Serena nodded.
”Not just some random someone, but someone who is stronger than the SS tiered rank Knights. Most of which are demi-gods, gods, and goddesses alike. We narrowed the source of the energy down to only one place—“ she mentioned as the large screen in the lab was turned on and showed a simplified picture of the Multiverse. ”—that being the Central-verse,” she continued.
”Again, even if we know where the energy comes from, we don’t know who it is from,” Serena claimed.
The sound of movement can be heard within the laboratory, immediately getting Serena on her cautious side. That was until the maker of the sound showed up.
”Lacer, what are you doing up there?” the girl asked. The figure who had showed up was a humanoid-reptilian figure. He looked fairly human except for the scaly green skin and the tail he had.
”Sleeping?” the lizard had asked hysterically.
(Knight’s Profile)
[Lacer Fresk]
[Ability : Total Camouflage]
[Knight Class : B]
[Knight Sector : Unrecorded]
(l i z a r d)
Hinata nodded, listening. "That could be an issue," she murmured to herself. When Hinata heard the noise, she was immediately on edge. She watched the two interact. She wasn't sure she trusted this Lancer, not one bit. She never had trusted a lizard.
Serena sighed.
”Come down from there,” she ordered sternly as the lizard commended to the order. He came down and landed on his tail before going to his feet. His eyes were relatively messed up with both having irregularly large yellow pupils and thin yet sharp-looking irises.
”It is indeed a problem,” Serena agreed to what Hinata had said. After all, that should’ve been the obvious.
”Do you know anyone from there who might have some hate against the Labyrinth?” she asked.
"I know plenty who don't like it," Hinata started. "Some who even fear it. But not any who really hate it." Hinata had said it could be an issue because that was where the Council was located. If someone who was above her was going this, she'd be in a real pickle.
Serena nodded. The lizard figure motioned to the Balance Keeper and looked over her shoulder back at Serena.
”Lacer, come here,” Serena ordered as the lizard walked over considerately.
”We’re in a situation where we’re currently losing so—“ the sound of loud thumping can be heard coming from upstairs.
”Uhm…”
Hinata's head shot up when she heard the thumping.
"That doesn't sound good," she said, already heading for the exit to the house.
The exit was, of course, nearby. However, an unfamiliar figure stepped down the stairs. It didn’t have much going on for itself; just a shagged cloak, a pair of fully burning eyes, a covered face, and two chains wrapped around either of its arms. It shot Hinata a glance, then Serena a glance. Its chains showed signs of the infection, clearly, this was an infected one.
”H…” the figure began to speak, its raspy voice struggled to come out.
”To…” it stuttered once more before its neck snapped.
”To Hell, All You Shall Go.” With that said out loud, the chains of the figure lit up in a burning amber as they were sent towards the group.
The was no way that would be happening.
"Jokes on you, I'll come right back," Hinata mumbled, ducking out of the way and towards Serena. The cheeky remarks didn't show how Hinata felt. If the figure had made it down here, what had happened to the others? What had happened to Matthew?
Within the lab, it seemed like Hinata was the only one who knew how fight as one was a scientist and the other… well, a lizard.
The chained figure cracked an amber smile, calling the chains back towards him and had managed to catch Hinata by her ankle. Jerking his arm towards himself, the chains pulled Hinata closer to the flaming figure.
Hinata had realized she would be the one fighting this man, and her main was to protect the others. Specifically Serena. She stumbled when the man pulled her close, barely managing to stay upright. Still, she had to do something to fight back, so she went to punch his nose.
The figure’s form moved to the side when Hinata tried to attack him, casually dodging the attack as if it was in his best state to do so. However, due to this motion did the chains around Hinata’s ankle loosen enough to let her out. Noticing this, the figure stepped away to get some distance from the Balance Keeper in the way he knew how; fading into the shadows.
He touched the wall beside him and phased inside the wall, moving in it until he phased back outside some distances away from Hinata. This wasn’t going to be an easy one to take down.
Hinata pulled away when she was able to. Oh, crap. This was going to be a challenge. Hinata positioned herself between the man and the others, drawing one sword. Her main goal: keep this creep from hurting anyone.
The figure spun the chain around his arm before it was sent towards Hinata. However, it dodged her just before it made any contact and curved around her while wrapping around her neck as she was pulled aggressively towards the cloaked figure.
Hinata gagged when the chain went around her neck, struggling to pull away from the figure. One hand tried to pull the chain away, the other slashing out with the sword. The edges of her vision were blurring.
When Hinata was close to the figure, the figure’s chain was cut almost in half. The weapon used to cut the chains was a battle axe which the savior held with one hand.
”Get your hands off her, dirtbag…” Kage said, almost with an enraged tone. His figure was changed somewhat. It looked like he had shadows growing from him and his axe.
The fiery figure cursed under his breath, jumping up to the ceiling and clinging there as Kage went to help Hinata up.
”You’re all good?” he asked quickly, putting up a shadow forcefield around them.
"I'm- fine," Hinata said, rubbing her neck. She looked up at the figure up on the ceiling, scowling a little.
"How is everyone else?" She asked.
”No one was hurt, he just blinded everyone upstairs and made his way down here… being a shadow fox, I recovered quicker than the others—“ Kage mentioned, knocking away the chains the fiery figure sent at him with his axe.
”I’ll deal with him, you can rest,” the shadow fox claimed, spinning his battle axe before throwing it to the figure on the ceiling, barely missing him.
Kage disappeared and reappeared by the figure, pulling the axe that was beside him out and attempting to slam the axe into the cloaked figure’s body, barely missing the intruder. When the intruder sensed that he was going to lose, he retreated, returning into the shadows.
”DAMNIT!!!” Kage shouted out at the shadow of the figure, wanting to follow him.
”CURSE YOU KENNETH!!!”
(Knight’s Profile)
[Kenneth Flare]
[Ability : Igneous Shades]
[Knight Class : A]
[Knight’s Sector : Chaos]
Hinata nodded, stepping back out if the way. She was glad Matthew everyone was okay. She watched silently, moving back over to Serena.
Kage cursed beneath his breath before he made his way towards everyone else. He gave Lacer an upsetting gaze before he turned back to Serena.
”Colton called,” he said plainly as the scientist’s face lit up.
”Alrighty!” she cheered with a lot of positive energy.
”Lacer, stay here,” Serena ordered as the silent lizard agreed, climbing up on the wall and disappearing completely with the wall. She then got her documents and left the lab.
Kage was going to call out to her but stopped himself to turn back to Hinata. He eyed her a bit.
”What makes you so great…?” he asked mumbly.
Hinata watched Serena go, putting her sword away and resting her hands in her pockets.
"I'd like to know too," Hinata admitted quietly. She didn't feel special. She felt broken. She gave a weak smile, making her way to the exit.
Kage was generally confused at first as to why Hinata was reacting like that. He then realized that it might’ve been the fact that he’d phrased the speech incorrectly. Though it came out as a question, he meant it to be rhetorical.
”Hey—“ he called out before sighing at himself. He felt bad now but he didn’t want to admit it. His pride was too much.
Hinata had realized the question had been rhetorical. Still, it felt good to her to tell someone how she felt about this. About all of this. Her job, her career, her life. This isn't what she had wanted. She glanced back when Kage called out to her, but she kept going. No use trying to explain. It would just get awkward.
As Hinata would make her way upstairs, Matthew, Tenshi, and Kori can be seen talking about what had happened. They were fine it looked like. When she showed herself, Matthew ran to her.
”Are you alright?!” He asked, genuinely worried about what had happened.
"I'm fine, thanks to Kage," she said. She was glad he seemed to be okay as well. "Got a bit of a sore neck though." She rubbed were the chain had wrapped around her, but she seemed perfectly fine.
Tenshi took notice of the burn marks around her neck which were primarily one of his rare traits; being able to see things that once existed but don’t anymore. He had recognized the chains and informed Matthew about the infected Knight, claiming that the attacker was…
”Seems like Daniel is infected,” Tenshi claimed…
The problem was, the Knights’ names Tenshi said was different from what Kage said.
(Knight’s Profile)
[Daniel Cross]
(Ability : Demonic Flames)
(Knight Class : A+)
(Knight’s Sector : Nightwalker)
