AN: So...were you all surprised? I thought it's be a good idea to give you a false Happy-Go-Lucky-Arc that turns out to be a Oh-Fuck-I'm-in-Trouble-Arc.

Here's a new chapter, please enjoy and R&R

Chapter 14: The Demon Painting, Alecto

We all have times where we have messed up big times that we want to buried that memory deep down inside us.

For example, some messed up by accidentally peed in class.

Or time when you confessed to a girl only to be rejected in front of the whole class.

Or the times where we messed up by choosing to get so drunk you started swimming in your pool to search for Nemo, that kind stuff you wishes you could erase from everybody's memory.

All of that seemed small in comparison when you're confronted by the towering height of a demon about to destroy everything in it's path you've indirectly let loose.

"We fuck up big time." Nick and Freed nodded in response to my words.

I swear of that things gets to destroy, I might consider using Eclipse just to dope slapped myself for being an idiot alongside Nick and Freed.

My words seemed to snapped Phantom's thought that he got up and called out tohis partner, "Sam, don't stand there and do something!"

Mask Phantom-or Sam-however just stood still, his leg quivering as he gaze upon the mammoth monster. Phantom walked up on him and smacked him across his cheek that the mask and top hat fell off. Revealing the fact that he...is actually a she.

Long brunette hair flowed down. Her face showed how young she was, about 15-16 and I thought Mask was just a generally short person. She has crimson eyes and beauty marked under her eyes, her face white and pale but most likely because of the foe she was going to face.

"You're the Devil Slayer here! Now there's a demon let loose in front of you so get a grip and do your job...we need you."

Sam gulped but nodded in the end, but it was more of a mindless action, and Phantom gripped her shoulder so she would turn to look at her partner's grim yet determine expression instead. "It's fine, I'll be here with you. I'm here for the long haul remember?"

That seemed to pushed a trigger as her eyes were no longer frighten but determined instead. The devil, Alecto turned and had his eyes set on the town and I was just determined to make sure I don't fuck up even worse than this.

"Freed, Nick, I know I'm asking for much but do you think you could stay and help not letting a Slaughter-Loving-Demon on the loose?"

While Freed and Nick immediately got up to match my resolve. My words seemed to take Sam's notice, who instantly glared at me as she marched up seemingly ready to pummel me.

"You...insufferable...childish...moron...unbelievable…" her words weren't coherent under her rage tone before she hauled me up so were nose to nose. I held up my hand to make sure Nick or Freed wouldn't attack her since I pretty much deserve it.

"Do you have any idea what you have done you Know-it-All-Brat?! Because of your nosey little nose, you just unleash one of the most dangerous being in one of Zeref's demon being sealed!"

"Sam, stopped, he's just a kid and this isn't the time." The Phantom held her back by the arm.

"Shut up Malcom! Because of him, hundreds of people might die. I will not let him stay ignorant of what he and his little friends did and baby this spoiled rich as-"

"Sam!" the man, Malcolm warning her language, "He was only trying to stop a pair of thieves from stealing and there's nothing wrong in that. He didn't know and things wouldn't have escalated if we just explain what we were doing."

Deciding I should stop their quarrel before things escalated, I cleared my thought so the two thieves turned to me, "I messed up." I admitted, "We. Messed up. I'm not going to deny that so let us help you defeat the monster before it started to take notice of us, or worse the town and wreck havoc."

We all turned back to Alecto who was turning his heel, his eyes locked toward the town that seems to have awaken if the sound of riot and torches lighted around indicate they saw the Giant Demon in the flesh.

Sam clicked her tongue and sent one last glare at me, "and why should I not tied up all three of you so you wouldn't make thing worse than it is?" She groused.

"Because we have responsibility for causing that demon to let loose and I'm pretty sure you never fought a demon before." her mouth gape open at my words and her hand faltered, letting me down back to the ground. "You reaction before was telling enough, I can see why you wear the mask between the two of you."

Sam looked like she wanted to say something but Malcolm cut her in, "You seem relax, as if you've handled a demon before." He wasn't accusing me, but he stated his observation and waited for my reaction.

"I read a lot. And from what I know, Demon can't use magic but they can use curses." Nick whimpered at the word while Freed concentrate to take note what I said, "They are hard to kill but not impossible with normal magic, though a Devil Slayer would make things easier."

"Our first priority is to make sure he doesn't make it any closer to town and good thing he's a slow poke. Me and Freed's rune should hold him back and Nick's Crystal should be able seal his feet or at least slow him down. That's where you…" I pointed to Sam, "...come in. Strike the head, neck or heart. I don't know how hard it is but your magic should defeat him regardless. If needed be, we'll help coordinate with your attack."

Sam looked unsure of listening to a kid while Malcolm had a calculating look on him, as if he had seen me in a new light.

"Alright, let's move!"

I ran on the air fast, overtaking the giant devil with Freed on my tail. We can't really put a rune around town on a short notice so we'll have to deal with somehow blocking him and hit him where it counts. My mind races for any information of demons, which was a blur, and how an average magic user like me could go up against a creature that could be on par with a 10 Saints caliber mage.

I was confused, scared, unsure, and weak.

Yet I put on a brave face and face the Demon head on because I rather die here that let what happened to Nick's home happened here without me having something to say about it.

After spending time drawing out information about Demons in generals, nothing significant from either lives seemed to help me. I cursed at myself at how little I know about demons, leading to one course of action that was available to us.

'Keep hitting it until it's down!'

I know, not the most effective plan. However, seeing as all the demons were defeated that way I guess I have to take a page from Fairy Tail's book.

There's just one tiny bit problem…

I don't have offensive magic.

And boy did I felt more useless than my entire 11 years in life because I did not want this revelation to be at the worst possible time.

See, here's the thing...Rune, as I said, can be a cheat code but it is use more for support and restraint use in the magical world and my fighting style rely on tricks and my own body as weapon. Against fellow mages, it doesn't matter how strong they are, I could just exhaust them them put a Sleep Rune on them and they'll be put like a light or I could use any number of tricks I have on hand.

But being full on offensive with pure magic that would do something more than annoying it is not something I currently have in my arsenal, especially not to a giant demon with power of sheer destruction.

Heck, even Lucy has Uranometria as her trump card in the future.

Note to self: Fix that and find a pure offensive magic to use.

Finishing the Barrier Rune, I requip a few daggers and throw it at him. Not expecting it would do any damage. I teleported that way until I reach his shoulder. By now, his feet is hitting against the rune and despite knowing it's there. I wasn't confident it could hold of a demon for long. I never fought them and I don't know for sure if normal magic would be enough to stop it.

I examined my friend and allies. In the midst of it all Nick had perfected his new move; Dragon Crystal's Talon which created a giant size crystal, big enough to stumped down the devil's feet and being pushed down with his kick. Off course that was just as helpful as nailing down your own feet with nails, which hurts but not manageable enough to keep you from moving. He made consecutive strike with those moves and wasn't stopping anytime soon.

Then there's Sam, who's standing on an earth pillar she made and dealing the most damage by stabbing the demons eyes and blinding it. She had made sure to make spare pillars around it so she could jumped off to the other when it was about to peck her. Summoning earth spears that jabbed through the demon's legs, torso, and arms. Making the demon looking nothing less that a porcupine. I noticed Nick was eyeing her with envy at the sheer power and mastery of her magic.

The demon roared in pain, but did not stop moving. His movement was no longer a simple mindless demon but was moving as if now recognizing us as potential threat. We got its attention so here comes the hard part.

It's Alecto's turn to attack.

To our dismay, its body somehow turned to jello. Harmlessly moving away from the pinning spears that had kept him on bay. Then Alecto began to shimmer with rainbow color, not a color you would associate with demons but Alecto was able to pull off that color into something terrifying.

I almost lost my footing too but managed to somehow stayed on the demon's shoulder, witnessing first hand at how the table has turned for us.

Its torso began to bulged like large goosebumps before something had shoot out of Alecto's body. All of us had thought it was an attack and they all scattered away from it but a simple missile attack would have been preferable than what we were truly up against. The things splat to the ground like a drop of water, before it began to grew and formed into various shape and sizes of demons.

They are those with horn and large fangs that didn't help closing its mouth, making its drool spill out its mouth. There was another with bat wings and chicken legs, its head was like an upside down boar face. Then another that was the skeleton form of a lion that's drape with a black cloak.

To make them even worse than what they already look, every touch they make seem to sizzle in smoke and deteriorate. Plants and the earth itself seem to die, like every touch from them has the same effect of acid that will melt you to your bones.

Overall, if someone were to paint a picture of this scene they wouldn't be exaggerating to call it the Demon Feast.

I never realized Fairy Tail-verse would make a good horror manga.

I analyzed the whole thing and while Lullaby has a sound that could kill, Alecto seemed to have a touch that could kill instead. His body is almost intangible like soft clay but only if he wields it, he could shoot out demon minions from his own body that Nick had just now proved not only has killer touch but even after part of their body being sealed. The demons would just cut it up and walked by dragging themselves like zombies. Freed tried to immobilize or hack them apart, but it's proven difficult with them either just joining together again or doubling the amount of smaller minions.

Alecto's existence almost seemed unfair and invincible.

However, I did find the bright side of all this.

Yes, a bright side and no, I'm not being delusional.

Another thing I noticed was Alecto might have sheer force from his size alone, but he did not have a bright brain if hasn't even talk even after this long or he may just not be too keen to talk like Lullaby does. It also seemed to be getting smaller, to be almost fair, he only shrunk by a meter after expending around 30-50 little demons, meaning the more minions it make the smaller he gets so I either had to pick bigger size or bigger number.

Damn it, where the hell are the Rune Knight when you need them.

Sam was still trying to restrain it...or attacked...whichever, she was focusing on the main body but it doesn't seem to help much. I then looked down and my heart almost dropped seeing Freed was about to get touched by a demon that had cornered him. I was about to teleport my way there but was beat to the punch by none other than Malcolm. He punctured the demon through with a staff I didn't know he had and somehow instead of splitting or joining up, the demon turned into ash.

Yes, punctured. While the tip of the staff looked like a sharp jewelry oriented decor tied with a string, making it looked like a spear rather than a mage staff. I knew then and there that staff was no ordinary staff Possibly it was a one in a million kind of staff, one that was made to go against demon perhaps.

Though, it's also possible could have been taken off guard and wasn't able to will itself intangible but for this moment, I like to stay positive.

Malcolm surprised me further when the tip of the crystal began to glow. A soft whisper from him, followed by certain motion of his stance summoned up a magic circle that with a tap to the ground. The earth shook before explosion blasted several of the monsters away or even to pieces.

I knew then, that with the three of them there they should hold back the little demons in place.

I turned my attention back to to the demon I was hanging around. It was struggling getting past my runes but his skin seemed to be able to burned off magic, which included runes.

In desperate attempts, I closed my eyes and focused all my attention to the demon's etharno.

Next second, I felt like puking on its ear.

I had figured demons would feel differently than people or etharno in general and I was proven horribly, horribly right.

Remember that bit about demons uses curses instead of magic?

Well their sources obviously doesn't come from etharno and definitely from not something friendly. You know how Layla had told me once before that magic was born from love and the bond made of it and all that mushy stuff. Curses are made from the other way around.

Despair, Greed, Hatred, Fury, Vengeance. Try thinking every negative emotion you could think off and wrapped them up nicely in a small black etharno I'd like to call in my head Black Matter. Curses is made from the darkness of the human heart in contrast of the light magic held.

It felt almost no different with Black Arts that focused on the manipulation of life and death.

With the Black Arts, I felt it once before and I knew without anyone telling me that the person's etharno slowly being tainted the more they used it. The more someone used it, the more they would lose themselves and gone insane. It was probably why Hades/Purehito was taken in by black magic so easily. The black magic had clouded his sanity too much for him to go back to who he was. Why Phantom Lord master (what's his name again? I forgot, he was pretty forgettable.) would so willingly attack FT when it only risk him losing the legitimacy of being an official guild. (I mean come on...even if they had won, the council have been vetoed Phantom Lord from being an official guild. The evidence against them would says so as much). In a way, I must applaud Zeref for staying sane for as long as he did until he finally cracked.

I wasn't going to let something like that stopped me though. Steeling my resolve and regulating my breathing, I tried again sensing the demon's essence once more. It was the first time I had to concentrate so hard not only sensing it but to not let the Dark Matter overwhelm me and making me forget myself. I wasn't exaggerating it when I say it. Once I outstretched my senses, for a second, I had forgotten my name and who I was from being immersed to the darkness.

That split second scared the shit out of me, make no mistake.

You have no idea what it felt like forgetting who you are, your family, your friends, even your purpose of life. Only the darkness.

Nevertheless, I pushed on. Finding a clue to take down this demon for good while chanting 'my name is Roy' over and over again. The demons was shooting out more little devil and Sam was considering helping her partner than focusing on giant demon.

Then...I found it. While the main body itself was fluid with Dark Matter, there was one concentrated point that stayed constants the whole while. It was small, the size of a marble. But strike that and we would won. Now all I have to now is pin point it and destroy it, easy.

That last word almost become the death of me.

Alecto must have noticed me, because it had raise his hand and was about to swat me like a fly. I wanted to jumped away but ended up slipping up and fall from its shoulder. My mind panicked and before I could even think of teleporting myself, Sam caught me before I fall any further.

"Idiot, what were you doing being so high up there?"

I ignored her in favor of sensing its core but without touching Alecto it became a lot harder to locate it. "The demon has a core, size of a marble, right around its neck or shoulders. Try striking around there and hope it'll hit!"

Sam looked sceptical but I'm glad she didn't took in in a grain of salt. She roughly threw me off toward Malcolm, who expertly caught me. As if this wasn't her first time throwing people like a ball at him.

"No offense, but you're too young to get involved with this. You should get away and leave this to the Pro."

A rat like demon jumped up from behind and almost rip his head off if I hadn't requip a dagger and struck him right between his-literally-burning eyes then deadpanned at him, "And you so called Pro just got your head save by a kid, and from the looks of things, you need all the help you can get."

He had no time to argue as another wave of minion demons came over us, I used a batch of my Exploding Dagger (It was still experimental stage but hey, this is as good as any for a testing run). I managed to blow up some heads and limbs apart, many were unscatched-or partly unscatched. Some defect daggers managed to make fart smell, splitting heads into two, or worst of all got them to talk. Hearing the chilling voice of Vincent Prince from a demon's mouth is not anything you want to see in real life.

The fight was a blur at best, I was too focused on hitting and not get hit to actually tell you the details. I remembered using my Air Jet Shoes to knocked on demon away from biting off my feet. My dagger and Malcolm's staff combined managed to burned a horde of demons and a hole on the earth. Nick managed to blow them away with his roar. Freed's rune were capable to confused them and make them attack with one another. I remembered making a 360 degree flip on the air and would have rejoiced if I hadn't just avoid being burned to crisp. Teleporting to one side and another while making sure no one gets close enough to dying or fatally injured but it proved to be hard to split between my own wellbeing with others.

I looked up, and cursed that Sam wasn't making much progress and penetrating the Demon Core. My head was running through hundreds of ideas as I slashed, throw, explode hit the little demons overrunning us. Nick and Freed were covering my back and supporting me. I used my ROOM and used them to make a demon lego tower and kept them in place. Though despite decapitating some of them, they were still able to move in some nasty way.

The demons could sense danger, I give you that. Once they realize they were helpless within my range, they decided to walk up toward the town through a roundabout way and I wasn't going to let them, but the amount was starting to overwhelm me.

I swear if the Rune Knight came when everything is over I am going to make their lives a living hell one day.

Frankly, despite all of us fighting for our lives. I was grasping straws by being somehow, in a FT fashion way, we all will miraculously survive in one way or another. That somehow Gildarts, Jura, or any strong mage around come out of the woods and save all our asses.

But that wishful thinking is starting to be more and more unlikely.

And so were our chance of survival.

But a miracle did came.

Only it's not the kind you were expecting.

Because if an egg falling at the middle of a life and death battle and hitting a demon that was about to claw Nick's gut out on the head is not a miracle, I don't know what is.

We were all frozen in shock at the interruption, demons and human. It's not everyday you had a giant egg falling from the sky. On the other hand, being the only one who knew what it was and had to repressed the urge to shout out; "Are you fucking kidding me?! Here? Now? Of all times?"

This just might be the most ridiculous thing I've ever encountered and the picture of the scene was enough to show how ridiculous things became. I'm pretty sure I would laugh if I ever retold this story, but I should do that by staying alive first.

The demon that the egg hit burst into flame, and not wanting to turn an Exceed Egg into Boiled Egg. Freed expertly use runes to somehow changed his hand into something inhuman and managed to produce water with it.

To all our surprise, the demon writhe in pain from the contact and as it tried to roll over on the ground, it did not stopped from melting away into a puddle of mix colored paint. The demons around him backed away in fear and immediately I found a solution.

Paint…

Water…

Washed out…

"Water...Freed keep shooting water at them! That's their weakness! They're demon painting, the water should wash away the paint and their form as well!"

Nick and Freed exchanged look before nodding with a plan in mind of their own. Nick using his element managed to circle around the demons and caged them with colored crystals. Then Freed doused the cage with water, drowning them in a pool of water with no way escaping. plan that made me impressed.

They're still many more demons but this is the most progress we made since the battle start.

Oh, and don't worry about the egg, I have it on hand.

Though knowing its weakness, I doubt a small amount of water could affect Alecto that much. We need either a typhoon of water or a geyser of it at least. Heck, it might have a defense mechanism for it but we'll cross that bridge when it happens.

I could make it rain but that would take time to make an area based rune in short amount of time.

So finger crossed, I prayed for any god or deity exist in this world for letting this one hunch, one thing work. With quickwork writing I managed to enchant a stick to locate a large source of water. A desperate attempt but one that I hoped works.

To my relief, I found it. It was just 20 feet away and hopefully enough to end this.

"SAM, I HAVE A PLAN!"

The girl looked annoyed at me calling her name, but I found her briefly exchange a look with Malcolm and she made another Spear Trap with her magic before falling beside me.

"What?" She hissed.

"Alecto is weak against water. There's an underground water around here, if you can pressured it into a large geyser then maybe we could actually have a fighting chance."

"And what if it doesn't?"

"Do you have better ideas?" I shot back.

One second of silence was enough for us to get an agreement. Using her Earth Devil Slayer Magic, she concentrated the heart to her will using a specific move.

A cracked of the earth was heard, followed by her own war cry that got more than a hundred foot height geyser shot out. Using my runes, I made sure to point the water to Alecto, showering it in full blast.

The roaring of pain was equal part horrific and satisfying. Alecto's body melted like a wax being heated, there was steam coming out of him and the smell of raw sewage that makes your stomach churn.

A black gleam shone just under its neck and between its shoulder blades. I had thought it was a trick of the eye but focusing on it, I knew what it was.

"Sam, do you see that black dot just beneath its neck?"

Sam squinted at it but nodded, "You want me to crush it?"

"Please do."

A sadistic satisfying smile made across her lips. She concentrated and her magic circle then began forming a ball of earth. It didn't look anything special or out of the ordinary, but her expression doesn't suggest that.

"Earth Devil's Ymir Revenge Javelin"

She lifted her leg and used a pitcher stance, and with a strong yet graceful form, she threw the ball of earth with precision. Then I witness first hand how the plain brown ball shifted midway, turning into a giant version of a weapon I recognize in jousting, then lodge past at Alecto's skin and almost decapitate it.

Niiceeeeee…

I closed my eyes and felt the nasty darkness slowly diminishing from the air. When I opened them, I spotted the painting fluttering down harmlessly, with only a hole piercing the center of it.

The geyser gave us a makeshift rain, making all of us soaking wet with water mix with sweat, the egg still tuck safely in my arm. Time felt like it had gone for hours, days even. Yet in reality barely an hour has passed since the shit show start and I couldn't fucking believe it if anyone told me that. My brain was still processing the event that somehow transpired for the night, and when I confirmed we had indeed survive the fight to the death of an army of demons leading by a Demon Painting that we accidentally invoke and won.

I couldn't quite believe it. It's funnily similar to asking petition on an environmental project. You didn't think you get anyone's attention, you felt strangely pleasant but now that you did you don't know what to do afterward.

So I did one thing only.

"PAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!"

I laughed out loud to the sky, adrenaline, fear, excitement was expelled out of me. Nick followed my lead only he was running around the puddle of dead demons and Freed wasn't sure what he should do and just followed our lead with an awkwardly laugh and waved his arm around.

"WE WON! WE FREAKING WON AND SURVIVE! HALLELUJAH BABY, WE'RE HEROES!"

The two pair of thieves didn't say anything but from the smile they showed us, they were just as glad as we are.

A faint clank-clank sound of metal footsteps that was getting louder hinted us that the Knights were finally here. Sam and Malcolm jumped upright and proceed to run but was stopped by Freed's rune.

"And where are you criminals going?"

"Wha...Freed-sama! What are you doing to our friends?" Nick looked scandalous at Freed. Who doesn't hint any remorse from his action.

"We're not friends Nick, that was just a temporary alliance." Freed said bitterly, "Don't forget these people are thieves, and worst they were stealing magical object. If what we experienced was a clue on what kind of things they were stealing, who knows what exactly they'll do with it."

The pair glared down at Freed, who looked ready to strangle him until my voice cut him off. "I'll tell you why they were stealing them," I said as I stood on the Rune Trap Freed made and rewrite it to release them.

"They did it so they could destroy Zeref's Demon and hide it away from Man's hand. Isn't that right?"

Sam and Malcolm looked so surprised at my admission. Freed became the first one that exclaimed; "What?!"

I jab a thumb at them, my smile showed confidence at my answer, "Haven't you've heard by now of his MO? Whether sealed by magic or not, he comes into the night and steal things under their nose. Once acquired they either send it back or keep it to themselves, never to be seen by the light of day"

"Yeah, because they kept it to be used as weapons!" Freed reasoned but I shook my head.

"Or destroyed by the hands of a Devil Slayer." I told him the alternative then looked back at them with eyes that expressed my respect, "Devil Slayer itself is not only a lost magic, but an almost non-existent one because the species, Devil itself are rare. And from what I know they rarely caused trouble and not that troublesome to handle."

"Zeref's Demons on the other hand is another story. They are the most vilest and dangerous creatures ever created by him and using the Dragon's Slayer as base, they somehow learned the nature of curses and use a counter-curse magic they decided to call Devil Slaying Magic."

"Sam here has some rare magic she wielded and considering her reaction, age and the seven years absence of the Phantom. I assumed you use that period to train her wielding her magic appropriately."

"Meaning your purpose, had been to eliminate all Zeref's Demon artifact, hence the thieving. Am I spot on so far?"

They looked stunned, mouths gaping open from my explanation and I knew I hit the bullseye. While Sam was looking like a deer caught on the headlights, Malcolm made a resign sigh as he looked down to meet my eyes. "You are one incredibly smart kid, stupidly reckless too but mostly smart one."

"I get that a lot," I cheekily said.

Freed was still skeptical and I couldn't blame him much for being so. He looked back and forth between us three, gauging the thieves expression,"So just like that? We're going to let them go?"

"Freed, doing the right thing isn't following the rules. It's when you do what's need to be done regardless of it. I think they never done anything wrong wouldn't you say?"

"Then why can't they just told the Coun-"

"WE CAN'T!" Cried Malcolm suddenly. It was the first time he expressed something so strongly that I looked wide eyed at him. Even though he spoke only two words, but the desperate and fear intent wasn't lost in them.

Freed furrowed at him suspiciously at him and pressed on, "Why not? Do you have something to hide?"

Malcolm knead his forehead with the pal of his palm before looking back at us, "Look, you kids seem pretty smart so understand that I can't say much other than the Council aren't as trustworthy as they seem."

I knew that way before when I investigate about the Dark Guilds so I wasn't surprised and so was Nick since I disclose my suspicion to him, but Freed was different. This is the guy who wanted to be a Rune Knight in the future, which mean working for the council who he believes always think of the best interest for our country.

That sentiment hasn't been true for a long time and I never made that clear to Freed. Because I didn't think it was necessary with him being a future FT Mage and all. Now it seems, he's going to deal the truth sooner than I thought.

"What's...that su...supposed to mean?" Freed choked out.

"They had spies Doofus," Sam decided to chimed in, "People high up that has Dark Mage in their back pocket, once they find out what we're actually dealing. They'll have dark mages intervene before the Rune Knights could do anything."

Freed began to shook his head in denial, "Li...lies...You're Lying! That can...that can't be. The Council wouldn't have let that happened!"

"That's what I thought too," Malcolm said solemnly, "Which is why when I found out about a demon sealed within the Land of Isvan and beyond my reach. I knew the Council needed to involve themselves concerning the safety of its neighboring countries before someone accidentally invoke it. Yet only days after I reported it did the demon wrecked havoc across the country...and killing my wife."

Freed breath hitched and he wasn't the only one surprised at the fact, "Bu...but it could be…"

"Coincidence? Yeah, it could be. But I'm not taking any chances. And you're wrong about one point there Roy-kun. I only returned after the so called 'government' caused the death of my daughter five years ago. The time where I decided to leave and get back in business out of grief and resulted the lost of possibly the last person on earth I cared about...well, the last until I meet Samantha here."

"Don't call me Samantha you sappy Old Man," Sam growled, but it wasn't as strong as her usual tone and there was a certain fondness into it as her cheeks flushed.

Freed seemed like he wanted to argue more but I decide to cut this conversation short when the Knights sounded waaaaay closer than comfort. "Excuse me, I know we're having an interesting conversation here. But can we continue this after making sure there are no military goons on our trail."

"You're right, it's best we should all get out of here."

"Whoa, calm down there Sir Lupin."

"Lupin?"

"I know you two are wanted and all, but the Knights don't know your faces right? I say you claimed yourself as a pair of selfless independent mages who saved three children and in extension, the whole town from a giant rampaging demon. Getting all the glory!"

Because damned after almost dying today, I think we deserve a hero's greeting. My suggestion though was greeted with a sigh as he looked down with a emphatic look that he wished just the same as me.

"That's great and all Roy-kun, there's just one problem. The Knights or Council would most likely blame us rather than give us any credit. The fact Sam is an independent mages made it harder for us to get any backing"

Freed and I grasped his line of thought and nodded, but Nick who was still left in the dark asked, "Why would they do that? I mean, we saved the day, how will they make us look bad?"

Malcolm deadpanned eyes locked onto him before gesturing the crushed trees, the mass puddle, the burning soil, and the giant hole that pictured the landscape.

"Okay, that does make us look bad." Nick conceded, "But we saved them from a rampaging demons. Surely they would pardoned you guys."

I was inclined to be on Nick's side on this, especially when we could have two nobles and a bodyguard testify for him. But Malcolm shook his head, "At another incident, we might. But the casualty here is much too risky to take."

"Really? I mean...I know it looks bad, but it's not like we destroy public property right?" Sam voiced her thought.

For some reason, that actually make Malcolm tick and slapped her on the head. Sam was too confused and dumbfounded to even get mad at him. I'm guessing he's not usually the type to hit people until he is really tick off.

"Roy-kun, Sam," He seethed our names and got our spine upright. "Do you two even realize what you just did when you make a water sprout of the earth?"

""Saved the day?"" we answered simply. Making Malcolm groaned as he wiped his face before pointing down the hole.

"You just broke the water pipe line of the town, meaning you probably just deprived 12,000 people of their home's water supply."

We gulped, and indeed looking down the hole, there was the broken end of a giant metal pipe with water dribbling down. When the Knight's footsteps began to grow closer than ever, the group all looked at one another before we come to an agreement.

"Run?" I asked.

"Run." they rest answered.

And so run, we did.

AN: I'm sorry, but I need to ask but was the description scary? Gorgy? Nauseating? Because that's what my friend had described my writing on this chapter as.

My story is not that scary. It's lighthearted and humorous fic don't you agree? *wink wink*

Anyway, hope you like it. I find writing Young Freed in this chapter is lot more fun and hope you like my depiction of him. Because if you do, I'd like to apologize in advance what I'm about to do to him.

Next chapter we'll have another appearance from cannon character! Stay tuned.