It had been more than a month since the DUQUOIS was defeated.
Ever since then, RIORS which used to roam freely and attack people on sight had been silent.
Perhaps it was due to the DUQUOIS' death that many RIORS had been silent. There weren't any roaming RIORS and they seemed to have gone silent.
The core which was found upon killing DUQUOIS was also sufficient to power the capital city 'Krusch' for years. So, only the cities other than the capital bothered to attack the RIORS which were found.
Only quite a few were roaming outside. There used to be many RIORS roaming without hiding but many disappeared without a trace. Normally, a core would be left uneroded irrespective of climate and other natural forces acting on it. But there weren't any cores out there and there weren't any buried also.
So, the natural conclusion for a person would be that the RIORS have gone into hiding.
There were many other cities, especially the the higher-class districts which were troubled as it would to power shortage for them.
"What the hell is even happening?", a person wearing a suit, giving off the vibe of belonging to the top brass slammed his hands on the table. It took place in the middle of a table.
"Well, there haven't been any RIORS coming out nowadays."
"We can stay like that."
"What are we supposed to do?"
"How am I supposed to know."
"Boss, you surely have a backup right?"
The people who were on the table all turned towards a single person.
"The best we can do is ask the capital."
They all agreed to his words with doubts in their mind.
Then, at a unknown place. Seemingly inside a closed place with a single location of light coming, there were two RIORS there. They seemed to have been communicating about something. It could have been understood that it was about the death of DUQUOIS.
Ever since then, many RIORS have gone into hiding. The RIORS which seemed to have possessed no sort of intellect going into hiding was a shocking feat. The best conclusion would have been was that they might have been hibernating or migrating but they never showed any signs of it within the previous years.
Meanwhile at the capital.
A few days had passed since both Hiro and Alma did it. They got too chummy with each other. To the point where they started doing it regularly.
The both of them were at a park. They both shared a kiss as the orange sky of the evening became dim, slowly welcoming the night.
At that time, a person had spotted them faraway using his binoculars. He gritted his teeth upon seeing that.
"That swine, its going to become a greater hindrance removing him if he gets along with the other swine."
"Why not remove them all.", another one suggested it to him.
"That's a great idea."
The next day, Raj had a work to go to the higher-class district Weiss.
Raj left early in the morning after waking Yuki up and the both of them left.
That day, Hiro was also called to his headquarters. It was by the commander.
"What is it, Sir?", Hiro asked him.
"Yes, I would like you do another maintenance check for Vernier. It is the one who defeated the DUQUOIS and it is necessary for it be in top condition."
"So, the pilot doesn't get a thing out of this, huh."
The demon told him.
Hiro was surprised that the demon which had not bothered him for a month had finally talked.
"Where were you?", he asked the demon.
"I thought it would be better not to disturb you."
"You should've been silent."
"Do you get it.", the commander told him.
"Yes, sir!", he replied and went out of the room for the maintenance check of Vernier.
He went ahead and did the maintenance check for Vernier.
After the check was over he went over to a jewelry store in Weiss district.
Upon entering, the staff which greeted looked at him in disgust.
"Will you be able to afford anything here?", the staff person asked.
"It is none of your business.", He replied and continued, "I would like a pair of diamond rings, good one, not too plain or flashy."
"Yes.", the staff member replied without an ounce of respect and brought him the things he asked for.
"That would be 50,000 credits, would you like to pay now or later in installments."
"I will pay it now.", he replied.
Hiro went ahead and paid it in full price.
It shocked the remaining of the staff members who were there.
"Could he be that MECHA pilot.."
Many of them wondered that as Hiro left the store after the rings were packaged.
He went back home, only to see something horrifying unfolding in front of him.
He could see smoke coming from the direction in front of his house.
When he reached there, he could see that Trig, Corel, Kurt and Ker, in front of his house. Who had tied up Alma and his siblings Haruna, Varuna andTohji
"Oh, you're here commoner.", Kurt told him as Trig came behind him and smacked him to the ground.
At that moment, Ker smashed Alma head the main door and threw her back. The house was already burning. The kids who were tied up were also thrown back by Ker and Corel.
Alma, somehow tried to break the rope she was in.
Corel went ahead and spoke as he spilled gasoline on them, "Now, its time for a surprise to the pig who has always disobeyed us."
"What do y-", As Hiro was about to speak, Trig smashed his fist on Hiro's head.
"Listen without asking.."
"Let the show begin."
Ker said it as he threw a lighter upon the children who were covered with gasoline. They started to burn. They screamed of agony as the fire was burning.
Hiro tried getting up but he couldn't do anything, he tried strengthening himself Kurt also pushed himself down.
At that time, Alma broke free and went to the children. Ker and Corel who were there didn't try stopping her. In fact, they pushed her into the fire. His three siblings' screams could be heard along with Alma's scream.
It was a horrifying scene to watch.
Looking the them, the four perpetrators who were the cause of it laughed.
"Why.."
"They're just worthless livestock, they deserve to die."
Ker had the biggest laughter of them all.
"I've been telling you, I'll grant you power.", His demon told him.
Hiro didn't respond to his words.
Trig let go of Hiro when Ker kicked his face.
"These shitty motherfucking assholes..... Do you want to let them be?"
The demon asked Hiro.
"I will grant you power. It is not mine but yours.... You call it bravery."
Hiro could feel the hatred and rage welling up inside him the moment the screams subsided. He understood that the ones who were burning had died. Nonetheless, it was a painful one.
He got up and punched Trig on the face, only to get hit on the back by Corel. He gave a straight uppercut to Corel and then kicked Ker on the face.
"Ah my beautiful face, how dare you!", Ker tried to attacking him but Hiro punched him in the abdomen as Kurt kicked his back.
It caused a huge scene, the passerby there were gathering looking at him. But they couldn't do anything but hate the scene unfolding in front of them.
As Hiro started fighting back, he getting beaten up by getting ganged upon. The latter ones had the upper chance.
The people who saw this were enraged.
Hiro went ahead and kicked his heel to Corel's face and then kicked his kneecap into Trig's abdomen. At that moment, Kurt punched him in the face to which Hiro slapped his palm back.
Hiro had the lower hand but he kept his resistance.
The police had come to stop the fight.
The came and took back the four other had handcuffed Hiro.
Hiro was shocked at this. The police officer who handcuffed him pushed him down and punched him in the face. Hiro wondered about the reason he was getting arrested.
"That is him, he is suspected of rebellion...", Trig spoke and continued, "When we tried interrogating him, he put his house on fire and tried pushing the blame on us by fighting with us."
It was blatant lie told by him, even the people who had gathered there also understood that.
It was clear as day that Trig was lying since no one from Nobility would visit a simple alley and know that he was taking part in rebellion.
"You are under arrest under the suspicion of treason!", the police told him as he lifted up Hiro and took him forcibly to the police car.
Then Corel said this in berating manner, "Remember, peasant. No matter who was in the wrong, the noble will always get preferential treatment."
Raj and Yuki had come back at that moment. It was the cloudy evening the whole exchange was going on. They rushed to see that Hiro was getting arrested. They also the other four there. They could partly understand the scene which was unfolding in front of them.
Those words echoed through Hiro's ears as he was tossed into the police car.
He was taken to the police station in Weiss district and was shackled while standing with his arms upwards. The one who supposed to interrogate him brought an iron rod and smashed it on his face to the left cheek.
"How dare you lay your hands upon a noble?"
Hiro, felt tinnitus as he was hit by the rod.
Hiro smiled as he looked at the police officer.
Hiro spat on the police officer's face saying, "I don't want to answer the nobles' dog."
This infuriated the policeman and hit him more. He called out more people and they started to hit him. They continuously interrogated him as they hit him.
"You, you're involved in the rebellion, aren't you?"
"Even if you aren't just say so."
"Yes, just take the claim of being involved in the rebellion. I mean you commoners and nothing more than worthless things anyway."
"Worthless things.....", the demon spoke
"You pig, just accept it. That way, we all can save some time."
Hiro was continuously interrogated. No, he was tortured.
He was tortured to take the blame of being involved in the rebellion upon himself so the police officers can save face.
He was being tortured for no reason.
Hiro groaned as he was being tortured. He could hear screams and noise in his mind without rest."
Hiro screamed loudly in pain.
"Hahaha...."
The police officers laughed at his screams.
At that moment, outside the pillars. In the barren land, a RIOR screamed. Its screamed echoed throughout the mountain it was on. Hearing the screams, the RIORS which were within the vicinity gathered around it and bowed.
The RIOR behaved strangely, as if it were in pain. It looked at the direction of the capital city's pillars. They were the pillars the pillars which were directly connected to Macross district.
The RIOR screamed and started to run towards the pillars bipedal. It looked similar to human but with slightly disorder features. It had two eyes but the right side of its face had multiple eyes on top of it, like a spider. It had the similar slender physique like a MECHA, with the only difference was that it looked more like an organism.
It ran towards the ran towards the pillars as the others were following her.
Hiro, who was being tortured, had a break after being tortured for about three hours. The police officers left leaving Hiro shackled. Hiro moaned in pain.
The police officer entered the room to interrogate him again. But this time, he was stopped by another officer, who told him about something.
"Is it true?"
"Yes."
Hiro heard them talking but couldn't understand what they were talking about.
"I can believe it."
"What should we do."
"How should I know, ask the commander."
"Yes.". the latter said and ran towards the Commander, Dorian.
The police officer who had come to torture Hiro looked at him and said, "Consider yourself lucky.", and left the place.
A few moments had passed by, Hiro wondered about what was going on.
The door was then opened as Hiro looked down to the floor. He could hear the door creaking open and he looked at the one who opened the door. It was Anton.
Looking at Hiro, he rushed to him and removed his shackles.
Hiro asked him as he taking Anton's support standing up, "What is happening out there Anton?"
"There's a stampede."