Demon's Reign

X went on his merry way, wandering around compound 15. The blank, empty white hallways filled him with a strange sense of comfort. He briefly considered going into his office to inform his comrades about the status of the mission. His thoughts, however, were quickly interrupted by his rumbling stomach. He went straight to the mess hall next to the barracks in search of something to eat.

On his way, X was approached by a young man in his mid-twenties. He had short blond hair, a handsome boyish face, and gray eyes. He wore the standard-issue Knights military uniform: an ornamented gray suit and a dress shirt.

"Excuse me, are you by any chance X?" the man calmly asked.

"Yeah, and who might you be?" X responded with an intrigued smile.

"Your worst nightmare!" the man shouted, seemingly out of nowhere. He aggressively threw his glove toward X. "I challenge you to a duel!"

"I would love to, but I am in fact not fit for combat right now," X explained, waving his stump in front of the man's face.

"I don't care," the figure said, then pulled out his energy sword and relentlessly slashed at X.

X narrowly avoided the attack, moving his head slightly out of the way. He stared into the young man's eyes, sensing deep hatred emanating from them—a cold, unbefitting gaze. It was strange, since X had never met this lad and therefore had yet to do anything to anger him.

"You must be Arthur," X smirked. "I've heard a lot about you."

"That's right," Arthur affirmed, preparing to attack again.

People gathered around the two, forming a small combat ring. All were curious about the two Investigators fighting. Both of them were special-grade investigators, a rank synonymous with authority, power, and skill. Many wanted to see them fight, as spars between special-grade investigators were often confidential.

"Look, I have no idea why you're attacking me, but let's move this to another time. I'm in a terribly bad mood," X stated with a calm expression.

"Do I need a reason to attack a demon? Just the fact that you are one shows that you have crossed beyond the boundary of being considered human. I shall kill you and take your seat as a member of the thirteen," Arthur explained.

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"Oh, and you think you're so much better than me just because you're contracted to an Angel? Well, let me tell you this: that contract you're so proud of, you only have it because you fit Excalibur's criteria. He only contracts with pretty boys named Arthur," X remarked, provoking the young man.

"I care not for your words. Ready yourself, rank 13," Arthur said, clenching his sword sternly in his hand.

"I might be rank 13 on paper…" X said, shifting his weight. Suddenly, he leaped toward Arthur, knocking away his weapon and punching him in the stomach before he could react, "but I'm way outside your pay grade."

X paused, looking at the young man groveling on the ground, clutching his stomach. A sudden realization came to mind—he had gone overboard. X turned around, but just as he was about to leave, he felt something. An ominous sensation of rampant magical energy filled the hall, making the air stale and heavy. A shiver went down X's spine, forcing him to look back.

"Soul," Arthur called out and materialized a glowing greatsword that built itself up from the ground below.

"You're summoning your soul, even though you know mine is sealed. How heroic of you," X remarked, mocking Arthur.

"Shut up!" Arthur screamed and leaped toward him. However, he was far too slow. In a split second, X placed his hand on the sword's pommel, restricting Arthur's movements and preventing him from pulling the weapon out of the ground.

"Gotcha," X smirked. He charged forward, using Arthur's delayed actions to grab him by the face and throw him into the wall behind him, smashing it in the process.

He patted the dust off his pants as he calmly approached the young man, who now found himself in a severely wounded state.

"Boy, you are ten years too young to challenge me," X smiled, his face unnatural, cold, and sadistic—akin to a beast about to devour its prey. "Now, shall I finish this?"

It was clear to everyone watching that X was about to take things too far, yet among the crowd of combat-trained Knight agents, none dared to intervene.

"Stop!" a voice suddenly called out, followed by a set of heavy footsteps. They belonged to none other than Joseph, the director of compound 15 and the leader of the Knights.

Joseph was a tall, bald black man in his late forties or early fifties, dressed in an official Knight's uniform. He was a stern figure and a well-rounded leader, a force to be reckoned with. He was a man with a strong moral compass and ideals to boast. Not all members of the Knights agreed with him, but most respected his opinions. He and X had a partnership spanning multiple decades of collaboration.

"Okie dokie, boss," X replied, briefly avoiding eye contact as he scooched past Joseph.

"Director…" Arthur gasped, gazing up at Joseph.

"I understand your complicated relationship with demons, but do something like this again and I'll have you prosecuted," Joseph retorted, looking back at X. "Not only did you attack your senior officer, you also attacked my friend. I'm not quite sure if you were able to feel the massive gap between your capabilities. He might seem eccentric, but he's a genuine genius when it comes to combat. You're truly lucky to be alive."