Volume III Prologue I: the tales of the hunters

"Most of them are dead, from what I hear this stonehead gangster barely does much more than drug selling, but their boss got a devil a few months ago and they have been really rough on this inner circle."

"Till now."

"Yes, till now, most of them are dead and there is no trace at all of their boss Mr.Rockwell." Two men wearing the brown uniform of police detectives stood in a rundown office, there were traces of a gunfight on it, and on the middle of the carpet, signs of a fire and the lingering smell of sulfur.

"But you are sure that it was the acts of hunters."

"That is what the witness said, he is just in the other room Sir..."

"Lieutenant Corporal Fritz." The two men went quiet, at the entrance a tall man wearing a white suit with a long coat was slowly walking between them towards the carpet, he wore a military cap but it was his face that unnerved them, as his brown stoic face had no eyes, just a crossed flesh wound on a clean wiped face, but no sign he ever had eyes just a flesh wound in an x shape.

"Combustion, that is indeed the coup the grace of all of hunters, I believe is enough, as it has been ordered we will take over this case, and return with all of your men, this is an anti-devil corps case, I will speak with the witness now, you are both excused gentleman." They looked concerned but both of the two detectives left the room.

"Corporal Fritz this is no joke if a big shot like that is walking around in our stinky town, you think the rumours are true?" One of the detectives asked his partner.

"Is not only here I hear from a friend from the police department on Risco Infernale, that there have been victims too, but people are also speaking of them like a legend now, when someone makes a contract with a devil a hunter will arrive to punish them, most small gangs with devils are afraid as well, you remember that low-class crock of Johny the weasel, he came yesterday saying he was seeing men in black and that he rather sleep in a prison than a coffin."

"I hate it ever since the Police chief got killed, we dont get any leeway we nothing but errand boys for the corps. I know we have no devils working on our ranks but at this point, we are just nothing but a joke."

"That's what we get for making an embarrassment of the city, it doesn't matter to us now, all matters involved in them are out of our hands, I suppose that woman was all talk, and the rest of us we are stuck cleaning her mess."

"Yeah, we have enough trouble, the hunters also destroyed the Ocassio Familia, and there are rumors another family is taking over the streets now, the Louise agencies are calling themselves a familiar now...I knew that lot was way too dangerous."

"That would be for the best, you know how tense everything is, the word in the street is that with the police and Ocassio done for, the families are aiming to take over the inner district finally, I wouldn't blame them, after what happened a year ago, with that long day of conflict on the streets, I think is only a matter of time before one of them decides to march on this place.

"That's never happened, if anyone does, the other families won't stand still...that would be a war, no way anything like that can happen, it hasn't happened in decades."One of them got seriously agitated but his companion only chuckled.

"Right, doubt the corps would let that happen but then again, that strange tower can still be seen above the wall...I feel strange times are coming, oh well it has nothing to do with us, we of the police corps are just here to stand around and arrest some people for loitering nothing more than that now, this city belongs to the demons after all." The detective pulled out his cigar with an annoyed grin, a clear expression on his face but he just puffed out his grief as he walked.

"We were killed a year ago by the hunters, that's all there is to that."

***

A man was handcuffed to a chair in a dark room within the office of what was once a small criminal family, he was distressed, his shoulder bandaged and one of his ears bleeding. Lieutenant Corpal Fritz walked towards him as he indicated to the remaining police to leave the room, they did so without questioning the faceless man. He stood still in front of the handcuffed man who took a look at his face and recoiled back.

"Aghh...bloody hell I already told you all I knew, they just came out of nowhere turned the boss into a burning green flame, and ran off, please just let me go...you guys have no charges on me ya?"

"None at all...but I can't do that, you see I was given a mission, no a commandment will be a more correct term, to investigate, to learn, to witness all I could of the hunters, you saw them as well, the men in black from beyond the city."Fritz kneeled closing the distance so the man could see the marked wound on his face.

"I...never thought they were real...no one can just go into the city...no one can just kill a demon."

"And yet, you saw them, not as legend but as men, that is good, that is what I need to see."

"Just let me go and I'll tell you whatever you want to know."

"No need I will simply see your memories, word of mouth is not enough."

"My what, the hell are you..." His mouth went try, and the wounds on the corporal's face began to open, flesh letting way for another layer of red skin, with a massive golden eye. The man tried to turn away from his gaze, but the corporal grabbed his shoulder so strongly that his thumbs broke into the man's skin.

"I am the corps chief of intelligence, word of mouth is enough, what I need is everything, everything you know. I will take it now, that is my duty." More eyes opened as the layers of skin separated like a flower. As he stared into its many eyes the man's consciousness began to slip from him, he could only think... that it looked like the stars in the sky, that was the last thought the man ever had.

The door opened as the police awaited outside, the lieutenant Corporal came out fixing his gloves his walk as calm and stiff as it had been from the beginning.

"Take the man to a hospital, he seems to have suffered some sort of seizure and due to stress it is bound to happen, I think I have all I need, please retire we will send the corps to clean up this place." The two policemen saluted and went inside and the Lieutenant kept walking on his own. He stepped outside into a black van without acknowledging the remaining investigators.

"That woman...a blond woman with a claw, I remember her well...they have the devil Amii with them and one of our intelligent agents has betrayed us, she is not dead...A fortune it is we have orders not to intervene, we will only witness, only witness." The man with no face whispered as he sat in the back of the car to a woman who had been waiting there.

"So it's her...so she's still alive, that should be likely the woman that was reported to have attacked Ocassio Kafe, I should have guessed she was too stubborn to die outside the city, I wonder if she goes by a new name again." The woman was a tall and muscular person of brown skin with a benny white cap, she wore the same white uniform but without a coat letting her sleeveless arms free, she also wore an anti bullet vest over he attire and had a long scar on the left side of her face, the both of them were looking forward as the van driver

"Correct, Captain Samira it seems your old friend has turned coat, it should not be much of a danger at least as I wiped her memories of the upper district and the corps as its procedure, but I'm starting to see why the hunters are so well organized, good, good we have found another truth." Fritz mumbled to himself lowering his head as if staring at his hand with his nonexistent eyes.

"Are you sure it's wise to simply remain idle, it is a very capable force to simply leave them ignored."

"That is our command, we will only gather information but we will not interfere, that is what the Engel family desires, as well as the mayor with the election next year he doesn't want the populace to talk about hunters any time soon, he only barely managed to hide the scale of the police departments disbanding."

"Understood we are but the sword of the city we will do as commanded, but even so.... If she is out there, I want to wrap that matter myself." The woman crossed her arms licking her scar unconsciously.

"We will await, these hunters are not stopping and is likely they will make enemies of the families next, that is probably the commander's plan, to have two nuisances crush each other, for now, we will simply collect information and hide any leaks of their movements for as long we can, it will be our weapons when we are commanded to suppress the hunters once and for all."Fritz tapped his forehead with his globbed finger, as he remained lost in thought as he tended too, the woman at his side's laughted.

"Well then, old friend lets see just how far your new friends can go."