Busy Day

Armand Sky was very old, but he could somehow fight extremely well. Using his sword, he was rumoured to be undefeatable, slicing his way out of any situation.

Armand was the elder and founder of the village, respected and revered. He still works as a detective for the local area, which includes the three villages that surrounds it: Milligan, Regina, and Himilichi.

“Okay, as usual,” said Armand holding up his sword, “I’ll attack, you’ll defend. If any of my attacks land the session ends. Ready?”

Sen nodded, holding up his tonfas.

Suddenly, Armand dashed towards Sen with a swing. Sen raised a tonfa to block it. When the weapons clashed, Sen could feel a violent jolt in his arm. Sen sent his other tonfa forward to Armand’s waist but was blocked easily.

Armand swung the sword again.

Sen turned to block but the sword switched direction in mid-air. Sidestepping behind him Armand thrusted the sword at Sen’s back.

Sen turned around just in time to block the strike. He looked up to prepare for another block, but Armand vanished.

Then he felt coldness creeping up his neck. Tensing his muscles, Sen spun on his heels, lifting his tonfa up to stop the incoming strike. Sen sensed another attack, before blocking it with his left.

Armand bounded up while sending a flurry of slashes from above. Feeling sweat dripping down his head, Sen frantically waved his tonfas around to attempt to defend himself against such an attack. Sen blocked many strikes but narrowly escapes being hit when he failed to stop one.

Armand landed, using the momentum from the fall, he pummelled the sword down. Sen, now exhausted, lifted his weapons to block the blow. As soon as the sword hit, a small bang could be heard as a small crater formed at Sen’s feet.

Armand then sent a kick on the panting Sen’s chest, knocking him back.

Still catching his breath, Sen stood up while leaning on a tree for support.

“You’re getting better,” stated Armand.

“Well you’re not even trying to fight,” chuckled Sen.

“I am training you,” said Armand, “you have improved a lot since last month. You’re better at redirecting energy, and better reaction time.”

“Thanks.”

“However just waving your arms around can’t save you from an attack,” continued Armand, “you were panicking. Now I’m going to teach you how to deal with that kind of rapid attack.”

“Okay…” Sen sighed.

In the North…

Ring-

Phoenix looked at the screen of his scroll, waiting impatiently for someone to pick up.

“Yes sir?” said a young boy on the screen.

“Hi Jade. You took long,” said Phoenix, “worried that you’re going out playing arcade or eating sweets.”

“Sorry sir. I was gardening.”

“Anyway, I need to know, is the police station open?”

Jade was an orphan and Phoenix’s only contact to the outside world. His job was to help Phoenix purchase food and needed resources in return for some money. Although living fairly close to a town, Phoenix never liked going there.

“Yes sir,” reported Jade, “It is open for another few hours. Do you want me to-”

“No it’s fine,” interrupted Phoenix, “thank you Jade.”

Phoenix closed his scroll and dropped into his pocket. He put the Crimson Scorch in his holster and walked out of his door towards the direction of the town.

Three quarters of an hour later, he arrived. The streets were relatively empty, with only a couple casual pedestrians on the road. Phoenix continued until he saw the police station, its glass doors was open and one of its windows was cracked, presumably by somebody’s football.

Phoenix walked in.

“Please state the reason of your arrival,” said a police officer sitting at the reception desk carelessly, reading a newspaper.

“I’m here to see the Commissioner,” replied Phoenix calmly.

“I’m afraid you’ll need an appointment,” said the officer.

Phoenix sighed.

“What’re you reading?” asked Phoenix suddenly, curious.

“A newspaper, can’t you see?” grumbled the officer, turning a page.

“Yes I can see that,” said Phoenix, leaning on the desk, “but what is it about?”

“Beacon. That’s what all newspapers are talking about these days, now if you don’t have an appointment, you need to-” the officer glared up impatiently, before turning his expression from annoyance into shock.

“I need to?”

“Oh my goodness you’re- you’re-” gasped the officer.

“Phoenix Garnet Moon, I know,” smiled Phoenix.

“B-But you’re-”

“Dead. I know. But clearly I’m not.”

“Okay, hold up a minute,” said the officer nervously, holding up a phone, “Commissioner. There’s someone you need to see.”

A moment later, a man wearing a neat uniform and a cap appeared, his mouth was wide open.

“You’re-”the commissioner began.

“Phoenix. I’m dead. But not. Yeah yeah whatever… Let’s talk,” Phoenix said before walking past the Commissioner and into the room he came from.

-=+=-

“…So I need to cross reference all criminal activity with the files on the Chess-master Besart Gilford,” explained Phoenix, “I don’t have enough data on the info-banks I hacked from the police.”

“You hacked the-”

“Yes, I did. Sorry, that was a long time ago and I was bored, not the cross-referencing please.”

Finally recovering from the shock of seeing a “ghost”, the Commissioner asked, “But why do you want to know? He’s not the most important criminal at the moment. Everyone is trying to catch Roman Torchwick.”

“I’m doing this because that I believe Besart is linked to the fall of Beacon.”

“Really?” questioned the Commissioner.

“Yes, the event annoys me and I want to get to the bottom of it. So please no more questions. Once the cross referencing is done, I’ll leave without causing any more trouble.”

“Yes…”

The Commissioner then turned to his computer and typed key reference works into the system.

“There,” said the Commissioner after a few minutes of searching, showing Phoenix the screen.

Phoenix grinned in delight, taking photos of the pages of information with his scroll, “Thanks a lot. And please, do not tell anyone about me. I would like to be discreet to catch the guy. And if he happens to be responsible for Beacon I’ll give you credit.”

Hearing this, the Commissioner smiled and agreed.

When Phoenix walked out of the police station he was greeted by Jade, who wore a white coat.

“Hi sir,” Jade said, “I thought you said that you would never go out in public.”

“Special occasion,” replied Phoenix, smiling, “I just had a very good day.”

