A Clash of Beasts: Masked Knights

By CD McMillon

As the Cores spread across the city, they choose specific hosts enhancing them and awakening Primevils. However, amid this the Knights rush claiming Cores and awakening to new power as they fight against one another and a war rages. Amidst this a new force enters the city a thirteenth Knight and a mysterious monster. The two of them seeming to work against the other Knights and dismantling the ritual. In the middle of this new alliances of formed and allies break apart. With Kit and Takumi brought to the brink as they seek a way to end the chaos with their allies falling or everything breaking apart, they come to one final clash. As the Beasts rampage the ritual comes more step closer to completion.

• Language: English
• Publisher: CD McMillon
• Release date: Jul 5, 2022
• ISBN: 9798201094881

CD McMillon

A nerd since the first time I played an arcade game. The progeny of a family a teachers trying his hardest to not follow in the family footsteps. I grew up reading and playing games mostly JRPGs with a strong emphasis on story. Originally I wanted to write comic books but I could never make that work. And after falling back into fanfiction decided to write my own original stories. And from there I ended up like any other wannabe writer. I write both Novels and Web Novels, while also striving to make YouTube videos. I keep myself busy and I'd like you to follow me on this journey as I try to fill the time in-between now and when I meet the grave. And if your wondering "How come he's not showing his face?" Well I just don't want to. So enjoy these various Avatar images I've plastered on my social media instead of actual pictures.

Book preview

CHAPTER ONE

MOST GIRLS WOULD enjoy being invited to the most luxurious hotel in town. It’s the kind of place lovers meet or secret affairs happen daily. I hear the meals here are always some of the bests in town. Honestly, in any other circumstance, I might enjoy such an invitation. But here and now, standing in this waiting room, all I feel is an annoyance.

Your late Spider. He says in his same cold monotone voice.

Before me stands the living embodiment of a stick in the mud suit. His black hair is always kept the same, with no sign of facial hair on his unemotive face. His thin frame is almost perfect for being a yes man behind some CEO in any business you can think of. If it wasn’t for his tan, he’d be a stereotypical white guy.

Sorry, it took a while to escape from a certain someone’s gaze, I say.

Ever since we merged our two groups, Glenn’s been watching me like a hawk. I rarely have a moment’s peace away from him. If it wasn’t for the hostile atmosphere, it would remind me of when we were kids.

That’s not an excuse. Mr. Bruen’s time is very important. You can’t just show up whenever you want to. We scheduled a time and you should respect it. He says ordering me around.

It’s always like this when we meet in person. Even over the phone, he’s a pain in the ass to deal with. Whatever, as long as he just stays out of my way, then I’ll be fine.

Aren’t we wasting more time by you keeping me out here instead of letting me inside? I ask him with a smile on my face.

He almost reacts to me. Your correct. I will call Mr. Bruen.

There’s no need for that Rolo. The door opens and a hand gestures for me to enter. Come Ms. Arsov. We have much to discuss.

You heard the boss, Rolo. Get out of my way. I say to him.

He bows and pushes the door open for me. Please enjoy your time, Spider.

Come now, Rolo, we’re all on the same side here. No need to be so hostile towards me.

I’ll consider it. When you consider taking your job seriously.

I roll my eyes. I take everything seriously.

Entering the room, I’m met with the overpowering fragrance of something flowery I can’t quite place. All I know is that it probably costs an arm and a leg. The room is decorated as one would expect the best suite in the hotel. There’s even a balcony overlooking the entire city. A place like this must cost a fortune. But for him, it must be another day at the office.

Hello, May. I’m sorry about Rolo. I’m trying to get him to relax a little, but he’s so uptight. Well, he’s good at his job, at the very least. You couldn’t pay for a better assistant; trust me, I know. He says, approaching me with his arms wide open.

Mr. Bruen, it’s a pleasure to see you in person again.

Oh, please May drop the Mister. We are allies and partners in this illustrious venture. You may call me Darvin. I’ve been trying to convince Rolo to drop the formalities. I don’t need two of you doing it.

His muscular body, blond hair, and piercing blue eyes would make him a steal for any lady. The immense amount of wealth is just a bonus on top of those features.

He is a pain. But he keeps me informed, so I guess I can let him off the hook.

He bows to me. Of course. The illustrious Spider. My agent in this humorous game. How goes everything down below?

You haven’t read my reports?

I have. But hearing about it in person might bring a more colorful description of the events in question.

I sigh. He didn’t read the reports. That much I can tell just by looking at his face. He must push all the actual work to Rolo. Typical rich boy.

Of course, sir, I say, faking a smile.

He sits down on the sofa and motions for me to join him. The moment he looks away, I roll my eyes and then join him.

So, where should we start? I ask.

A few months ago. I want a clear picture of how the project is going.

I roll my eyes again. Fine.

I explain the situation to him on the street. A few months ago, a group of magic users known as Magique started a ritual to summon forth some source of energy. This ritual unleashed a bevy of monsters known as the Primevils in the city. They formed to counteract these monsters, a group secretly backed by Darvin and his allies known as Sci Ops. They recruited members compatible with something known as the Knight’s system that allows for people to transform and do battle with these monsters.

These two groups would battle the monsters and collect their cores, known as Elementum. When all the Cores are gathered, the ultimate phase of the ritual would begin. And that would involve the Cores seeking compatible hosts and merging with them, granting them their power. Of course, some of them got off course as it were and now the hunt is on again.

We formed our group, Astrum, to keep watch over this game and shake things up here and there. We encountered Magique and challenged them several times. As well as playing around with the Sci Ops group. A fourth group known only as Bel also appeared most likely another group of magic users.

The Bel are a wild card to us so far. They seem to know more about what’s going on and may have a full picture of the ritual. But I cannot say for certain at this moment. All I know is that they may hold the key to finishing the second phase of this ritual. We have to find it so this thing can finally end and then I can get paid.

And that’s everything.

He nods along with my story with a smirk on his face. So that’s where we’re at. We’re progressing faster than I thought. It must be because of his influence.

His?

That is no matter for you to worry about. Just do your job and keep watch over the proceedings and all will become clear. I promise you.

There he goes with that cryptic crap again. Of course, sir. I will do my job diligently. And no one said I couldn’t have fun along the way, did they?

Just remember who you work for and why you’re working. I mean, you brought him into this. It would be a shame if he had to learn some unfortunate truths.

Here we go with the poorly veiled threats. Of course, Sir. I will fulfill my job. Trust me on that.

Good. Now, shall you join me for dinner? He asks.

I’m sorry, but I have to go out and get to work. I have places to be, after all. I stand up and move towards the door.

He shakes his head. Oh, dear. It’s a shame. I wish you would join me for a meal sometime, dear May. The salmon here is divine, I promise you.

I might take you up on that offer. But I must be off. I move towards the door.

I leave the room and enter the waiting room where Rolo waits. He bows to me as I leave and hitting the elevator to leave the suit.

It’s a shame. Normally, I’d play around with him a bit and do a little fleecing. But it’s too much work to keep up with that man. It’s best to only deal with him as necessary, or at least that’s what my instincts tell me.

Either way, Glenn would get too suspicious if I were to be gone for so long. He’s probably on the verge of searching my room now that I think about it. That man is always like that, always so serious. I can’t blame him after what I did to him. He doesn’t even know half of it, does he? But he’s likely suspicious. He always gets this cute look on his face when he’s investigating things.

I hope he never finds out. But he’s clever if he looks into things, he’ll be able to figure it out. I say to myself.

At least I have Bruce and Ryo on my side. I’m sure that those two can still be of some use to me in this little game of ours. I need to come up with a plan for the next time we face the Bel again. They know something, especially Oswald. I need to get him alone the next time I face him.

Maybe I can get a few of them to help me out. It might take some work, but I’m sure I can do it. I smile.

It’s more than a little devious. But I’ll have to spread my webs wide and rope in more people. Takumi is likely to play if I give him the right bait. And that dragon boy in Magique. Those two are already hosts to two of the Cores. If I put them on the right track, it will be quite entertaining, won’t it? Now just how can I get everything in place?

CHAPTER TWO

I HAVE THE same dream every night. I stand amidst a barren wasteland alone. Not a single soul within eyes sight. I stand unable to move and after some time, the earth beneath me rumbles and I hear a voice.

"Seek the power. Delve deeper into it, awaken it! A voice screams into my mind, overpowering any thought I’ve ever had. Seek the flames. Burn the world itself and consume everything that stands in your way!"

The ground beneath my feet breaks apart, but I do not fall. Pillars of flames shoot from the ground into the air, burning the sky. The flames spread, enveloping everything and at the center of it all floating in midair is a single figure. It stares down at me as if it’s piercing through to the core of my being.

"Consume everything within the flames. Burn the world itself!" It screams as I stand unmoving.

The creature swims through the skies on massive wings approaching me. Its shape becomes more defined as it flies closer. But I cannot make it out. Before it draws in too close, I awaken.

Every time I jolt out of bed, covered in a cold sweat and an aching headache. And that’s the way my mornings have been going for the past week. It’s odd to say I’ve gotten used to it even though my primary concern is what the dream means.

Is this some magic thing? I ask as I turn to my Gear sitting on the table.

The Phantasze Unit. An ancient relic crafted by some old mystics. Using it alongside Mythical Codes, I can transform into a Masked Knight, a member of Magique. A warrior capable of inhuman feats and power, I use these powers for the sake of protecting people.

Or that’s what I tell myself. I don’t know what I’m fighting for anymore. Originally, I wanted to remove the stain on my family’s name. But now I don’t know. With everything that’s happened, I can’t even say I’m protecting others anymore.

They brought me into this ancient ritual as one of the few people capable of using the Phantasze Unit. My job was to fight alongside my allies, Lily Reiner, and Victor Osbey, to fight monsters and collect their cores. These cores were tools that were going to break down the barrier between worlds and allow us to return magic to the greater world.

But there were complications. All of it traces back to the other Knights. As far as I can tell, there are three other groups of Knights, at least that’s what Lily and Victor tell me. One is Astrum, a rather annoying set of troublemakers who only show up to get in the way. The other is the Bel Cult, fellow magic users who want to hijack the ritual from us as to why I don’t know. And finally, there’s Sci Ops, the group he belongs to.

Kit, I’m coming in. Her soft voice breaks my train of thought when she enters.

My girlfriend for going on two months now Farah Graner. A fellow member of Magique, although she doesn’t fight. She’s more of a supporter who works behind the scenes for us. And she was the one who dragged me into this mess, mainly because they ordered her to.

What’s wrong? She asks, staring at me with her deep blue eyes.

I sigh and get out of bed. Nothing.

Was it that dream again? She’s the only other person I told about my dream. I quickly made her swear to not tell anyone else.

Yeah.

We should tell Norris. I’m sure he’d….

I shake my head. No way Norris is the last person I should tell about this. Besides, he’s been kind of weird latterly.

She pauses because I’m right. Norris Boche, our boss as he’s the one in charge of this ritual. Ever since the incident last month, he’s been on edge. It’s like he’s being pushed by some invisible hand and, in turn, he’s pushing us even harder than he ever has.

I avoid him these days, if only for my sanity. Something about the air around him right now is suffocating. Hell, Lily doesn’t even stay here anymore, preferring to pay nightly for random hotel rooms. Unfortunately, I can’t afford that and it’s too late for me to move back into the college dorms, so I’m stuck here at this nondenominational church that serves as our base.

Speaking of Norris….

Another meeting?

Yes. I wish you would talk about these dreams. I’m getting worried.

I shake my head. I hate making her worried, but dealing with Norris is too much to deal with right now. It’s fine. Besides, whatever’s going on will work itself out. Trust me.

If you say so.

I go through my drawers and pull out a quick change of clothes. Farah leaves as I change and walk into the hallway. The two of us walk down the hall down to the main chapel, where the same old meeting awaits us.

We’re the first to arrive in the chapel with Norris standing at the pulpit looking down at us, as always. The stained-glass window behind him is enchanted to display whatever Norris wishes. In this case, it shows the twelve cores. And with that, I can already tell we’re in for the same lecture we’ve been getting for days now.

Norris. Farah rushes to his side.

A tall, thin, pale man stands at the altar, Norris and he’s looking even paler today. I don’t know what’s happened, but every day that passes, it looks like he’s slowly dying. I wish he would go to a doctor, but he’s a stubborn man if he’s anything.

I’m fine, Ms. Graner, please assume your position.

Fatah nods. Yes Sir.

Mr. Pendell. Where are your other compatriots?

I don’t know.

I would hope this sense of unity between you three would keep you together. But I guess there’s no helping things.

I had a rough idea of where both of them were. But they’d kill me if I ratted them out to Norris. Let me guess, you're going to yell at us about the Cores again.

Of course! He slams his hands on the altar. The ritual should’ve gone off. The hole should have opened. And yet now we stand here on an unknown stage.

I’m sure there must be a reason for this, Farah says.

Yes, there is. You lot haven’t been working hard enough! These interlopers have interfered and thrown the ritual off track!

I nod. We tried to deal with them. But they're strong, so they don’t go down easy.

That’s just an excuse!

An excuse or not, it is the truth! A loud booking voice yells out as the doors of the chapel burst open.

A blond-haired woman dressed in an expensive outfit wearing her wealth as she enters the room. Lily Reiner is the daughter of a long-standing magic family. On top of that, she’s incredibly wealthy and spoiled rotten, if you ask me.

But while she carries a stern, often overpoweringly arrogant attitude, she earns it. She’s strong, possibly stronger than me if I didn’t have as much equipment as I do. And with that strength, she’s the team’s leader when we’re on the field. Although her orders often come down to barking at me to try harder to fight the enemy.

Ah, Ms. Reiner, it’s good to see you again. It’s been a week since you last blessed our doors with your presence. Norris says.

Lily takes a seat and glares at Norris. Well, I don’t want to waste my time. These daily meetings are quite annoying. There is so much I’d rather do than just get yelled at by an old fart.

Lily, I say under my breath. This woman never learned to hold back, did she?

Oh, Ms. Reiner, you don’t understand the circumstances we stand at now. I wonder just what your family would say hearing of your disinterest.

Lily’s glare intensifies. I just hate wasting my time on wild goose chases. What are we to do? To attack whenever Cores appear? We’d be running around like idiots! We’re dealing with a new territory now.

Yes, the energy levels are off the charts. I would say that at the current rate, we could see another incident like we did the other month. A voice says, coming from the halls.

A tall man with long black hair slinks his way out of the darkness into the chapel. Most people would call him eerie, but I’ve gotten used to it over the months I’ve known him. He’s Victor Osbey, a man with only one interest in the world, studying magic.

Victor helps maintain our equipment when he isn’t studying in the catacombs below, trying to uncover their secrets. He’s obsessed with his research and the last time I saw him was there days ago, when he came back to the surface. Outside of that, he’s researching and studying, hoping to make some kind of breakthrough.

If anyone can figure out what’s happening right now, it’s him. But I don’t know what he’s trying to figure out.

Ah, Mr. Osbey. So, the magic levels are raising? Is it a result of the ritual or the Cores being so spread out?

Victor shakes his head. Who can say? All I know is that this is a fascinating scenario. I can’t want to see how everything will unfold.

You don’t have to wait. You have to go out there and retrieve the Cores. If you don’t then…. Norris coughs and shakes with Farah, helping him stand.

Norris.

I am fine, Ms. Graner. We have to work harder or else they will rob us.

Who? I ask.

The Bel Cult most likely. They’re the obvious threat here. Lily says.

Victor nods. We still do not know the full capabilities of their equipment. We have to be careful as we push forward against them.

Well, I….

As I speak, an alarm goes off, with Victor and Lily shooting up. I stop myself and turn to Norris, who coughs as he raises his arms.

The alarm has gone off. Now go and retrieve the Core! You must take it so we can end this!

We turn away from Norris. I don’t