Lucas stood tall, his fists clenched and chest heaving, amidst the wreckage of the Wilberforce junkyard on the outskirts of Soduken City.
The gentle breeze carried a faint scent of blood that stained the surrounding area after the intense battle. He shifted his gaze from the cloudy sky to his defeated opponent, Razor Kruger, the captain of the Reaper squad, who lay almost lifeless on the ground, a mixture of resentment and pain etched on his face.
"This would have been easy if you had just cooperated," Lucas said, squatting to get a closer look at Razor's face.
Razor spat out a mouthful of blood, his expression changing as his eyes turned blood red with rage. "You don't know who you're messing with, kid. I work for the Crimson clan." Razor hissed, "You think this is over? They will send my squad to find whoever put you up to this, and you will all pay."
There was a sinister smirk on Lucas's face. He stood up, took a deep breath, and looked down at Razor, who was unable to move due to his injuries. His gaze turned cold, and his eyes stared deep into Razor's.
"I hope so," he said, lifting his foot and bringing it down with extreme force onto Razor's face.
The force was so strong that it was like a large cannonball crushing through a concrete wall, instantly knocking Razor out. Lucas looked at the gate at the far end of the junkyard, dusting off his uniform. He knew his mother would kill him if he went home looking like this.
He pulled out his phone to check the time and was surprised to see a call from Niko.
"Hey, boss, the job is done," Niko said. "The Reapers won't be a problem anymore. Zain and the others are still cleaning up the scene. I'll meet up with them after I'm done with the cameras. How are things on your end?"
"I dealt with Razor. Now we just need to lay the bait for the Crimson clan," Lucas replied with a smile.
"I have already switched out the footage from when you went to the police station last week. If anyone checks, it will look like you are a bounty hunter who was hired by the Soduken Intelligence Agency to find Razor," Niko said.
"What about the junkyard and the surrounding areas?" Lucas asked, walking towards a nearby wreckage. "Did you do what I asked you?"
"Yep, I hacked into the police station's system and created a fake bounty account for you under the name Kile Spinner. I also made a fake code (362) so if you give it to the cops, they should pay you on the spot," Niko said.
"That should make it even more convincing," Niko replied, feeling proud of himself.
"Good. I'll call the police and give them a statement. Nice work, Niko," said Lucas.
"Thanks, boss. Later," said Niko.
Lucas ended the call and dialed the police line, reporting the incident while leaving out the details that would get him into trouble.
Twenty minutes later, multiple police cars swarmed the junkyard. Policemen in black bodysuits with guarding armor and golden intricate designs poured out, their chest plates emblazoned with the police logo: a skull on a cross.
Detective Conan Anderson, a renowned cop who had devoted his life to ending the chaos caused by the Awakened, stepped out of the crowd. He wore simple black pants, a blue shirt with no tie, and a brown long coat.
"Well, look what we have here," Conan said, approaching Lucas with a hint of amusement. "Now, tell me what happened here. Not the bullshit you fed my man over the phone."
Lucas felt a shiver run down his spine under Conan's piercing gaze. He decided to keep his story simple, avoiding any details that might raise suspicions. He also gave Conan the code for the fake account and asked for his bounty.
Conan called for one of his men, who handed Lucas a small chip-like card containing 500 credits, the main currency used in Soduken. Lucas took the card, bowed his head slightly, and turned to leave.
Conan looked at Lucas and couldn't help but feel suspicious of him.
'To defeat Razor Kruger, this kid has to be a first-class Awakener, but he must only be around 18 years old. To be that strong at such a young age, only members of the six great clans could achieve that,' he thought.
"Put some flies on that boy," Conan instructed one of his men. "Update me if something comes up."
As Lucas disappeared into the crowd, Conan lit a cigarette, his fifth for the day. He wasn't making any progress with his promise to quit. He got into his car and drove off .
Lucas made his way through the crowded streets of Soduken sector 6. The city was split into six sectors, each home to one of the six great clans. Lucas headed towards the Southern side of the sector, close to the border that separated the sixth and fifth sectors.
This was the unmonitored part of the city, the 'slums' as some would call it. The buildings here were old, burned down, and those that housed people were already falling apart. This was unlike the Northern districts with modernized buildings and well-maintained streets.
Lucas walked through the desolate streets of the slums, the silence broken only by the sounds of stray animals and the occasional screams, probably from the victims of local gangs. Though it boiled his blood, Lucas simply didn't have the time to interfere, so he continued on his way.
He reached a small shop at the end of the street where multiple roads met, forming a cross junction. The door was closed, and the windows were covered with huge black plastic bags.
"I think this is it. He said the building that has a black cape," he said to himself, checking the message he had gotten from the Gray clan Patriarch.
Lucas knocked on the door a number of times before a man opened it. He glared at Lucas, looked up and down the street before letting him in when he was sure that no one had seen them.
"The boss is at the back; he doesn't like waiting, and it's already been six minutes," the man said angrily, pointing towards the back of the store.
Lucas ignored his comment and headed towards the back door.
He went down the stairs that led him to an underground cellar where multiple wine cabinets formed four rows. At the other side of the dark cellar, a man sat on a small desk with a glass of wine in his hand.
"You sure took your time, Lucas," the man said as Lucas took a seat at the other side of the desk.
"Razor was a bit stubborn. I had to talk him into handing himself over to the SIA, and he was happy to help," Lucas said with a malicious smirk.
The man leaned in, revealing his deep gray eyes and his short hair that had a light gray color. He looked at Lucas for a moment before giving him a light smile.
"Now that we have that covered, the Crimson clan will be planning to free Razor before the Awakening ceremony. That will give us enough time to prepare," he said, taking a sip from his glass.
He pulled out a large envelope and tossed it over to Lucas. After opening it, Lucas pulled out a golden talisman. It was a thick golden plate that had the carvings of a three-headed dragon on it. His eyes widened, and his hands started trembling out of excitement.
"Are you sure the Gray clan is willing to give me one of their entry talismans before the Awakening ceremony?" Lucas said, still looking at the talisman.
The dimensional gate to the demon realm would open soon, and all the clans along with the SIA had a few talismans, and only a few of them could enter the demon realm.
"To think the Gray clan patriarch would give me one of theirs before knowing what my magic type will be. I guess he really did trust my father," Lucas thought, putting the talisman back into the envelope.
"Whether or not you Awaken a powerful magic class during the ceremony doesn't matter; what's important is that you are the last descendant of the Blue clan. The Crimson and also the other four clans will be after the demon king's essence that you possess. We have to destroy them before that," the patriarch said, letting his silver-gray aura fill the cellar.
"The ceremony is in a week; let's use that time to prepare for the demon realm; that's when we will strike." He took a last sip of his wine, stood up, and left.
Lucas took a deep breath and wiped the sweat from his forehead. "Damn, his presence alone was enough to suffocate me. I should get stronger if I want to finish what you started, Dad." He stood up and left.
.....
In a small, immaculate office at the Soduken six sector police station, two men sat opposite each other.
The room was a testament to Sargent Brok's meticulous nature, with a neatly organized bookshelf bearing labels for each category. Behind the desk, Sargent Brok had spent the last forty years, his imposing frame intimidating any who stood before him
His towering height and muscular build often forced others to strain their necks to meet his gaze. His gruff demeanor was equally intimidating.
The man seated across from him, a young Agent from the Soduken Intelligence Agency (SIA), was the third to attempt to persuade Brok to join their ranks.
"Sir, the SIA would really like you to reconsider your decision regarding the position," the young man stated, his voice steady.
Brok eyed the recruit, taking in his clean black suit, adorned with a golden skull on the collar of his white shirt. The young man's curly blond hair and circle-frame glasses reminded Brok of his eldest son.
His light blue eyes shone with sense of pride and determination, qualities that had likely earned him the prestigious golden skull rank.
Sargent Brok took a deep breath before responding, "I won't change my mind. Joining the SIA would be a great opportunity, but I'm a rusty sword, and my days in the field are over. I'll be retiring in a few months, so I'm afraid I must disappoint you again."
The young man's expression turned serious. "I'm afraid you don't understand what's at risk, sir."
Sargent Brok leaned in, his eyes narrowing. "And what's that supposed to mean?"
"I'm afraid I can't reveal much, but what I can say is that this city is in danger," the young man said, his eyes locked intensely on Sargent Brok's. "If the SIA doesn't take action, neither we nor the the six clans will survive to see the future."
Sargent Brok's expression turned skeptical, his fist rubbing against his chin.
"And what is this danger you're talking about?" he asked, his voice low but firm.
The young man hesitated, his eyes darting around the room before returning to Sargent Brok's.
"Like I said, sir, I'm not at liberty to disclose more information at this time. However, this might be of use to you." He retrieved a small, sleek card from his briefcase and handed it to Sargent Brok.
The card was black with intricate golden designs along the edges, and an address was written in the center. Sargent Brok examined it carefully, his expression unreadable. After a moment's hesitation, he looked up at the young man.
"I suppose it wouldn't hurt to investigate further. I'll visit your headquarters tomorrow, first thing."
The young man bowed his head respectfully. "Thank you, sir. We'll be expecting you."
As he turned to leave, Sargent Brok called out, "By the way, what's your name, boy?"
The young man turned back, with a hint of a smile on his face. "Sam, sir. Sam Turner."
With that, he turned and left the office, leaving Sargent Brok deep in thought.