Almost the same time as Mason and Kyle were headed to the facility in the second district, a team of police officers was dispatched to handle a demon of the second tier in a local market in the fifth district.
When they arrived there, the shops were still open, but the people had already left in a hurry.
"Disperse and see if you can find anyone who failed to leave in time. One of you, check the perimeter and make sure the demon doesn't escape if it is still here," an officer said.
The team moves slowly keeping an eye on each other's backs and cautiously examining the surroundings. The sound of an explosion comes from a couple of shops away. They rush to see what was responsible for it but end up finding no one. As if their presence had been erased. Just as they were speculating the reason for the explosion, another loud sound was heard, this time deeper into the grid of shops.
They move in to locate the demon again. This time they succeeded in finding it. However, what surprised them was not the presence of a demon but an unknown person with a mask who was facing it. They were not given to expect this situation.
"Who is that?" an officer says.
"He has a flux gun," another points out.
A flux gun is a weapon used by police officers while encountering a demon. It is used because not everyone is capable of learning Kai.
Before anyone could say more, the demon rushes toward the masked person who avoids and dashes straight into the deeper network of small streets that separate the shops here. He instantly vanishes from the police's sight and is followed by the demon.
"Follow them," an officer said.
The fight that followed after this command did not even last a minute. The only cue to this battle police officers had was the demon's roars and sounds of explosions. The team was not fast enough to keep up with the movements of either of them.
"Where the hell are they!?" An officer shouted in frustration and confusion.
This game of hide-and-seek ended with a very loud explosion that shattered a small food corner. When the officers reached there, the masked person was on top of the decomposing demon.
"Alright, I don't know who you are, but stand down. You need to come with us and answer a few questions," The officer ordered the person who remained silent in response.
More than worrying about the presence of another demon in the nearby region, he was concerned with the fact that a Flux gun was being used by an unauthorized person.
Without any warning or preliminary action, the masked person dashes into the streets of the market. Unable to follow, the police were forced to use aggressive measures and fire at him. Their blasts missed him and eventually, they lost sight of this person.
"Sir, he escaped," an officer said.
Their team leader takes one final look before addressing the aftermath of this incident
"Yeah. We cannot follow him as there might be more demons here we need to take care of. Take a full sweep before we tell the people the market is safe. If possible take note of the damages done in this battle," he said.
* * *
Student hostel, Iven high
Iven high is a very prestigious school to which the most qualified of students go to pursue their goals further in life. Located in the fifth district, its hostel houses students who cannot afford to live by themselves due to certain circumstances. Right now in the middle of the night, you can see a kid right outside the building washing his face frantically.
"Oh god! It burns so bad" he said in a low voice, his eyes shut because of the pain.
On the ground a couple of feet away from him, laid a mask.
'I should not forget this' he thought. But this burning sensation won't allow him to reach it.
Ironic, right? An existence possessing incredible strength wouldn't be able to wield it the one time he wanted to.
Little by little, the effect of adrenaline in his body was drowning out making him weaker as each second passed. Unable to keep his balance proper, he sat right under the tap. Now he didn't have to worry about not being able to reach the water.
As the cold water formed tiny streams through his green hair, the memories of the past flashed through his head.
Blood and death were everywhere. But he couldn't save those in need. Cries were everywhere but he couldn't listen to those suffering.
A calamity so unimaginable, he wished it was a nightmare every day and hoped to wake up from it. But he did not, rather he walked out of it, broken. Broken and in denial.
He grinds his teeth and tries to grab any pebbles or sand from the ground to crush them as heat flows through his body once again.
Now and then, the existence of the man who caused this calamity and forced him to battle the demons in this world pops up in his mind.
An existence he knows neither by name nor via face, just by his sharp gaze and incredibly sinister aura.
The Instructor
He grabs the tap so hard that his knuckles become white. His lips and chin tremble as he relives the pressure in his vicinity. His silent anger had slowly transformed into fear after confronting the instructor in mind.
'Winning is not a possibility.' Even then he won't allow this fear to engulf him. He has always known what to do. But this cycle of emotions is not easy to break for a human. You can't help but feel it. Ergo, it is best to confront these feelings while you can.
An inevitable path.