Scarlet

“Some of the demons that have strong senses of smell – such as the triheart demons – will likely be able to smell the blood lycan scent on you,” Tar says as we walk out of the mall and rather quickly make it to the limo. “But only a very limited amount of demons will actually be able to recognize the scent. The majority of them will likely never have met a blood lycan in their lives, only having seen the royal family through gemstone broadcasts.”

Okay, that’s not as bad as I was… wait, gemstone broadcasts? What are those?

“They’re like the demon’s version of TV, I guess you could say,” Tar answers as the vehicle begins moving towards the next closest Fracture without wasting any time. “Since demons have limited technology thanks to the barrier placed on the planet as a whole, they had to resort purely to magic for certain things, such as communication between the royal family and the people for instance.”

Yeah, that makes sense.

Actually, do you know why the humans from their world put a barrier up in the first place? And come to think of it, I feel like we talked about this subject before. But you also mentioned something about not finding me with the help of your father back then, and we never actually discussed it. What’s with that?

How did you find me?

Tar doesn’t say anything for a few seconds before answering my first question, “We’re not entirely sure what led to the human race’s extinction on Tartarus, but we do at least know that the barrier was a last ditch move the humans did, knowing full well that it wouldn’t stop the demons in any way.”

So they basically did it just as revenge? Like a final curse on the demons after their death?

“Right,” Tar answers before going completely silent.

I wait for nearly two minutes, but he doesn’t say anything else. And right when we’re about to arrive at the next closest Fracture, he finally says, “I will answer your other question later tonight. When you aren’t in the middle of a Demonic Assault.”

My eyes narrow at that for a second, only for me to eventually shrug my shoulders.

Guess it doesn’t matter if he answers now or later today.

Time to deal with more Fractures, and hopefully get more cores in the process.

As it turns out, I don’t manage to get a single core beyond the first one for the rest of the day. Which really sucks.

Who would’ve guessed that the Guardians would be so competitive on who gets the cores?

“Well, it makes sense when you think about it,” Tar says as I walk through the halls of the mansion towards my suite with a frown on my face. “The cores are the only freely available catalyst for ascension that Guardians can get. Of course they’d be racing to grab them, along with the EXP it gives to kill the captain.”

I sigh at his perfectly reasonable explanation.

Doesn’t mean I have to like it.

But at least I managed to get my catalyst without even trying.

Just kind of annoying that it feels like the only way to really get a core is to be the first Guardian at a Fracture. Or be a higher Class Guardian at a lower Class Fracture, which kind of defeats the purpose since people can’t actually collect the cores, only absorb them. If what Tar said is true at least.

“The cores represent fractures in reality itself,” Tar says, making me perk up slightly at a possible explanation for the Fractures. “No one knows where the Fractures came from, or if someone is responsible for them. Many people just believe that they’re natural. But of the people who’ve researched them, they tend to believe that they’re a mixture of natural and artificial. Since they seem to run on rules too strict for it to be purely nature’s doing. I personally believe they’re naturally occurring. Or at least that no one purposefully tried to make the Fractures.”

Guess that makes sense in a way.

Actually, I’m curious. Has the Demon King ever tried crossing over into Earth before?

Tar appears in the hallway next to me before landing on my shoulder as he answers, “Yes, actually. First through a Fracture, and then through a Gate. But the Fracture simply shattered the moment he tried, badly damaging the surroundings of the Fracture in both Tartarus and Earth, whereas the Gate wouldn’t let him through at all. No matter how hard he forced it. He’s just too powerful.”

It’s a pity that the Gate didn’t shatter too. Then we would only have one open Gate in the world.

Good thing the Fractures don’t appear near demons on Earth, otherwise there would probably be a lot more Gates in old world Japan. They only appear near humans on Earth, and near demons on Tartarus.

“Another reason the researchers believe there’s an artificial aspect to the cores,” Tar provides as I get close to my suite, only to notice a certain young girl standing outside of it swinging her foot back and forth in an impatient manner. With – of course – a few people standing around her practically beckoning to her every whim.

Well, every whim aside from leaving her alone.

The girl looks up at the sound of my footsteps echoing through the hall before a smile lights up her face – something that’s started happening in the past couple weeks every time she sees me. And, according to her butler, only when she sees me.

“Scar!” Aria shouts as she immediately ditches the three officials who I’m pretty sure work for the academy, leaving them rather flabbergasted at the sight of her sudden shift in mannerisms. “You’re here!”

I ignore the officials as well when she quite literally jumps at me, making me catch her in my arms as I continue walking towards my suite.

“What are you doing here?” I ask her out of curiosity before giving a cursory nod to the three officials who are staring at us and then entering my suite, letting the door shut behind me, leaving them outside.

“Mister Roger said I could have the rest of the day off on account of a Fracture happening at our next shoot,” Aria says, her voice losing some of her initial excitement at seeing me again. “So I had him bring me here.”

“Did you now?” I ask, sounding slightly amused at the girl. Although more amused by the officials we kind of ditched in the hallway than that, to be honest.

Being around her is always rather entertaining because of how everyone treats her despite her treatment of them in return.

I set her on the ground, which she doesn’t mind, before walking over to my TV and turning it along with my game console on. Then handing her the spare remote I have and asking, “Wanna play?”

She takes the remote without a word and sits down along with me on the couch as the console boots up.

Always rather relaxing to just sit here and play games.

I honestly can’t wait for that beta test to start up though.