CHAPTER 7: CITY OF LONDON

THIRD PERSON POV

The city of London was founded by the Romans and their rule extended from 43 AD to the fifth century AD, when the Empire fell. During the third century, Londinium, the name given to the town by the Romans, had a population of 50,000, mainly due to the influence of its major port.

During the ninth century, the town suffered numerous Viking attacks. As a consequence, Danish settlers established themselves in the area, encouraging trade and opening businesses in the town, transforming it into the first urban centre of England. The town's wealth and power attracted the Danish Great Heathen Army, which besieged the city until it was captured by King Alfred the Great in 886.

From the sixteenth to mid-seventeenth century, London benefited from the centralized politics and the maritime trade expansion developed by the Tudors and continued by the Stuarts. During Henry VIII's reign London had 100,000 inhabitants. In mid-seventeenth century it had over 500,000.

Most of current London is from the Victorian period. Up until the early years of the nineteenth century, the capital was confined to the boundaries of the original Roman city, as well as Westminster and Mayfair, and was surrounded by fields. Be that as it may, the Industrial Revolution drew millions of people to London, expanding the city. However, the overcrowded conditions led to grave problems like the 1832 cholera epidemics, or the great stink of 1858, an event that took place during the hottest months of the summer, exacerbating the smell of the sewers that were dumped in the River Thames, which led to the suspension of the parliamentary sessions.

In 1963 a new division of London was made, comprising the old town and 32 metropolitan boroughs, and these are the divisions which can be seen today. The most important event in London's recent history was the UK's departure from the European Union. Although the referendum on leaving the EU took place in 2016, the process took some time. The UK officially left the EU on 31st January 2020. A transition period was then established, during which final trade agreements were reached, which ended on 31st December 2020. ¹

In recent years, from King Athelstan, the progenitor of the royal line, to King William, who is the reigning monarch today, the London, England, has firmly established itself in a high-technology era where advanced electronics and A.I. robots form the core of the nation. while many things have changed, one thing hasn't altered at all, and that is.. the royal family's dark side and covert works.

in the middle of the night, On the second floor of the large castle known as Buckingham Palace, there are rooms for members of the royal families. In one of these rooms, a woman in her 40s can be seen sitting in a vanity mirror as a gold four-poster bed is placed next to it.

You won't see any wrinkles on her face, despite the fact that she was in her 40s, as if she had recently consumed a golden apple that preserves youth. then A corgi dog was next to her, and she had a persian white cat on her lap. She also had black straight hair and brown eyes.

She was wearing a robe and had a smile on her face as she combed her hair with a finger while humming an unfamiliar folk song. The woman stopped combing his hair and looked up at the balcony, where she saw a man bowing to her. The dog's perception was then activated, causing it to stand up and look at the balcony.

"what's the news?"

"it's confirmed, a 'snitch' has infiltrated in the country."

the woman just nod to the mysterious figure hiding in the shadow from the balcony and give him a plain smile. "continue to observe them, also.. send some letters to the Cullen's mansion and tell every information you know about the 'snitch' who infiltrates inside of the country, we will let 'her' handle this matters."

" by 'her' you mean.. Ms. crystalle?"

the woman just let out a chuckle, "since when did you become simple-minded, grey?"

'simple-minded..' the corner of the lips of the mysterious figure in the shadow just twitched as soon as he heard the woman's reply as though as she was mocking her, but he chooses to not spoke, thinking that it might be sounds disrespectful to her.

"..forgive my ignorance, your excellency."

"doesn't matter. just send it to her and provide her faction some help, she was our most-trusted assassin after all."

"got it, however, it appears that Ms. crystalle won't receive your letters for the meant time, she's actually went somewhere, I think it's related to an organization that she's been chasing for almost six years, she might receive your letters late."

the woman just glance to the man's figure, but soon after she half-close her eyes and replied with a smile, "then just send it to Mr. Moriarty and let him give the letters to Ms. crystalle, please remind him to report it immediately."

as soon as the man heard the woman's order, he solemnly nod to her and bow once more. "As you wish... Queen Catherine."

that's right, the woman in his 40s was none other than, Queen Catherine of England, King william's wife and Crystalle's benefactor that she solely Loyal to! this powerful woman is none other than the person who was backing the phantom's knight!

As soon as the figure of the man vanished, queen Catherine picked up her Persian cat and looked out the window. She saw a bustling modern city of London with enormous futuristic skyscrapers and buildings, cars flying above the sky, holographic robots with artificial intelligence that looked remarkably like people promoting various products for the company that owns them, virtual fireworks, the newest holographic technology floating in the sky, and a picture of a virtual mythical creatures.

"I'm looking forward for the upcoming performance you will show to us soon, the royal family, Lilith."

...

In the bustling city of london filled with people walking in different shopping districts of london, some of them watching the A.I robots performing a magic tricks as though it was alive since it can converse human language thanks to it's master controlling them, some of the people are tapping their own phone, wearing earphone and headset, while the others are using a robots to promote some products, meanwhile children's are happily running and playing in the hyde park while there's a virtual angels above them circling them around as though it was playing with them. Additionally, you can see the many designs of skyscrapers and structures; some have the shape of an hourglass, while others have the shapes of a circle, rectangle, or triangle.

In addition, you'll see flying hoverboards, trains that float through the air on translucent rails, flying cars, and other forms of futuristic transportation. Every five minutes, the lane lights up, changing from blue to red to yellow and back again. Transparent billboards appear and vanish in the sky, then teleport into one another. An A.I. newspaper boy wanders the city while floating above, handing out magazines and newspapers to anyone who requests them. But the big, massive building known as Quantum Corporation were what really attracted people's attention. Because of its fantasy-yet-futuristic genre, which gave the impression that people were living in dreams and fairytale stories where the setting was set in the future. this company is ultimately responsible for making England the most advanced and attractive nation in the entire world.

and the one who thought of this ideas was none other than Crystalle Maurienne Elizabeth Cullen.

However, while the citizens of the other nation believed that England was the most idyllic and stunning nation in the world, they were unaware that there was a terrible secret lying just beneath those ideals.

"I'm begging you! pls don't kill me! I have a family!"

"spare me please!"

"Mom!dad!"

"BANG!BANG!"

No matter how lovely a city may appear on the surface, human nature always conceals problems..

"That is 500,000 dollars exactly, you can check it if you want."

"I have check it, boss."

"good, give him the brief case containing the aphrodisiac that he wants."

"Heh heh, this is better. let's have a a good partnership from now on!"

In fact, even the most beautiful utopia can turn into the most twisted and warped place for humans as well. After all, what good is living in a utopia if the inhabitants are themselves tainted by their own greed? If you are filled with hatred and wrath, what use is it to try to live in peaceful world? When you have a deadly, gloomy notion like vengeance on your mind, can you possibly sleep or live in peace?

however.. there are still some people who want to change the world with their own hands..

In the shadows of an abandoned factory, a police inspector can be seen cautiously eyeing their target with a worried expression. His wrist is adorned with a watch that, when opened, reveals a hologram. As he opened the watch, he saw a young man in his 20s dressed in a white police uniform and a cap—enough for him to recognize and fear this man as a key member of the London Metropolitan Police.

The mysterious man just gulped when he saw its dominating aura, but instead of letting his self get devoured by fear, he decided to speak. the man has a faint smile on his lips.

and as he holds his cap, he glances at the person who calls him, exposing his thin and handsome face with gold-rimmed eyeglasses, chestnut messy hair, and sitting in the chair with his hands clasped.

"Target had found, what should we do chief commissioner?"

"very good inspector hall, prepare to launch an attack, we will immediately apprehend them, if they struggle, shoot them as long as they won't die."

"got it."

They are those who seek explanations and strive for a better world; they are those who adhere to the tenet that "the truth always prevails." They continued to fight for the sake of the world and to educate people about right and wrong.

to make it more simpler, they are the 'hero' of the country who serve as the son of justice..

"This is the london metropolitan police, steven johnson and kenneth davids you are under arrest under the offense of fraud, embezzlement and prostitution!! give up right now and put your hand on the the back of your head and bow down!"

"FUCK! What's the meaning of this?! you told me that this place won't be found?!"

"I-I really did tell that but I didn't know that this has been under the investigation of the police! this stupid cat! let's run!"

"BANG! BANG!"

the sound of the guns echoed around the abandon factory as the people who was having a transaction started to raise their hand, the other police started to surround them, while the police officer earlier took out the handcuffs and approached them.

"arrested time: 9:00 pm in the—BANG! BANG!"

but.. In addition to a villain and a hero, there are certain individuals who stood as neutral parties between them; these individuals are the villains who murdered criminals. and they dubbed them as "anti-hero."

They are those who are looking for answers regarding the state of the world, have experienced a terrible catastrophe, and wonder whether there is a god in this curse world.

They are a group of people who are determined to transform the world, no matter the cost, and who are willing to sacrifice themselves and their humanity in order to create a place where people can live without fear of conflict and in peace.

"SHIT! FIND THE SHOOTER AS SOON AS POSSIBLE!"

"R-roger!"

A girl with pink long curly hair that reached her waist was standing in an abandoned building 500 meters away from the factory where the transaction took place. She was wearing a pink half-mask with red and silver patterns and various colored crystals embedded in it. Her pink eyes had a faint luster, and her lips were covered in red thick lipstick. She put down her sniper, she opened her watch, and made a call. A short while later, she saw a hologram of a young man in his 20s with his hands clasped together as the woman removed her half-mask to reveal her beautiful goddess-like face. As she spoke, a small smile curled on her red-thick colored lips.

"The target has been eliminated~ you should command your lackeys to go back in your headquarters! I can't escape here if there are 'cats' lurking around my exit!"

Right before she winks at the man who was donning a white police outfit, there's a tinge of sensuality in her voice. yes, the man who is suspected of being the London Metropolitan Police commissioner is biased against the mysterious woman! He is aware that those two crooks would perish! After all, this procedure was preplanned by them!

"I know, I know, but seriously.. steven are truly stupid, to think that he's secretly having a transaction to the other organization without us, the upper members of phantom's knight, knowing, in the end, he's been exposed by satan, it's truly funny!"

"come on~ this is not the right time to talk about that, your lackeys are approaching here!"

"haha, alright alright.. I'm going to report this to satan that the target has been eliminated."

"all right."

More than that, there are other people who are much more rotten and twisted than them. They are a bunch of miserable wretches who was once living in a joyful life but hit by the tragedy and fell, but they soon to rise up and change the principle of their life as they evolve from buds into a beautiful and terrifying rose filled with thorns. Behind the lovely city of London, and behind the people's smiles, there is something rotten hidden in beneath their innocent face.

they are the group of people who learned to fought their destiny, thanks to the person who save them.

and those people who rise up into their ashes are called as 'phantom's knight' an organization that seeks the truths of the world!

...

Inspector Hall, the operation's leader, decided to check out the scene where Steven and Kenneth died at midnight after the police had finished their work investigating their deaths. Inspector Hall has the typical features of a regular British citizen and is dressed simply in a t-shirt and pants. Edgar Wilkinson, the commissioner of the London Metropolitan Police, told them to return while the other party went in search of the unknown attackers, but he couldn't help but feel that something wasn't right.

"the assailant didn't leave any evidence.. it uses soluble bullet as well, this is too perfect. does a large organization involved here?" he mutter to himself and started to think throughly.. but no matter what he did, he couldn't find anything, in the end, he have no choice but to let out a heavy sigh.

"I'll just go back tomorrow.." When he finally made the decision to leave, he once again glanced up at the crime scene before exiting the gate of the abandoned factory. On the one hand, however, a mysterious man in his 30s appeared after Inspector Halls left. He had purple hair, attractive facial features, and was carrying a gold cane. He was also wearing a black top hat, black tailcoat, and a monocle, all of which gave the impression that he had traveled back in time to the Victorian era. he was also holding a stack of cards that included the ace of spades, king, queen, heart, and diamonds then cast a smirking glance at Inspector Hall before turning his attention back to the crime scene.

"heh, I've told him so many times to watch his lackeys closely. good thing that he didn't investigate any further." The man sighed deeply as he picked up two mysteriously colored roses. The petals of the roses curl slightly at the ends, and their color and texture are similar to velvet. When light is shone on the rose, this is made even more apparent.

Its hue seems really unique, and you won't frequently encounter flowers with color like this. This rose is known as black baccara; unlike other roses, it is not dyed; instead, it acquired its color naturally.

and this rose the symbolism of phantom's knight!

and the person who was wearing a monocle and victorian era outfit is none other than rhonoven hyde moriarty! crystalle's uncle and known as 'satan' of phantom's knight deadly seven!

In the phantom's knight organization, there are three ranks; the lowest rank is known as the "ars goetia" or "72 pillars"; these members follow the commands of the higher-ups and frequently engage in transactions, such as the sale of illegal weapons or drugs. The concept of "ars goetia" was connected to the lesser key of Solomon. Legend has it that they are the fallen angels who conspired with Lucifer to revolt against the god and his seven archangels during the conflict in heaven.

Lucifer himself is confident enough in the Ars Goetia's skills to send them on potentially dangerous missions, like gathering information from Earth, facing powerful angels like Cherubim alone, looking for items that would be useful to the Emperor of Hell, or even destroying specific things that may be an obstacle. ².

Like him, Crystalle is self-assured enough to assign them to risky and dangerous tasks like battling various high-ranking members of the underground society, learning more about their adversaries' circumstances, or even stealing another group's territory or getting rid of those she perceives as obstacles.

next to the ars goetia was none other than, 'deadly seven', they are the 'authority' of phantom's knight, the one who was above the ars goetia and the high-ranking members of organization. they are the people who follow the 'queen' of phantom's knight which is Lilith.

the deadly seven was rank from lowest to highest, the rank seven is asmodeus, the rank six mammon, the rank five, beelzebub, the rank four is belphegor, the rank 3 is leviathan, rank two is satan and the leader of deadly seven rank one, lucifer.

The phrase "deadly seven" is derived from the biblical "seven rulers of hell," who stand for the seven deadly sins: lust, greed, sloth, gluttony, envy, wrath, and pride. Naturally, their symbolism is also comparable to the seven deadly sins, and each member who possesses these emblems shares psychological traits with them.

Last but not least, the first rank, also referred to as the "evil trinity," included those who stood right close to Lilith, the commander of the Phantom Knights. They served as Lilith's equivalent of the knights and thorns, who defend her from other groups that would dare to interfere with or attempt to take her throne.

These three ranks of phantom's knight, whether it be the lowest rank or the highest rank, they all comes from elite families, and both are well-experienced, which is why phantom's knight was feared by other lower or newly made organizations, and the reason why the other high-rank societies are so wary of them.

Because of their vicious and merciless nature, they were frequently referred to by their titles as "the devil's of the underworld," "ruler of hell and eternal damnation," or "the corrupted ones" They resembled a gathering of individuals who have lost all sense of humanity and rationality.

However, they only harm innocent individuals when absolutely necessary. They continue to uphold their principles as the "anti-hero" of the story who stands between the villain and the hero; they don't kill indiscriminately, but rather first observe them from the sidelines and only strike when they spot an opening.

For Crystalle, after all, She is quite unique, and so is her organization.

Mr. Rhonoven simply smirked again after finishing his work, checked the crime scene again for any evidence that might implicate Crystalle, and then walked away from the abandoned factory as if nothing had happened.

as The large and tall big ben tower's clock hand was pointing at the number "12," indicating that it was already midnight, the city of London was filled with the resonating gong sound of the big ben as the pale white moon became visible and illuminated the stunning and glittering city with its white light.

Mr. Rhonoven simply smiled sincerely when he saw this, as if the lovely night had given him solace and solved all of his concerns, then he mutters to himself..

"this is a treasure that should be cherished forever.."

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