The next day, Cirrus made breakfast from the supplies they had stored in his shadow. Any food that was in the home had either turned rotten or contaminated.

"So, what are we going to do?" Nox said, eating her food.

"Well…. we should look into this town and see if there is anything as to why or how the Nuckelavee was released."

"Hm, while you’re doing that, I’ll contact Fels and update them on our progress."

"Hm, call me if you need me. (Exousía, Adorn: Ceryneian)."

"Why are you wearing your armor?"

"Well, just in case you need me?"

Cirrus takes his leave and goes out the front door.

‘Well, time to investigate some homes.’

 

Cirrus went to the homes nearby and carefully looked at each one and as soon as he was done, he took out red paint and drew an X on it, then moved on to the next.

After his ninth home, he discovered something.

"Huh? A diary? "

Cirrus flipped through the pages until he could no longer find the lettering.

"… The 18th of last month…"

Reading the entry, he discovered two things: first, that they had held some sort of traditional festival, and second, that the Familia based here, the Loviatar Familia, was to blame.

Reading more into the diary, he found that the Familia actually came and settled in the town two years ago, around the time he was in Orario.

‘If a Familia is here, then they should have had a base… tch if this Familia is actually Evilus, they could cause more trouble. ’

Leaving the home, Cirrus jumps up on the roofs to find the Familia’s home in the town.

‘There, the second biggest home.’

Running on the rooftops when he heard something flying through the air.

Fsh!

Fsh!

Grab!

Cirrus grabbed an arrow from the air while the other arrow missed.

"Who the fuck is shooting—!?"

From the corner of his eye, he found that a 3rd arrow was shot and found its place in his right shoulder.

"!?"

Seeing this, Cirrus immediately slid down the roof and found cover.

"Holy shit!" he shouted as he hid behind a home. "Nox, stay inside. There is someone out here! And their fucking master archers!"

‘Hm? Really? But can arrows from normal—‘

"There is an arrow in my shoulder right now."

‘… Call me when this is settled. I will be inside. Summon me when you’re in danger, well, more danger. I don't want to make things harder for you.'

Even if Nox was a powerful spirit, her body was that of an average level 1. It's still nothing to scoff at if you were normal, but she knew full well how fast and durable Cirrus was. If an arrow could hit him, then flying around would only put her in the grave far more quickly.

‘Let’s see the arrows come from the east side... No, they moved. If there is a skilled archer, they must have moved. ’

Cirrus removed the arrow but found the arrow head still in him.

'A loose arrowhead!? God fucking... Grrr!!'

He placed his hand over his wound and store the arrowhead in his shadow, to which he immediately discarded it and poured a potion on his wound.

"Focus. Focus." He said softly.

Focused on his hearing he could hear the slight creaking of the dead tree branches and even some homes.

Kata-kata!

Kata-kata!

‘Running!’

Cirrus quickly turned to see a girl with reddish-brown hair aiming an arrow at him up on a rooftop.

Thwish!

She fired her arrow, and Cirrus quickly rushed her, evading the arrow.

The girl was surprised Cirrus had taken this choice as he quickly got out of the arrow’s path and was now about to grab the girl when.

Thunk!

"!!"

Once again, Cirrus didn’t even hear or feel the arrow flying through the air as it hit his hand.

The girl was about to run away when Cirrus grabbed her with his left hand at the base of her neck and held her up with one arm.

"You little shit!!!"

Using her as a shield, he quickly rushed to where the arrow was fired with the girl in hand.

"L-let me go!!" she shouted.

"Fuck no! You’re going to be my shield until I find your boss who left their arrows in me! "

Cirrus broke the arrow in his hand using his mouth and pulled the rest of the arrow out of the head, as well.

"I’ll be sure to pay them back!"

"Y-you brute!"

"Says the girl, shooting arrows for no rea—!"

As he was running, another arrow came and found its mark on the back of Cirrus’s calf.

"Grr!!!" His grip slightly loosened, and the girl tried to break free, but an even stronger grip was now in place.

"Let go!!"

‘The back of the calf!’ He ignored her pleas.

He calmed himself and scanned the area diligently, using the girl as a shield. As Cirrus did, he could see a small glint off the arrow’s head for a short second.

That was more than enough for him.

"Found you!!"

With anger in his voice his magic circle appeared behind him, the rest of his armor wraps around him and he quickly leaped rooftop from rooftop, the speed he was kicking off broke several of the home's ceilings as he used the girl as a shield. He made it to the shooters, hiding up on the outskirts of the town’s buildings.

"Why hello there?"

Cirrus looked down on 4 women. One had green hair, the second one had gold hair, and the other had black hair. The last one behind the others had long blue hair with two long bangs with two strands on the sides.

"Which one of you shits shot me!!" His grip tightened.

"Gah!!" the girl tried and break free from his vice-grip.

The woman with blue hair stepped before the others like a mother protecting her young as a divinity seeps from her.

It was a calm and tranquil divinity on par with Astraea’s own, if not more from how easy it looked for her to hide it and bring it out with the transparency. Had it not been for the white of the border, one wouldn’t be able to see the divinity.

"It was me; my name is Artemis."