Nox was a bustling city, filled with traders and commerce it truly was the most economic nation of the four.
Team one had arrived, the client was a man named 'Leth Chestal' but he was nowhere to be found. The client was said to have been seen somewhere near the port of the city, so it's where they went. They seemed to have good chemistry as a group, immediately after introducing themselves they chatted nonstop since coming here.
"Stupid clients never showing up, now we have to go there." Said Rex as he walked with his hands holding the back of his head.
"So you two related?" Asked Ula as she pulled the lollipop in her mouth out.
"Yeah we're related, I'm her older brother and I'm here to become the greatest hunter."
"No, you're not!" Diana shouted as she hit Rex's dome. "I'm the older sister. I'm here to make sure behaves, sorry in advance."
"I can see that." Ula said with a defeated expression.
Suddenly the atmosphere shifted, everyone was looking at him. He hadn't uttered a single word since they came to Nox and he wasn't planning to but with the way thing's were going, he just might have to.
"Um...Beautiful city." Igor whispered.
"What?" Ula looked at him.
"Nothing..."
They walked devoid of conversation except for the occasional squabble between the two siblings, the city was lively. Almost as if no one here knew there was a daemon somewhere in the area.
"This is the port?" Rex said as he looked at the sailor men who cast their nets into the sea.
"This is the port." Igor finally let out a clear statement. "If we're gonna find Leth, chances are one of the sailors know him. Better to split up and check."
"You shoulda at least mentioned you knew the area." Diana dragged Rex toward the left side of the harbor.
"Yeah, sorry."
"Why are you apologizing? weird, anyway let's go I'll search there you do the opposite side." Ula commanded.
They had reached the port around dawn but now it was dusk, the night sky had covered Nox and everyone had retreated to the comfort of their homes. Including the numerous sailors who worked with the sea.
"Well that was a bust, do we return?" Rex asked as he sat on a barrel.
"There's probably gonna be a penalty," Ula stated. "Plus we can't just give up, we have two more days to find this tiger class."
"So Ula why are you here, you know why I and Rex are here already. I'm here to make sure he doesn't make enemies for the Miiks clan and he wants to become the greatest hunter to ever live." Diana shook her head as she said the last part. "So why are you here?"
"Money really, I know that's shallow as hell but the Finterbaal clan has always been poor. So much so that this is the third time a student of the clan has attended Vancrest since the clan was formed." Ula answered.
"I see, that's not shallow at all. It's actually really sweet."
"Yeah, my dad's been sick for as long as I remember and maybe just maybe when I become a B-rank hunter I can take him to a good hospital."
"Now you have me rooting for you too," Rex wiped his eyes with his sleeves. "Let's all meet your dad when we become B ranks!"
"That just leaves." Diana turned her head. "Igor, why are you here."
"Why am I here?.... Well, I'm here to." Igor was cut off by another voice.
"I'm sorry.....are you the daemon hunters from Vancrest?" A man said in a raspy tone.
"Yeah, we're the daemon hunters!" Rex replied him instantly.
"Shut up Rex!" Diana cautioned him. "Sorry, but do you have the receipt of the commission?"
"Yes, in fact I do." Said the old man whose identity was indeed Leth Chestal, yes the man who brought the request to Vancrest.
"I've been looking all over for you daemon hunters until someone told me a group of four headed toward the harbor."
"So anyways where is this daemon old man, I'm gonna kill it and have all the glory." Rex beat his chest mentally.
"Well aren't you the feisty one." Leth laughed. "Follow me."
And they did, following the old man for what seemed to be miles until they reached a giant storage room. Leth opened the door guiding them to enter inside before him. It was dark, slippery and it had an unruly feeling Igor just couldn't put his finger on. This was the same feeling he'd get when he'd accidentally catch a whiff of a daemon that was rampaging in another city miles away.
"Wait. Leth, why didn't you come to the port if you wrote it as a location on the request?" Igor asked as he turned back to see the that old man was no more. "Where did he go?"
Everyone looked around. They didn't hear or see a daemon get him, even though the room was dark no tiger class could attack someone and make no noise.
"Guys, Where's Ula?" Rex pointed out while shaking his head vigorously trying to find his partner.
"I don't.... want... to...die." A raspy voice came from the end of the room.
The lights in the storage room turned on and they were blinded for a second before slowly regaining their sight, they saw something that they couldn't have thought they'd see. Old man Leth had Ula's leg sticking out of his mouth.
"No....No.....No" Rex said as he backed up.
Letting out a burp as he finished consuming Ula, Leth's body started changing. The decrepit old man turned into a handsome green-haired man with a unique attire and sword on his waist.
"Rex. Run." Diana whispered as she clutched her twin daggers in both hands. "And sorry Igor, you never got to tell us your dream! maybe next time."
"Why? why! What's going on!"
"Don't be stupid, only daemons eat humans!" Diana shouted. "This fucker can shapeshift, that's an ability only titan class daemons and higher have."
Igor was sweating, he had caught on too late. The reason Leth hadn't appeared sooner despite dropping a time and location wasn't the fact that he was looking for them. It was because he was killed and since a daemon took over his body it had to find the requested hunters using alternative methods.
"What a wonderful snack," He said as he licked his fingers. "My name is Osiris and sorry little girl, I'm two classes above titan. I believe it's called leviathan."
"The daemon talked." Rex fell to the ground.
"Did you not pay attention in class?! that's a feature stronger daemons have."
"Well even though there are some false beliefs there I don't have time to correct you," Osiris cracked his neck and put his hand behind his back, walking slowly towards them. "Dish out every act you have kids, your deaths won't be painless."
"Igor. Please, I am begging you. Save this stupid brother of mine. Take him and run." Diana's head fell off her body immediately after she finished her sentence.
Igor hadn't seen it happen, higher class daemons such as this use mana gained from consuming humans to fight but in this instance he hadn't even felt an act activate.
"Diana....." Rex was wide-eyed as he saw his sister's head roll toward him. A tear formed in his eye and anger boiled up in his heart, he picked up his sword trying to run toward Osiris but was held back by Igor. "Leave me alone, I'll kill him!!"
Rex broke free and unleashed his strongest act, [Battle magic act six: Striding wind sail, tenfold], every bone in his body irked as he unleashed the act. His mana pocket instantly ran dry but he kept going. Sliding on the ground with a blade infused with a blast of wind magic, He swung his sword.
"Is that the best you puny mortals can do?" Osiris said as he stopped the blade with his pinky finger. "Let me show you what true power looks like." Osiris flicked his finger.
Igor stood in the back and blood along with smushed organs from the chest of Rex splashed all over him. A flick of a finger. Rex was killed by a finger flick. Leviathan class daemons were two pegs down from the strongest daemon class known as 'Death god' and they still had this much power.
"Well that's one meal wasted however, I do have to admit. I told a lie." Osiris was in front of Igor. "I'm here for you Dragonstead."
"Wh- what?"
"Oh yes, your existence is an enigma. You shouldn't be possible with all due respect to the laws of reproduction." Osiris laughed. "Daemons can't be born using natural means, but since you're here. I think we have to update our facts."
Igor didn't say a word, he wanted to unleash an act. Even if not for him but for his fallen comrades but no matter how much he steeled his mind to do it. He physically couldn't, the amount of fear he had pushed him down to a point that he couldn't even think about concentrating his mana.
"I'm here on the boss's orders, this was more or less an inspection to see if you've consumed humans and it seems you have. Two as a matter of fact."
Igor slowly looked up at Osiris, he ate two humans? when? "I never ate.... anyone."
"Then you wouldn't be able to use mana. We daemons are born as shells, the more humans who have mana of course we eat. The stronger we get. By consuming a human with mana we get their mana and it slowly fills our empty shells." Osiris walked toward Rex's body, the boy was still alive despite having what seemed to be his entire chest blown out. "But there's a difference between us you see. When daemons use their mana, we lose it. So we have to consume humans to gain more mana but you."
"My mana regenerates even after it's dried up."
"Bingo, if you were to eat half as many people as I have you'd surely be stronger." He tore the boy's arm and nibbled on his finger. "But you won't consume a human, would you? not willingly of course."
"I will never do that, I'm not a monster like you." Igor affirmed."
"Well that's why I'm here, I'll force you to consume humans and I'll force you to become a weapon of mass destruction." Osiris tapped his chest after eating the arm. "And if you refuse, I'll experiment on you and simply create another Igor. So which one would it be?"
"I- I... I will... I will- I will never become a weapon of destruction!" Igor shouted.
"Option two it is, look kid. You'll regret picking this option." Osiris swallowed the last piece of Rex's body and ran toward Igor.
[Battle magic act twenty-five: Frost blades of darkness], breaking in through the roof of the storage room Liric cast an act that created several giant blades of ice that honed in on the daemon.
[Battle magic act nineteen: Dance of the fire god], swiftly countering Osiris let out an act that blew spiral waves of heat that melted the ice weapons before they reached him. "A troublesome foe has arrived."
"I'll kill you for this," Liric said as he saw the blood on Igor's body. "Battle magic"
"No need, I give up." Osiris cast an act of support magic that created a portal that slowly transported him to another place. "Member of the Titanfall family, you are the last boss. The honors of killing you are not mine." The portal swallowed him and he was gone.
"I made it here too late, fuck!" Liric shouted as he slammed his arm on the floor.
"I'll- I'll be the one."
"What?" Liric looked at Igor and the young boy's eyes were blank, he had witnessed a slaughter two days ago and now he just saw the first people he got to know die in front of him. "Igor it's okay."
"I'll do it."
"Igor."
"I'LL BE THE ONE TO DO IT!" Veins popped from the sides of his head and his eyes were blood red. "Leviathan class daemon Osiris, I'LL BE THE ONE TO KILL YOU!"