The two rushing through the corridors, to the warehouse behind their current building. It lead to an open field before entering warehouse area, as the building is on the back end of the road.

The detectives enter the warehouse to found nothing there. They slowly walk in, cautiously. "You sense that?" Said Noir, replied with Almer that nod calmly. A low rattling noises is heard in the room next door, separated by a border of a thin rolling door. Yet, an eerie humming can be heard from beyond.

"That was her... let's do it, Almer."  Noir prepare himself as he open the rolling door with his left hand. The small room there was dark, but light shower the area from the door that they open. In the corner, a figure seemingly a lady in old renaissance era is squatting down, hugging herself like she in fear.

As they look upon her, the lady slowly turn her neck around without moving her body, gazing to the stranger that seems to searching over her. Her face is pale, like a corpse that die long ago, but still untouched by the dead factor such as decomposition. Her stiff lips slowly move to a sinister grin.

As soon she start to smile, she rapidly move her figure to face the human, and lunge forward them in a haunting laugh. The two move back to the opening of the factory, dashing to the entrance. "We can't face her here, it may destroy the facilities around!" Said Almerich, replied quickly by Noir as they running away. "Don't worry, beside this factory is an open field and an abandoned building!"

Those two running to the field, as they jump into the wet grass field, filled with water from rain few hours ago. Their steps splash the water, but not for the lady. She fly toward the two like she was some bat, flight in night, screeching noises as she open her fang-filled mouth.

Almerich, stop running and turn back in instant. Seems to spell some word before he throw his palm to the face of his target, repelling her as an invisible force was pushing her and prevent her from passing. "It only work for a seconds, hurry up to the building there!!" Almerich run again as the specter stop chasing them temporary.

As the two enter the ruins, they rest as they catch their breath. "Been a while since we've been chased by a ghost..." Noir speak, then stop as he still tired by the long running. "An evil spirit.. probably Banshee..." Almerich speak too, his breath even more hardly worse than his partner. Physical activity is not his specialty anyway.

"I told you, it could be a ghost.. " Noir glance to his back, searching the lady that suppose to after them few minute ago. "Seems she lost us", He said. Almerich sit down, and try to analyze the fraction of information they got all that time.

"I don't think its her... There seems to be another culprit in the case, it must be. Spirits such as her did not interest in consuming living being, yet the internal organs of the victim is mutilated, possibly eaten." Almerich conclude his theory.

"A possible second culprit... Could it be that they worked along with the case?" Said Noir. "Possibly" Said Almerich. "Not all of those spirits and monsters have actual intelligent than their basic consciousness. However, they may aim a certain goal... or its all just a coincidence." Almerich reply again, finishing his theory.

Noir go out from the ruin, into an open area. "Anyway, we can't just leave a hostile spirit like her roam free, searching for another possible victim... You should finish her off while you can, Almer." The blue eyed boy look at the red eyed one, as he stand up.

"That's your duty, isn't it? Noir Thompson, the Phantom Blade?" Almerich tease his friend, mentioning his alias.

"Come on, your rank is S, while my rank is A. Its obvious who the better one to take the duty." Noir try to get some justification. Almerich walk around, replying while he observe around. "Rank did not determine the quality of an individual. Rank is used on the Phantasm, not the user. Plus, my Phantasm did not specialize to damage spirits, which mostly immune to physical contact."

While the two argue, a sound suddenly heard from the upper floor, seems to be a certain object fall to the ground. The boys switch their vision to the up ahead, clearly about the go there. "That could be the culprit that we just speak about."

As the two investigate upstairs, they see a few small figures running away once they see the outsiders. Almerich and Noir about to move closer to the dark room ahead where they hide. Without they expect, there are some of those abomination hide in the ceiling, carrying a sharp object, as they leap down and about to strike their victim.

In a flash, Noir put some stance and do a spinning kick to knock the attackers. Their body exposed by the moonlight, a pale creature, humanoid yet smaller than human in the anatomy. Their wrinkled skin wrap their thin malnutrition-like body, adding more grotesque point to their appearance.

Noir ready his feet as he smirk. "Small fairies... Goblins huh. Now its start to makes sense." The black haired boy sense more coming, while he start to understand the puzzle. Goblins, they not necessarily violence, but can be hostile to human. They also quite smart to be compared as human as they have mind to work together, with their own kind, or other party.

More of them come to the room, then Noir give a code for his partner, "Use your Phantasm to create just an opening to run. We go out, and finish them up in down there."

As the small monsters jump to their location, a blast of force push them away. "Now!" The two jump through the window, breaking the glass to shards they fall down to the grass, where the two boy also landed. The Goblins quickly after them, and the two run into a big building which fit for their showdown.

All the creatures follow them to the building. Its a large warehouse with many tools, seems to be a garage at its time. Noir and Almer stand in the centre of the place, and as they ready for any strike, another nuisance come. The ghost lady finally found them.

"So it was true, its a joint work of them. I hardly believe this fairies work with a ghost for no apparent reason." Almerich comment as the two ready for any attack. "Almer, we split them to two. I take care of the lady, you finish of the rest."

The monsters hesitant to attack as their target drop no chance for them, however the Banshee clearly did not think so. She simply leap to them as Noir close his eyes. Light come from his surrounding as he show his Phantasm.

"Shine and cut the darkness, Phantom Blade!"

A series of ethereal cyan light materialize and form swords in the air. Its gleam brightness illuminate the room with its intricate pattern of magical beauty, carved in each blades.

The ghost thrown out by its power, screaming her loud howling as the try to attack again. The blades move in its pattern, as its master move it by its finger from far. One blade able to touch the demonic lady, as she shocked to see that she, a dead spirit, which suppose to already pass the death, can be harmed by humans.

Seeing that the black haired boy react at nothing, the evil fairies agree and attack him at all once. Almerich simply smile with his eyes close as he whisper. "Insolent fool, that won't work."

The boy unleash a powerful torrent of energy as everything around him scattered like feather blown into a tornado. The goblins thrown to the walls, and the object in surround was flying around him. "My Phantasm couldn't damage spirits, but its an easy job if its just a small rats like this."

He threw his palm up as he let out his power, "Phantasm of Chaos and Distortion, Poltergeist!!"

The gremlins easily wiped out as they scatter all around the warehouse. The vortex render them powerless as they thrown, crashing the tools around, blast away by the powerful disruption waves around the man as eye of the storm. "Done with me", said Almerich in cheerful attitude.

"Class S is indeed awesome. Powerful as always." Noir commented as he still taking care of the lady. "However..." He speak again, then make a hand gesture to control his blades in a series of pattern. He extend both hand as blades launch out from his side. "This lady is not a match for me!"

His blade graze her, then another series of attack strike her in frontal blow. He successfully impale her, and she soon fade as the blade disintegrate the evil spirit. "That was a nice dance, lady." The blades disappear as its role was done.

"That's not so hard. It still though quite troublesome though. The usual one have more fight than this." Almerich yawn as he stretch his hand, clearly plan to continue his sleep as soon he return home. "This just a murder case investigation, not those exorcism or monster slaying quest."  The blue haired man gaze to the sky.

Though their objective have cleared, he felt a strange uneasy atmosphere still linger the place. He thought it maybe just a hunch, still, something was bothering him...

As the two leave the garage, the moonlight shone the forest around, casting both light and shadow in the night.

In the roof, a pair of eye watching the two. As a vision of hatred is seen with a dark intention. The mysterious silhouette bring out a pendant with a red crystal, reflecting the moonlight in its crimson brilliance.

"I won't let it end just like that.."

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Author's Note

Thank you for keep reading, I hope you like this chapter :)

Some of you probably see why I said that this store better fitting as manga. In manga, I could illustrate the movement and action like what it meant to be. Literature have its limit, though are easy to made, and have its own excellence.

I realize my lack of grammar quality to describe the beauty of the story. I will try to keep correcting and improving the imagery with better terms later on.

Next chapter is the climax of the current case! Get ready!!

Note: Next chapter is quite lengthy. Later, the length of each chapter would increase gradually depend on the chapter's context.

The character concept for Noir is now on top of the page!    

New! This chapter now dedicated to @EricSikich as the second one to notice this book!