(The Phantom Troop is known to be a paramilitary organization created several years ago after the founding of the kingdom.)

(They went through ups and downs and in the end it was demolished. But someone restored it and now they are a secretive group of criminals who are said to control the entire United Kingdom, the kingdom being their capital.)

(What precisely are they doing here?)

Iris watched the group cornering Count Bronson.

"Hey, why is your house in such a horrible state?"

Said a rude voice.

"Th-That's because..."

He began to tell them what had happened.

Then, one of them, a man in a suit with medium height, dead fish eyes, scraggly beard and messy brown hair was approaching the position where Iris and Liddy were standing.

They quickly hid behind some boxes and covered their mouths.

"What's wrong?"

The man stared into the dark void and then said.

"It's nothing. I thought I saw something."

He replied to an older, gray-haired, smartly dressed man.

"Tell me, you haven't opened your mouth about us have you?"

"N-No, not at all."

"Are you sure? Because a little birdie told me what you've been saying that you're part of Baron Olston's faction."

(Baron Olston is an ally of the Ghost Troop!)

"For that reason you've been in the neighboring territories scaring the local feudal lords and nobles into giving you money, haven't you?"

"You can believe me that it's nothing like that!"

"How can I believe you...?"

Suddenly, whoever was questioning him realized that a blonde hair was peeking out.

"Ah! Avenger idiot, there were people hiding!"

"...!"

After realizing that they were discovered, there was only one thing to do.

"Run!"

Iris grabbed Liddy's hand and they ran at high speed.

The young man had snow-pale skin, purple hair and a not at all healthy facial expression like a drunkard's belly despite being thin.

"Racer-sama, what do you suggest we do?"

Asked the elderly man who looked like his butler.

"Don't ask silly questions, Jet. Let's go get them."

"By the way..."

Racer walked up to the man called Avenger and punched him hard in the face.

"Why didn't you notice?"

"Sorry."

"Tch. Useless bastard, I can't believe this slowpoke is part of the Twelve Night Spears, Phantom Troop's strongest brigade."

"Looks like fun. I want to play a lot."

Replied a huge man with bluish skin and blond hair, his calm looks very scary.

Within the members of the twelve spears, he was the third strongest, his name was Big Pino.

Within the organization everyone uses false names to protect their identity in case they have to be found in a crime.

Big Pino observes the count who wants to say something.

"What's going on?"

"It was them!"

"They, along with some weird guy and his pet, were the ones responsible for damaging my house and thus avoiding paying my tribute properly."

"I am the victim."

They all looked at the count and then murmured.

"He may be right. Shall we kill them then?"

"I think it would be best to find out who they are so as to take advantage of the situation, Racer-sama."

"All right."

"We'll split into two groups to go after them."

"The first group will be the two of us and the second group will be you. Count, you can fuck off until meanwhile."

"S-Sure."

The count began to tell them who Iris was.

The only one who didn't show a look of interest, was Avenger.

◇◇◇

Iris and Liddy were running at full speed.

"Iris-sama, do you know who those people are?"

Liddy was asking that innocent question as Iris's heart leapt out of her chest.

"They are part of the Phantom Troop. I'll just tell you, even the palace can't against them. The queen told me she's done her best to eliminate them, but nothing works."

"We must flee from here immediately as our lives are in danger!"

"I found them."

"...!"

Suddenly they heard a male voice speaking to them from behind.

They turned around and there stood Avenger with a katana in his hands.

They quickly ducked and he unsheathed his sword and it was thrust into the wall.

They ran away from him, but after a few minutes they found him again.

Again the same thing happened and so it was repeated.

They almost escaped from the business district.

She thought of Avenger.

(It's weird, this whole thing. Every time he finds us he screams and then pulls out his oriental sword, but he doesn't cut us and something always keeps him from hitting us.)

(Is that what I think it is?)

Again they met him, this time it was head-on and on a street meant for carriages.

Instead of running away, Iris asked him.

"May I know what you're up to?"

"You could have easily cut us off but you didn't."

"Exactly what are you planning?"

"..."

Before he could even have said anything.

An invisible object gave him a powerful blow that sent him flying into a shop.

The girls were shocked and then heard a wicked laugh.

"Kakaka. I can't believe what this idiot was doing."

"Hey, I hope you're dead. Because if you're not, it'll be worse for you when we come back with the corpses of these women."

Racer was on a makeshift throne in the sky.

Next to him was Jet also floating.

That was thanks to Racer's magic allowing him to create a jellyfish-like creature of air and water.

While Jet's ability was to briefly alter their senses so that their enemies would be confused while their master finished them off.

Who were they?

Racer's real name is Christopher Fou Aldelight while Jet's is Elim Fia Blackmore.

Both are former citizens of the Kingdom of Grandel, located several miles east of here.

Back home, Christopher was the heir to a margrave.

He lived in luxury, was a rude boy and above all very wicked.

He tormented his people, raised taxes high and even stole knights' wives and then discarded them when he got bored.

While Elim was actually his personal assistant, who allowed all this to happen because he liked the bribery of his young master so much.

They were like that, so they were very close.

One day, they were invaded by a foreign force and because there was no food or weapons for the knights, seizing the territory did not even require an hour.

It was the fastest conquest being only surpassed by the past of the Arklight Empire.

The king summoned the margrave and his son.

The result was to blame them for the whole thing.

They had two options, banishment or death.

The margrave pleaded for his life and that of his wife as well as that of his newborn child.

He then declared that it was all the fault of his son and his assistant.

The margrave's family would be exiled while the heir and his assistant were executed.

As if they were saved by a divine hand. The invading army arrived in the capital and chaos began.

They all fled, managed to save themselves as they locked the entire royal family and their own family inside the place.

Once away, they had no idea how to survive.

But a sinister mysterious figure said to them.

"Do you want a new chance?"

Time passed and they managed to become the strongest subordinates of the ghost troop.

Elim always backs Christopher as he promised him riches in the future.

That's why he thinks he's a king and even has a makeshift crown.

"Racer-sama, what do you suggest I do?"

"Umm, they are very pretty, but knowing that guy he will surely ask for their heads to be cut off."

"It's a pity, but it is what it is."

"Understood."

Jet raised his arm and both girls began to feel dizzy.

"Don't worry. It'll all be over soon."

The tentacle moved so it could hit them and then.

"Hey, what do you think you're doing to a couple of innocent civilians?"

A strong, masculine voice spoke to them from the top of a building.

His appearance was hidden beneath the clouds, but his glowing orange eyes were visible in that darkness.

"I have many questions to ask you people."

"Don't move, you are under arrest by the military police."

"Military police!"

The military police were a small force of elite knights who were dedicated to going places where others could not.

In the Arklight Empire they were known as the royal knights.

"I won't repeat it twice. All of you on the ground with your hands outstretched."

Christopher became angry and quickly a tentacle moved to strike him.

The man resting on the roof disappeared before the tentacle hit him.

"How slow you are. You're not even good for training."

He spoke to them from behind their backs, they were so angry that they decided to act.

Elim's magic allowed him to affect everything in a circumference of ten meters, no matter where he hid, his senses were in danger.

The jellyfish's tentacles moved at great speed to crush him.

This was the reason for being called Jet and Racer.

"Die!"

Christopher shouted without realizing that the orange-eyed man dodged each attack with ease.

He seemed to dance in that spot as he effortlessly dodged them.

"What's the matter, don't tell me this is all you can do?"

"A horned rabbit is more dangerous than you and that's because it moves slower."

Anger gnawed at Christopher, he couldn't take it anymore and demanded his servant use his maximum attack.

"Blackmore! Use all your power!"

"...!"

"On command, Aldelight-sama."

Elim used all his power and some sort of clock appeared above him.

"This is my ultimate move."

This ability was not only going to alter the man's senses, it was going to shatter his own body as it would cause the blood coursing through his veins to reverse.

It was a sinister attack that he had used many times in the past.

While Christopher's jellyfish was spinning its tentacles into powerful drills.

With this combined attack, victory was futile.

"Die, you scum!"

"Goodbye."

They both said. A sort of bubble engulfed the man as the drill tentacles drew closer.

It was the end of him.

But he sighed in boredom.

"All they accomplished was to make me twitch my muscles, I should give them a prize for at least marking them as threats."

From his back he took two huge swords in the shapes of kitchen knives, each had a half-moon appearance.

"Cross cut."

A white glow flew out at high speed and with that both enemies were immediately knocked out.

*Sigh*

He approached both unconscious and placed handcuffs to restrict their movements.

"Very well. It's time for you guys to be arrested too."

He didn't notice that both girls left the place a while ago.

He scratched his head as he saw that they fled, then looked to his side and the man lying on the premises had also disappeared.

◇◇◇

The girls were running.

"The military police are here. We are safe."

"What does it mean that they are here?"

"It means that reinforcements came from the palace and most likely from the duchy, they are usually not mobilized except when the life of a royal or derivative member is in danger."

"That means we are safe!"

"That's right."

"Then why are we running from him?"

"We must catch Bronson, he must have fled again, if he gets caught, it is possible that someone inside the palace will silence him, we must put him under the jurisdiction of the duke's family."

"Hold it right there."

Said a voice coming from the alley.

Being severely wounded, Avenger stood in front of them.

"You? What do you want?"

"Not that way."

He said in a cracked voice.

"That way don't go, in that place is-"

*Breaking*

The wall behind him shattered and everyone saw several men in black armor being tossed around like rubble.

A huge six-foot man came out of the place laughing.

"Gararara."

"May I know what the new guy is doing talking to the victims?"

"Where are Racer and Jet?"

Quickly Avenger stepped in front of them to cover them.

His reasons were unknown.

Big Pino was laughing at him because of his status.

"Hey, you know you're the weakest of us all since you're in twelfth place, right?"

"If an executive had come, everyone in this place would be dead. Why are you defending those women?"

"Are they your daughters? Did you fall in love with them? You think you're a woman and you're trying to defend them from an abuser? Garara!"

Avenger shouts at the top of his lungs.

"Run!"

"I'm no match for this guy!"

Then, Big Pino raises his right arm, his whole body was covered by strange metal plates with jewels in the center.

His arm propelled him straight into Avenger's face, he used his katana to cover himself, then something happened.

An invisible force pushes the man several meters in the air impacting a wall.

His bones were broken due to the blow.

Iris was horrified to see that savagery.

She looked back and then she noticed something.

"Do I know you? I feel like I've seen you before."

"Umm?"

"I'm very famous, in the past I was in the palace jail and escaped."

"I remembered!"

Iris remembered where she knew Big Pino from.

"Several years ago I read in the newspaper that an extremely dangerous prisoner escaped from the palace and eliminated several knights in the process."

"He was a war criminal serving in the palace, but because of his cruel crimes against innocents he was found guilty."

"His name was..."

"Marius Chandler."

Big Pino said with a smile.

"What is a criminal of your caliber doing here?"

"It's very simple. I want revenge."

"I was wrongfully arrested for killing children, it's not my fault their breaking bones are music to my ears."

"I'm happy I was given a new chance to do what I love."

Iris tried to run away with Liddy.

But Chandler's huge hands were so strong that even using a fireball didn't generate damage to him.

"Garara."

"It's useless to try to run away. Racer said we should take you out."

"This is what you get for meddling and gossiping. Garara."

Chandler let go of Liddy and then with both hands began to press lightly on her head.

"... It hurts."

"This is karma. No one sent you to stick your nose where it doesn't belong."

"Everything would be all right for you if you'd just stayed in your little bed like a good little girl."

Blood trickled down her nostrils.

"No! Please leave Iris-sama alone! Iris-sama!"

Liddy shouted in desperation. Avenger on the other hand tried to get up, but couldn't.

"Damn it. I can't move a muscle."

Everyone was trying to save Iris, while she was.

(Whatever.)

She was in total defeat.

(You're right, if I hadn't gotten involved with that woman Muriel, none of this would have happened.)

(If I hadn't harassed the prince, none of this would have happened.)

"Iris-sama!"

(If I hadn't gotten involved in their relationship. Surely my engagement would have been broken off without any trouble at all.)

"Hell!"

Everyone was screaming in despair watching as more and more blood dripped to the ground.

(Even my sister's death.)

(Anne onee-sama, please forgive me.)

(Your horrible younger sister is paying for her crimes and I will come to see you soon.)

Iris began to hallucinate, she saw her older sister in a garden waiting for her with a cup of tea.

She raised her hand shyly, she had accepted her fate.

"Sister... Huh?"

Then in the distance she would watch as a familiar figure came bounding towards her at high speed.

A flash of blue flashed rapidly across the place and in a matter of seconds.

A powerful spinning kick hit Chandler's neck squarely.

The force of that kick was so strong, he was sent flying, knocking Iris loose and falling to the ground.

But she was quickly grabbed by none other than...

"Ra...zel."

"That's right. I was too busy taunting the knights who came and saw me."

"Then can you explain why I've saved you three times now?"

"Who are you to cause trouble?"

Iris began to cry.

(No. Don't get my hopes up.)

(I'm going to die anyway.)

(What's the use of being saved now?)

She without caring what happened, told him her full name.

"I am the duke's only daughter. Irislillya Lux Rosenthal..."

"The duke's daughter?"

"Aren't you a merchant? Wasn't your name Lilitia or something?"

"No..."

Her voice was very weak.

"I see."

Razel walked over to Liddy and handed Iris to her.

He then went through his pockets and pulled out a couple of recovery elixirs.

These elixirs were cell-restoring energy drinks.

It was healing magic in very expensive bottles.

"I stole this. I mean, I brought this just in case there was an emergency, then I saw you guys."

"Use it for that and I think the guy at the bottom."

Avenger was badly hurt, but he still warned Razel.

"Big Pino... that man is no match for you."

"His power is in those plates covering his body."

"He can reflect the damage he receives to others and amplified."

"Your hit was just luck."

"It isn't."

Razel replied.

"You're in a very bad way. But more importantly, what are the idiot count's minions doing here?"

"I beat them all up at the mansion."

"They're not part of the spider. They're from the Phantom Troop."

"The Phantom Troop!"

Razel shouted and immediately scratched his head.

(The Phantom Troop. I see.)

(I remembered, these guys were responsible for spreading the virus and starting the epidemic.)

Razel looked with a murderous glare at Chandler who was rising from the rubble.

Blood was running down his forehead and even his nose was broken.

He returned it to its original form after making a loud sound.

"Hey, Iris something. I'll just tell you Iris."

"...?"

Iris recovered from her injuries.

"Will you tell me exactly what's going on here and why you lied to me before?"

In the current situation, Iris had no reason to doubt him.

She didn't know him, but right now, Razel was the only person who could help them.

"Y-Yes. I'll tell you everything only if you can defeat him."

Razel rattled his joints.

"That will be easy. As long as my opponent isn't a demon king, I can win."

He said with a wicked grin on his face.

The same grin showed Chandler, but this one was scarier.

"Garara. It's been a long time since I've had a fight worth fighting."

The fated battle between Razel and the members of the Phantom Troop, had just begun.