Rade's Demon Elimination Service

Chapter 14: The Siblings

Felif was looking at the enormous glass window of the Aldeia clan's manor, somehow removed from the distant scenes of hunters clearing the streets of demons but was actually very much in the very center of it all.

The beach some miles from the manor could be seen, a silvery murky shadow at some remote place that he could only view from afar. What he could see from the distant place was very serene and calm, the sky was in a beautiful green shades that anyone could mistake it as the Aurora Borealis.

Rippling up above, the green shade faded slightly and some other colors alternated, between cerulean blue and a lovely rose shade. It was such a spectacular scenery that even Felif was marveled by it, staring behind the walls of the Aledia's manor. The explosive noise from behind him though disrupted his wool-gathering, making him withdraw his gaze from the view outside.

Within the Aldeia clan's manor was a team of hunters preparing for the battle for this night. It wouldn't be a battle, Geneva Aldeia promised as she delivered a very cold-hearted and indifferent speech to thr hunters and servanta all working under the name of the Aldeia clan. This night, she said earlier, would only be to direct the Fantasm away from the residential areas.

"Is there anything I could help you all?" Felif asked with caution, he was careful not to be in anyone's way but also not to be anymore useless either— fearing that he would get kicked out because people might think that he could only be on their way as they move around or an added burden to protect.

Geneva Aldeia was in her full gear with her weapon by her side, a spear with both ends sharpened with blades, the infamous holy weapon Nightmare which was one of the most unknown heirloom of the Aldeia clan but on Geneva's hand, it was deathly. Her hair was in a very tight bun atop her head, not a single strand was astray, and her clothing was very similar to the other hunters. It was hugging her body, in deep black color, and very practical to move in.

Gone was the ordinary looking girl that Felif was accustomed with.

"Are your boundaries powerful?" she asked instead of answering him.

"They're decent," Felif said, "my skills lie somewhere else."

"Then be on standby here," Geneva said and sheated herself with more holy weapons all around her. "Some hunters would be left here to monitor the Fantasm. You could either go outside as an aid or stay here to collect data from afar. It is your choice."

Before Felif could answer in affirmative, Geneva was already gone through the door of the operating room of the manor with dozens of hunters on her tow, looking like the every bit of head of a respectable clan she is.

Without anything to do, Felif only went back to where he was standing earlier and admired the view all over again. Since the air and the very space has been tainted with the tint of the Shadow Fantasm's presence, the spectacular view he could see was only visible in the eyes of those that have been gifted with the hunters' power.

"This will be a very long night," Felif muttered to himself quietly.

Not long, a commotion broke out among the Aldeia clan's hunters that were left by the main force. There was the irritating sound of alarm blaring through the whole building that even Felif has to cover his ears. He turned to the hunters who were all panicking.

"What is going on?" he asked incredulously, both of his hands were still safely covering his ears.

"The Fantasm turned to an unexpected route," one of the hunters said while his eyes were still directed at the screen of their computer where they monitor the movement of the Fantasm using the satelite installed by the Aldeia clan (Felif had been told by Geneva Aldeia herself prior to these events).

"I thought everyone has each part of the town covered?" Felif asked again, looking at the monitor himself and when he read what was on the monitor, his blood ran cold all of a sudden.

"Yes, every part has been covered, but the thing is..." the hunter hesitated. "That part where the Fantasm turned is where Second Young Master New York is. And First Young Master London is also going over there as a backup. Also..."

"What? Tell me." Felif said, impatient with the hesitation of the hunter's voice. "What are you being so reluctant for?"

"There is a disruption of spiritual energy within the area that's drawing the Fantasm towards that direction," another voice said, shooing the hunter out of the chair in front of the monitor. Her voice was gentle and her peach blossom eyes were rapidly reading the monitor. She was beautiful beyond compare but there was a gentle delicacy on the way she moved. "Small battles in between demons and hunters cannot really be monitored, but it was a different matter when the demonic energy is as big as the Fantasm's. It would cover at least the whole region with the kind of power it has, maybe even more if the Aldeia clan hunters won't be able to suppress it."

In contrast of the dark colored uniforms of the hunters that were still around, the lady who answered Felif wore a very vibrant and pretty traditional Chinese dress that elegantly swept on the floor, expansive sleeves were also as elegant as the overall demeanor of the lady. It was apparent that the lady in question wasn't a hunter of the Aldeia clan, maybe one of the shamans or a helping hand that were supposed to create and strengthen the boundaries around the region.

In the mean time though, Felif has no time to ponder such things and quickly replied in a very curt but polite manner.

"A hunter has engaged the Fantasm in a battle?" Felif guessed randomly, the newcomer nodded her head and smiled at him. Felif feeling terribly rude towards the lady held out his hand in front of those hunters behind the screen who were starting to look at them. "I'm Felif Astride of Observatory Division of HODE."

The newcomer however didn't accepted his hand, only nodding slightly.

"Megumi of the Attic," Megumi said while watching the monitor of the computer. "We need to get to London and New York before the Fantasm gets to them."

Felif took a moment to take the lady's introduction more seriously. Maybe she was referring to the attic of the manor, at this instance, it wasn't really such a far-fetched idea since the manor of the Aldeia clan seemed to have stretched to an endless abyss.

It didn't took Felif too long to just accept what has been uttered to him and he just nodded, going along with the beautiful lady.

"We also need to stop the disruption that's leading the Fantasm deeper into the city," Felif added.

And before any of the hunters could say 'cheerio,' the pair has already quickly went through the same doors where Geneva Aldeia exited earlier.

While Megumi and Felif were both striving to get to where London and New York were, the two brothers tandem were both fighting little flying demons, distracting them both from their duty of building up the boundaries. Both of the siblings were unaware that the Fantasm has been disrupted by some mysterious force which will later be revealed. After knowing that there was a great possibility that Kalleid would be inside the Fantasm, New York let Lyu rest and marched on his own without thinking much except for the fact that he needs to save Kalleid from any danger that was ahead of him.

"New York!" London bellowed his brother's name, the vein within his skin was almost popping with aggravation. He raised both of his arms, concentrating his spiritual energy to create more boundaries and trapping the little demons inside then popping each of the trapped demons like balloons.

However, New York who was looking ahead of him suddenly turned just in time to see the bat-like demons flying their way on him. They pecked and attacked New York with their beaks, as sharp as a knives.

Swinging elegantly, New York expertly killed a dozen bat-like demons with just a swing of his holy weapon, Aztle, a beautiful obsidian colored blade of a scythe as tall as him. Another swing and some tens or dozens of the flying demons have been razed to the ground, but the little bratty demons kept on coming at him until even New York, with his might on physical combat, felt suffocated to the extreme.

He felt as though he was being buried alive as the bat-like demons flapped their wings on him and their beak pecking at him seemingly giving him a deathly kiss. With each swing of his weapon and dozens of the demons dead, more and more just replaced their positions.

They are endless and New York's stamina and strength weren't.

"You ugly little jerks!" he shouted at them hoarse, his throat was scratchy and he longed for this to end. "Get. Away. From. Me!" he screamed, enunciating each word, but it wasn't like the demons could understand him and they flocked him even more.

It even came to the point that not even New York's shadow could not be seen with how thick the flock has become around him, only being parted when he swung here and there the Aztle. New York tried to create a path away from the bat-like demons, but the creatures just only piled up instead of being eradicated which frustrated New York.

"Get. Away!" he shouted at the demon creature before being eaten by the flock.

When London saw the predicament of his younger brother, he finally decided to call on to his own holy weapon. Drawing a boundary around him, London raised his hand and concentrated with difficulty.

"Latka!" he bellowed and a swish and swoosh sounds on the air followed his call. From his neck and arms, the white bandage unwrapped itself and went to flick and cut through the little demon creatures.

The piece of bandage expanded in an unbelievably length. Edges as sharp as an actual sword, Latka sliced through the flying demons that flocked around his younger brother. In return, there was a very powerful and explosive s***h from Aztle, helping Latka on diminishing the demon.

New York, after recovering from the flocks of the bat-like demon creatures, went ahead and ran towards his older brother. The same was being done by London, he also ran towards New York, wanting to touch his younger brother's hand.

When their hands did touch, a burst of energy exploded and the energy explosion could be seen even miles away by every hunters' eyes. A renewed and stronger boundary rose up, and that was only then did the two of them noticed the oncoming arrival of the Shadow Fantasm.

Having no corporeal body except for its vessel that could only hold half of its consciousness, the Shadow Fantasm came like how the wind blew and how the clouds covered the sky when it was about to rain. Even the ambiance, the very tint of color of every single object has been slightly changed due to the effects of the Fantasm.

"New York!" London called out to his younger brother, not wanting to let go of his hand, she shook their intertwining hands that kept the Fantasm from going directly to them through the boundary they both made. "Don't f*****g sleep on me, dude! Wake up, you spoiled rotten brat!"

"Why don't you tell yourself that, i***t!" New York fired back to London who only chuckled loudly, almost as if he was laughing in a hysterical manner which wasn't really unlikely.

New York knew what London was so scared of though.

He has heard of the rumors, of course, but often times those rumors weren't just rumors and were actually based off on some facts. Even being told of one himself about the Shadow Fantasm. Without any corporeal form, it was half a demon and a half manifestation. The very first on the list of the five great demons of humanity.

The presence of the Fantasm was said to be so powerful that it can draw the attention of even the mortals and the hunters whose mentality has been nailed to perfection since childhood. One slip, they say, and the Fantasm would put you into a deep slumber where there was not even a single way out or it could affect a hunter or a mortal in more gruesome way.

Many hunters have fallen in the same trap of the half demon and half manifestation creature over the years, but none have ever come back from ever being possessed by the Fantasm except for Laurinette Haeven who has become its vessel. The elder hunters often told the kids that once a hunter wasn't strong enough, their minds would be easily warped with the Fantasm.

With that thought on his mind, New York made sure that his blinks wouldn't last even two seconds as he averted his gaze away from the abstract form of the great demon manifestation.

"Latka!" London called out to his weapon and the strip of white bandage obediently followed the sound of its master, bouncing and swishing through the wind with glee. It encircled the bodies of the siblings, creating a boundary within the boundary that the brother and sister tandem created just in any case that the Fantasm break through the first one.

London sighed deeply, and that subtle intake of breath was something that New York heard. He looked at his older brothher, uncertain of how this night would go about. New York was suddenly reminded of Rade, wherever she might be. Thinking of Kalleid who was probably forced inside the consciousness of the Fantasam right now and hhpw even the Sky Teller of Ai, the power of his clairvoyance, have failed to find Kalleid and Rade, there was a foreboding sense that gripped New York's mind.

Could it be that Rade was actully inside with Kalleid in the consciousness of the...?

He didn't finish the horrifying thought that came through his mind. Only madman would be willing enough to just be swallowed by this very mysterious organism. But then again, New York has only known the girl for about a couple of months.

They weren't even that close in the first place.

There was the shaking of the earth as the Fantasm made its way and their knees have almost turned into jellies. They didn't have any choice though since at their back was the start of the residential area of the town. Geneva, their eldest sister, have specifically told them that they weren't allowed to lose a single mortal life.

"I.. I c-can't... can't... hold it," London said weakly, beads of sweat rolled down the side of his temple and he wanted to let go, but it was New York who didn't. "f**k," he muttered and renewed his posture that was almost crushed with the weight of the passing creature.

He didn't realized how heavy the Fantasm until it was already being suppressed by their boundary.

Before they were both utterly depleted though, a hand held the intertwined hands of the brother and sister duo. When they looked back, it was Felif who supported them, giving the patched up parts of the boundary that they built a new cover.

"Get out of here!" Felif roared at them. "Both of you!"

London only looked at him and then down at her bloody hands. New York also just watched Felif, dumbfounded if the guy was actually mad, crazy, or just pure insane.

"We can't leave you here, Felif!" he contradicted and went back to his old position. "You're not going to be a hero and die alone!"

"No!" Felif roared louder, very unlike of how he usually was; the polite and well-mannered gentleman has turned into a rough boor. He gestured at them both to just go, waving his hands around. "You get out of here! You know why the Shadow Fantasm strayed from the outskirts of the town? Someone is trying to draw its attention! So you go and stop whoever wanted to engage the Fantasm into a fight before its vessel come out! You go, London, New York! Before the Fantasm reach that hunter."

"Just hold on a bit longer here, Felif!" London conceded. "Latka!" London then shouted, calling on to the strip of bandage, retracting Latka from the boundary it created. Latka then wrapped itself on his arms up to his neck, looking as if he was being suffocated by the bandage.

Throughout the exchange between Felif and London, New York already realized what the disruption that drew the Fantasm closer to the residential are. It was something that they didn't expect, but of course, Geneva as the head of the Aldeia clan has already prepared countermeasures for anything that could happen, thus, explained the presence of her younger brother and sister on the area.

It was never in New York's plan that they would ever fight though.

Now, the disruption.

New York would bet a hundred percentof his life savings that the little disruption that made the Fantasm strayed from its original course was none other than Elora Isolde Aldam. New York wanted to curse, but he restrained himself, getting redder in the process of suppressing all of his emotions— both his face and his eyes.

London, withour further ado, has already dragged his younger brother to where the Fantasm was about to go or where Kalleid and Rade could be, in which Rade's case, she was trying to lure the Fantasm. With Aztle on a necklace form, London urged New York to bring it back to its original form with the tension of the demons going around their surroundings.

They could sense the pairs of eyes that were all watching them both.

It was quite unnerving, but New York and London never once paused, going to the direction of the flow of the presence of the Fantasm. It was so strong taht it didn't took them too long to pinpoint where it was supposed to be.

But with shock, New York and London found Miss Megumi holding her own against the Fantasm.

The white tails of her demonic form have already revealed themselves on her back, making her hanfu dress unfold. Her beautiful peach blossom eyes were so focused and there was that power that New York has never witnessed before that made him realized just who exactly was this woman in front of him and there were blue scaled on her neck to her cheek indicating that even she was being affected by the Fantasm's power— forcing her to reveal a part of herself in order to draw more spiritual and demonic energy.

There was the strain on her face, beads of sweat marking her angelic face but Megumi still managed to speak to the Aldeia siblings.

"Help me suppressed the Fantasm," she said, the gentleness that New York has become so accustomed to on Megumi's voice was now gone and was replaced by a stiff tone. "We can't let it go to Rade or Kalleid!" she added. "Or she'll certainly die fighting the Fantasm and it would only be too late!"

London immediately let go of Latka, making it encircle all of them while New York remained rooted on his spot. There was a coldness that touched his back, he was shivering and his eys were now looking at the passing demon manifestation.

He was truly scared.

"London!" The distant cry of Megumi, strained and careworn. "What is happening to New York! Wake him up, wake your brother up!"

"New York! New York, move!" London cried at New York who was only watching what was unfolding in front of him. "Move, you daming f*****g bratty rat, move!"

Like a light has been set right in front of his face, New York snapped. His gaze swept the surroundings, both London and Megumi were struggling so hard that Megumi's wooden sandals were all buried on the ground. But what Megumi said earlier has only confirmed what New York was denying to himself and what he was most afraid of.

Rade wanted revenge against what caused the downfall of the family that took her in when she was just a child.

Rade was the one who led to this area the Shadow Fantasm.

Rade was the one who might as well doom them all, committing suicide as she did so.

And because all of those things, Kalleid will also have to perished when he happened to just be there. No matter though if Kalleid did not want to be there, New York was aware that Kalleid wouldn't force Rade to just give up if she didn't give in on Kalleid's persuasion, as heartbreaking as that sounded.

Worst case was that the Shadow Fantasm has already reached both Rade and Kalleid with the Fantasm only a few minutes away from them.