Resurrected Stars Chapter 1

02

       Hauk rubbed his still red cheek as he and Kirino arrived at the city where the Yoru Festival held. Beside him, the girl was still pouting in anger, ignoring him.

"Come on, Kirino, we've been through this kind of situation plenty of times. I might tease you a lot, but I'll never, ever do those kind of things," he said. Yet, his partner ignored him.

"Fine, I'll buy any food you want in the festival. Still got plenty of time before we've to rendezvous with the elite guards for the parade," he said while letting off a sigh. Like a cat reacting to a plate of fresh fish, Kirino looked at Hauk, tugging at his arm as she led the way.

'Sorry, my wallet,' he thought.

As Kirino dragged him towards the food stall, Hauk noticed a slender man standing, wearing a black suit. With blonde hair and goatee, the man was perhaps in his mid-30s. As he was adjusting his tie, the man looked on. Hauk felt chill in his spine when he noticed that the man was staring right at him, smirking.

While Hauk felt disturbed, his attention was drawn by a gathering crowd outside a small alley. A team of policemen were trying their best to disperse the crowd.

"There's nothing to see here. Please disperse and enjoy the festival," one of them said.

Tugging at Kirino, Hauk walked towards the alley. The girl simply nodded, knowing the situation well.

"That's right, folks. The police are simply here to avoid any nuisance so that you all can fully enjoy the festival," he said to the crowd. That managed to convince them to disperse.

"Whoever you are, thank you for your assistance," said the policeman. Behind him, Hauk could see several other policemen investigating something. Curious, he took out his Badge of Office as a Templar Knight, the golden pendant with the crimson cross and a pair of crossed swords.

"Forgive me, Templar Knight. I assume that you're here to investigate the strange murder," said the policeman.

Within the alley, two other policemen let way for both Hauk and Kirino. Near the drapes that covered the body of the victim was an older policeman.

"Commissioner Fiawnder, nice seeing you here again. Not going to enjoy the festival with the family?" Hauk asked.

"Soon, my friend. I promised my little boy that we'll watch the parade together. How about you? Going to watch it with your girlfriend there," Fiawnder replied, referring to Kirino who was talking to the other policemen.

"Depends on your definition of 'girlfriend', sir. Care if I check the body?" Hauk chuckled.

As soon as the Knight took off the drapes, the other policemen backed off in repulsion. Kirino just stood nearby, covering her mouth in horror. Even the hardened Commissioner Fiawnder was trying his best not to gag up.

"Name's Aran Flander. Age 29. Weird thing is that he has been an honest man in his lifetime. Good job, good family, no rivals and no enemies," the Commissioner said.

"Whoever did this to him isn't human," Hauk replied. He took a good look at the victim's body before continuing, "The body seems deflated, as if he had his entire body fluid sucked away. There are also scratch marks around his body, suggesting that he was mauled. Not to mention that examining this little hole at the back of his neck, there's a weird substance similar to acid that seems resistant to the skin yet corrosive to the organs."

"So you're saying that the victim was attacked by a...... vampire fly?" Fiawner asked.

Suddenly, Hauk heard a scream. He turned around and saw two hooded men took down a policeman. They twitched their heads as they looked at him and the others.

"Looks like those guys are not here for the festival," said the Commissioner, motioning the other policemen to handle the situation. A policeman tried to apprehend one of the hooded men but suddenly, he felt a sharp pain through his chest as well as hearing a scream of horror, only to find out that they were from him. The other two officers looked on in shock as they witnessed one of the hooded men simply plunged his hand through the policeman's chest.

The hooded man pulled back his arm which morphed into a blade. The lethally wounded officer dropped and then for a moment, everything was in silent. All of a sudden, his body twitched repulsively as an unknown black substance oozed from the wound in his chest and slowly covering his body, slowly altering it. When he stood up again, he was no longer human, but rather a black humanoid with blades for arms and a mask-like face with eyes forever locked in a state of fear. Twitching, the newly created humanoid joined the hooded men as they revealed themselves to be the same black humanoids.

Screeching, the new humanoid attacked their former colleagues but instead, it caught a bullet in its head. The Commissioner and the remaining policemen looked at Hauk who held up his still smoking revolver. In agony, the humanoid screeched as it evaporated in a puff of smoke.

"He...he killed Boll!" one of the policemen yelled.

"No, that's not Boll. Whatever he became, he became a monster that won't even leave a body after death for us to bury," the Commissioner yelled as he motioned his men to retreat. He nodded at Hauk who also nodded in response.

The Knight took aim at one of the remaining two humanoids but it cut off his revolver up to the cylinder. It swung at him but Hauk managed to parry his attack with his sword. Nearby, Kirino took up both of her revolvers as she dodged a swing by the second humanoid.

"Guess I don't have to tell you not to get stabbed by the thing?" Hauk asked.

"Well, it's either live or get turned into......wow, that thing is fast," Kirino replied, dodging another swing.

The humanoid swung its bladed arm but Hauk managed to block it as he stepped aside, dodging another blow. Using that chance, he hit its arm aside, distracting the humanoid as it let go of its struggle against the Knight's swords, allowing Hauk to slice through its body. Taking a step back, Hauk gritted his teeth when the creature didn't even flinched, its wound healed up.

On the other hand, Kirino dodged a jab by the humanoid. Unlike her partner, she appeared to be more flexible which made dodging easier for her. She silently thanked her time in training as she ducked from another swing. Quickly, she kicked the humanoid's stomach, backing it away. As it recovered, the Knight jabbed both of her revolvers to the bottom of its chin. Before the humanoid could react, she pulled the trigger.

'Of course it has to be the head,' Hauk thought as he witnessed Kirino defeated the humanoid at her side. He backed away, parrying every blow as the remaining humanoid slashed at him wildly. Soon, he found himself back against the wall. When it delivered the supposed final blow, he rolled away at the wall. As he stopped, the humanoid screeched, its bladed arms stuck in the wall. Without haste, he slashed the back of its head. Looking at the evaporating humanoid, he sheathed his sword.

"What in the world were those things?" Kirino asked.

"I don't have a clue," Hauk replied. As he turned to face his partner, he saw another hooded man holding a large rifle, already charging. He took aim at Kirino and pulled the trigger. Hauk quickly ran towards her, trying to save her from the shot. An arc of lightning was shot from the rifle, hitting both Knights through the chest.

"Prepare yourself, Hauk Aethos," a voice boomed in his head as Hauk fell.