were only bright enough to illuminate a checkered floor. Everything else was darkness.

An air of solemnity permeated the room. The two figures inside, Hayate and Alice, felt like completely different people. If one wasn't told of it, they would hardly be able to guess or suggest that they were inside Cafe Mondlicht. The cafe owner and the student stood on opposite sides of the table. Hayate wore a solemn expression on her face while Alice had her same gentle smile. She was, however, anything but relaxed.

A single violin played softly from somewhere in the darkness. Its music was accompanied only by the sound of coffee being slowly prepared.

"A report has come in from the Order in America." Alice spoke softly as she placed a red envelope on the table. "It seems that even they have no excuse to keep us in the dark any further."

Hayate wordlessly took the envelope. Reaching into her long coat, Hayate withdrew an ornate silver lighter and lit it, causing green flames to burst into existence and consume the red envelope. Ashen green words swirled in the air before her. Hayate and Alice stared at the words for a few moments, digesting their meaning.

"It seems like the Order is in a state of confusion." Hayate commented as she read. "They can't decide if Terrorbite is escaping its seal, or..."

"At this rate, the priests and priestesses will have to investigate." Alice added. "However, that's not the important part."

"I know." Hayate's eyes narrowed as she finished reading. "Tonight..."

"A Terrorbite is approaching the city." Pochiba finished for her. "Judging by it's rapidly shifting distance, it should arrive tonight."

"Sorasaki city is an important trade and industrial center for this nation, after all." Alice said with a smile. "That's why it honestly isn't strange for horrors from other locations and districts to sneak in. Really, it's a testament to have global the human world has become."

"If you're done with the talk," Pochiba snapped, "Let Hayate get to work. We don't have a second to waste."

With a nod and a flourish of her longcoat, Hayate turned to disappear. Before she did so, however, Alice spoke again.

"You know, it's not against a Knight to ask for or accept help, wherever it may come from."

Hayate gave a slight pause. She could swear she heard Pochiba gave a very very small tick of irritation. Then, she walked forward, disappearing into the darkness. She had a duty to complete as a knight.

The docks were not as silent as Hayate would have liked. Instead, she arrived to find something troubling.

Standing on the containers, Hayate observed the situation. A bunch of thugs had two police officers hostage. Tied up, helpless, it was clear that these thugs had no intention of letting the officers walk away alive.

Hayate watched.

She could intervene. She very much doubted that any of these thugs – or the military puppets they had hidden around the corner – could serious pose a threat to her. She did not need the armor of JADE for this. Her own fists would be enough. But doing so could warn the horror that she was here. It might sense the presence of a Makai Knight and escape before she could pursue it. It was an unnecessary risk – and as a Makai Knight, fighting horrors came first.

Right?

"Hayate..." Pochiba said in a concerned voice.

"I know, Pochiba." Hayate shook her head. "This is a human matter. What goes on in the human world is none of our business."

One of the thugs held a knife to the policewoman's throat. Hayate couldn't help but be impressed by the officer's fortitude, her courage in the face of what was almost certain death. She felt herself reaching for her tonfas, stopping herself. Her priority was the Horror. She had a monster to slay. Ensuring Terrorbite's destruction would ensure the survival of a lot more lives than if she possibly let it go to save these two policewomen. This was, in the end, a net positive.

So why did she feel so terrible?

She was just about to turn and leave, to focus on her hunt for Terrorbite, when all of a sudden she heard flashes. Small lights momentarily illuminated the area and a voice shouted out.

"I've called the police!"

Even from where she stood, Hayate could feel how much the speaker absolutely lacked the confidence she was undoubtedly hoping to portray. Stepping forward on her crate, she knelt and peered at the scene.

From what she recalled, that girl was a second year at the high school. She wasn't quite sure what her name was, but the pink hair was definitely something she may have seen before at the school.

"And I've got clear photos of your faces!" the girl continued.

"Another little pest..." One of the grunts grit her teeth.

"...she's an idiot." Pochiba said softly. "She's absolutely stupid if she thinks that'll stop them!"

"Just leave this little girl to me!" the thug with the knife shouted as she directed her attention completely away from the policewomen and began chasing the heroic underclassman.

"Huh!? I told you, I've already contacted the police!" the girl, clearly having no plan nor any idea of what to do with her bluff called, immediately turned and ran.

"Pretty quick on your feet, aren't'cha little miss good samaritan!?" the thug taunted as she chased the younger girl through the crates. The girl, for what it was worth, was certainly not being caught without a fight.

"Somebody, please come help me!"

A swirl of a long red coat was all the thug saw.

At the sound of a fist hitting flesh and a sharp grunt, the girl stopped in her tracks, looking back to find the thug on the ground.

"Y-you're... Hirasaka... from the senior class?"

Hayate didn't directly respond to the girl's question as the two tonfas slid out from under her coat's sleeves. Although she wasn't speaking, Hayate could feel the madou tool's judging silence hidden in her hair.

The thugs only stared at the latest challenger before one of them finally found the nerve to speak.

"Damn, one after another, what's with this place!? Get rid of her and let's get out of here!"

One by one, the thugs charged into the confines of the crates. Due to the narrow spaces between the crates Hayate was in, the thugs could only come one by one.

In all honesty, Hayate found this to be rather pathetic. A battle was when two people of similar skill had a chance of beating the other. This was, in her opinion, no better than a small warm up. One by one, she sent thug after thug sprawling to the ground with successive strikes with her tonfas. She had to even hold back, lest the blow from soul metal be lethal.

As more came, Hayate turned her head towards the heroic pink haired girl.

"You, get out of here." Hayate said in a voice as calm as if simply in a casual conversation. "I can handle this."

"R-right!" the girl nodded, turning to run. However, barely a moment passed before a yell was heard.

Turning her head, Hayate could see the military puppet that had caught the girl. The Makai Knight internally cursed herself. She remembered that they had puppets around the corner; how could she have failed to consider that they might have planned an ambush?

"Well," the first thug grunted out as she got up from the ground, "seems like the goods are the real deal then! I'd throw those toys down onto the ground, if I were you! That is, unless you don't care what happens to the girl over there!"

Finally, Pochiba began speaking again.

"Hayate, you are a Makai Knight first and foremost." she whispered fiercely into Hayate's ear. "You have a duty to protect the human world from Horrors! You cannot let yourself die here!"

Despite Pochiba's protests, however, Hayate simply gave the thug a steely gaze and set her Tonfas onto the ground.

"Hah! Looks like you know what's good for you after all! Don't make any sudden moves now, or the little girl gets it!" the brawny thug grinned as she walked forward and kicked the tonfas to the side.

Or she would have, had they not stayed in place and instead sounded a very nasty sound of toe bones shattering.

"YEOW! What the hell are these things made of!?"

"Nnngh!" a second thug grunted as she tried to pick the tonfas up to absolutely no avail. "I dunno, but they're not budging!"

Of course they wouldn't move. The tonfas were made of Soul Metal – metal which, by the will of the user, could be as light as a feather or as heavy as a boulder. They had taken Hayate hours upon hours, days upon days, her entire youth to master so that she could someday inherit something even more important.

"Well whatever!" the first thug grinned as she walked past a Hayate frozen by their possession of a hostage. Walking towards the girl, she snatched the phone out of her hands.

Then, the thug crushed the phone with her bare hands.

"Bye bye, photos!"

"And now I think just maybe" another thug said, operating what was clearly the remote control for the puppet, "I'll toss her into the ocean!"

Hayate bolted into action. Jumping over the heads of the thugs who had surrounded her, Hayate reached out as the machine moved and threw the pink haired girl towards the water. Hayate's hands were outstretched, trying to catch her.

No-! Hayate realized moments too late. I won't make it in time-!

A blue and red blur sped by and the girl disappeared from sight.

Falling onto the docks, Hayate rolled into a stop even as the thugs were perplexed at the new intruder.

"But you're..."

Hayate stood up and faced the person who had saved the girl in her stead.

"Hanzomon." Hayate said neutrally, not letting her surprise show.

The thugs were nervous. They were also unsure of just what was going on.

"Good evening~!" A voice called out from on top of the crates. "Sorasaki's pretty nice at night, don't 'cha think?"

"What the hell!?" The thugs turned towards the fourth group to interrupt for the night. Hayate couldn't help but frown as well.

They were dressed in garb that was clearly suited for stealth. If one were to comment, they would be similar to the ancient ninja of old. However, what Hayate noticed were not their weapons nor outfit, but their faces.

She recognized Hatsume from earlier, who gave her a small smile and a wave. The other three girls she also recognized as underclassmen from Sorasaki high school. They were young. Too young to be warriors... right?

"Huh!?" it seemed the girl they just saved was just as confused. "But why!?"

"A military puppet smuggling site..." One of the girls commented.

"Alright," Yuki ordered, "Let's do this!"

Each of the girls reached into a strap and took out what Hayate recognized as spices. They brought the spices to their mouths and bit down.

Hayate's mind stopped as she could feel the chi that suddenly emanated from the girls. Were they makai priestesses? No, she knew of no priestesses who would utilize such tools – nor any who were in the field at such a young age.

"The mission," one of the girls said almost cheerfully as she kicked into a thug before backflipping, she revealed a kunai knife in her hands, "is a go!"

They were not half bad at combat, Hayate would give them that. She simply stood there as the girls dispatched the thugs and the military puppet. If she were to guess, they would certainly be more than a match for a priest or priestess. Maybe even a lesser makai knight if he were to let his guard down.

Finally, the last thug, the one who had tried to throw a hostage into the water callously, was trapped by wires as she attempted to flee and brought to the ground.

"Mission accomplished!" the same girl from earlier, one with orange hair tied in a single side tail, announced cheerfully.

Hayate did not relax as the group walked towards the two policewomen the thugs had been about to execute. Stopping only to pick up her Tonfas, Hayate worldessly followed the other girls.

"So um," Hatsume attempted to break the silence as they walked, "I guess you might be wanting an explanation huh, Hayate?"

"That... would be nice." Hayate admitted. It was clear that the other girls were much more wary of her. Yuki did not look once in her direction. Instead, she was focused on the girl who ran towards two police officers.

"Are you two okay!?" she asked.

"Yeah," the brave policewoman responded, "We're fine-"

There were two sounds of fwipping and the two policewomen fell unconscious.

"Huh!?" the girl exclaimed, looking back.

"Just seeing to it that they have no memory of the past few hours." Yuki explained, raising what seemed like a cellphone turned gun. "The police will be here any minute-"

"Hayate!" Pochiba shouted, completely breaking the tranquility that had befallen the docks since the battle ended. "Watch out! The horror is approaching-!"

There was a screech of tires as a truck drifted through a turn. Roaring forward, a hand from a door grabbed the tied up thug and threw her into the truck without even stopping.

"Seems there's still more of them!" Yuki said.

"Judging by the presence and the movement of the truck, the Horror's in there!" Pochiba shouted to Hayate. "Come on, go go go!"

Hayate had been about to instinctively jump up into the air and start chasing the truck through rooftops when a hand held her back. Looking back, she turned to see a smiling Hatsume.

"We're going after it too." she said. "You're free to come with us if you'd like."

There was not enough room for Hayate. Instead, she knelt on the roof of the car.

They were Tsukikage. High School Girls by day, defenders of justice by night. They were an organization as old as the warring states period, according to their explanation.

Pochiba scoffed. She told Hayate there was no need to be involved with them. That Hayate should just keep her focus on being a Makai Knight. However, what Yuki said next shocked both of them.

"That thing in the truck, that's a Horror isn't it?"

"How do you know?" Hayate asked.

"We don't, really." Another one – Mei, her name was – answered. "All we know is that there's some really dangerous thing in there, and that we needed your dad to fight it!"

"My dad?" Hayate asked softly.

"Raizo Hirasaka, otherwise only a knight known as JADE." Yuki confirmed. "A warrior from a mysterious order that hunts the same type of monsters are enemies are beginning to utilize. We were hoping for his aid."

"Hoping to meet your father is the main reason we were assigned to approach you." she explained. "We don't know exactly who or what is in that truck. All we knew was that we needed the aid of the Jade Knight to defeat it. The aid of your father."

"We're really sorry that we deceived you." Hatsume apologized. Even through the wind and the roaring of the vehicles, without even seeing her expression, Hayate could tell she was genuine. "I was honest about wanting to be friends. I wasn't lying about that, but it's true that we approached you with an ulterior motive."

Hayate did not respond to Hatsume. Instead, she looked towards the truck as the road began to lead to a dead end.

"I'm sorry." Hayate shook her head. "My father is no longer with us. I don't even know where he is. He won't be able to help you."

The car fell into silence at the news.

"And you." Pochiba spoke loud enough for the others to hear – particularly the pink haired girl who had nearly been tossed into the ocean. "Momo."

"Huh? M-me!?"

"Those girls talked about you joining Tsukikage." The Madou Tool counseled. "But think about it. I'm sure that up until now, you've had a safe life. Today your first ever brush with danger. I don't think you know exactly what you're getting yourself into."

"I-"

"If you join on such a half hearted whim, then all you're going to do is get yourself killed." Pochiba shut her down sternly. "Without a reason to fight, a Knight is just a blade that will be broken after enough battles. You don't need to throw yourself into such a fate."

"...Then why does Hirasaka fight?" Momo asked nervously. All eyes were on Hayate as she thought of her answer.

"I fight," she finally answered, "Because it's my duty as a knight."

Dawn began to break over the horizon as the truck barrelled towards a dead end. The car closed in and fired wires that hooked onto the escaping truck.

As the roof retracted, Hayate stepped back towards the trunk of the car and Yuki stood up. Although she was speaking to Momo, it was Pochiba her words were meant to rebuke.

"It's only confidence to lack confidence in the beginning. The efforts you make and the results you achieve, these are the things that result in confidence."

As if on cue, the puppet in the truck burst open, smashing the container cargo away and revealing its large form. Hayate joined Yuki on the hood of the car as she reached into her longcoat. Pulling out a silver lighter, she lit it and allowed green flame to burst.

The military puppet's lights, the place most similar to its eyes, began to change color rapidly. Black cursed letters swirled around it. Even from that distance, Hayate could see it.

"...Looks like you were right. They really were bringing a horror in." Hayate said to Yuki. "Once it transforms, hang back and let me handle it."

Yuki nodded, and the two of them ran up the wires.

The horror possessed puppet reared its arm back and punched the ground, snapping the wires the two girls ran on. However, by the time the strike connected, the two were no longer within its reach.

A pinch of spice flowed through Yuki. Her eyes glowed bright yellow.

Raising her sword, she gave a yell as she brought it down upon the military puppet. Slicing it right in two, the two halves of it began to fall apart however, it did not shatter.

The pieces began reassembling themselves. The two halves began reattaching themselves – and began incorporating parts from the truck into it. The two thugs in the truck screamed as they began to be dragged into the horror's growing form before Hayate, smashing aside the trick's body, grasped them by the scruff of their clothes and threw them outside.

The impact was more than enough to knock them out for the count. That was for the best, for what happened next was something they would not comprehend.

The two halves of the puppet, now mixing with the truck, formed a strange laid down humanoid form. The wheels of the truck continued to turn as the Horror screeched, launching a burst of scrap and shrapnel at the two girls. However, before it could strike, the two backflipped, launching themselves right back towards the car.

"And then," Yuki whispered into Momo's ear, "All you need is a pinch of spice."

The car swerved just after Hayate and Yuki landed on its hood again, making them kneel down to ensure they didn't get thrown off.

"I'mmmm going to assume that that thing's going to be your specialty, right?" Mei asked, pointing at the still speeding abomination that was the amalgamation of a truck, a military puppet and a Horror binding it together.

"Yeah." Hayate nodded.

She raised her tonfas into the air.

The armor that she donned glowed in the morning sun. Although it was already beautiful even in the faintest of light, it was rare that the armor of a Makai Knight could shine in such a beautiful time. Such was the fate of Makai Knights; such was the fate of those who fought and died in the shadows.

The horror screeched in challenge, trying to flee. Hayate would end this quickly.

Holding her trident, she lit a green flame from her lighter with her other hand. Spreading the lighter along the length of her weapon, she allowed it to be wreathed in flame.

One strike was all it took.

The speed of the Horror was no match for the speed of the strike which Hayate made. A slice of green flames sped towards Terrorbite when she brought her trident down, cutting it right in half with nary an effort. The flames left the ground charred and cleaved right through the Horror, cutting it right in two. The halves burst into ash and dust as the last remnants of Terrorbite were sealed in Hayate's weapon.

All was quiet as the sun rose.

"I love every single part of this city! And I love the people who live in it!"

Hayate watched from a distance as Momo made her declaration. She kept her distance from the scene – this was a Tsukikage matter. She had no interest in it any further. She had no reason to listen in.

"So we wanna protect it! That's what this feeling is! Please accept me! Into Tsukikage!"

And yet, the Makai Knight could not help but feel something in her. Part of Momo reminded her of the time she accepted the title of JADE.

She could hear Pochiba's whispering, her talk of how all of this was just human nonsense. How Hayate should pay no attention to it. But try as she might, Hayate couldn't convince herself otherwise from one fact. One truth that she was trying to prove false but could not. As she walked away, she commented.

"You know," she said to Pochiba, "Without them, I wouldn't have been able to save everybody. They're the reason everyone made it through this alive."

The sun rose on the city, and to those who didn't know of the battles that had happened, it seemed like not a single spec of darkness had befallen the town she protected.

END CHAPTER 1

This is a fan fiction work. The author does not own neither Release the Spyce nor GARO. All works belong to their creative owners.