A Question.

“It’s alright.”

“No I really didn’t-”

“It’s fine Ansel. I know that what I said wasn’t the easiest to believe.”

“YEAH? And what about me?!” Eira grabbed Kaito’s head and forced him to look her way, not that Kaito resisted in the slightest.

“I’m sorry. I guess my morning walk ran longer than I expected.”

“Ya think?”

Eira slid her hand down from Kaito’s head to his cheek and pinched it hard.

“OW!”

“That’s cause’ you left. I'd started to think you….”

“Sorry sorry.”

Kaito put his hand over Eira's head, rubbing it back and forth as if she was just a kid throwing a fit. She puffed out her cheeks and furrowed her eyebrows further, making her look more like a child unbeknownst to her.

“So?”

Kaito took the opening to release himself from Eira’s clutches and looked at the two of them in curiosity.

“You saw him right?”

“Yes. It really was him.”

“He flew to the king’s castle.” Eira added.

Kaito decided to tell the two of Shuna and their search for information. He told them of what he’d learned, the information strikingly similar to what Ansel and Eira gained at the adventurers guild. They now knew that the city had four shields; the Sun Shield, the Wind Shield, the Blaze Shield, and the Force Shield. They thought it was to get a hold of some form of communication to them, but the difference in status proved to be a major obstacle. The three discussed their plans some more as they headed back down the road, turning a familiar corner and joining the workforce for some quick cash.

—--

“My liege” a horned man bowed alongside a giant red beast-like man, a familiar set of tusks sticking out of his closed mouth.

“Malgron. Drevor.” Milandra replied, walking up toward her chamber and office.

“The twins are inside,” Drevor bowed and walked ahead of her, opening the door.

“Veta.”

She turned around quickly, a piece of apple in her hand.

“Why is Phlerio tied up on the ground?”

Her face smiled at Veta—a very dangerous smile.

“Ah um, no I was just-”

Milandra sighed and looked at her as if to say “Wake him up,” a message thoroughly received by Veta. She quickly lifted him up and slapped him around with force so great the air moved by her hand could be felt by both Drevor and Milandra.

“Hm? What’s go-”

SLAP!!

“OW! What I-”

SLAP!!!

“Veta stop!”

She was too nervous to stop, having the king looking at her so intently, she felt the need to keep going. Phlerio was used to his sister’s strange ways of showing affection, but even he would get tired sometimes, the way she’d been punching him before or knocking him out of annoyance were all fundamental love-taps compared to the force she was putting in now.

“I said STOP!”

In the blink of an eye, Phlerio released himself from his sister's grasp and pushed her full force into the wall, shaking the entire room and leaving the right side of the room in shambles.

Milandra looked at the two of them, her glare reaching the now wide awake Phlerio, and making him turn to face her as if he were a rusty old robot creaking his head toward her.

“Did you have a nice nap?”

“Ah y-yes.”

Veta groaned and stumbled over to where her brother stood, a split in her head slowly healing before their eyes a blood flowed down her face. A knock at the door caught their attention.

“You may enter.” said Milandra remaining cool and composed, being used to the twins' antics.

The door creaked open and two female demons stepped into the room. One had long gray hair, with red tattoos spanning across her exposed arms and legs, laying dormant atop her dark grey skin. The other was a shorter four armed demon, her features were that of a beautiful face, with silky black hair hidden beneath the cloak she wore, all but her brown used boots hidden behind it.

“Ospei. Felka.”

““Yes my King.”

The two kneeled.

“Ready your troops.”

“At once!” The two stood and saluted.

“Drevor inform Malgron and have your troops readied as well.”

“Yes your majesty.” The butler-dressed demon bowed elegantly, and opened the door for Ospei and Felka, the three stepping out of the room.

“As for you two.”

Milandra’s gaze returned to the high maintenance twins; both of them taking a big gulp of saliva simultaneously.

“Go ready yourselves. The time has come to finish off this war.”

—--

They finished up late at night as the head manager called them over to distribute their pay. The money was below average, really testing the extent of someone's patience with the little amount of money they’re given. Some other adventurers began to make a ruckus about the pay but the Spineful Party took to the road happily being able to get enough money cumulatively to just about pay off another night and a dinner and breakfast.

They returned to the inn and paid their debt, choosing to buy the cheapest meal the inn had to offer before heading upstairs to their room. Their room was lit by candles embedded along the walls. The floor was the same wooden floor that Kaito had used to sleep in, and the stone walls provided a sense of safety in the unknowable chaos that seemed to propagate ever since Kamar.

The night flowed still and the three slept in a warm under their sheets.

Kaito had a strange dream that night; one so strange, so disorganized that if he wouldn’t have woken up, it could’ve been his life flashing before his eyes.

Shuna: My name’s Shuna.

Please!

Wow, you're really strong.

Thank you.

Ansel: I was wrong.

Eira: WE SAW HIM!

Kaito: No if they would’ve used magic-

Shuna: You need to leave TODAY.

Castle guard: The Sun Shield.

Derco: We killed those traitors.

Kaito: OW!

Eira: That’s cause’ you left.

I believe you.

Ansel: WHERE DID THE ORDER TAKE MY BROTHER!!!!

WHY MEKI!!

It’s been a long day… At least we’ll have some closure.

Eira: I believe you.

Shuna: Pffft! A noble…Bwahahahaha!

Eira: Talos survived!

H-He must be in the capital.

Ansel: Yes. It really was him.

Kaito: Shuna? That’s a strange name.

A thought: Could they be Japanese?

A discovery: We bowed to thank each other.

A distinction: She had black hair, just like mine.

A doubt: Black hair is uncommon but not impossible here.

A distinction: Shuna…it sounds japanese.

A memory: Please just be gone by tomorrow. Please!

A question: Who is she?

—--

GASP!!

Kaito felt like he’d almost drowned in the middle of the night. His heart was beating out of his chest and his lungs felt like they hadn’t taken a breath in the last 30 minutes.

He clutched his chest tightly, trying to calm himself down. The dream he’d had disappearing mere moments after his eyes opened wide in the darkness. All but one thing—the question.

He didn’t know why he was so panicked but he felt the need to get up, to make sure Eira and Ansel were fine.

They were.

Kaito took a deep breath of relief, his unnatural worry now letting his senses return to normal. The room was quiet and the window was shut. However, something distant began to seep through the cracks of the window, a very soft rumbling.

He walked toward the window and creaked it open. The strange sound became slightly louder and a weird sense of familiarity started picking at Kaito’s brain. It was only for a moment, but after not having heard it for so long Kaito thought he was just experiencing Deja Vu.

The gears began to turn and something clicked, making Kaito form a thought that would further his inclination on the question he’d had in his dreams.

That noise…it sounds like an engine.

Kaito pushed the window wide open in distress, the glass shattering against the outside wall and waking up the other two sleeping adventurers in his room. Groans began to sound as Kaito held onto the ledge and peeked his head out in the direction of the sound.

BANG!

A sudden light flashed in the distance and before he knew it, a glowing light had flown right by him. The cold wind flew into the room and Kaito’s hair swayed with it. His eyes couldn’t believe what he’d just seen.

BOOOOOOOM!!

A loud explosion sounded behind him, right where the ball of light had been headed. He looked over at where it landed, a huge crater having taken out almost half a block before snapping his head back at the place where the engine-like sound had come from.

The sun began to peek from behind the horizon and its light outlined what exactly it was that Kaito was looking at. It was wide and low. There were many of them. They were heading his way. Long tubes seemed to rise and distant belts seemed to move—treads.

Kaito’s mouth gaped open looking at the thing, the things. It was impossible for them to be in this world, to be functional and .

Holy crap!

One of man’s machines of slaughter had made its way to this fantasy world. And it was in the hands of the enemy. He could see the rest of their troops following the machines, their intent clear as day.

A loud siren began to sound and the entire city woke up early that day.

The demon army was returning for a second wave and this time they had Military Tanks.