Encore 66 — Verglas: The Black Iced Fiend (II)

Isla Chibana was always a curious girl.

At the age of three, her mother and father separated from each other. She ended up living with her mother due to her rights to child custody.

The girl does not remember her father, however, she has always been curious. She was not the most fortunate when it came to memorising information that bored her, but, she had incredible common sense and self-consciousness. One would call it a talent for a girl so young.

She loved seeking knowledge that would entertain her. Knowledge was something that could not lie if recorded. Of course, it could sometimes be wrong but information that was told would be considered true until deemed false. They were completely unlike lies, which were false from the very beginning.

Seeking knowledge from others was easy. She would simply ask. But, it was not until she had met Kazuya Shiba that she found another way to seek information.

To aggravate the person she seeks information from. It works mostly on those who are simple-minded. Even if the desired knowledge is not revealed, almost always, they let something slip.

Isla Chibana is a curious girl. One piece of information that she wanted to acquire dearly was to do with Kazuya Shiba.

She was friends with him. Surely friends should understand one another. She believed so. Until she learnt of his past. Until he left Interblade Academy.

That was the piece of information she wanted to learn. Not by aggravating him, or torturing him, but by simply asking.

She wanted to know. She wanted to ask him.

'What type of life have you led until now?'

Of course, his answer would change depending on when she would ask him. Isla wanted to know not only why he did what he did at Interblade, but also his entire life.

It would only be then that her curiosity would sate.

·———·

"We haven't even found our first Fiend yet."

Rika said to Isla.

"Yeah, it feels as though Sendai is peaceful. Or, at least, the Aoba ward is."

She commented.

Fiends activity was common in everyday life. There are approximately seven billion people on Earth and around three and a half billion are Streia. So, around half of the world's population.

Low-level Fiends would appear as frequently as normal criminals would. It was unusual that they could not find even a single Fiend.

"Tch. I wanted to tase someone as well with my new gun..."

Rika pouted.

(That's just a crude intent of yours...)

Isla chuckled slightly.

"From the Fiend Activity reports that Mom gave us, the activity here should be higher than in any other ward in Sendai. Yet, we find none in shady areas."

They were standing outside of Sendai Station, leaning against the walls of it.

"Hm? Perhaps we were thinking about this wrong."

Rika said to Isla.

"What?"

"The Fiend Activity report. It doesn't necessarily mean that there are more Fiends than usual in this area but rather, there is an increase in a certain level of Fiends."

"..."

Isla realised what she was saying.

"Oh, so you're saying that instead of there being more Fiends, the danger level of Fiends increased instead."

She nodded.

"Rather than being common thugs, they're also usually smarter. Blending into society rather than hiding in shady alleyways where anyone can find you."

"How do we find these Fiends then?"

Rika walked away, putting her hand on a man's shoulder. The man looked back at her, confused.

"Excuse me? Do I know you?"

"You can find Fiends—"

The man shook Rika's arm off and backed away with haste. He was triggered by the word, 'Fiends.'

A black marking appeared on his face.

"—by sensing bloodlust slightly higher than those around him. Look, the marking appeared."

People who were deemed Fiends had black marks placed on them magically by the World Origin. This was an identification of those who were Fiends, although, they were only revealed when the Fiend released extreme bloodlust. These markings were called Stigma. The price for placing them on Fiends to identify them was the fact that it strengthened Fiends too.

(I'm impressed she could do that in this large crowd. I may be mana sensitive but sensing bloodlust is something else completely. I only feel it if it's directed toward me.)

Isla thought.

The Fiend looked around desperately, trying to find a way to escape. He was already surrounded by the curious spectators simply passing by.

"I have a question to ask you."

Rika said to him.

"Like I'd say anything to you..."

He muttered.

"Have you seen someone in a unique respirator mask wearing a blue hoodie with blue eyes?"

"!"

(He knows...)

Rika and Isla both thought at the same time.

"I'm with the JMF. I'm Rika Kobayashi."

She showed an ID.

The Secret Force was meant to be secret, as the name itself suggested, so they would act as a part of the JMF.

"You... Scum!"

He rushed towards Isla. She was unprepared. She had not been expecting him to be charging at her.

By the time she put her hand up, it was too late.

"AARRGHHH!"

The Fiend had been neutralized by Rika. A bullet of Lightning Magic did the trick.

Even still, Isla seemed a bit shaken.

"Why you...!"

He had not been knocked out. It was a temporary state of peripheral neuropathy. It would wear off eventually.

"Please do not worry! The JMF are working hard to protect you all every day!"

Rika smiled at them. It was a fake smile. A stomach-churning one.

"Uwah, they took him down."

"Who was he anyway? What crimes did he commit?"

"You idiot! He's a Fiend! The Stigmata on his cheek says it all!"

"Still... A girl so young acting as a Lapdog. How cruel."

"What a shame."

She stopped smiling, hearing their whispers.

Lapdog referred to those who loyally followed the JMF's command.

"Let's go, Isla."

"Oh, uh, yeah..."