As Hiro listened to Kris, his eyes slowly widened. The two began to whisper among one another, before he looked over Sakura and making an eye contact, ask her to listen to him. She hesitated, but made her way to them as the two informed her of the situation. She gasped for a moment, before looking back at the rest with a complex expression. The three again continued to converse in a hushed tone, while the rest looked at each other with confused look.
"They seem to be worried about something…"
Lala expressed her worry, looking at the rest one after another. Elysia's and Ana's expression, that was once filled with excitement started to change into worry. Kai just observed the three talking among them, while he was clearly able to hear what they were discussing on his earpiece.
"Calamity beast? But…"
Kai looked over on the left side, as a map-screen materialized of the duchy, showing all throughout the range of the duchy.
"Everything seems peaceful. There's no sign of any monsters lurking around. Somethings not right…"
As he was understanding the situation, Hiro began to speak; his voice firm.
"Alright! Everyone, come here. There's something I have to tell you all."
Half an hour later; inside the mansion.
Lala walked in the hall, holding onto Ana's hand. Behind them followed Nino, Karina and Elysia. Everyone had a complex expression, as Ana, hesitantly, slowly asked.
"Is the festival… not happening anymore?"
Her question seemed to pause the rest. Lala just had a worried look. Karina stayed silent, unsure of what to say. Elysia opened her mouth to speak, but no words came. Among them, Nino took a deep breath as she calmly responded, saying everything will be fine.
Back then, when Hiro called them saying he needed them to hear something; Hiro explained to them that some troubles were there around the duchy, so he and Sakura must go out for a while. But Elysia ever curios, asked innocently; that why they should leave right now in the middle of the night. To her question, both Hiro and Sakura exchanged a worried look as Sakura sighed in the end, giving in.
Later, she explained what was going on; as three calls came in saying there has been a sight of calamity beast approaching the duchy. And that she, and Hiro, along with Ferio must go to the three different directions to divert the beast and make sure the duchy is safe.
After saying so, the rest looked at each other in worry, but Hiro reassured them saying it will be all just fine. Later, he called for the royal knights, asking them to guard the mansion while they are gone.
As time was running, both Hiro and Sakura rode their horses, without changing their attire went straight to the source of the tension. Hiro went towards the entrance of the duchy, while Sakura made her way towards the west guard. Kris too was instructed to go where Ferio is, since he was the closest to the east guard.
At the present now, everyone was worried as to what might happen. But a sound of a clap got their attention, looking back at the main door; seeing Kai in his wheelchair. His hands joined, with a calm smile as his projection materialized with the words;
"Alright guys, they said everything is fine, so no need to worry now. Why don't we go and see if Ray has woken up yet? I'm pretty sure that he should wake up any moment now."
To Kai's words, everyone seemed to relax a bit. Nino was the first to agree with him, as she suggested to check on Ray first. Lala was about to get some food for them, but Kai stopped her, saying he will ask a maid to get it and she should enjoy her time here as a guest. Slowly, everyone made their way to Ray's room, with Kai tagging at the last. He kept glancing outside the windows, where he saw the royal knights and the knights of the duchy talking among themselves at the main gate, the knights working together to guard the mansion.
Slowly, as he looked ahead, he noticed Karina's legs shaking and in just a blink of an eyes, she almost tripped as Kai quickly reached out his hand and grabbed her from her waist. The sound got the rest, as they all turned back and seeing the two in the position; asked what happened.
To this, Karina, still in Kai's arm, with an embarrassed look said it was her fault since she almost tripped ahead and Kai saved her. The others nodded in understanding, as Nino and Lala came forward to help Karina on her feet. As Kai let her go, he materialized his projection; saying that they should go ahead and he will go ask the maids to prepare some nutritious meal for them. They all agreed to his suggestion, as they continued their way to Ray's room; while Kai went towards the kitchen.
"I hope some maids are still there, or else I will have to go in the servants quarter."
As he was wheeling himself, a turn to the right to reach the kitchen; when he suddenly felt a pain in his head. Taking his right hand, holding onto his head; as only one thought came to his mind.
"That stupid dungeon… Why now of all time…"
In the intense pain, he began to look around; noticing a guest room towards his left. He slowly wheeled himself towards the door, struggling to keep his consciousness. As he opened the door, he quickly entered the room, closing the door behind as he fell down on the floor from his wheelchair.
"This is bad…"
Kai was breathing heavily, giving his all to stay awake; and one thought kept running through his mind.
"I must… make… sure…
It has to… work…!"
Kai reached towards his right ear, as his finger traced on the earpiece. Slowly, taking slow breathes, he pressed on the earpiece; as Eva's voice came in;
"System has been activated."
And a screen materialized in front of him, playing the notice;
"Level One Security System has been initiated."
Reading the text on the screen, Kai slowly sighed before closing his eyes as he drifted back to the dreamland dungeon.
At the same time, when Kai drifted to the dungeon.
The royal knights and the knights of the duchy who were guarding the mansion, stood firm in their places. At that moment, a knight by the main gate saw Kris walking up to the mansion, as he greeted him and asked about the situation.
Kris to this, explained that he has informed Ferio about the situation and he went towards the east guard. He looked around, asking how the guarding is going on, as the knight reported the position of the guards and informed everything was fine. As Kris nodded to this, and was about to go ahead to the mansion; saying he should check on the kids first.
But as he was about to walk up, the knights that were asked to guard around the mansion gasped in unison. As Kris and the first knight looked around, they noticed some kind of light coming out from the ground.
"What's happening?" Kris looked around in front of him, feeling a sense of urgency and was about to go inside the mansion.
But just before anyone could react, the lights coming from all the sides curved and joined at the top of the mansion, making it look like a center. And in a blink of an eye, a barrier suddenly formed around the mansion.
"NO!!"
Kris shouted, coming forward to the barrier as he pulled out a small dagger from his pocket. The dagger glowed in a thick purple aura, as Kris swiftly swinged his hand holding the dagger at the barrier, and a loud crashing sound was created; with dust and pebbles flying around, covering the vision.
But just as the area cleared, Kris stood in front of the barrier, his eyes widened. The area around him was destroyed, the ground left with cracks. But the barrier had no scratch to it. The guards around as well tried to break the barrier, enchanting their swords with magic and swinging it on the barrier; but it was to no good.
The royal knights kept on attacking with destructive type attacks, but the barrier still stood still with no marks on it; making the ground shake violently, only making the entrance door to the mansion slightly open to see the hall.
"Attack on the mansion… Kids are inside the mansion with no guards in there… Sir duke is away right now… And the attackers are unknown-"
Just as Kris was calculating the situation, the knight next to him looked up at the barrier; as he noticed something, his eyes widened and pointed at the top.
"…Look!!"
As he exclaimed, Kris and the rest guards looked up, all of their eyes slowly widened in shock.
At the roof, what they witnessed brought fear to them. At the roof, under the new moon; stood thirty figures, all cloaked in darkness and equipped with weapons on their back; swords, daggers, great sword, mage's staff in their hands. All looking towards the knights and Kris, who stared at them in horror. The scene in front of them, only raised one thought in Kris's mind;
"It was all planned…"
-To be Continued