The group arrived to find Charles holding a mecalium knife, as if he had just defended himself from a threat. Renji immediately inquired,
"What happened here, Charles?"
With a serious expression, Charles responded,
"That woman who pulled me into the club was an acolyte. I had to defend myself."
Oliver seemed perplexed.
"It's strange. Even with you killing an acolyte right here, the partygoers don't seem to be alarmed or even paying attention."
Risstle added,
"They're probably highly drugged. Their state of intoxication might explain their lack of reaction."
Oliver raised an eyebrow.
"Drugged?"
Renji confirmed,
"Yes, they're likely under the influence of strong substances. At this point, their primary focus is on pleasure and enjoyment."
Charles interjected,
"We can't waste time here. We need to leave and find a safe place to regroup and formulate our investigation plan."
Exiting the club, the group began their search for the nearest hotel. Risstle expressed her concern,
"Where are we going to get money to afford a hotel?"
With a reassuring smile, Charles responded,
"No need to worry. I have access to my family's financial resources. My father owns Kalundr Island, situated in the center of the Pacific Ocean."
Renji's eyes widened in astonishment.
"Wait, isn't that the island inhabited by moon elves?"
Risstle was equally surprised.
"Seriously? Oh my goodness!"
Charles explained,
"Indeed. Our family has been protecting the island and its inhabitants for generations. It's a collaborative arrangement."
Renji couldn't hide his curiosity.
"But I thought humans weren't allowed to govern elves."
Charles clarified,
"You've got it slightly wrong. Publicly, my family appears to own the island. However, the true ownership lies with the elf king. This setup ensures that the elves can maintain their way of life without attracting unwanted attention from outsiders. My family's role is to oversee the island's commodities and natural resources."
The group was left amazed by Charles' family background. Even though only a select few among the knight magus knew about it, they hadn't expected such a significant connection.
The group stumbled upon a five-star hotel, and as they were about to enter, a little girl approached them, seeking help. She suddenly lost consciousness. Concerned, they brought the child inside the hotel and booked a room suitable for five people. Once inside their room, they gently laid the girl on the bed, allowing her to rest until she woke up.
Observing the girl's condition, Risstle remarked,
"Poor thing, she seems to have been through a lot. She's covered in scars and injuries."
Charles suggested,
"Let's let her rest for now. We can discuss our mission plans while she recovers."
Curious, Risstle inquired about their strategy. However, her attention was drawn to Renji and Oliver, who were busy raiding the small fridge. Their mouths were stuffed with ice pops and fried chicken.
Charles laughed, saying,
"Just let them eat. We paid for the room anyway."
Setting up his laptop and projector, Charles displayed their target for the mission: Max Couldron, a former marine lieutenant who had been protecting Pasay City. The group gathered around the projection.
Puzzled, Risstle asked,
"Why are we targeting a person who seems to have been doing good for his country?"
Charles explained the information he had received from the grandmasters: Max Couldron was responsible for the revival of the acolytes. Just as the group was digesting this information, the little girl woke up. She saw the projected image of Max Couldron and let out a terrified scream, attempting to flee. Oliver quickly caught up to her.
Seeing her distress, Risstle reassured her, saying,
"Don't be afraid, it's just a picture. Look."
She turned off the projector, causing the image to disappear.
"We're not bad guys, little girl. We're here to help you,"
Risstle explained gently.
Still shaken, the little girl began to cry and managed to say between sobs,
"My big brother was killed by that man, waaah!"
Risstle comforted the girl, saying,
"Calm down, little one. Why don't you tell us your name first, and then explain what happened? Don't worry, we're here to help and listen."
Slowly calming down, the little girl hiccupped and said,
"My name is Sanillia, and my brother's name is Jack. We were just heading to the bakery to buy some food when we saw something really scary."
(Flashback)
Sanillia and her big brother were walking down P. Zamora street, heading to the bakery to buy some bread for dinner. As they turned down an alley behind an abandoned building, their peaceful outing took a horrifying turn. They witnessed a group of sinister-looking individuals surrounding a captive man. The man was bruised and beaten, tied to a chair, his tearful pleas for mercy falling on deaf ears.
At the center of the group sat a man with purple long hair, pointy ears, eight piercings on his ears, blue eyes, and red eyeliner. He exuded an air of authority as he interrogated the beaten man. "You've reached the end of your usefulness," he said coldly.
"I had hoped to rely on a skilled doctor like you to find a cure and serum that could restore our original powers. I'm utterly disappointed in you, Rowan."
Rowan, the beaten man, begged desperately,
"Please, Lord Netheroc, give me another chance. I promise I'll find a cure for you!"
Netheroc's expression remained unyielding as he replied,
"Your time has run out. I've already found a replacement for you."
With those words, two men stepped forward and released Rowan from his restraints. Netheroc's hands closed around Rowan's throat, and in a gruesome display, he began to feed on Rowan's flesh, a horrifying sight that Sanillia and her brother could not erase from their memory.
Sanillia screamed in fear at what she saw, and her big brother quickly covered her mouth. Unfortunately, it was too late, and the noise attracted the attention of the group, causing them to rush towards them.
The two siblings started running for their lives, but Sanillia's older brother was caught by one of the acolytes. Despite her fear, Sanillia tried to help, but her brother shouted for her to keep running. She continued running until she was completely exhausted and ended up bruised and beaten. Finally, she saw Renji's group.
The group was convinced by Sanillia's story, and Risttle tried to comfort her.
"Don't worry, we're going to save your big brother. We promise, right Renji?"
Renji agreed,
"Yes, but I have something important to do. Oliver, come with me to the roof of this building. Can you catch up to me by jumping?"
Oliver replied,
"Yes, master. My jumping skills have been enhanced by AM and three days of training."
Renji nodded.
"Good, but we have a lot of learning to do. Follow me."
Oliver followed Renji, and they went out through the window. Renji jumped from the third floor of the hotel building up to the tenth floor. Meanwhile, Oliver struggled a bit but managed to catch up on the rooftop.
On the rooftop, Renji engaged in a conversation with Oliver.
Renji asked,
"Tell me the truth, Oliver. What is the real reason behind your determination to learn Anima Mundi?"
Oliver hesitated before replying,
"I told you I wanted to become as strong as you, master."
Renji saw through his response.
"I know you're lying. There's more to it. What is it?"
Oliver finally confessed,
"The truth is, I've fallen in love with a girl named Princess. She's from our university. For years, I've been following her every move, even stalking her on social media. I even befriended her friends online. But three days ago, after recovering from the incident on Union Street in Paco City and after acknowledging you as my master, I followed her. I saw her kissing another guy. Then, she did something terrible to an innocent old woman who was buying groceries for her grandchildren. Learning that she's one of those creatures terrorizing this world shattered me, even more so after finding out about her lover."
Renji responded with a sense of disappointment,
"Oliver, I doubt your plan will work."
Confused, Oliver asked,
"What do you mean?"
Renji explained,
"Princess is an undead, an embodiment of evil. Despite Aneteron's rational goals, most of their kind are driven by pure malevolence. Destruction and indulgence in their own desires, especially hunger, are their main motivations. If you're genuinely determined to save her, you'll likely have to do so by ending her existence."
The conversation continued, fraught with the complexities of the situation and Oliver's feelings.