His thoughts would have been about the current incident but as of right now, he was sweating and lying around and looking at his phone saying "Assignment finished, await for your grading".

"Await my ass, I just hope I passed, " he says to himself out loud.

And with that out of the way, he looks back towards his phone and see a few miscalls from his father and his… friend, despite being quite friendly with his mentor Marisa, it felt like there was some sort of barrier or kinship that he doesn't feel with his former mentor.

So such, most of their meetings were rather polite after all and a handle on the supernatural scene and the use of magic which is common to someone to be taught to an apprentice or as he was told.

And if he looks at the other friends, he doesn't know much barely and calling out of the blue isn't exactly what fit him as much, and the fact that an unknown number sent contacted him through SMS.

He looked at it and to see as it reads as, "Good Morning Mapulon! Or rather Mapulon Alfredo, a rather unique name but I suppose filipinos do have varied names with influences…"

He was a bit worried that she easily just got the contact information that easily and though he might thinks but then he flipped over to find the emergency in case contacts he put in, it does indeed has his number and a few notable persons that he trusted with or rather the few friends he had that he could reliably contact that won't be too freaked out.

Though it was merciful how his father hasn't really much asked about his whereabouts or such, he would have initially felt sad for the for the awareness of just the recent trying to be with his parents or whether trust in Mapulon to tell when he arrives.

Whatever the case may be, setting those aside for the investigation would be a good idea. And especially with the Intel he has gathered from, it would be something to contribute on the incident

And so he texted with information on the ongoing incident, with details on time and date, with the details of the place.

OxO

He arrives at the cafe, he felt his hand shake but he forced it to stop. With the recent attacks earlier, he liked that he had at least that he had time to prepare and, so he did. And with those outcomes he realized that it wasn't enough.

Despite making at least 150, it didn't made him feel safe at all. All he could do was anticipate and hope for the best in the meanwhile, it was-

"Excuse me?", A warm voice greeted him

He shook his head as he realized that it was just the waitress asking if what he wants to order. It was moments before that he would have injured and caused a commotion, something he did not-

A hand waved before his face.

"Hello?" , the waitress once again called him.

He sighs at how he has been more distracted, it must likely been stress.

"Sorry, stressful day…" , he says

The waitress merely nodded and gave him a menu, eating something heavy could take off parts of the stress.

"I suppose, with the increased prices on food and the other necessities? It can be quite stressful to think about" she remarks. He nodded and chose a meal that's filling while cheap.

"Well, then I would take one bowl of tinola and rice. I also prefer that drink would be water"

The waitress nodded and went back to the kitchen leaving Mapulon alone in his thoughts, the meeting was in an hour later, and it seems that the batch for Tinola was already prepared as many people are likely to buy and eat somewhere else rather than eat inside.

Which was as lucky as some of the evidence he gathered from the alchemist was not suitable over eating lunch.

Three minutes later, he got food and ate in peace.

OxO

He felt something went wrong as for some reason, he felt like he was there something wrong despite nothing was going wrong at all. It's was something, he just knew and he wanted to act upon it but what was supposed to do?

It was at that, he decided that he might want to make a trip home. There was something that was beckoning him to go home. It was something much closer to a hunch guiding him towards something.

He texted her at least of something came up and just ditched different pictures and all the evidence. His mentor was an adult anyway, she could handle stuff like that, and with his mind made up, he left as unease settle on his stomach.

OxO

His legs burned as literal blasts of air propelled him to the sky like some sort of jet, it took mere minutes to arrive and notice that something was wrong as damages could be seen just by the distance.

He felt his heart pump and smell of ash hits him. He landed as his feet with less than smooth landing as it strained his legs.

The stench of something unpleasant reached his nose, it was something of similar to sulfur.

He grabbed handful of talismans and marched forward. It was a slow, and he did not like it. With his talismans on front of him glowing with power, he grabbed a flashlight and pointed to the entrance of his home.

It was a mess as furniture was casually trashed around, there were claws and parts of fur either burned or slashed in half.

"Well, at least I know the wards are working, " He muttered to himself, talismans were something he was good at but warding was something that he favored and it was just something that took easier for him to learn.

It was when he arrived at the kitchen that things got worse, as he saw that drops of blood was skewered all over the place. It was as if a fight occurred, there wasn't much of he remembered of his father.

It was just that he seemed to know things and he does sometimes spot his mentor nodding as if in respect or folks from time to time. So, having competence in the ways of violence wasn't usually that far fetched.

And, yet as he walks further inside where the blood was strongest. He become more wary as stench suddenly increased or rather magic of the dark variety suddenly started.

Just, in case he replaced his talismans with runes that were more better geared towards exorcism in general.

From the distance, he could a hear vase broke and a pained cry, just from the room that his father was currently at. And, with that he rushed through find everything thrashed around and to see a blonde woman injured.

She was using her broom as a makeshift baton, though that must have been sheer strength of the creature she was facing against as he could see the grimace. Though, it seemed neither were aware of the intruder.

No, actually the demon wasn't unaware, as the demon took a moment to look at Mapulon but was immediately ceased as weakness as she the a small object towards the demon.

It raised a reddish shield, and blocking most of the magical explosion, however it didn't notice Mapulon as he slapped a talisman on his feet and blasted towards it as if some kind of rocket.

It broke the shield and burned parts of it, and without hesitation, Marisa threw grenade like object and it open fired a beam through it's head killing it. There were reports that Marisa babbles about, she said that priests were on some sort of shadow war.

Once was a coincidence, and twice a pattern and so he asked, "How many attacked? What happened exactly?"

"Around 7-8ish demons was what I saw when your father was nearly kidnapped. Though they were more likely higher than that that's probably because of your warding that eradicated a few arrogant enough, " She says calmly but he could wariness and something close to shame.

Though, he wasn't aware of the few details maybe because the detail of his father nearly getting kidnapped was what prompted it.

"What!" , He nearly shouted as fear and anxiety increased and a lot of things. Well, that included as electricity sparked.

'How, as rudimentary are my wards, no one should be stupid enough or rather he didn't garnered enough attention to warrant an attack an direct attack on his home' , He thinks to himself.

Anger poured through but though Marisa may not be able to properly teach him in his brand of magic, Allowing himself to be calm in any given situation was an important factor.

As if reading his mind, she nodded to him approvingly and said, " I've stabilized your father and as far as I know, it seems the demon attacks were based on strength of the wards. From the information, I'm not sure the motive behind the attack but it guarantee that there is someone coordinating behind them as, demons aren't normally this organized."

He nods at the information and he said, "Is it possible that this might be an attack against the mages here in this island? I remember you telling me that there are many creatures or rather "Youkai" that would benefit with those changes. And by the way, is the Intel I've gathered possibly related to the demon attacks just now?"

It seems that seems to have struck a cord with Marisa as she seems to shudder, he doesn't know but he'd guess that it may be related a case between intelligent "Youkai" as he'd guessed.

She seemed to think over quite long about her response, further enhancing his hunch and possibility of a traumatic past and she said, "I have ideas of what type of Youkai, it may be but considering your information on top off it has shaved off the list of possible suspects but further information would be needed for clarification"

Mapulon at least knew that despite his innate ability to learn certain types of magic and the different monsters, memorization was something he did not like. And, because of that he was sometimes labeled as someone rude.

Whatever the case, he was not really much of a people person and he didn't care much about his reputation either, and no one was hurt because of it, so it means that he must be be doing quite well.

"I suppose, doing solo investigations are off the books?" he asks yet it seems as if it was stated rather than a question

She looks at him and nods

"The only way that I can think of to finding information would be asking locals or either just beating up them like mooks as they do have to report to someone, We'll just do it with until we find the culprit. Is that a viable solution?"

Her eyes widened and was suddenly as if remembering something nostalgic, it's as If she lost her humanity for a moment a nostalgic mixed with regret. Whatever the case was, her decisions on her life are hers alone and he would only give help if she asks upon it.

She looks at him with something similar to surprise and was about to say something however he didn't hear that as something literally entered and wiped out the wards.

As weak as they are, having your wards getting destroyed wasn't exactly subtle not that the enemies were exactly pretending to be subtle either.

As three large blasts of fire came towards him and so he replied by throwing talismans of winds impacting it and causing the fire to produce smoke for some reason. It must probably been a distraction as a metal stick impacts the area around him.

He dodges the initial blow but the sheer force of it made him glad that his first instinct was to dodge rather than block, yet despite that he was thrown and hit the wooden wall breaking it.

The impact hurt his back and he threw talismans of wind to create at least breathing room. It seems the figure was surprised as it seems to expected that the strike would have killed him.

Though that must be a good guess as it was really strong one and should have knocked him out but he wasn't one to look at a free advantage, and so he threw binding talismans around the figure and a fire talisman as a distraction.

The fire talisman despite as distraction dealt absolutely no damage, as it hands blocked off the magic however it didn't notice the three talisman slapping at his clothes effectively immobilizing him.

And so, he attempted to go to help Marisa. Key word attempt as his body suddenly collapses to kneeing position, he coughs blood as it seems that the figure dealt him an serious injury.

He looks towards Marisa and to see that despite knowing her as someone who specializes in magic obviously, he wasn't expecting her to use the broom as a weapon as it glowed stardust as she uses it as a makeshift oversized wooden baton.

It seems that Marisa was about to win until a voice interrupts them

"Should you continue your fighting, this mortal shall have his throat slit!".

Mapulon seems to have gravely overestimated the sealing talismans, as the figure or rather demon had cut off parts of it's legs and was putting a claw at his father.

Negotiating was usually bad with monsters but it was his father on the line, and so he said, "What are your demands?" his voice did not waver for some reason, and so he drew strength from that.

Marisa looked enraged for a second and was about to reply but the whimpering of Mapulon's father stopped her from saying anything.

"Do not speak a word Messenger, or for there will be consequences"

Marisa simply shut her mouth and looked at him instead as the creature looked at him and said, "You are a promising mortal, speak only a word and your father shall be healed".

There was some voice that was probably Marisa's but he did not take it to account as he said, "And what of the price?". He doesn't know of his father's ailment but it seems a rather stupid to make a deal with a monster like that.

"Just your cooperation and a helper" ,the demon says.

He pretends to think over it when he obviously knows the answer to it and says, "I won't say I disagree-

Marisa says something but he ignored it

"However, I will have to think about it for a few days, will this suffice" ,he says as a stupid plan he hatches it out and it seems that Marisa was being too cooperative even.

"Very well then, we shall return a few days for your decision" the demon says and knowing smile appears as the other demon excreted clouds to the other demon and his father and just like that they vanished.

Mapulon just slumped and despite ensuring that his father survived for a few days, and yet tears poured out of his face anyways.