Chapter 9
"Celine?" Murasaki looked at the newcomer, 'Wait, this one… is familiar.'
"I thought Walter is in charge of your squads." Professor jumped away, "What made you to show up?"
"This time… I… protector…" Celine exhaled cold stream and looked at Asagi who was on her way to strike the armored, Celine created an ice spear and blocked Asagi's katana, "Impressive…"
Asagi jumped aside and joined Professor.
"I'll ask you some questions after the fight." Asagi quickly remembered the person, "If you run away I'll cut your legs off."
"You… three…" Celine turned to her comrades, "Go to… others…."
"Are you sure?" Naomi jumped to Celine in order to regroup.
"Yes…" Celine exhaled a cold stream and then.
"Murasaki! Check the students!" Asagi ordered.
"On my way." Murasaki rushed to the place where the young hunters fell.
"Malek after her." Mystic ordered to the demon, who only ran after Murasaki, "We'll check the anomaly then." Celine only nodded and the man and the woman left the battlefield.
"And this person is…?" Asagi glanced at Professor understanding she won't be able to follow the other enemies.
"Celine the lord like Walter." the humanoid mumbled.
"Second line… but third…" Celine crushed the spear and created two swords instead of them.
"Great, another lord." Asagi didn't like the information about her enemy, "Is she strong?"
"I belive she is like Walter." Professor replied, "But as you can see her power is in ice. Be careful, she can transform it in everything what she wants, so…" Professor could explain further as Celine created a big cold steam, "Be careful!"
Asagi and professor dodged in time and avoided the attack of two wolves of Celine.
"I'll fight her and you protect my back!" Asagi shouted to her ally.
Professor didn't wait long and destroyed the wolves with his lightening and then released it at Celine, who only dodged the shot and clashed her swords with Asagi.
'If only that Commander or Shiranui was here.' Asagi pondered frowning, 'It' would be easier to fight.'
Celine pushed Asagi back and shot with an icicle at Professor, but he destroyed it with his own power and started attempts to catch the woman in her tentacles.
While Aki was falling he could grab some protrusion almost when he was in the middle of the fall.
"Maki!" Aki raised his head and saw how his girlfriend was falling too, 'Now!' Aki stretched out his hand and somehow could catch Maki, but it made him to fall too.
The distance now wasn't big and they could land without problems, however the boy fell onto his back and the girl was on him.
"Damn!" Aki grunted.
"That was close." Maki shook with her head and saw the boy, "Sorry for that." she got up from him.
"Don't mention it." Aki rubbed his shoulder, "It was really close. Just some seconds and…"
"Didn't know I would be able to catch some kids." they suddenly heard a voice that didn't belong to human, "And good thing you're Taimanin."
"Who the hell are you?" Maki prepared to fight, Aki didn't wait long and grabbed his katana too.
"Just the one who made two forces to clash." the voice smirked, "Didn't know you'll start to check that anomaly that fast. But for me it's even better."
"Maki! Behind you!" Aki exclaimed.
Maki turned around and with her fist could crush something. It was something metal and pretty strong.
"Nice reaction." the voice smirked, "And what about that?" this time three objects were flying at them.
Maki quickly crushed one of the objects, while Aki could repel the other two with his katana.
"What the hell is going on?" Maki exclaimed, "Who are you? Are you with these bastards?"
"As I told, I'm interested in your destruction, but at the same time of the ones you're fighting too." The voice repeated.
"Aki, Maki!" the boy and the girl heard familiar voice.
"Sensei?!" they both exclaimed in joy when saw Murasaki.
"Damn, Taimanin. I won't let you go." Malek was running after Murasaki, but the woman could repel his tail, which was aiming at her.
"Now." the voice smirked.
"What?" Murasaki looked at the students, and suddenly was pressed against the ground.
"Darn!" Malek repeated the fate of the woman with the axe, "Again?"
"That anomaly…" Murasaki tried to get up, "But the pressure was strong."
Suddenly Aki and Maki felt something and next moment the girl jumped toward the teacher.
"I won't let you touch sensei!" Maki shouted hitting someone who reminded a human but had four hands and a tail.
The creature was pushed back, however he protected himself with his arms.
"That was pretty strong." the creature smirked.
"What? I hit with my power how are you still standing?" Maki was astonished, of the new appeared enemy.
"If I was an ordinary demon, I'd be really dead." the creature smirked, "Thanks to my shell, I could bear it."
"Maki, be careful." Aki stood next her, "This demon isn't like orks or other species."
"Do you mean he is strong?" Maki looked at the boy.
"I don't know, but if these gravity trick are his work, that means he is dangerous." Aki mumbled.
"Does it mean there's now seal?" Murasaki tried to look at the demon with for hands.
"Can't belive I was trapped like a rat." Malek tried to move with his tail, but couldn't.
"I'll try to save sensei…" Aki wanted to rush to Murasaki.
"Bad idea." Trickster looked at the boy, "But if you want to try…"
"What the…" Aki could even say a word how his opponent headed to Murasaki in order to finish dealing with her.
"Maki! I'll protect sensei and you try to fight that one." Aki told to the girl.
"Got it." Maki replied him and headed at the demon.
"Don't forget about me." Malek grunted.
"If you die it'll be only better." Aki replied to the other demon.
Maki started to fight Trickster. She tried to hit him at the spot the damage of which could cause serious damage to her opponent, while the humanoid was only dodging her and sometime exchanged her lunges with his tail. Aki from his side also tried to predict the moves of the enemy and told Maki how to fight, however the girl did really well too. Maki and Aki's team work was impressive, however the enemy decided to attack a little bravely and Maki felt problems.
"Go, help her." Murasaki ordered him.
"But?" Aki didn't want to leave the teacher alone.
"Go!" Murasaki ordered him, Aki only nodded and rushed to help his girlfriend.
"What diligent kids." Malek smirked, "It's sad I'll kill them when I free."
"If they won't kill you first." Murasaki smirked too.
'Now the time.' Trickster jumped and grabbed Aki with the processes on his tail.
"What?!" Aki tried to free, but the grip was strong.
"And now I'll take my leave." Trickster chuckled, "And quickly ran by the alley doing one turn after another."
"Aki!" Maki rushed after the humanoid.
Trickster could jump onto the wall and standing on his four arms. Th creature looked at Maki who was after him.
"It seems I'll be able to sell two young Taimanin this time." he chuckled and jumped back onto the ground as Maki wanted to hit the place where he was standing.
"As if I'll lose that easily." Maki hit her palm with the fist, "I kicked asses of much scarier enemies."
"The problem is that you all know nothing about me." Trickster smirked, "And do you think it's the only what I can do while I was fighting you?"
"Do you want to say you have more trumps?" Aki asked him, but the humanoid only increased the grip and the boy hissed.
"Much stronger then you." he answered him, "But if to speak frankly, some Taimanin veteran like Igawa could kill me."
"And what do you want if you're neither with us nor with those criminals?" Maki asked him again.
"Balance." Trickster answered, "The good old times when I captured Taimanin and did other missions and had money. I'm not interested in that mess with the seals."
'Does he know about seals?' Aki looked at the creature.
Maki dashed to the demon and started to fight him. This time Maki was serious, and the creature felt it, strikes of the girl were able to crush bones of mere demon or human, while Trickster's shell protected him from that. Suddenly he decided to use his tail in order to prevent Maki from direct strikes, because of Aki.
"Maki! Under the tail!" Aki suddenly exclaimed.
"Got it!" Maki quickly squatted and hit the tail making the creature to free Aki.
The processes flinched and released Aki. The boy could lend onto the ground and join Maki in fighting.
"Enough games." Trickster grunted and kicked Aki at his stomach.
The boy hit the trashcan and fell, while Maki continued to fight. The creature grabbed her leg with his tail and did the same, but Maki hit the wall of a building.
'Now.' Trickster started to draw on the wall next to him.
"Take that!" Maki exclaimed, being ready to hit the demon, but her enemy only dodged and hit Maki at her back.
"What?!" the girl exclaimed, being stuck against the wall as if she was under some pressure.
"Now you." the humanoid looked at the boy.
'I must be careful.' Aki thought, 'It seems he uses seals, which influence gravity.'
Aki ran to the enemy and tried to do some good lunges against the enemy. But Trickster could avoid them all and hit the boy with his tail at his arm and then with one of his arms at his chest. The last hit was at his shoulder with his leg.
"Not bad for young one." Trickster smirked, "Some demon would be caught on one of these strikes, but not me."
"Aki…" Maki tried to break free, but everything was pointlessly.
"I better die…" Aki raised his head, "Then lose to a demon and let you hurt the ones I love…" he hissed at the demon.
"Brave words." Trickster aimed his tail at the boy, "But I don't kill such people like you. You're valuable and I can have a lot of money just for one of Taimanin."
'This is bad… I can't move my arm.' Aki tried to move with his right arm.
Suddenly the humanoid jumped aside as something hit the place next to him.
'Reinforcement?' Maki and Aki thought at the same time.
"So, it wasn't an anomaly of the seal." they heard a firm male voice, "However I'm totally surprised to see you here." the newcomer emphasized the word 'you'.
"Are we acquainted?" Trickster looked at the newcomer, who had white hair, tanned skin and black official suit.
'Who is this?'' Aki raised his head at the man.
"I'm surprised you forgot me." the man answered to the demon, "After all we were working for one aim long time ago."
Suddenly Aki felt himself strangely as if there was something like pressure all over the place.
'Is it from him?' Aki looked at the back of the newcomer.
'Is it a friend or another bad guy?' Maki thought too.
"Ah, so it's you." Trickster seemed remembered him, "I'm not surprised, why I don't remember you. When we saw last time you were smaller."
"Yes, and you were in good shape." the man seriously parried, "A general and can't bit two mere kids."
"Well, they're not alone here." Trickster replied, "And I was overthinking how two deal with all of them. And at the same time, these seals take a lot of powers." His processes on the tail moved like a pincer, "You should know that too."
"I know." the man nodded, "And you also must know that in such condition you won't defeat me."
"Are you on their side?" Trickster looked at the man, "Didn't know the disciple of Celine would join the side of the humans."
'Disciple? General?' Aki pondered, "What they are talking about?'
"Everyone must take someone's side." the man answered, "As for me, I'm one of the first persons in the list to be killed by Atke and Tyngak . Oh, he is Walter now."
'Are they talking about that man in the armor?' Aki remembered the man named Walter.
"Did you see our green scaled friend too?" Trickster asked him.
"No, but I've seen Celine." the man replied, "I hope you remember what sh can do." Trickster nodded, "That's why I decided to help Taimanin in this conflict."
"Maybe we join forces and destroy them all?" Trickster suddenly offered.
"Do you belive you can fight a demon lord in an opened battle?" the white haired man asked the enemy of two young Taimanin, "I don't think you'll be able to catch them into your traps." the man suddenly stopped, but then added, "I won't fight you this time, because of our acquaintance, but at the same time I won't let you take these kids." Trickster was watching at his interlocutor, "But if you try to attack them, I'll deal with you."
"Fine." Trickster snapped with his finger and Maki fell onto the ground as the gravity pressure stopped, "I won't defeat you now. However, be ready to fight me too, I won't sit without doing anything." He concluded and with his tail started to jumped from one obstacle to another one jumping onto the top of the buildings.
"How are you two?" the man asked rather the boy, but not both of them.
"Fine…" Aki nodded indecisively, "Thank you for your help."
"But who are you?" Maki quickly asked coming closer to the man, "If you're with us the hell you let him escape?"
"Maki." Aki interrupted her, "He saved us, so I think we must more polite towards him."
"Listen to the boy." the man said, "I'm just an ally, not a friend of yours."
"But still could we know who are you? Are you with 'Red Division'?" Aki asked a little more careful.
"I'm Incubus King." the man merely presented himself.
"What?!" Maki prepared to fight even Aki who had damaged arm tried to get up and join Maki.
"You're really bold ones." Kuroi smirked, "And reckless. Right now I won't touch you."
"As if we belive to that!" Maki shouted.
"Knowing what you did to Mizuki-sensei, you must pay for all these things." Aki was holding his katana in one hand.
"And you'll fight with only one arm." Kuroi was watching at the boy, "Maybe someone like Asagi would kill me, but not you with that one." he nodded at Maki.
'He is right even in our normal state we're no match for him.' Aki understood it was pointless to oppose him, "What do you want? If you let us go, then there's something you want."
"I won't cooperate with someone like you." Maki gave to understand to the demon.
"If not the circumstances I'd turn you into my slaves." Kuroi started to become irritated, "But because of some things I must let you go back to Asagi. I want you to give her a message from me."
"A message?" Aki was surprised.
"It's about your enemies, Walter, Celine and the others. I think she will be interested to listen about them." Kuroi handed some kind of a letter to the girl, "I'll wait her in a café which is written in the letter, I'll be there every day at two o'clock. If you all want to oppose them she'll come."
"It's definitely a trap." Maki protested, "Do you think she'll come?!"
"I told you the enemy of my enemy is my friend, therefore if you don't want to mess up with the seals she'll come."
"Aki, Maki!" they suddenly heard a voice of Murasaki.
"Don't fail me." Kuroi warned the young Taimanin and next moment disappeared.
"How the two of you are?" Murasaki ran to them, she looked at Aki and frowned.
"Pretty well." Maki could hide the letter into the pocket of her uniform, "Aki, can you walk?"
"Yeah, but the arm…" Aki tried to move with it, but only hissed.
"I'll help." Maki took his other arm and helped to walk, "And thank you for protecting me."
"Don't mention it." Aki smiled, "Sensei, what with the other enemy? Did you kill him?"
"No, he could escape." Murasaki replied irately, "I think that Mystic took him. And where has your enemy ran?"
"We'll report later." Aki answered.
"I see." Murasaki nodded, "Let's return to Asagi, she may need help."
'This one is really strong.' Asagi looked at Professor who helped her to hold Celine on distance, 'His reaction is really well, and it's much easier to fight with him.'
"Interesting…" Celine exhaled cold steam, "Can fight well… together…"
"Asagi! Behind you."
"I see." Asagi quickly turned around and crushed the ice wolf that was rushing to her, "Thanks."
"Seems… false anomaly…" Celine said to herself out loud, "Must go…"
"You won't escape that easily," Professor grabbed her leg with his tentacle, he wanted to send electricity by it, but could as the woman in the armor was physically stronger and could make fall the humanoid.
"Till… next time…" Celine exhaled another steam and disappeared.
"Damn, she' has left." Asagi didn't like the woman could escape.
"It seems we must think some way, which won't let her escape." Professor got up also shaking with his head.
"I hope the seal isn't destroyed." Asagi put her katana beck into the sheath.
"No, there was no energy explosion." Professor answered, "Thus the seal isn't destroyed."
"I want to know what game you're playing." Asagi looked at him, but suddenly heard a voice in her communicator.
'Asagi.' the voice belonged to Maria, 'We're coming to your place. Our enemies escaped and the gravity anomaly stopped.'
"Got it, I'm waiting for you." Asagi replied, and turned to the humanoid, "So?"
"All you must know that I'm your ally." Professor replied, "I'm a member of 'Red Division', thus you can trust me." Professor opened his toothless mouth as if he was smiling, "I belive your Taimanin reported that I helped her."
"I've heard, and she also told me that there something between you two." Asagi continued, "I want to know who that was and what connection between you two?"
"Trickster." Professor merely replied, "Let's just say, my former colleague."
"In what?" Asagi continued.
"That you'll know pretty soon." Professor looked around and saw who another group which consisted of Murasaki and Aki with Maki jumped onto the building.
"Murasaki, how was it?" Asagi looked at her partner too.
"The enemies escaped." Murasaki reported, "There was some guy who is in charge of that gravity anomaly."
"Some guy?" Asagi raised her eyebrow.
"He had a tail and four arms." Maki explained, "He was really tough."
"Your former colleague attacked my people." Asagi turned to Professor, "I hope you can explain why?"
"He told he wants to deal with both of us and the guys from the law." Aki answered still being supported by Maki.
"So, he decided to return the basic balance." Professor pondered, "That is not what I planned…"
"What do you mean?" Murasaki came a little closer to him.
"He wants to return everything on its places." Professor announced his thought, "He wants to prevent the destruction of seals, but at the same time he wants us not to intervene into them."
"Who is he?" Asagi asked him.
"That what you must know soon." Professor smiled.
"Sensei…" Maki suddenly said, but Aki slightly pushed her.
"What is it Maki?" Asagi looked seriously at the girl.
"No, it's nothing." Maki shook with her head.
After a while Maria returned with her squad to Asagi. They were battered too and Ilya wanted to have rest, while Maki only agreed with him.
"For now I'll leave." Professor suddenly said, "It was really good to fight side by side with you. I hope we'll do the same again."
"I didn't let you…" Asagi wanted to stop the helper, but he suddenly also disappeared, "Gone." Asagi didn't like that.
"We also must go." Murasaki said, "If they return we'll have problems."
"Yes." Asagi nodded, "Maybe Shiranui's squad could find at least something." she sighed not liking that the mission was pointless.
And then all of them headed to the needed place in order to return back to Gosha.
"Well here we are." Shiranui was standing on the top of the skyscraper in Tokyo, 'It's really so refreshing to be in the uniform and do just an ordinary work.' she smiled to her thoughts.
"Sweet!" Yukikaze exclaimed, "I waited for the moment to have a mission with mum for a long time."
"We haven't formed even the teams." Tatsuro said to the girl.
"No matter what, but I'm and you're with mum." Yukikaze insisted, "Someone has problems?"
"You're too energetic." Ren didn't like such mood of the girl with guns.
"I don't mind at all." Oleg looked at Yukikaze, "What about you?"
"Me too." Sakura nodded with a chuckle, "After all Yukikaze deserve to work with Shiranui."
"And at the same time, I don't think it's good to have two water members in one team." Oleg continued, "So Ren will be in our team." Ren nodded to Oleg.
"By the way, we'll your friends come?" Shiranui looked at the Russian teacher.
"Your friends?" Ren and Pavel were surprised, "From 'Red Division'?" Pavel added after a minute of silence.
"Yes." Oleg nodded and took out his phone, "They must come by now."
"Their help will be really big thing." Sakura came to Oleg, "If not them last time, we would have a lot of troubles there."
"All gratitude is to Shiranui. It was her idea to take them." Oleg looked at the woman with a ribbon that looked like bunny ears.
"But you called them, so I think the two of us should share it." Shiranui patted Yukikaze who was standing next to her.
"Discussing us?" they heard a voice.
The Russian hunters and Taimanin turned around and saw Drunkard and Commander in their battle uniforms. This time the man with the eye patch had his scythe and in the red vest, while drunkard was in his casual greatcoat and a service cap.
"Kinda." Sakura chuckled, as if she started to feel herself more freely this time.
"Just in time." Oleg shook the hand of the leader of 'Red Division'.
"Did you think we would be late?" Cyclopes looked at the teacher.
"No, you're always punctual." Oleg answered him.
'To work with mercenaries.' Ren frowned, 'But if Mizuki-sensei thinks it's good I won't mind.'
"What is it?" Pavel looked at Ren.
"No, nothing." she quickly replied likewise she knew that question will be asked.
'Even he is here.' Cyclopes looked at Pavel, "Well, did you break in groups?" he asked Shiranui then.
"Yes." she nodded, "I along with Yukikaze and Tatsurou and Oleg with Sakura will work with Pavel and Ren."
"I see." Commander nodded, "Then I'll join you three, and Drunkard will work with them."
"Drunkard?" Ren looked at the man in the service cap, "What a strange nickname." Drunkard took out a flask and did three sips, "I think to have a drunk man isn't good in the team."
"No matter to that. He is really strong." Tatsurou protected the habit of the man.
"Yeah, he was the one who helped us." Yukikaze joined him.
"If you're interested, I could kick their ass even being drunk." the man answered Ren pointing at Oleg and Sakura.
"Enough." Commander didn't want to have quarrels among them, "Drunkard is as strong as I am, so you don't need to worry about his power. Thus you can be still."
"I hope there won't be anything because of his fault." Ren mumbled.
"Our task is to patrol the area where we had the meeting with that freak." Sakura said to the men, "Maybe with your clones it would be better to do it?" the younger Igawa looked at the leader of the squad.
"I'm sorry, but I can't send my clones on a far distance." Shiranui responded her, "So they are only for unexpected attacks and defense."
"Then I'll try to give us the starting point." Commander raised his eye patch and he started to watch with his golden eye.
"By the way, sensei." Ren turned to Oleg, "Will you do use your mental power?"
"No, there too many of us. I won't be able to join you then." Oleg replied her, "It's better for us to work with communicators for this time."
"And I wanted you to cast something like that." Sakura put on a semblance she was disappointed.
'Don't worry." Shiranui joined, "When Maria will work with him he'll do that."
"Yeah, he could to mom's head and helped us a lot." Yukikaze remembered the fight in her mother's head again.
"Guys! May I focus?" Commander asked his teammates to calm down.
"Sorry." the noisy team apologized.
"Well, it seems I see something." Commander replied, 'It's… those wasps." He added after a little pause.
"The black ones?" Sakura asked him.
"I don't see their color." Cyclopes answered.
"How many of them are there?" Drunkard asked his comrade.
"Three, but there's no that humanoid." he answered, "One of them is there, the second one is there and the third one isn't far from the second one."
"Ren, Pavel, Yukikaze, Tatsurou." Shiranui said, "Don't do anything reckless work only with teachers. If you something forces you to separate try to reunite again."
"Understood!" the students nodded and then the teams split up into two discussed groups.
Drunkard was in front of his groups along with Oleg, while Sakura was behind Ren and Pavel.
"Worrying?" Sakura asked Ren with her casual merry voice, who was in front of her.
"No, just feel thrilling." Ren answered.
"That you're working with me?" Sakura asked again.
"And that too." the tanned girl replied again.
"Don't worry, even if we have three skillful hunters with us we'll also find how to impress the enemy." Pavel looked at Ren and smiled to her.
"Yeah, you're right." she nodded.
"Boy, do you have any power?" Drunkard asked Pavel.
"No." Pavel changed his smile to frowning expression.
"Then you'll fight the enemies, along with me." the man in the service cap replied, "Additional help won't be extra."
"Since when you're a leader?" Ren asked the man with the flask.
"Ren, he is more skillful then me or Sakura." Oleg said, "Thus for now he will be our tactician."
Ren replied nothing, but still she wasn't glad that the man who was drinking alcohol on missions was in their team. She could only accept it as Sakura also protected the man.
"Well the creature must be somewhere here." Drunkard looked around and slowed down.
"Maybe it's in the alleys?" Sakura offered an idea, "It must check the Taimanin in the streets."
"It really must so." Oleg agreed with her, "I don't think it would fly openly in the air."
"We must be careful." Drunkard continued, "These beasts are fast and can get you when you're not ready. You stay next to her or Teacher. And you're next me." the man looked at Pavel.
The team jumped off the building and reached the alley. They quickly got close to each other, but still the teams were focusing on the plan.
"Do you hear anything?" Oleg asked Drunkard and Sakura.
"No, but I feel uneasy." Drunkard replied, "Likewise we're being observed."
"The same with me." Sakura nodded, "And it's somewhere close."
"There!" Pavel suddenly exclaimed and the team jumped aside.
Some pretty big and fast flew straight were they were. Ren released a water bullet at the enemy and Oleg his dagger, which returned to him then.
"Darn, it's fast." Oleg spitted.
"Don't worry, I'll try to catch it with my shadow." Sakura said to him and stand in front of him.
The thing returned and Sakura suddenly created a big shark out of her shadow. The creature could avoid it, but then Ren didn't lose much time and tried to kill the beast.
"Don't kill it!" Drunkard shouted to the tanned girl.
"What?" Ren didn't understand why she should kill it, but because of that she missed the creature.
"Here!" Oleg stretched out his hand and the creature that was about to fly away, "Damn it, it's too strong."
"Hit it by the ground." Drunkard told him.
Oleg nodded and pressed the creature against the ground. Drunkard put his hand onto the road and then the creature was grabbed by ground chains.
"Not bad." Sakura chuckled, "Now we have a live instance to give Murasaki."
She came to the wasp, like it did everyone. Pavel and Ren were first ones.
"Man, it's much bigger than ordinary wasps." Pavel squatted and wanted to touch it, but the wasp was kicking.
"I don't know will these chains hold it for long." Drunkard put his hand onto on of it, and felt how the stone and ground were cracking little by little.
"Then how we transport it to Gosha?" Ren asked the teachers, but her eyes were watching at Oleg and then to Sakura.
"Difficult question." Oleg pondered.
"Guys." Sakura said in her communicator, "We could capture one of these wasps, what about you?"
'We're chasing one of them.' Sakura heard Shiranui's word, 'Try to contact with other troop, they'll take it and come to us.'
"Understood." Sakura replied, "I'll try to find a team then."
"Me too." Oleg joined her.
Sakura and Oleg were trying to do what Sakura promised to Shiranui and after five minutes she found a squad, which decided to take the wasp to Gosha. So now the only thing they supposed to do was waiting, but when the squad appeared, Drunkard decided to hide in order not to give additional problems to his teammates. And when the creature was captured and damaged, the squad headed to help Shiranui's group.
Shiranui and Commander were jumping ahead, and Tatsurou with Yukikaze were behind them.
"How do you feel yourself?" Commander asked the woman, "Aren't you rushing fast in joining missions?"
"Thanks for concerning." Shiranui answered with a smile, 'But stirring without doing anything, while everyone work isn't for me."
"I understand that, but maybe you'll have a rest at least for a month or so?" Commander asked her again.
"No, thanks." Shiranui smiled, "And if I wasn't with you last time, you would have more problems."
"Maybe it's because I was with you?" Commander smirked at her words.
"My, my, what a gentle man." Shiranui laughed, "Usually men must praise women more."
"By the way, where is Doppel?" Yukikaze suddenly interfered their talk, as they didn't discuss anything significant.
"She is on a mission." the man replied, "And Haze is too."
"By the way, any news from that Walter?" Shiranui asked the man again.
"No, nothing." Commander shook with his head, "It's like he disappeared completely."
"Can I ask you something." Tatsurou asked him indecisively, "That man, did he really kill my mum?"
"Tatsurou?" Shiranui looked at the boy.
"I don't want to belive my mum was killed." Tatsurou sadly said, "But if it's really true, was she really resurrected."
"I'm afraid yes." Commander nodded, "She was in the number whom I, Asagi, Professor and some of other Taimanin were fighting in Yomihara."
"So it's true." Shiranui understood, Asagi wouldn't lie, but she didn't want to belive that one of her friends was resurrected and forced to fight against them.
The team suddenly stopped. Commander opened his eye again, and started observe the surroundings.
"One wasp is there, and the second one is there." he pointed to the needed places, "I think they protect each other so be careful."
"No problem." Yukikaze chuckled, "I'll burn in on it way to us."
"Leave one alive." Commander told to Yukikaze, "I don't know how, but we must understand where their nest is. And only they know it."
"But how we'll make it to bring su straight to its nest?" Tatsurou didn't understand that.
"I have something in my mind." Commander opened his eye and looked around, 'Of course it would be easier if we had Hush with us, but without him I'll lose more powers than needed.' he thought then, "Yes, they're close, the two of them are flying above the buildings."
"The plan is next, I'll try to distract it with my clones." Shiranui started to think the plan, "Yukikaze, Tatsurou you two to hold it on distance and Cyclopes will try to do what he wants to do."
Everyone nodded and then jumped ahead. Shiranui created three clones which were next to her. Tatsurou and Yukikaze prepared their weapons and only Commander didn't expose his scythe.
"Now!" Commander order and Shiranui with her clones rushed ahead and attacked something from both sides.
"Darn." Shiranui didn't like that the creature reacted quickly, "Another try." This time her clones moved faster, "Yukikaze! Don't shoot!" Shiranui saw Yukikaze aiming t the creature.
"Got it." Yukikaze didn't do what she planned.
"Tatsurou!" Commander ordered, "Jump and do a wind puff!"
"Okay!" the boy jumped and the man did the same.
When the creature wanted to break away from the circle of Shiranui, Tatsurou and Commander could make it pressed against the roof with their wind power. Next moment Shiranui's clones could capture the wasp.
"Wow, that thing is really disgusting." Yukikaze looked at the creature.
"Faster! I won't be able to hold it for long!" Shiranui warned the man.
"One moment…" Commander ran to her and slightly cut his hand and then started to draw something on the back of the wasp, "Done." he said when the insect break free and flew somewhere, "Now you won't escape."
"What did you do with it?" Yukikaze asked him.
"My blood on it back will help me to see the route of this damn creature." Cyclopes explained, "Now we must only headed after it."
Commander removed his eye patch and went first, Shiranui was after him, and Yukikaze with Tatsurou were behind them.
Suddenly Shiranui's communicator worked.
'Guys.' Sakura voice was heard in Shiranui's communicator, 'We could capture one of these wasps, what about you?'
"We're chasing one of them." the woman with the ribbon replied to younger Igawa, "Try to contact with other troop, they'll take it and come to us.'
'Understood.' Sakura replied, 'I'll try to find a team then.'
"It seems the creature increased its pace." Commander replied.
But then happened another , the second wasp appeared and forced Yukikaze and Tatsurou to step back.
"We'll deal with them, chase that one!" Shiranui told to Commander, who only continued his route.
"Now, it's time to have some fun." Yukikaze stretched out her hands and did two shots, but the creature could avoid the strike.
"My turn." Tatsurou jumped and wanted to slice it in two, but the creature changed the route and was about to hit Tatsurou from another side, when Shiranui blocked its sting and then Yukikaze in right time could shoot the creature.
"Nice timing." Shiranui praised her daughter and looked at the creature that was twitching, she didn't wait long and finished it with her spear, "Now, let's follow Cyclopes." The crew headed by the rout the man rushed.
They continued their way and could catch him up, but the man was standing still as if he lost his prey.
"Don't tell me you lost it." Yukikaze wasn't glad about that the man as he was standing and watching at some kind of a wide building which was abandon from the first sight.
"The problem is that it flew into this building." Commander replied.
"Do you want to say it's their nest?" Shiranui asked him with puzzlement.
"Let me see." Commander watched at the building again with his golden eye, "It's strange." he frowned, "I can't see inside of it."
"To go inside of it will be dangerous." Shiranui started to calculate the situation, "These creatures are strong and if that one will be there we'll definitely lose. I could send my clones there, but I don't think they'll be able to go far inside of it."
"Let's wait for another team." Commander replied her seriously, "And then we'll discuss what to do then."
They wait for the second team for about ten minutes and for the whole time they were discussing about the place. When the second crew finally appeared Commander and Shiranui quickly explained the situation.
"Of course to go there now, will be stupid." Oleg agreed with them, "And the second problem is that we don't know is there the captured Taimanin or not."
"If it's there then it must be the nest." Pavel said to the teacher.
"Not necessarily." Oleg shook with his head, "According to the report I've read these wasps re really smart and can to some kind of traps. And if the one who also controls them a tactician it's absolutely a trap."
"I see." Pavel nodded.
"Then what is our task for now?" Ren asked the teacher.
"I think we must look around for a little." Sakura told, "Maybe we'll find at least something, what will help us in fighting these bastards."
"Not a bad idea." Shiranui smiled, "The formation is same?"
"Yeah." everyone agreed to stay in the same groups.
They split up again, Shiranui's group headed to the northern part of the building, while the Oleg's group decided to observe for the southern part.
Shiranui Commander and the kids stopped in the alley and started to look at the cracked and broken windows of the building.
"No light." Tatsurou mumbled.
"Demonic insects don't need it." Commander explained, "They usually sense with their horns."
"And how we'll investigate the insides then?" Yukikaze asked him.
"The only way is to drag him out of the nest." Shiranui suggested, "Am I right?"
"Yeah." Commander nodded, "But the problem in the way how to do that."
They continued to observe when they suddenly heard some scream not far from them.
"What was that?" Tatsurou turned around.
"Is someone in danger?" Shiranui didn't like that, "We must help what if it's a Taimanin."
Commander took out his scythe and followed the woman. They rushed by the alleys and found some woman which was surrounded by two wasps.
"These wasps again." Cyclopes spited.
"Hey!" Yukikaze exclaimed, "Let her go weirdo!"
"I don't think they understood you." Tatsurou looked at Yukikaze.
The wasps turned around and rushed at the team, but the hunters jumped aside and dodged their stings. Commander and Tatsurou started to run after the one, while Yukikaze joined her mother in that. The wasps were caught and killed, when they were trying to do another attempt to attack. Tatsurou could distract his foe and Cyclopes finished it, while Shiranui killed the wasp using her water weapons.
"Are you alright?" Shiranui asked the woman who was sitting in her knees and trembling.
"Y… yes." the woman looked at Shiranui, "Thank you for your help."
"Are you a Taimanin?" Commander asked her.
"Taima…?" the woman bowed her head, "Sorry, but I don't know what you're talking about."
'Does it mean she is a human?' Shiranui looked at her and sat opposite to her, she put her hand onto her shoulder and smiled, "No need to worry, the creatures re dead so now you can run away."
"But the big one." the woman suddenly flinched because of some noise, "There was another one, he was much bigger."
"Did it look like a human?" Shiranui frowned.
"Yes." the woman nodded, "I don't know, he was following me, but then these strange insects surrounded me."
"Can that mean they switched to normal people?" Shiranui looked at the man, who only shrugged with his shoulders.
"And do you remember where it flew?" Tatsurou asked the woman this time.
"No." she shook with her head, but then they heard suddenly some strange noise.
"It's him!" the woman exclaimed.
Commander grabbed the woman and jumped ahead, while Tatsurou, Yukikaze and Shiranui prepared for fight.
"Finally appeared." Shiranui created some clones in order to fight the enemy.
"So it the creature that kidnapped Taimanin?" Yukikaze was a little surprised to see a humanoid with wasps horns.
"Be careful." Shiranui told don't let him start using of sound.
"He won't be able to use them." Yukikaze did two shot at the creature, but he merely dodged it and rushed at Yukikaze.
Shiranui started to fight the creature with her clones and Tatsurou. The boy's wind helped a lot in that and Yukikaze also knew when to shoot. After a little time something flew at the creature, but the wasp humanoid could avoid the thing and started to attack Shiranui's clones.
'He is strong.' the woman pondered seeing how two of her clones were destroyed.
Their enemy was fighting strange, it used hands from whish were two stings and it feet were also were two stings which were similar to the blades. Suddenly the creature spit something.
"Darn!" Commander barely could stand, "Be careful! His honey is like glue."
Yukikaze tried to attack the creature again, but the clones of her mother didn't give her an opportunity to make a proper strike. Tatsurou on the other hand could attack the creature. Little by little the noise of his wings started to become stronger and stronger.
"Use earplugs!" Shiranui commanded, "This noise is the sign of his attack."
The creature seemed didn't like that and fly straight to Shiranui. And when it was close to her, it used something like a sound bomb. The woman couldn't stand and flew at Commander.
"Got you!" the man finally broke free, but still also fall onto the ground.
The creature decided to deal with Yukikaze when suddenly something like bullets was flown between them.
"What…?" Yukikaze raised her head and saw Ren along with Pavel.
Sakura landed behind the creature, and a shadow shark was about to get the humanoid. However it could escape. Ren and Drunkard could get the creature at his arms, but their blades didn't give much result as if something like a shell protected it. The creature mumbled something and its wings started to move faster and when Shiranui, Commander and Oleg wanted to finish him, the creature released some kind of an explosive wave, which made let flew everyone. The moment was created and the creature flew back toward the abandoned building.
"It's gone." Pavel rubbed the back of his head, "And it was when I wanted to join."
"That bastard is really a good fighter." Drunkard said getting up, "He knows when to use such unpredictable attacks."
Shiranui and her squad removed the earplugs.
"You're just in time." Shiranui exhaled, "But still our number made him to retreat again. And what with that woman?"
"She is fine." Commander nodded, "I left her in the other alley."
"Good." Shiranui nodded and looked at the building, "It seems we have really difficult work soon."
"By the way, did you find anything?" Commander looked at Oleg.
"No, even wasps didn't show up." Oleg quickly answered.
"If there were no wasps in your direction…" Commander pondered, "Then can it be their nest? Maybe that one did another trap?"
"Um, sorry…" they heard familiar voice, they turned around at the voice and saw the same woman, she had dark skin and had long black hair, she was wearing some kind of skirt and a jacket, "Did they capture someone who you know?"
"Lady, you must away of here." Yukikaze wasn't glad the woman came back to dangerous place.
"I…" the woman mumbled, "Saw how the creatures captured some woman here, but it didn't flew to that building."
"Did you see how that big creature captured some else?" Sakura was astonished that a normal woman saw something like that.
"Yes." the dark skinned woman nodded, "I accidently saw that, and I think it should help you."
"Thank you for information." Shiranui nodded and looked at the building again, "Since it's their nest we must think a proper plan how to sneak into it."
"The bees' hive is a really bad thing." Sakura looked at the same place too.
"Well, for now we're done." Shiranui suddenly announced, "I'll report to Asagi to send here some hunters and patrol the place. I don't think that creature will be able to fly away that fast."
"Here you're right." Drunkard nodded, "There are to fight a better place for the hive and only then they transport to it and since they have Taimanin he won't risk going there without proper investigation."
"Some of my men must finish mission." Commander looked at Shiranui, "They'll look after the place and when your guys will come they'll leave."
"Thanks I'd be grateful if you'd do that." Shiranui nodded to Cyclopes.
"Since when you've became so kind towards Taimanin?" Drunkard looked at his comrade and leader.
Commander preferred not to hear that caustic sentence.
"By the way." Ren suddenly joined the talk, "What if the main one will escape?"
"It'd be much better." Sakura chuckled, "As we'll be able to save the rest avoiding the fight."
"What concerns me is that it can fight the whole bunch using his sound power." Drunkard said, "These two fights seems like it's testing us, but not fighting."
"What do you mean?" Pavel asked him.
"When we first fought, it also was careful with us." the man took out his flask and started to explain after doing some sips out of it, "I thought it was scary of our number and our strategy. However if he can use such sound explosions it would give him really good opportunities."
"Do you mean he could kill us?" Tatsurou seemed shocked.
"Not to kill, but it could capture some of us. And along with poisoned stings it really could be easy." Drunkard answered.
"Usually wasps lose biggest part of the poison after stinging." Oleg said, "And that is also with demonic wasps. However the problem is that we don't know how much times this humanoid can use his poison." he concluded.
"Fine." Shiranui concluded, "The only thing we can do right now is guessing. We must think a good strategy and only then go inside. Let's keep in touch maybe and when we or you think something we or you'll give it know."
"Wise." Commander nodded and stretched ou his hand, "With you, I'm ready to work." Shiranui accepted handshaking.
Everyone was glad that the teams were now in good relations, even if the bridge of that connection was only Shiranui it gave a lot of opportunities to react fast on everything what was happening about 'The Third Law' and other stuff what could connect with them.
The Taimanin squad decided to return to their place while Drunkard and Commander decided to leave and wait for their men, who could change them. Shiranui and Commander gave to each other their numbers in order to contact fast, and then the Taimanin left.
"I can't understand, why have started to be so kind to Taimanin." the man in the service cap looked at his comrade with an eye patch.
"I don't know." Commander replied seriously, "I don't know why, but Shiranui is the only Taimanin I admire and don't have any bad thought about her."
"Is it because of Yasuhiro or what?" Drunkard handed him his flask.
"I don't think so." Commander took the flask and did several sips, "Maybe knowing about her suffering and the way how she wants to change everything what she did. I think she is really an amazing as a human and Taimanin."
"Well…" Drunkard pondered, "And what about Asagi? They both interfered into our work many years ago."
Commander smirked, "If not Shiranui I would deal with Igawa, but still I don't have dislike towards her. Perhaps because of her husband and daughter who were ready to leave everything what they like in order to help her. As I see she would do absolutely the same for them."
"Just like you." Drunkard sighed.
"What do you mean?" Cyclopes looked at him with puzzled expression.
"Forget it." the man with sickles replied fast.
"Fine." Commander nodded, and continued to watch at the building.
Etienne continued to sit in front of his laboratory desk, with a computer and ampules and other scientific stuff. The man seemed pondered and even confused. He was watching at the monitor of his computer and tried to solve some problem.
'I can't belive it.' Etienne pondered, 'Their blood… It assimilates.' Richar looked at the small mortar, 'How is it possible? Only if they have some bond, even the blood of two orks doesn't have anything like that. Of course they're strong demons and I work with it for the first time, nevertheless it means they have some bond.' Etienne looked at the mortar again, 'Walter will tell me nothing about that, probably Celine could tell something, but still… I don't think she'll tell anything of that too. At the same time I doubt Mystic know about it as well.' Etienne got up and came to his instances, the humans were changing fast and Etienne was glad the experiment was going fine, he left his laboratory and headed straight the corridor, 'That Walter and Celine are demon lords, of course I know nothing about them, if I had some like them in my laboratory.' Etienne sighed, 'I would probably be able make some experiments.'
The French scientist entered another room, which was more spacious than his one. There were some scientists along with Liza, who was in her battle uniform. Etienne looked at her then at the creatures which were in the room too.
"How the work with them is going? When we'll be able to send them to missions as well?" Etienne asked some one worker.
"I think soon." the man said, "They still have bad obedience, but I belive we'll be able to control them soon. The collars will teach them."
"I see." the French came closer to the creature that looked like a snake, the creature tried to bite Etienne, but the electric shock hit the creature making it fall, "But that one was more loyal on my mission." he looked at the creature with wings.
"He became the most loyal and the rest of them are still resisting." Liza explained, "And what about your project?"
"Going as scheduled." Etienne replied, "I'll leave you for a little soon. So everything will be on you two." he added watching at Liza and the man, "I have some kind of mission, which can be beneficial for me."
"Don't worry, master Richar. We'll do everything well." Liza replied him, "And if you need my help, just let me know." Etienne nodded and slowly went to exit from the laboratory room.
'Now, I must join Torch with the kid.' Etienne thought being frown, 'But still maybe there will be something I can examine? I'd really like to have such an opportunity.