A KNIGHT–

An abruptly cut scream, that echoed through the walls. A thunderous crash that caused the very air to reverberate around him, and the terrified screams that ensued after, all seeming to echo what that one word meant to those within Capital City.

A Knight, an honored guardian, a dutiful protector... not. More like the dreaded muscle of Capital Corporation, enforcers of their Corpo law, pawns for the Draig family.

Although Miles himself leveraged the influence of the Knights for his own benefit on occasion, he harbored a very personal disdain. but he tolerated most of them, for at the very least, he could not deny them their roles in the defense of Capital City against all things Fae.

‘But still, the arrival of a Knight is unusual. I would’ve assumed Capital Corp to be more interested in the ‘dragon bounty’ for Hayato Ryota, stir up a gang war to distract them even, not search through a random ripper-doc clinic? But I doubt the three outside would be howling, if the Knight was there for a friendly inquiry.’

Meanwhile, Zhan Shen pushed himself off the floor, seeming to be perfectly at ease with the situation, “You heard that I suppose, Master Miles? There's a Capital Knight in the building. What do you suggest we do?” The old butler even seemed… excited.

With a roll of his eyes, Miles answered, “The Knight will become an annoyance if left alone. All they need to see is that the Knight issued Capital AI cannot pierce through,” gestured at their faces, “our Amathaka Obliviation, and... their curiosity will do the rest."

"So, escape is an option, but too much trouble and wholly unnecessary. We could initiate a... fight,” Miles could swear the old butler perked up at that, “but again, unnecessary. The most efficient solution will be to have the Knight receive orders to leave the clinic, before they may cause trouble.”

Zhan Shen seemed almost disappointed but returned a simple nod.

Decisions made and agreement reached, Miles acted. raising the Lykaon ring to eye level. “Cadmus, contact Designation: Bolon, Category: Fixer, Capital Corporation.”

The wolf eyes of the ring glowed in response, and a steady beeping resonated out from within. Only a few seconds passed, and the sound ceased, the hologram projecting a face that Miles had not interacted with in a few months.

With a pudgy face and a thin mustache that had been curled up in an attempt to be tasteful, clad in a bare robe of golden silk, Bolon appeared.

Miles remained silent however, for the fixer seemed distracted. His face was turned towards the side, savoring, no, suckling, on an unnaturally purple grape fed by a soft hand.

His eyes narrowed in distaste.

Bolon was known for his indulgence, gluttony and was easily swayed by the promise of luxury. Yet no Corpo could survive in this world, if their word lacked substance.

And Miles had more than this man's word. A lot more.

Bolon quivered in delight, chewing the fruit for a few seconds. He swallowed, nodded at the hand, and only then did he turn towards the visual feed.

The fixer’s baggy eyes widened, and in a failed attempt to be discreet, he slapped away something that had been nearby, presumably the owner of that soft hand.

Bolon revealed a pristine grin as if everything was as expected, and nothing unusual had happened, “Mr. Lykaon! What a pleasant surprise! I was informed of your troubling circumstances, but never expected, that I would be called on to help. Please feel free to speak, how may this loyal one serve?”

Miles' answer was silence, curious about what the fixer meant by 'his troubling circumstances'. He doubted Bolon was referring to his current situation, but asking this conniving man would be a reveal of unpreparedness, a show of weakness he was not willing to risk.

Besides, what the fixer considered trouble, might just be inconsequential for him, and with the screams from the clinic getting progressively worse...

Thus, Miles decided that the silence had dragged on long enough for Bolon to stew in nervousness. and ignored what had been said, to move on to what needed to be done.

“Bolon, I need you to rein in one of your hounds. A hound, whose leash has gotten too loose and is about to poke a nose where they most definitely should not.”

The rotund man froze, licking his lips as if still savoring that one grape, “A hound… What kind exactly, Mr. Lykaon?”

“You know them well. The kind of hound whose shoulders have been blessed twice with the Draig’s royal sword.”

Bolon’s thick lips curved, revealing golden teeth that matched his silken robe, “Ah! It is a knight that must be leashed in! That’s no problem at all Mr. Lykaon, no problem at all!”

“Good. The location details of the relevant knight will be sent to you promptly. I shall await your stellar work,” Miles answered with a curt nod.

And without lingering, he ended the call. A petty yet effective trick, to always have the last word.

While Cadmus was transferring the details as promised, Zhan Shen, who was now actually performing stretches as if to warm up, glanced down at him, “They’ve calmed down for a bit Master Miles, but it’s only a matter of time before the three are subdued. That little girl has got a hell of a mouth on her. Even if she isn’t killed, the Knight might just pull out her tongue.”

Miles frowned at that, pondering, “What will be the cost for you to take care of the Knight?”

The old butler’s lips curled up, “Hoh? The undead you, were granted a heart magnanimous even towards outer citizens?”

Miles scoffed, “I am known for my magnanimity.”

Zhan Shen tipped his head in a mock bow, “Of course you are, Master Miles,” but continued with a relaxed grin, “No cost at all. They're just a high tier Epsilon, enhanced to the limit and decked out in some Corporate Armor. A decent fight at best.”

‘An Epsilon at full potential! That’s a Faetality approximate to 10,000, roughly ten times my own! And if the Knight is enhanced to the limit, he should be completely different from old Zhan with over 6,000 unused faetality. But, he still remains confident.'

Miles pursed his lips, engrossed in thought for a while.

He had to weigh the pros and cons here, the political intricacies and potential consequences, of allowing Capital Corporation to become aware of his presence in Hamelin. Even Bolon only knew that Miles desired the Knight far away from the clinic, not that he himself was here. It could blow up into a huge fiasco if he were not careful.

On the other hand, Haruka was an individual that was oathbound to act in good will for the duration of their stay. They had made a sizeable investment as well. Losing her in some unfortunate accident, as Capital Knights were often involved in but always pardoned for, would be somewhat of a travesty.

It had nothing to do with his mild interest in the ripper doc’s work, and even less so of her tasteful appreciation of Lykaon Engineering. None whatsoever.

Besides, they would likely leave the clinic within a few hours, so a minor risk should be acceptable.

In the end, it was another scream tearing through the silence that finalized his decision.

As Miles stood, brushing off dust, he grinned at the previously enigmatic figure of Zhan Shen, now tapping a foot with impatient expectation.

His eyes lingered on the old butler’s suit, specifically where he noted a slight protrusion, where the gun he had been previously refused was holstered. Who said he couldn’t also have some fun with it?

“So, how badly do you wish to fight, old Zhan? Bad enough to hand over the Caucon?”

***

As expected, the answer had been a resounding yes.

Yet the elderly butler had artfully rephrased the situation, that it was an opportunity for Miles' growth, and that the handgun would of course be provided as a means of self-defense against a decidedly more formidable adversary. Miles had graciously let it pass, allowing Zhan Shen his dignity.

The mangy rats, habitually loitering in the middle of the hallway, scattered away at the sounds of their passing footsteps.

Zhan Shen was flexing his fists in anticipation of a fight, while Miles was mostly amused.

He believed the chances of an actual altercation were miniscule, for the Knight would be ordered to depart soon enough, but the old butler had dismissed the actions of the fixer with the rebuke, "Blind reliance on others for what needs to be done, is a terrible habit, Master Miles."

And perhaps there was some truth in that, for Bolon had sent a sudden message, stating that there were some unforeseen delays in their communication and requested a short extension, for apparently even Capital Central Command were having trouble in contacting their Knight.

'Curious.'

Nevertheless, Miles had acquiesced, for the fixer could not lie, literally. Not to him at least.

In return, he had requested detailed information on the Knight in question, which at least was provided instantly. Naturally, Miles had informed the old butler as well.

The rusted iron door was pushed open, and they left behind the hallway, entering the clinic lobby.

The flickering will-o-wisp signs plastered on the walls were almost blinding, disturbing Miles with a mild sense of unease for suddenly entering such bright light. He had forgotten how overwhelming the signage had been, but his vision adapted quickly.

The lobby was exactly as it had been. Spacious, the sides packed with useless props and the occasional functional product, and of course, the only gem among them all, rightfully displayed in prominence and guarded, his mother's magnum opus, the Lycan Arc Vortex transporter engine. As for the building itself, well. the structural fragility of the ordinary concrete, and the wooden flooring persisted.

However, what captured Miles' attention was the peculiar standoff, more comedic than dramatic in his eyes, despite the underlying tragedy.

The ripper-doc, Haruka exhibited a deathly focus, yet there was an occasional tremble in her figure. His ears picking out the muted sobs, as she hefted and pointed a…

A Lykaon Doghead. A dependable assault rifle, and even though the model seemed outdated, in Miles' entirely unbiased opinion, it was usually a terrific choice of weaponry.

Usually.

Unfortunately for the ripper-doc, while premium Lykaon piercing rounds might have done something to a Capital Knight's armor, whatever third party magazine she had loaded up there, would at best play a tinkling melody of metal against metal.

Inani was the most volatile of them all, an enraged gorilla that screamed nonsensical curses, barely restrained by James, who was succeeding mostly because the girl seemed to wish to not hurt him, even as she struggled to rush blindly towards…

What Miles perceived first, was the scent–iron and metallic blood, with a familiar flavor that made his nose wrinkle–the rancid sweetness of Cyber Rot. His eyes fell upon the source, the barely alive figure bleeding out on the doorway, cloaked in a familiar garb of white which was unaffected by the red of the blood. Hakuryuu Colors.

Miles' attention shifted, fixing upon the individual that stood upon this unfortunate gangster, silver tipped boots crushing bone.

An individual reasonably at ease even with Haruka's assault rifle pointed at his head, fully adorned in standard Knightly armor, chest emblazoned with the blatant logo of a hulking dragon blasting streaks of fire.

Lykaon Industries had naturally done their due diligence on the Knights, gathering detailed information on the abilities and capabilities of most, and that had included their armor.

The material was a decently sturdy alloy, purely composed of natural metals, but nothing of infernal or magical nature. Well, besides the enchantment.

Silver, a key element in the alloy, was ideal for engraving enchantments, and with what Capital Corp. had managed to steal from the Fae, the knights' armor could easily withstand forces nearing several hundred strength attribute points.

It was only par for the course that Haruka’s Doghead did not stand a chance.

Yet, that same armor would not be enough. Not against old Zhan, or even Miles' requisitioned Caucon.

The situation now perfectly understood, Miles allowed a grin to surface, and he clapped aloud, commanding the attention of all, causing all heads to swivel towards they who had arrived fashionably late. His focus was entirely upon the Knight, “Xavier, what brings you here?”

The once-relaxed Knight froze at the mention of his name, and a suffocating silence settled over the clinic.

There was a reason that all armor of the Knights were identical, and barring publicity events, made to be indistinctive as much as possible. It was to avoid their specific abilities being identified, for even the strongest Knight could be taken down with sufficient knowledge and preparation.

Instantaneously, the Knight's eyes from within the helm flashed white, attempting to pierce through Miles' identity distortion enchantment. Zhan Shen had been left alone for now, for perhaps Miles had seemed an easier target.

The Lykaon ring upon his finger trembled, but the enchantment upon his face held, an indomitable fortress against one arrow, smothering out the miniscule intrusion.

That had been a decent attempt at bypassing the distortion, at least with the ripper-doc’s laughable attempt in comparison. However, if some Knight thought they could brute force an enchantment cast by Cadmus, they had another thing coming.

Xavier's eyes dimmed, energy depleted, and his back hunched as if he had exerted himself too far. “W-Who are you?” even the voice was disguised by the helm, distorted and robotic, another attempt to conceal the identity of the Knight.

Miles’ lip curled, “That is knowledge far, far above your pay grade Knight. Answer me, your orders were to report to the borders of Hamelin and oversee the gang war, not…” he gestured at the gangster under the silver tipped boot, “do this.”

The Knight paused, as if processing the rebuke. Finally, he stood straight, rising to attention and placed his fist upon his chest as a Knight would to a superior, “A-Apologies sir, this man, is Hayato Ryota, and I believe this clinic belongs to his wife– Hayato Haruka.”

Miles was adept at concealing his surprise, his figure reactionless as if he had known in the first place.

‘Holy Hells, this clinic is one of Hayato Ryota’s? What kind of coincidence is this? And if my brief introduction into Mrs. Hayato’s work is any evidence, she must have played some role in the creation of the rumored faetality booster as well!'

Miles was truly glad they had decided to come out here. It had mostly been a whim out of pity, but it was true when they said good things came to good people. In return for his generosity, the value of the ripper-doc had just jumped several times, worthy of even drastic action if need be.

He spared a discrete glance at the woman in question.

The ripper-doc still aimed the Doghead at the silver armored man, as if she were willing to kill even a Knight if need be. But now her glance flickered between the two of them, the Knight and Miles himself. He didn’t mind her suspicions at all, for the fae oath bound her against harming him.

Inani who had grown a bit calmer over their exchange, started to rage once more, screaming while trying to maneuver James’ grasp, “So what!? You corpo f*cks! How dare you kill Ryo-san!”

'He isn’t dead...' yet, neither of them paid much attention to the laughably rampaging girl.

Miles' gaze returned to the Knight, who seemed to have mistaken Miles as some Capital Corpo, a misconception that he would happily exploit.

“At ease, Knight Xavier, things are well in hand. You are dismissed, leave this to us.”

The Knight’s loyal fist collapsed, “S-Sir, what–?”

Miles dismissed him again with an obnoxious wave, “You heard me. Do as commanded, and your punishment for tampering with your comms will be minor. Capital Command will provide your new and updated instructions upon reconnection."

A discrete vibration from the Lykaon Ring had already analyzed the Knight, confirming that his armor was at full functionality. Thus, the only reason for a communication black out that had made even Bolon helpless, would be if the systems had been willfully powered down.

Miles had expected instant obedience, yet the Knight's fists tightened almost in indignation, and he reached behind his ear, presumably for the communication implant.

‘He's double checking? Interesting. Knights are often much more amenable to assumed authority, but Xavier here is determined to participate. A personal grudge perhaps? Was Hayato Ryota idiotic enough to anger a Knight?’

A few seconds passed. Although Miles had been the one to suggest the Knight to communicate with Capital Command so confidently, the ball was actually in Bolon's court. If the man failed, at that one task, his trickery would backfire. And even with Miles' generous magnanimity, that would be the end of the fixer, the man would be gotten rid of before the day was over.

How useful Bolon was as a Capital Corp double agent didn’t matter. Such were the rules of the game. But as expected, the conniving fixer knew when he could not afford to lose.

The order to retreat must've been given for Xavier's shoulders slumped, conceding.

Miles couldn't help but grin. A Knight of Capital Corp. chased away like a dog, by the commands of a wrong owner. It was amusing if nothing else.

The Knight had turned around to leave, flesh and blood squelching beneath his boots, but for just a moment, paused.

His glance passed over those within the clinic.

Not the ripper-doc or the two kids who might as well have been sewer rats.

No, he stared at the two indomitable, unseeable figures hidden behind powerful enchantments. The young man, the one that had spoken, and the far more dangerous presence behind him, the old man.

Knight Xavier lowered his head, in a decisive bow, and spoke, "I... apologize in advance."

'Huh?'

Miles barely noticed the action– a simple flick –but it had been too subtle and too fast for him to react. At a speed well beyond even his enhanced perceptions, a streak of blue flashed through the clinic, and something, something that agitated the very air, rushed towards them.

He could not react, not fast enough, but he wasn't alone.

The wind buffeted his side, as something had rushed past, and with that, Miles was no longer in danger. A familiar wizened hand had appeared in his defense, well before the attack even reached him, and grabbed onto a… marble of crackling blue lightning?

The old butler crushed his fist, and the ball of energy imploded upon itself, collapsing into tendrils of lightning energy, but he cursed aloud, as something, a wave of invisible energy was unleashed, rippling through the room.

It was intrusive, unwelcome, and called for...

Miles blinked.

The very world had paused around him, again, for a second time.

Just like before, he felt a flash of vitality through his body, his undead heart returned to life, beating once more.

But it didn’t last as long as it had, and this time, there were no unknown fairies paying a visit, no, just a Knight that stared.

Miles blinked.

Like a fading dream, the experience dissipated, and he was back in reality, the world flowing and his heart dead as it should've been.

Miles felt the intrusive something leave, having failed to find what it had sought.

Zhan Shen and the Knight remained steadfast, unaffected, but everyone else seemed disoriented.

‘What was that?! Knight Xavier isn’t supposed to be capable of that!’

Miles was prepared play the role of a disgruntled Capital Corpo executive, to punish the Knight for his disobedience, when... Xavier started to laugh.

It was a maddened cackle, laughter laden with desperation and disappointment.

Knight Xavier reached towards his helm, and unlatched the armor, throwing it down onto the floor in a clatter of silver. He didn't seem to care that he had also thrown away his invincibility against Haruka's Doghead.

With blonde hair and blue eyes, the Knight may have been considered to be peaceful and serene in appearance, if he wasn’t still cackling like a madman that is.

A gauntleted finger pointed at Miles, accusatory, "You, sir," the final word was filled with such malice, his true voice revealed now, "are empty. A measly container that only appear human. You, are one of them!"

'What the hell is he on about–' Miles froze. 'Didn't old Zhan say something very similar? Knight Xavier was able to notice something unusual about the Vampiric Physique?'

His eyes narrowed. This changed things. No longer could they allow the Knight to leave.

A glance at the old butler revealed him to agree, poised for a fight, and instinctively, so did Miles.

Knight Xavier's gazed forwards, eyes boring right into Miles' own, “To think I found the monster I sought, hiding in plain sight, in my own corporation! Hah, what a fool I have been…” Those words carried an insane desperation, the weight of a hope that had been shattered one too many times. “Never again.”

An overwhelming presence fell over the clinic. Miles and Zhan Shen held on, so did Inani, barely, but Haruka and James literally collapsed onto the ground.

The entire clinic seemed to quake, the equipment from the shelves and will-o-wisp signs even trembling.

While Miles had little idea what had caused the Knight's sudden bout of crazed desperation, he was not worried. If his sharpened senses, and the blood boiling in his veins without any use of Sanguis Ardeat were anything to go by, he was just excited.

He was relishing the expectance of the upcoming fight.

Perhaps Zhan Shen was on to something with his love for combat. Well, he was actually worse in comparison, beaming, a wide grin of excitement upon his wizened face.

Letting out a heavy exhale, Miles focused himself. He was ready.

And just as they had anticipated, the first attack came from everywhere.

All the air around him exploded in sharp winds, every gust of wind from every single direction screaming out a warning.

Why?

Well, it was because every free and unattached object within their vicinity had come to life, floating into the air to strike them.

Before this attack could even reach, the figure in silver armor was upon them as well, pouncing groundward in a manner that defied gravity, as if Xavier had flown over a distance of several meters in the blink of an eye.

That too had been expected but was no less shocking.

After all, this was the man who had chosen one of the lowest tiered abilities, Telekinesis, and made something of it.

This was the first Epsilon to ever fly... Xavier, the Knight of the Sky.