Despite his master’s disapproval, Haru had begun his journey to find his old partner and bring her back into the ranks of Rune Knight. He had travelled to Marigold instinctively, considering that was where her family had resided last he heard. However, when he asked around and finally reached their house, he found it locked. The neighbours informed him that the family had moved out of the country after Akira’s grandfather passed away. Haru asked if the granddaughter moved with them too, but they had no clue. For all he knew, Akira may have left for home as well after she was fired. But he had a feeling that wasn’t the case.

Disappointed that he got no lead, Haru was on his way back to the Capital to see if he could get something out of the official records. He had stopped at Hargeon for a short rest, but had ended up staying longer than expected thanks to all the rumours he was hearing from the fellow Knights at the base. It would seem a bunch of Phantom Lord goons had recently landed in town and began picking fights exclusively with the Rune Knights. He was glad that they weren’t being a public nuisance at least, but there was no way he was going to allow the Knights to be bullied this way. So, he stayed longer to investigate.

Over the two years, with the help of his master, Haru had accumulated a variety of useful equipment. One such thing was his Raven Night ring, which gave him an inconspicuous way to patrol and survey. The orange-haired man jumped off from the top of the Rune Knight terrace and swiftly transformed into a raven, taking flight and looking down at the narrow streets to see if there was any commotion. In one particular narrow street, he found a group of lowly Phantom Lord members gang up on a lone Knight; someone who looked familiar to Haru, but he couldn’t be sure. Diving down towards the street, he perched atop a balcony rail closest to the fight and watched, ready to intervene if he needs to.

Kazimir returned to the interwoven streets of Hargeon after his two years being away. Not much had changed here in that time. It was still ripe with beauty and intrigue alike. During his absence he had refined his magic and grown closer to it, feeling more of its raw power than he had before and realizing deeper aspects of it.

His return was due in part to his need to the finishing of his magical training and the desire to get back to being a knight fulltime. His return was not met with as much a passive transition as he hoped. Turning down an alleyway he knew as a shortcut, his path was suddenly cut off.  

Three phantom lord members stood before him. They fanned out, eyeballing the wind mage. Kazimir stood still as they positioned themselves, "My name is Kazimir. I am a member of the Rune Knights. Whatever your aim is, I'm sure we do not need to put this area and its citizens in potential danger."

One of the Phantom Lord members stepped a bit closer with his head jutting forward in an attempt to arise unsettling emotions in Kazimir. "What did you say your name was? Your that punk upstart from some time ago. Heard you can only cast spells to protect people." The man gave a laugh, pulling out a knife and gesturing for the other two to follow suit.

Two of the men attacked in unison, one from the left and the other the right. The gleam of the blades reflected the light around them. They pierced forward as Kazimir clinched a fist and stomped one foot sending a gust of wind outward and launching him 5 meters into the air.

"I don't do that anymore," he said with a calm demeanor making a circle with his arms and thrusting one hand towards them. A powerful gust of wind whirled around the phantom lord members and threw them to the ground.

The third rushed forward as Kazimir was landing and slashed with a precise strike. The blade nicked his arm creating a thin red line of blood the dripped to the ground below. Kazimir leapt backward as the man pressed into his space. The wind mage swung his right arm horizontally at the man causing a gust of wind to slice forward and sending the man crashing backward.

It was a victory but one only gained by their faulty and outdated information. Unknown to Kazimir however was the phantom lord member in a second-floor window that was ready to launch his own attack on the mage.

Still in his raven form, Haru watched as the cocky Phantom Lord goons picked a fight with the Rune Knight. A couple of years ago, he was someone who would have already intervened and ended the confrontation. However, he was now curious as to how the lone Knight was going to deal with the situation. He was also particularly interested because he was sure he had seen the man somewhere before, but couldn’t exactly remember where.

The moment Kazimir spoke, Haru immediately recollected the case they worked on together and recognized him. He wished to land on the three ganging up on his fellow Knight and knock them out. But one of Zade’s lessons rang in his head: to never insult a comrade by assuming they cannot handle the situation. So, he waited and watched. And he was glad he didn’t intervene. A minor cut was all the capable Knight endured, and three attackers were down, groaning on the ground. If he was in his human form, Haru would have applauded.

The orange-haired Lieutenant was about to fly down and congratulate Kazimir. Just then, he saw movement behind the window next to him. It was a Phantom Lord ranger taking aim at Kazimir. Zade also taught Haru to always have his comrades’ backs. So, he flew straight into ranger’s face, blocking his vision and poking his eye with the beaks. When the ranger screamed and completely missed his arrow shot, Haru swiftly turned back into his human form, pulled the ranger out through the window, held onto him and twisted such that the ranger was below him.

Two nasty sounds could be heard almost immediately after. One was the ranger crashing into the ground from the second floor, and the next was Haru landing on top of the fallen ranger, using him as a cushion for his fall and crushing the ranger's ribs. Turning towards Kazimir, Haru spoke with a wide grin. “My… If it isn’t Kazimir.” However, with his hair cut so short and his scar missing, Kazimir might find it difficult to recognize Haru.

The sound of a loud thud resonated behind Kazimir as he dressed the wound he received. He prepared himself for an attack when a familiar voice called out his name in a friendly manner. The mage turned around to see a man standing atop a Phantom Lord ranger. The ranger groaned a bit and clutched his ribs but remained immobile.

Kazimir new he recognized the voice but the person who stood before him was unknown. “Hmm, well you certainly know how to make an entrance.” He looked at the ranger’s body pressed into the ground. “Whoever you are I owe you my thanks for the assistance.”

Something about the man was oddly familiar, “I get the feeling I know you from… somewhere. But you couldn’t be… "He asked with a puzzled look, the voice and mannerisms were spot on, but the lack of a distinctive scar made him question it. If it wasn’t for the rune knight aura he admitted he wouldn’t have finished the sentence albeit with uncertainty, “Hatsuharu?”

It would certainly be a surprise if his first time back he ran into one of the only other Rune Knights he worked with. Although fitting given that they had met here in the first place and because of the recent developments. If it was Haru, he would have some words about just how much of the battle he witnessed.

One of the reasons Kazimir returned was word that the case they had worked on so long ago was reopened. He heard that there was another victim and they were going to send some people to re-investigate the situation. Apparently, one of the witnesses had reported getting her memory back and was ready to talk also.

In fact, that rumor was the only reason he had returned to Hargeon. There were still many places to see but this case would haunt him if he never saw it to its conclusion. The knights did not report what caused this sudden change, only that it was their only lead and if it didn’t get resolved it would be a blemish on the prestige of Hargeon. Kazimir didn’t care for the politics and was concerned with just seeing that danger was dealt with. But the first matter at hand was seeing if this man was who he thought he was.

Walking away from the unconscious ranger and towards Kazimir, Haru gave a casual wave of dismissal as the wind mage thanked him. “Don’t mention it,” he said. His grin widened further as Kazimir surprised him by recognizing who he was. “I’m truly amazed you recognized me. Sometimes, I don’t recognize myself in a mirror,” he said, ending it with a soft laugh. Even if it sounded like an exaggeration, it truly wasn’t. After living with it for almost three years, the poor man hadn’t gotten used to his face without the scar yet.

“Are you in town to cuff these Phantom idiots too?” he asked, kicking one of the thugs Kazimir had knocked down, who was groaning and curled up on the ground. If Kazimir told him he was actually there to solve that old case they never managed to crack, Haru would immediately offer to assist in any way he can. “All this time and we finally have a lead. Mind if I tag along?” he asked. It would seem there was a recent victim, and one of the really old witnesses had finally recovered from the trauma and willing to give information.

If Kazimir agreed, Haru would follow him to the witness’ home. The moment he entered the street, he recognized that they were going to the very first house they had gone to when they investigated it two years ago. While he couldn’t remember her name, he could never forget her face and the way she screamed when she was about to speak of her kidnapping. Haru wasn’t sure how much of her information would be reliable, given that it has been two years and she wasn’t the most stable person he had seen the last he met her. However, this was the best lead they had and he wasn’t going to give up on it before even he heard her out.

Once they reach, Haru would knock on the door and wait for it open, as he gave a hopeful look towards Kazimir. He sincerely wished she had something concrete for them. Hargeon had been plagued by this unknown element for far too long.

Kazimir gave a small sigh of relief knowing that it was actually his old comrade. "So how does one magically get rid of a scar Lieutenant? Nice haircut too. It was really just a lucky guess," he said with a small laugh and a shrug of his shoulders. He was right in his assumption but even looking at him now felt a little like looking at a stranger. Or like Haru was plucked out and placed in a new body.

At the mention of Phantom Lord, he looked back at the men that attacked him, "So that's what that was all about. Have they been coming after you as well?" He shook his head and gathered the unconscious bodies in a neat pile while explaining the real reason he was there. As he assembled them he looked back at Haru, "Just how long were you hanging out up there anyway?" he asked as if he just remembered the question.

He gave Haru all the information about the old case he learned. Without missing a beat the Rune Knight agreed to join him on it.

"I wouldn't have it any other way." Kazimir replied to his offer with a smile and a nod. It was nice to be back on the case with whom he started with and more so with the person that was going to show him the ropes anyway. It had been a day full of surprises and it wasn't over quite yet.

Haru joined him on the walk through the town and Kazimir waved at some fellow pages to take care of the bodies in the alleyway. Before long they walked down the same old street that brought memories of a frantic woman racing through Kazimir's mind. The closer they got the more vivid the memory until they arrived on her doorstep and Haru knocked was again.

Kazimir was worried that they would be met with the woman only to see her break down again. However, Haru shot him a hopeful look that eased the doubt a bit and as the door creaked open he adjusted his scarf out of habit.

"Miss, we are here to..." Kazimir said as he was cut off by the woman, whose voice was only a bit panicked this time. "Rune Knights, good, come in fast before its too late. I don't want to lose it again."

The door swung open and Kazimir stepped in leaving it wide for Haru to follow. Once inside the woman didn't go through any of the normal pleasantries and went straight to business slamming the door behind the two once Haru had entered.

"It comes and goes...Comes and goes," the second one softer than the last. "I remember only a little bit now but what I do know is where I was kept. I WOKE UP..." she began to fidget with her fingers, one over the other, "hearing men talking about the Turning Tide. I also heard them say something about an art dealer." She paused looking longly at the two as if to find some sort of sanctuary in the information given.

“It wasn’t a scar, but a seal. When the seal was released, it vanished,” he said, rubbing his left cheek as he spoke of the missing mark on his face. Releasing the seal did more than just take his scar away. It had messed with his magic, leaving him unable to use it at all. Kazimir’s question as to whether the Phantoms have been after Haru was enough for him realize that the wind mage wasn’t aware of the sudden and rampant harassment the Knights were facing from the dark guild members. “They sure are picking a fight particularly with the Knights. But then again, I can’t blame them. We went after them first,” he said. Haru remembered that fateful day when he came face to face with the Phantom Lord guildmaster, along with a few other Knights. While he didn’t condone their actions, he sure could understand why they would want to get back at the Rune Knights.

The Lieutenant couldn’t help but smile when Kazimir asked how long he had been watching the fights. “From the moment they surrounded you, actually. I would have stepped in earlier. But then, I recognized you and knew you could handle it. Didn’t want to spoil your fun,” he said, as he winked and grinned.

Soon after, the two delved into the real reason why Kazimir was in town and had made their way to the Eliana’s home. The woman opened the door and ushered them in, without even letting Kazimir finish what he was about to say. She assumed they were Rune Knights and began speaking urgently—good thing they were actually who she thought they were. Haru didn’t dare interrupt. He listened carefully as she muttered about her fickle memory, but soon after that came the real information. The two key things she said added up. “Turning Tide. The gallery near the docks,” he stated, turning towards Kazimir. By then the woman had lost her coherent line of thought and seemed to be in mental discomfort. “Ma’am. Do you remember anything else?” Haru asked, hoping to squeeze out any other useful information from her. However, Eliana was too flustered and only kept repeating gibberish that they couldn’t comprehend.

Realizing there was nothing more they were going to get out of her, Haru thanked Eliana and walked out. There was no need to put it into words; Haru simply nodded towards the direction of the docks. It was time to pay the gallery a visit.

Kazimir tilted his head in intrigue as to the mention of it being a seal. He had heard of seals before, but nothing like this. “I see. So, has the release of the seal caused any effect or was it a matter of personal triumph?” He would not usually be so abrupt but since Haru mentioned it was a seal he made the leap to assume he had at least fewer reservations about speaking on it.

As he asked the question about Phantom Lord and upon hearing Haru’s answer he understood there was a lot he was missing. He was a new recruit and was more interested in immediately getting to work than the talk about the history of the knights no matter how brief it was. An oversight of his aloof nature.

“I suppose they are a dark guild and it is the nature of the knights to clash with them. It seems to have had significant fallout.” He made the statement more of a question but also hinting that he knew now was not the time to dive into it too deeply as they had an immediate task to deal with.

“Hmm,” he expressed crossing his arms with a light-hearted head shake at Haru’s response to watching him fight the thugs. “Well I am happy I got to try out my new magic in a real setting,” he said looking down at the phantom lord members and then back at Haru. “Perhaps, next time It’ll be my turn to make the flashy entrance,” he said in his usual relaxed tone.

At Elaina’s house, she began to slip back into a ramble as Haru picked up on all the information he needed to piece together and made it known to Kaz. The wind mage met Haru’s glance, both of them realizing the lead they had been waiting for had finally come through.

Despite Haru’s attempt, he was unable to pull any more information from the woman and simply stood to leave. As the two stood outside, Haru nodded toward the docks. Toward the Turning Tide. Kazimir met him with sincere indigo eyes and an affirmative nod. There was no deception to work here. Haru seemed like a straight shooter.

They made their way to the docks with the cool ocean breeze billowing in. The wooden boards creaked beneath their feet as they passed by citizens and conmen alike. Before them now was the Turning Tide. The fabled swindling hideout of Hargeon port.

It was a two-story building. Windows only on the top floor, to force people to pay to see the art. There was a back fire-escape on the second floor that wrapped around to the side. The only other door was the front wooden double doors guarded by two men.

Kazimir stopped before they were in eyesight of the guards and gave Haru a look that beckoned an answer, “Shall we use Finesse or Fists, Lieutenant? Either is okay with me as long as citizens are safe.” He delivered the options as if they were both as routine as the other.

This was a moment of real curiosity for Kazimir. He wondered how Hatsuharu typically handled situations and this was the first task that felt real to Kazimir. No more chess games or sprinting on beaches.

“The seal was messing with my magic. So, I got it released. But that didn’t do any good. My magic is completely broken now,” he said, sounding a little disappointed. “All I have is my sword to defend myself. And to think I once hated it so much,” he added, shaking his head in disbelief. For several months now, his density magic has gone completely haywire and he has been unable to control it at all. He knew releasing the seal was a risk and took it anyway. Not releasing it would have only meant his body would have eventually lost its capability to hold mana, completely crippling any potential of magic within. Now, at least, he still possesses mana even if he couldn’t control it.

At the mention of ‘flashy entrance’, Haru laughed softly. “I’m sure you’ll have your moments,” he replied. And after that, they were off to Eliana’s, following which, onward to the Turning Tide.

Haru stopped almost at the exact moment Kazimir did and it made him smile. The two had barely been on missions together and it would seem they were already in sync. Of course, it was also because both of them had the same idea; to not be spotted by the guards until they had a plan.

When faced with the question of how they were going to handle this, the advice from his master echoed in his head. “Finesse until we meet the culprit. Fists then,” he said. Haru really didn’t want to create a scene until they were sure they had nailed the head behind these long-lasting crimes. Forcing their way in through the main doors, past the beefy guards was not going to get them anything. Knowing that they were Rune Knights, the guards would simply stall until the culprits inside gets onto their best behaviour.

Looking up, he spotted the same fire-escape door that Kazimir had spotted. “Get to the fire-escape door quick. I’ll have it open for you,” he said, before jogging towards the back of the building. Once he was out of the sights of the two guards, he transformed into the raven form and flew up to the small open window next to the fire-escape door. Once inside, he looked around to ensure there was no one on the corridor, descended, and transformed back. Haru knew if he simply opened the door from inside, it was going to trigger the fire alarm. So, before he opened the door, he pulled out his lightsabre, activated it and severed the connection between the alarm and the lacrima crystal that powered the alarm. It did cause a few sparks, but nothing too dramatic to have attracted attention. After that, he opened the door gently and was glad to know it didn’t trigger any alarm.

Once Kazimir entered the building, it was time to sneak into the office of the owner and have a chat with the man.

Kazimir was shocked to hear that his magic had been blocked. "Perhaps, this is simply a test. And judging by how you handled that ranger back there. I'd say you're doing pretty well." He didn't press anymore, hearing the disappointment in his voice.

He noticed the strange looking weapon at his Haru's side. "A sword without a blade? You are a man with quite a few secrets." He thought about what Haru said about hating his sword and spoke on his own turn of events, "I once dedicated my life to protecting others with my defensive magic. Then suddenly it changed to something almost purely offensive...It has been a difficult thing to adjust to and I dislike it."

He had only ever trained to protect others and now his magic morphed into something that he couldn't even create a simple wind barrier, instead, it lashed out with fury. He spoke about it to try and find some commonality between the two although he could not imagine what it would feel like to lose his magic completely. His burden was in finding a way to use his destructive abilities to protect.

As the two stopped side by side with mirrored timing, he glanced the brief smile on Haru's face. Not since the days of his clansmen had he operated in tandem with someone let alone one he hardly knew.

He nodded at Haru's decision to be stealthy. They both looked at the fire escape and Haru spoke what was on both their minds. "Not a problem," he replied as wind gathered around his feet.

He made his way into the alley with Haru who revealed his next trick of turning into a raven and flying off. 'Always something up your sleeve,' he thought to himself with a smile. As Haru flew to the window Kazimir stomped his foot shooting him upwards with a gust of wind.

He repeated the spell through the air maneuvering to the top of the fire-escape until he reached the door. A few moments later the door eased open as Haru waited inside. Kazimir entered the building with him ready to start phase two.

"Looks like you are full of surprises. Allow me to take this part," He said politely stepping forward. He gently clapped his hands together that sent out a slight breeze around them that only lasted briefly. Kazimir began to fill the vibrations of those around him and lead the two through the office.

Every once in a while Kazimir would stop and lead them against a door or around a corner, avoiding the detection of guards idly walking the halls. They made their way to the back of the second floor where the final unguarded door remained.

He gave a look to Haru for the go-ahead before opening the door to the owner's office who jumped in freight trying to hastily slide some papers off his desk. Two men stood beside him, whether they were combatants or accomplices was yet to be seen. "We would like to ask you a few questions about the Turning Tide if you have a moment."

“True. Not being able to use the magic had helped me hone my physical abilities. So, in a way, it’s not all bad,” he said, finding the small mercies in an otherwise frustrating situation. When Kazimir spoke of how his defensive magic had morphed into an extremely offensive one, Haru gave a nod of approval. “That’s better, if you ask me. I was a pacifist once, so trust me when I say it doesn’t work. Your best bet is to break the bones of these criminals before they do that to the innocents,” he said, reassuring and encouraging the wind mage to embrace the change in his magic.

Kazimir proved to be a very attentive one. He had spotted the hilt that hung on Haru’s cloth belt, underneath his cloak. “Magical blade that appears only when I activate it,” he replied, with a hint of naughty satisfaction in his voice. He enjoyed seeing his enemies laugh at him after he brandishes a bladeless weapon, only to later shock them at the right time by activating the mana blade. The number of people who have fallen for that trick before was truly astonishing. But it could also mean he was fighting a lot of dumb low-lives.

Their infiltration into the building was smooth. Kazimir was there when he opened the door and was ready to go. Haru deactivated his blade and tucked it back in. The glowing blade was a beacon that wasn’t going to help with the sneaking. “Please!” he said, gesturing deeper into the corridor. He felt a soft rush of wind, and figured it was Kazimir checking for any guards that might be around the corner. His assumption was confirmed when the wind mage easily dodged the patrolling guards and they easily made it to the most ornate door on the floor. It was obviously the boss’ office.

Haru nodded when Kazimir looked at him and a moment later the two were inside, with the boss shocked and flustered. “Who-What-” the boss began, but his question was quickly answered by Kazimir. He was formal and polite, so it was time for Haru to play the bad cop. The two who stood next to the short and stout boss were obviously his bodyguards, and seemed to be on the ready to attack. “Before your spells hit either of us, your boss’s head will hit the floor. Don’t test me on that,” he threatened. He clearly had no intention of killing the man. He wanted information. But the dumb guards don’t need to know that.

He then nodded at Kazimir to continue the interrogation as he pleased. He decided to intervene only if things took a violent turn. Once they got the information they needed and realized this stupid art dealer was not the main head behind all the crimes, Haru knew he had to ensure he doesn’t go yapping around and warning his leader. “Dungeons. For a week. Trial later,” he declared. “You can’t do that. That’s against the law,” the stout man shrieked. At the same time, the guards began to cast their spells again. Shaking his head, Haru turned to Kazimir and laughed. “Is this guy serious?” he asked. Immediately after, the orange-haired Lieutenant dashed forward at his maximum speed and punched the guard on the right straight in his gut before he could finish his cast motions. He left the other one for Kazimir. Now… It was just the coward boss left, and he almost fainted witnessing the scene.

Now, time to find the head of the snake.

Kazimir found it almost jarring at first to hear Haru speak so earnestly about the shortcomings of being a pacifist. He had gone through something similar and he valued his experience and words of wisdom on the subject.

He did not know what Haru had gone through in the knights but to change a man from a pacifist to what he is now must have been of great impact. Either way, Kazimir understood his message. It was a viewpoint that he was caught between. Violence as an answer to protect. Haru's words brought a bit more clarity to his ordeal. "Perhaps you are right. What good is defending people if the threat remains" It was something he would have to give more thought to.

The infiltration was successful and the two stood before the crime boss. Kazimir's polite demeanor didn't reach them as the guards stood ready to attack. So far Haru had been a person holding a relaxed position and this was the first time he saw him engaging with criminals. He was as harsh as his words about broken bones on the way here. Although he felt he had a good enough idea to know that the removal of the man's head was all part of the show.

With a shrug, Kazimir added, "There really is no stopping him once he gets started. It would benefit you to heed his words," His tone still level and calm.

Haru nodded for Kaz to question the man which surprised him a little but he was grateful for the chance. As well-mannered as Kazimir was he did have a weakness for not wanting to waste time and hoped this would go quickly. "Alright, we have it on good information that you have been a part of a string of criminal activity and seeing you in action here only solidifies that."

The man choked up, "nnnn...no. It wasn't me. I don't have anything to do with any of this," His courage returned for a moment, "and you have nothing!"

"I hope that you grasp the gravity of your situation. Only harsh winds are blowing this evening," he said as he glanced back at Haru, using his presence to continue and intimidate the art dealer.

"Alright. J...ju...just don't break anything here. Or me. I just give this other guy information. Kinda guy that dresses in robes. Said he was going to Orchidia. There are some contacts there he wanted to use. That's it. He had a medallion with this symbol on it, "He scribbled something down and slide it to Kazimir who then put it in his pocket to show Haru once they finished.

Kazimir nodded pleased with the information and looked back at Haru, who was already giving out Justice to the dealer. A week in the dungeons. Kazimir could see that Haru didn't play around when it came to low-lives. Maybe, a side-effect of working the scene for so long.

The art dealer panicked at Haru's mention of the dungeons, and the guards began to chant. Haru gave a small quip, before redirecting his attention."more like misguided," Kazimir remarked with an unenthusiastic sigh that the guards began to attack.

Kazimir let the man finished his casting knowing he wouldn't be able to cross that distance fast enough. The man let loose a low ranking fire spell and Kazimir swung his hand up saying, "Gale slash." The sharp blade of wind clashed with the fire spell and with the power of the tempest magic it sliced through it. The blade cut into the thug sending him to the ground with minor damage.

"Next time might I suggest you not combat the law," Saying to the art dealer before he walked out with Haru. Off to Orchidia to finally end this hunt.

-exit-