"This place... It is certainly a large and advanced city. Fray, what was its name again?"
The small silver-haired boy asked.
"Altria. Apparently, it's the largest city in Altheria in the world. All the other branches have nothing on this."
The man next to him said.
"Altria... Such an unpleasant name."
Argent shivered.
"For some reason, it feels like my back is crawling."
"Maybe since you're a newer model, you don't know."
The boy's eyes turned to Fray as they turned around the corner.
"Know what?"
"You newer models are sensitive to positive human emotions. Father made it that way since he's had some of the older models getting sentimental toward humans."
"Would that include you?"
Fray smiled eerily at Argent.
"You kidding me? I'd never feel sympathy for these pitiful, lowly beings."
"Are you sure? I mean, you just used the word, 'pitiful.'"
"When I say I won't, I won't!"
He shouted.
The boy shuffled through his pocket and took out the photo. A beautiful orange-haired teenager. Emika Kaneko. The one they called, 'The Key.'
"Will we even find this girl?"
"I thought you'd always carry out Father's orders, regardless."
Fray joked around. He turned away when Argent shot a sharp glare at him.
"Enough joking, Fray. Should we ask around?"
Argent looked around as he spoke. There were plenty of people around. There were also people wearing the same uniform as Emika Kaneko, though they were rarer.
"That would be the fastest way but we'd be suspicious if we were to ask around for a girl like her."
"Even with your luck?"
Argent questioned.
"I'm not the one who has the luck. It's simply the fate that awaits me that gives it to me."
Fray replied.
"Anyhow, we will have to search for her with menial means."
"Actually, I know a way we can find her easily."
The red-haired man said. Argent blew a fuse.
"And you only say this now?!"
He backed away from the boy.
"Woah, chillax, it only came back to me now."
"Spit it out before I gorge your trachea out."
The man didn't feel as motivated to speak anymore, but he still did so.
"The main school here is Altheria Academy. The school that The Key goes to. All of the students live in dorms, but they can explore the city. Albeit after a while, they have to return to the dorms."
They both entered an alleyway and faced each other while laying against a wall.
"In other words, we need to get into the school and dorms to find the girl. That sounds quite undemanding."
Fray's eyes looked upwards, as if he was looking at something. Argent also noticed what he was staring at, however, his glance didn't stray from Fray.
"You don't understand, Argent. The Streia they have here may be weak but there're lots of them."
"I concur. They are almost like pests."
In an instant, they moved. As they did so, shadows sped toward them. They blocked the exit of the alleyway and any other possible escape route.
In total, there were 10. Most were wearing a black uniform. The Altheria insignia was on their chest.
One walked forward. His uniform was a lighter grey compared to all of the others.
He tapped his wrist and a holographic projection appeared. It showed Fray and Argent at a construction site. It was footage of them murdering every single one of the workers.
"This is you two, correct?"
The leader asked, retracting the holographic projection.
Fray and Argent didn't answer. Instead, they talked among themselves.
"Looks like we got caught, little guy, what do you want to do?"
Fray said, still looking at the men.
"Is it not obvious? We cannot continue Father's mission without these pests interfering. The only option is to kill them."
Upon hearing Argent's words, the men armed themselves and positioned themselves for battle.
Fray put his hands up.
"Hey! Hey! Why are you taking the words of a child seriously?! It was just a joke!"
"'Child...'"
Argent muttered furiously.
Even though Fray tried to ease his opponents and strike the instant they ease up, they were still ready. There were no openings he could strike and kill instantaneously.
"We judge someone's skill for what we have seen. We don't people by how they look. Anyhow, your friend isn't a mere child, is he?"
The leader spoke once more.
"Fray. We are going to kill them all."
The boy sauntered toward the leader. He wasn't infatuated with any other person except for him. Argent stopped two feet short of him.
"You are the strongest, are you not?"
As Argent looked up at the leader, he emitted a deadly and thick bloodlust.
Even the man shuddered slightly.
"That's one killing aura you have there... Tell me, what are you?"
"Death."
"Guh!"
Before he could react, the man was blasted away from Argent. The boy had sent a quick punch toward his abdomen.
The rest started moving.
"Argent, I'll take 4. You take 5."
"No, do not worry, Fray."
Argent tensed his fingers and pointed his hand at the crowd.
"I shall crush their souls."
As they drew near, he clenched his hand into a fist. The men suddenly became motionless. They dropped to the ground like an apple falling from a tree.
All 9 of them. Dead.
Empty would be a more accurate description.
"W-what the hell..."
The leader shook as he took a gander at his men. None of them were moving. One motion and they all fell.
"What d-d-did you do to t-them?"
Fear could be heard in every syllable he spoke.
Step by step, Argent strode toward the leader.
"Do not fear. It is only natural for humans to cower in front of domineering power. Now, may I ask you this?"
Reaching into his pocket, Argent took out the picture of The Key and showed it to him.
"Do you know this girl?"
"N-no! But judging from her uniform, she should be attending Altheria Academy. Now that I've told you, please could you-"
With a flick of his hand, the leader also became motionless.
"Useless mongrel."
Walking back toward Fray, he put the picture in his pocket.
"It's funny how humans change when faced with death."
Fray scoffed. He glared at Argent as he walked past.
"Both metaphorically and literally."