Hal saw the sword barreling down towards him and acted in that split moment as he summoned the King's Edge and parried with it, slightly knocking the blade off course.
The cloaked figure turned back to the bed, yet saw no one there. He looked around, but there was no one in sight until he saw Hal manifest out of thin air and strike him with a hammer that sent him flying across the room.
"Impudent brat"
Hal looked at the cloaked figure, who removed it to reveal a mask with a smile spreading from one side to the other.
"You will die here tonight"
The man pointed his sword at Hal, and in the next moment, a force shot out of it that shattered the window in his room and destroyed his bed.
Hal successfully dodged as he attacked the man with the hammer he had received from the cave called The Devil's Feather, and its ability had left Hal eager to use
The hammer was a white colour with the images of a familiar bird engraved on it, the same bird that had once cut open his abdomen, and as a memento, the cavern granted him a keep sake of this wonderful bird.
[Ability one, Devil's sprint: Grants a sudden burst of speed in brief intervals; the more times it is used, the higher the strain on the user]
[Ability two, Devil's awakening: Allows the user to call upon a strange lightning in the ability; the more times Devil's sprint is used, the more powerful the lightning, but use of this attack at full power can leave the body incapable of movement]
The cultists were surprised by Hal's sudden burst of speed as he quickly moved to block with his blade, only to see the image of the boy blur, and all that remained was the hammer that whispered to him.
"Think of the devil, and he shall appear"
As he suddenly turned to see Hal holding a dagger with a slight curve and a blue scabbard that had a blue gem at the back of it
He lifted to block but was surprised to see the dagger cut through his blade and meet his chest, cutting right through
The man stumbled back as suddenly another was sent flying, only to be grabbed by an unseen force that sent him crashing back into the wall.
Lyrrah came out of her room as she kicked the unconscious cultist
"You scumbag never sneak up on a girl while she's having her beauty sleep"
Hal was truly astonished by what he had just seen, but more so, it meant the cultists were really here and that they most likely attacked everyone.
He gripped the King's edge in his hand as he caught the attention of Lyrrah, who waved her hand to him and soon came running.
"Hal, could these people be"
Hal nodded before she could even complete her statement as grabbed the hammer, and placed it back in his bracelet before he bolted off.
"Lyrrah, check on everyone else. I'm going to check on Tai and the duke"
Lyrrah nodded as she ran off in the opposite direction to warn everyone else
Hal continued to run as he used the different marks he had around the mansion to search for Tai and the duke, to which the mark in one of the halls showed Tai escorting the duke out
But then they saw something else, someone was waiting for him just in the room he was just about to reach
The door opened, and a man wearing a black mask revealed himself, and from his hand came tentacle-like extensions that grabbed Hal by the hand
He felt a strong pain pulse through his body as he threw through the window and fell. Hal was dazed, and his special awareness had gone numb
His mind raced through all the marks he had on hand until he found one that had a view of where he was, as he used it to control his body and make him strike the wall with the King's Edge to stop his quick descent
The man in the black mask quickly joins him below as Hal's senses started to return to him. He looked down at his hand and saw a tiny black mask imprint itself on it like a tattoo
As a group of cultists now gathered around him, the man in the black mask stood right above him with a corky look on his face
"Huh, we get to capture the duke for the sacrifice and also add a new pappet in the king's collection, now on the other hand"
The man prepared to use his tenetacle-like appendages on his other hand, as Hal prepared to summon the Devil's Feather, only to hear a gentle but familiar voice enter his ears
"Please, gentlemen, let us not fight. This is not the place nor the time to do this"
The voice sounded entrancing, as if persuading Hal, even forcing him to do as it commands, with every word he heard, the will to summon a weapon disappeared
He turned and saw that the detective was observing his pocket watch before standing in front of Hal
"Weren't you supposed to come here tomorrow? It's impolite to change your timetable without informing the hosts, and now you fight in his presence, shame on you"
The cultist in a lack mask, whom Hal had resolved to simply refer to as black mask, looked confused, as if he could not begin to fathom such words
"Oh, detective, it seems like you have tricks of your own now, don't you?"
The detective smiled and bowed, lifting his cane as he did
"Thank you, in fact, I'll show you one more"
The detective threw his cane up and grabbed it at the end before striking the man with it, causing a sonic wave to slam into the black mask.
He flew back as the other cultists tried to attack the detective, only for Hal to get up and swing the hammer, throwing back most of them.
"Forgive me, but I believe that the two of us fighting all of you alone would be disrespectful to people such as you, hence allow me to invent reinforcements.
And with those words, the butlers of the house of Harley Clover attacked. They did not hesitate with their weapons; most of them were not even gifted, trait-weilders or contractors, and yet they crushed into the cultists, most of whom instantly deployed several abilities
Mr Faizo, one of the attacking servants, moved to the detective
"Remember, Mr Vandinel, you promised the Duke's safety, so I hope you live up to that promise"
Hal was surprised to see Mr Faiz without his coat on as he tied a bandage on his hand and raced in to aid his companions
Hal felt the torch of the detective on his shoulder, who said in a calm voice
"Hurry, find Tai and Lyrrah, before the cultists and help contain the black mask who is going after them and at all costs, don't let him near you other hand"
Hal nodded briefly before bolting after his two friends. The attack they thought they were ready for turned out to be an ambush, and now he had to quickly catch up with his friends while keeping the black mask away from his hand, nothing too impossible for him, at least that is what he hoped