Chapter 2: News Of Danger
Well, the day at the school went pretty much uneventful, just like the class that Yuri attended. And just as he dreaded, his teacher reminded them of the upcoming midterm exam. He was only able to heave a sigh of relief when Mari promised that she would help him study. This was something that Yuri truly felt glad about Shori's friends. Despite the age and course differences, they would still be there to help him.
Just what Murata said before, it felt like they've found older sisters through their female mentors Mari, Rina, and Chie. And a second older brother through Nobu.
But his thoughts soon shifted to a more serious issue upon remembering that agitating presence that nearly distracted him from crossing dimensions. And Murata's reaction when he mentioned it... Something told the young Maoh that he had to heed Murata's words for them to return to Shin Makoku because of a danger that was already at bay.
Whatever that "danger" was, he knew it was big.
The next day, after finally allowing Shori to come along with them because he somehow forced Yuri and Murata, the three of them headed to Shin Makoku. And as expected, Ulrike, Günter, Wolfram, and Conrad were already there at the Shinou Temple's fountain waiting for them.
"Why do I have a feeling that you're already expecting to see Shori tagging along with us?" Yuri asked which seemed to be a form of a statement rather than a question as he took one of the towels that Conrad handed to them. He asked that because he saw Conrad holding 3 towels instead of just the usual two.
"Ulrike told us. It appeared that His Majesty Shinou informed His Eminence to accept Shori's decision to come along with the two of you should he decide to come," Günter explained with the said Genshi Miko supporting it with a small nod.
"Hmm... Now that's rare," Yuri could only comment as he continued drying himself.
One thing he noticed, though, was that Murata hadn't said anything since they arrived. His friend's stare seemed to be far off. He sighed before speaking.
"What are you thinking right now, Murata?"
The said Daikenja pushed back his glasses and soon faced Yuri. Of course, it took the Maoh aback since there was something different about the way his friend was looking at him. It could only mean one thing, though.
"You felt it again, didn't you? That agitating presence?" Murata inquired in a grave tone.
It left Shori and the others confused, but Yuri only stared at Murata with the same somber expression. "It was fleeting, but I felt it again. It was the same."
"What are you talking about, Yuri?" Wolfram immediately asked but didn't receive any reply from the Maoh.
After that, Murata faced Conrad and Günter. "Did anything bizarre happen here while we were gone?"
It was a direct question that surprised the two aforementioned men for a few moments before their expressions became serious. Even Wolfram understood what the question meant.
"There's no escaping your insight, Your Grace," Conrad said which broke the tensed silence. Soon after, the soldier faced both Yuri and Murata. "There had been several reports from outside the capital about strange creatures suddenly appearing and attacking villages in Shin Makoku. Thankfully, no one was killed during the incidents but damages to properties and several injuries among the townfolks were reported. We're still trying to find out where could they come from."
"As I thought," Murata muttered that Yuri and Shori heard.
"What was that supposed to mean, my younger brother's friend?"
But Murata chose not to answer that question from Shori at the moment. Yuri took his friend's silence as an opportunity to ask something to his subjects. "Did the reports mention anything about the creatures attacking villages, especially what they looked like?"
"They all looked the same if you ask me. The one thing that's common from all the five reported attacks were the creatures attacking in groups of 10 to 15."
"All of the creatures attacking seem to be capable of one thing and that is to grow out blades from their arms and use them to attack the villages. They were twice the height of an average Mazoku, as reported. That's why it's quite hard to defeat them all," Günter added.
"Grow out blades? Then they are truly dangerous to deal with," Shori said in near panic. "Then you're saying that using majutsu isn't enough to deal with these creatures, as well?"
"They could still take them down using majutsu. It's just a question of how long will the maryoku users be able to handle them and defeat it all easily," Murata stated.
Though they wanted to ask what Murata could mean by what he said, Günter intercepted it by saying that the three arrivals should change first before continuing the discussion. It didn't take them long to do that, though. As soon as Yuri was done changing, he coaxed Murata to continue what he was saying.
"Like what I said earlier, they could still take them down using majutsu or even houjutsu. But these living puppets, as I can tell, haven't even assumed their full form yet. Or worse, haven't been made fully aware of their true functions," Murata said in continuation to his earlier words.
"Then you're saying that they would still strike? And do something worse than just destroying villages?"
Murata gravely nodded. "One thing I'm fearing to happen is when the time comes that those puppets wouldn't just destroy villages as they appear, but also murder people."
Of course, those who heard it were truly surprised, even Yuri and Shori. Murata maintained his somber expression. But Yuri noticed something else.
"There's still a way, isn't it, Murata?" Yuri started that soon shifted his friend's attention to him. "A way to stop these puppets for good."
The Daikenja remained silent for a few moments as he and Yuri were in a staring contest. For some reason, Yuri could pretty much tell what this guy was thinking, unlike before. But then, all he could think about at the moment was the safety of his people and the humans also living in the attacked villages. He wouldn't let some destructive puppets, as you call it, do as they pleased to destroy everything he strived hard for.
Murata sighed soon after and gave a weak, but still reassuring smile. "It's really weird of you to easily figure out what I was thinking, Shibuya. But yes, there's still a way."
Yuri's face lit up upon hearing that. "Really?"
"Yes. But we just got one problem, though."
With that, Yuri's expression turned to confusion, then to a somber one again. "What do you mean?"
"The only people who are completely aware and knowledgeable about our troublesome puppets' functions and true purpose aren't exactly easy to contact. To be honest, from what I gathered all this time, they hadn't made contact with any of the Mazoku even before the war with the humans 20 years ago," Murata explained.
But before Yuri could even comment on Murata's explanation, Conrad suddenly spoke.
"Your Grace, could it be... that you're talking about the Beast Knights from the Kingdom of Esovia?"
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