Another World Story

Day Sixty-Nine:

Luke Van Killon Memphis is the Memphis Royalty's First Prince. Many regard him as a genius who appears only once in a century, and his abilities were far superior to those of his age; even seasoned fighters realize his potential and abilities.

The man with the black mask with the two red horns is someone Luke knew he couldn't defeat at his current level, but he knew he could someday catch up to the man, that is what he feels, he is someone who would make great progress if he worked hard enough. Nonetheless, the scene in front of him made him question reality. The woman with beautiful silver hair and an elongated emerald-green mask, and the familiar-looking man in a robe, with only their overwhelming presences rendered Luke immobile. Not just him, but all the Knights and his Elder-Sister, Minerva, were terrified. Some people had already fainted, and foam was flowing out of their mouths.

Luke had not met such powerful people; the strongest he had met and fought were Count Rudolf Von Vinceral, 'The Guardian,' and the 'Four Color' Arch wizard, Magic Academy's Headmaster, Marquess Loraine Von Alpon, and even in those bouts they were holding back.

'But even if they go full power, the closest they could match was the mask man,' Luke concluded.

Luke had no idea where that thinking came from.

'...W-what are they? '

They appeared to be ordinary folks, with the exception of the conspicuous mask and robe, and could be called civilians. But he knew that the instant the two of them clashed, they'd be swallowed up by it and might die, no, they'd die for sure. With just a glance, Luke could tell that everyone else was thinking the same thing.

"...A follower, huh? Can she keep up?"

"..."

Despite the fact that Luke was unable to look away from the woman and the robed man, he was able to clearly hear the mask man's remarks.

'Follower...? No, we should get away from here first! 'He reflected to himself. He struggled to move as he struggled to shake the fear from his body.

"Run, everyone!"

He shouted the order with his charismatic voice, then grabbed his still shaking sister's hand and rushed out from the area they were in. The Knights who had resisted the crushing pressure of the entities in front of them carried their fainted companions, while those who had not resisted panicked and fled in all directions. Luke didn't reel them in since he knew he couldn't afford to waste time. Although he and his sister are the commanders, he doubts they can achieve much with his sister's current state, especially with the 'monsters' that will eventually move.

"RUN!! AND RUNN!! DO WHATEVER IT TAKES TO GET OUT OF HERE!!!"

"AHHH!! I DON'T WANT TO DIE!!"

"MOVE! MOVE! MOVE!! DON'T GET IN THE WAY!"

Screams of plea and instructions could be heard; without a definite destination, they ran wherever their feet took them. They didn't look back, pushed others who were in their way, hopped over those who had fallen, and some even sobbed as they ran. The 1st Legion's Knights, once known as a brave, strong, and good people, were now nothing more than a herd of animals fleeing from their predators.

'I apologize to everyone...'

Despite the fact that the two monsters in human clothing have yet to move, the guilt of abandoning his comrades plagued him. But Luke couldn't just go back and leave his sister alone; while being one of the Memphis Kingdom's youngest Commanders, her expertise in dealing with powerful opponents was near to nil. Minerva's rage disappeared the minute the woman and the robed man arrived; she was like a fire that had been washed with a cold bucket of water, like a flickering flame, and she was on the verge of fainting from fear.

Haa. Ha.. Haa... Haa.

Thud-

"Haaa!"

Luke dropped to the ground as soon as they passed through the 'Noble District' and arrived at the 'Academy Grounds.' Luke would not have been so weary if he had been running normally; the psychological tension he felt made his body heavy and his breathing erratic.

"Commander!"

A knight cried out to them as he ran by, followed by their colleagues. They all appeared to be weary.

"..."

"Excellent work... But we need someone to notify His Majesty of the current situation."

"Hoo... Ha... Vice-Commander, I'll do it."

"Thank you; run and tell them we need reinforcement!"

"HA!"

Luke issued his commands, and the Knight who had shouted out ran once more, this time towards the palace. The other Knights who had been following him had collapsed on the ground, and Minerva was simply standing in front of him. Luke, witnessing his sister's condition, mustered the strength to stand and approach her.

"Commander, you've got to get a grip on yourself!"

"!"

"You are a legion commander! If you're always going to be like that whenever we meet tough people, if a war breaks out and those kinds of people show up, I don't think I could trust you with my life anymore..."

""....""

"...Sorry"

"We don't need your apology; we need someone to lead us!"

Minerva gazed around her; her colleagues, the Knights of the First Legion, were staring at them, their eyes wide with anticipation. She then turned to face her younger brother, Luke, who was staring at her with the same intensity as the Knights around her. She could sense their respect to her, their commander.

'Ahh... What a leader I am... 'I'm a complete failure.'

She shut her eyes, then...

SLAP!!

The Knights and Luke were taken aback when they heard a slap and saw their commander hitting her own cheeks.

"...Khm, please accept my apologies; I was a failure as a leader."

"Don't worry, we were all overwhelmed after all, and we're just glad we're still alive... hahaha"

"Thank you, everyone!"

"""!!"""

"This is your new command! Evacuate the inhabitants near the 'Noble District!' We cannot afford to have anyone caught up in their battle!"

"According to that mask man, the nobles residing within the 'Noble District' have all been evacuated; the sole mission we have is to guard the perimeters and rescue the 2nd Princess!"

"I'm just going to say it once: don't ever enter the 'Noble District' unless absolutely necessary! Now get moving!"

"""HA!"'''

Minerva regained her regular demeanor and gave her commands, Luke supported her with his own orders, and the 1st Legion was back in action. Although each of the Knights is still terrified of the two beings they encountered, their conviction was bolstered by their confidence and loyalty to the two Royalty commanding them.

The Knights of the First Legion move in accordance with their orders. They prevent citizens from approaching the 'Noble District' by shutting all pathways leading there. The 1st and 2nd platoons that had been sent to the outer rings were summoned, and they were ordered to obstruct the routes leading from there to the 'Noble District.'

Boom!

CRASH!!

From time to time, sounds of explosions and buildings crumbling might be heard. And each time the ground vibrated, the Knights who were defending the area were reminded of the power the two monsters dressed in human clothing possessed. The civilians who felt and heard such blasts, on the other hand, panicked and bombarded the Knights with questions.

"What exactly is going on?"

"I saw fire behind the wall! What's going on there?"

"Did a monster strike?"

"Could it be a terrorist attack?"

"How come you're not repressing them?"

Such inquiries were heard, and the Knights responded without revealing anything regarding the k********g of the second princess.

"Monsters beyond our capabilities are fighting; we have been ordered not to meddle with their fight."

"Don't worry, we've requested assistance from the Adventurer's Guild, and the Commanders themselves are suppressing the monsters."

"Remain within your homes for the time being and do not leave."

The Knights did their utmost to quiet the citizens' unrest, and they responded by blending truth and lies. After all, the citizen could clearly see fires from behind the wall, so they couldn't just tell them everything was fine.

"Eleonora... I hope you're all okay."

"...The mask man told us as soon as we arrived that she is fine, and that someone is on their way to save her."

"... I don't trust him."

"Neither do I, but what he stated was all true, so it isn't too horrible for us to hope that Elder Sister Elenora is doing well."

"If everything is over, I'm going to behead all her knights! They were all there, but they let her get taken away! I can't tolerate such treason!"

"Calm down, Commander. They said they were ordered not to enter the mansion, and that they didn't hear anything about the situation, no ruckus, no screams, no sounds. Vanessa has already confirmed that they were telling the truth, and she has already stated that she, too, did not hear any sound until she managed to open the door."

"Grr..."

"Anyway, we've already alerted Commander Rudolf of the situation; all we have to do now is wait for their side to finish; Commander Rudolf stated that the shadows have already discovered Elder Sister."

Exhale-

"...I really hope they move quickly."

"I'm sure they're going as quickly as they can."

"..."

Minerva sighed as she looked at her younger brother, then towards the walls separating the 'Noble District' and the 'Academy Grounds,' where cracks were growing and debris was falling. Luke's gaze followed hers.

"It's been an hour.... I'm sure the houses there have turned to dust."

"Do you.... believe we'll ever be able to reach them?"

"Yes... Is what I'd like to say, but..."

"Haha, I see, even for you, it's impossible, huh?"

"They have transcended the realm of a normal being; I doubt I could catch up even if I trained for a hundred years.... Their levels must have already crossed the 1000 mark."

"1000 Marking huh... I've only read about them in stories; in the past, they were plentiful, but now... I'm not sure if any exist..."

"Those three, I believe they have crossed the 1000 mark, and Commander Rudolf is also close to the 1000 mark."

"...Can you tell?"

"It was just a gut feeling. No, I simply wanted to think so, because if they haven't even past that... I'm not sure what sort of monsters they would be."

"True..."

The two exchanged a bitter smile. The thought of seeing people with levels that do not exceed 1000 and having that type of strength is something they do not want to even imagine.