Kapitel 82: Saving Matthew

Since Masaru is already has gotten a lead which is Matthew Freeman he went back to the farmhouse when the alarm went off to start pretending he was in his room, it was risky to make use of spatial manipulation to make movements.

"Steve!!! STEVE!!!!" Jessy called out to Masaru,

Masaru sighed walking down the stairs, he felt like he could really beat up this old woman if it was not for the fact he had to keep his identity a secret. He could have followed after Matthew to find the truth behind all of this if it was not for this old woman.

Soon, he entered the kitchen where Jessy, who was wearing her apron cooking early dinner. Masaru was taken aback at how early she was preparing dinner, normally it will be much later. He squinted his eyes thinking 'Could it be that she is called to come tonight? Or could it be related to Matthew who "escaped" from Mrs Deverill's farm this morning'

Masaru could not help but feel alerted at this change of pace, even the atmosphere felt a little murky. This never happened, since he will not easily get his answers for this atmosphere. He concentrated on sensing the location of the tracker he placed on Matthew.

From the looks of it Matthew's tracker was not discovered and he went back to a location Masaru could more or less guess was quite near Lesser Malling so he probably went back to Mrs Deverill's farm.

"Steve, we will be having early dinner tonight. I am not feeling that well today, it might be that it was too hot or I am simply getting too old lately. So I would like to sleep early" Jessy explained her reasons for making the dinner.

Masaru who heard this could point out several holes in her own words, however, she going out tonight will prove useful for him so he kept quiet nodding at her words at the moment she looked at him.

Tonight's dinner was a stew made with vegetables and beef which was surprisingly fresh and it would have tasted great. That's IF Masaru did not taste a mixture of ingredients which he was quite well aware of that would cause people to become drowsy before falling asleep, if he was an ordinary boy he might have fall for this trap but he was a devil, a pretty strong one at that.

'What the hell are they planning?' he thought as he compressed the food so he could spit it out later.

Masaru decided to play the part of showing signs of him sway a bit and his eyes feeling heavy, seeing how sleepy Masaru was getting caused Jessy to feel delighted "Oh my, Steve if your tired you should go to bed"

Masaru simply nodded walking like someone who was on the verge of becoming drunk, the reason he made his act this way was the fact the amount of those ingredients was actually supposed to knock him right out if he was human.

However, he had already swallowed the food by the time he realized this and did not fall asleep according to the dosage would influence him, so he and no choice but to mellow it to drunk walking. Masaru collapsed on his bed keeping his eyes closed but his other senses were keeping guard.

"Is he asleep?" Jessy asked Matoto who went up to check, he was quite crude with his manner of checking as he even kicked Masaru to make sure he was really sleeping so after checking he went back down

"Yes, I even kicked him and he did not wake up," Matoto said nonchalantly, he did not feel a shred of guilt for kicking the sleeping Masaru.

Jessy pointed her finger at Matoto feeling furious "You should learn to use your head! What if you kicked that boy hard enough and he woke up!? I already had a hard time gathering all those medicines!"

Matoto simply snorted, "Hmpf! That kid deserves it, acting all high and haughty that he can do farm work better than us"

The two of them argued a bit more before they went together with the rest riding on an old Jeep, it was only when Masaru was certain they were gone that he opened his eyes.

The first thing he did was write a report about today's events including Matthew Freeman and sent it off to Edward Pendragon who was his contact point, Masaru could sense it.

Matthew Freeman was on the move once again and this time he was heading towards the Abandoned Power Plant where Jessy and her men went to as well.

"Should anything drastic happens, I will have to discard this identity" Masaru spoke as he took off his second-hand clothes and got himself dressed in a black shirt with a black hooded jacket over it, black leather pants and black combat boots, he called out his sacred gear to enhance his senses and reflexive sensitivity for incase.

[AH, fresh air! Iya! Don't bite grandpa, yeah yeah I will pet you now]

"Who are you talking with?"

[The little tiger cub why?]

"Boy or Girl?"

Drago felt confused, just what is Masaru trying to figure out here but he simply shoved it to the back of his mind.

[Girl why?]

"Because I need to make a call to SGPF (Sacred Gear Police Force) for you"

[Screw you! I am a virtuous Dragon!]

Masaru chuckled feeling a bit less nervous before he teleported himself into the woods near the abandoned power plant, first he used magic to erase traces of him including his footsteps as he ventured deeper into the woods.

He could see lights coming off from the direction of the power plant so there was definitely movements there because ever since Jessy and her farmhands reached this place he could no longer sense their life force, he came across wired fences about two metres high surrounding the entire area around the abandoned Power plant.

However what he saw in front of him further off near the power plant was a large bonfire, he saw a woman chanting something quite strange as he never heard of this language before and even his devil innate language skill was not picking it up.

He did not have to wait for long to realize just what this woman was doing, when hounds with flesh and blood came out of the fire as of the fire itself was a portal of some sort.

Black fur covering their blood colour skins, their fangs were sharp that even the light reflection gave one the impression that one bite could rip off an arm or legs. Their eyes were deep crimson similar to bloodshot eyes, and their physique was muscular. Yet the aura around them was chaotic.

When Masaru saw them sniffing he immediately isolated himself with space magic to prevent those hounds from sniffing, but the hounds picked something else up as Masaru finally became aware of Matthew Freeman that somehow managed to get past the fence was now being chased by the hounds.

Masaru did not get involved immediately since he was certain that Mrs Deverill would not allow Matthew to die, but what he did not realize was that Mrs Deverill did not know that it was Matthew whom she was using the hounds on and she was indeed trying to kill him for real.

While Matthew was running for his life, Masaru was looking at the Power Plant with interest. Since he did not want to give away his identity just yet he began wondering why they gather at this place every night, according to the books this Power Plant was called Omega One, it has not been used for more than 20 years.

Not to mention the moment the lights of the power plant all were activated he spotted men carrying boxes and materials into the power station, from some of the things he could more or less guess what this group of people intending to do.

'They want to restart the Nuclear Plant? Could it be that Raven Gate is inside the Nuclear Plant? For now I should not make a move against these witches just yet as I need to understand how this boy got himself caught in all of this. Otherwise, if I stop it here someone else will restart this ritual in another place and we will not know why nor how.'

Masaru decided to wait it out to understand how they planned all of this so when he stops them he will pull out the roots as well.

Masaru suddenly sensed Matthew got himself in some sort of bog as he could feel the life force his tracker is keeping tabs off was starting to fade, so he gave up on the people and ran over in the direction to save the boy maybe he could get some straight answers.

By the time he arrived he saw a young man had already pulled Matthew out of the bog so Masaru enhanced his speed by operating his Ki within his body sprinting towards the Hounds that followed Matthew.

Boom!

"Yelp!"

"Warf!"

With his fist covered in touki, Masaru smashed his fist into their torso causing the body to cave in under the pressure of Masaru's attack. The strange thing was that there was no blood or flesh, the dead corpses that were once living hounds simply began to break down into dust particles.

"Who are you?" Richard Cole was convinced that things were simply maddening, too many things were happening ever since he met the boy Matthew Freeman whom he could not believe but now.

He saved the very same boy from a bog because of a strange feeling he gotten, however, it did not stop there as strange hideous hounds appeared before it. Luckily he was saved by a man who arrived all of the sudden and killed these hounds, he did not even have time to register that the hounds were turning to dust.

"We have to get out of here, take the boy to the car. We must leave now before more of those things come" Masaru said to Richard while he kept looking around.

Richard was still fearful of this event he had just experienced, since he had no experience under such strong pressure he followed Masaru's orders without objection, he helped Matthew into his car back seat while Masaru sits in the front passenger seat, they went together to Richard's home in the York.

During the entire trip Richard did not speak with Masaru, nor did he ask questions. Right now he was organizing his experiences so he could ask the right questions, it was his habit as a journalist.

Richard was currently renting a flat in the York, Matthew was still unconscious from suffocation when he almost drowned to death in the bog. With Masaru's help, they managed to clean Matthew before placing him in bed. Richard still did not say a thing just yet while they waited for Matthew to wake up.

Masaru went out to order take out food for the three of them, by the time he returned Matthew was awake and still shaken after tonight's event. Despite the fact Matthew was brave, he was still a teenager so for him to see such horrendous creatures still gave him a trauma.

After eating in peace, Matthew began to explain his events from the start after their meal once more. This time Richard asked proper questions to understand his situation, and with the experience he had, he could only believe in Matthew's story. It was also because he remembers Omega One not to mention about the sections of the story he couldn't get out of his head.

They spoke a bit more about the events before Richard went to call a man by the name Michael Marsh who was involved in the construction of the Power plant.

>\/<

The next morning Masaru woke up when he heard Richard speaking with Matthew.

"I was wondering when you'd get up," Richard said. "Did you sleep OK?"

Matthew who got dressed in different clothes nodded, "Yes, thanks. Where did you get the clothes?"

Richard checked that the clothes were at least the right size "There's a shop down the road. I had to guess your size."

"Steve, I am making breakfast you want your eggs hard or soft?"

Masaru smirked thinking something different "Make them hard please"

Matthew shook his head "I don't mind either is fine"

Richard checked the saucepan, "They've been in twenty minutes. I have a feeling they'll be hard."

They sat down at the table and ate together. "So what happens now?" Matthew asked.

"Well like you and me, we both have to tread carefully from now on since we are both missing, Mrs Deverill will be looking for you and Jessy will be looking for me, because the both of us are LEAF project boys we will definitely have trouble dealing with authorities if they report us but...." Masaru explained their situation first, since understand one's own situation would allow you to advance or retreat when necessary.

Richard looked at Masaru waiting for him to continue, he was still curious about his mysterious boy who stuck with them. "I doubt we will be hearing from the Authorities as they need you, I am not sure if you noticed but almost every villager in Yorkshire has your information to even your clothes sizes"

Richard felt a bit repulsed 'The hell!?, are they perverts?'

"So we only need to be careful towards the people living in Lesser Malling and Greater Malling in general, as long as we avoid them then we should generally be save for now" Masaru said,

The two of them, Matthew and Richard nodded since they found his words reasonable. "Allow me to say this to you two boys but as soon as we've found out what's going on, it's goodbye. No offence but there's the only room in this place for one. And I am not a Nanny"

Masaru nodded since he was going to leave once he finished his mission, he had no intentions to remain in this house while Matthew felt nonchalant about it "That's fine by me."

Richard took out a notebook, "Anyway, I've been busy. While you were asleep, I made a few calls. The first one was to Sir Michael Marsh."

Masaru rubbed his chin, he naturally read about this old man who gave him a peculiar feeling. "That scientist of the nuclear plant huh"

Richard nodded while feeling surprised at Masaru's information "He's agreed to see us at half-past eleven. After that, we're going to Manchester."

Matthew felt confused about the Manchester trip as he could not understand why they would head to that location, it felt as if Richard found something else "Why?"

Richard looked at Matthew wondering how he has forgotten something he told him back at the Gazette "When you came to the newspaper office you told me about a book you'd found in the library. Written by someone called Elizabeth Ashwood. She's quite well known. This will probably grab you, Matt."

Richard flipped his notes till he found what he was searching for, "She writes about black magic and witchcraft. Yes, that sort of stuff you spoke of last night. We've got a file on her at the Gazette and I managed to get hold of one of our researchers. She gave me an address for her. No phone number, unfortunately. But we can drive over and hear what she has to say."

Masaru naturally knew of this Susan Ashwood, 'Isn't that the woman I saved back in the Vatican... THat damn blind madwoman is still going on fighting demons? The humans of this world sure are brave'

Masaru shook his head as the trip forward from them was planned ahead, so after finishing their breakfast the three of them immediately set off to meet Michael Marsh.

>\/<

Michael Marsh, appear to look like every grandpa who loves kids but Masaru could see this man had similar eyes that of Azazel although he felt strangely repulsed by it as well.

He was into his seventies, formally dressed in a dark suit with a white shirt and blue silk tie making him appear dandier. His shoes were highly polished and his fingernails manicured. His hair had long ago turned silver but it was thick and well-groomed. He was sitting with his legs crossed, one hand resting on his knee, listening to what his visitors had to say.

Strangely Masaru was keeping his silence as he allowed Richard to be the one talking since both he and Matthew were kids so them leading the conversation will appear strange for a start.

The three of them were in a first-floor lounge room, Richard was telling the story Matthew told him about Omega One and the things that were happening there although he left out the parts of why Matthew was there or how he and Masaru were from Lesser Malling. As well as the witchcraft, as such things were simply impossible to explain.

In reality, Masaru had no need to be here but since he was interested in the location of the power plant if it is the Raven's Gate he could at least start moving a bit earlier once he knows what he wants to know.

"You say that there were electric lights at the power station," Michael felt quite conflicted as he knows better than anyone that the power plant was abandoned and even marked forbidden to enter, to begin with so he continued his question.

"And the boy heard a humming sound?" Richard nodded, "Yes, sir."

Michael asked another question, "He saw a lorry. Unloading some sort of box?"

Once again Richard affirmed this, and Michael leaned back as if he could already guess these people probably seen something else or it was simply them seeking trouble. "And what conclusion have you drawn from all this, Mr Cole?"

Richard checked his notes to make sure of the information he had before answering, "Matt couldn't see very much in the darkness, Sir Michael. But he said that the people carrying the box were wearing strange, bulky clothes. I wondered if they might have been radiation suits."

Michael smiled, "You think that somebody is trying to start up Omega One?"

Richard affirmed again but Michael shook his head, "An impossibility, I'm afraid."

Michael started to give them three a lecture about the workings of Nuclear power and physics lessons, the first subject was in regards to a nuclear bomb how it contained devastating power that can destroy cities especially the energy released in the explosion, that energy which comes from splitting the atom.

Once the three of them Masaru, Matthew and Richard could follow his explanation he switched over to the Nuclear power plant, similar to a nuclear bomb the nuclear power station works in much the same way.

It splits the atom in a metal called uranium but instead of producing an explosion, which is uncontrolled, the energy is released gradually in the form of heat. It turns water into steam, which then drives the turbines of an electricity generator and out comes electricity.

After teaching them how the power plant works he began to explain the means how Uranium was being transported strangely Matthew said the boxes Michael mentioned was similar to how he just explained but Michael simply shook it off saying Uranium was something not easily to get since it is so radioactive it could kill a human if you hold it with your bare hands which is why it needs a large airtight sealed container.

There was a lot of other non-important information Michael mentioned how Omega One was an experimental station to study reactors in action and to ensure their safety, how he was involved in all of this.

It was at this moment Masaru felt this discussion was quite strange, he was not sure if Richard and Matthew was realizing it, but the discussion which should have been about people being at the Nuclear plant has turned into a discussion about the power plant workings instead.

'This man is suspicious' Masaru thought. He felt it was certain by how this old man was acting so perfectly. but the old man made his first mistake at the moment Masaru realized he was trying to mislead them with information that had nothing to do with their questions.

His second mistake was the amount of information he had, Masaru was not sure if anyone else even the old man realizes that with his pool of knowledge qualify him for being the mastermind who arranged the materials, or even a contact person between the witches and suppliers.

The third would be the fact how this old man was involved in the construction of the nuclear plant, so no one knew that place better than him.

The strange thing was when the subject turned back to where people were trying to restart it, Michael rejected it saying how difficult it was to get uranium especially from how countries monitor it.

Michael also added on how he visited the power plant 20 years back and it was empty inside. Everything he used to deny, Masaru could agree that it was reasonable, but there was one question he did not dare ask.

'What if he is involved, this very man who knows all this information...' Masaru kept his silence as he did not want to alarm the people working with him, so he will investigate it stealthily.

Seeing that they were getting nowhere Richard apologized and left together with Matthew and Masaru, it was only when they were gone in the car Masaru spoke, "That man is suspicious"

Richard wonder why this boy would suspect a old man but Masaru continued, "Everything he said was reasonable, but didn't you realize how he shifted the subject to a lesson to disturb your thinking process?"

Masaru tapped his chin thinking of an example to give, "When a lesson starts, it is proven whether children or adults their reaction turns to begin students to listen and learn or at least their mentality will. If this is used perfectly one can disturb people's thought processes"

Masaru looked out the window, "When you brought the topic back to what we wanted to know if he denied everything by using the information which he just taught you, with the reminder of the knowledge he gave you, he had already disrupted your ability to realize that there were several loopholes in his words."

"Thanks to that masterful manipulated, you never had the chance to corner him with questions that was meant to be asked"

Richard turned his head to look at Masaru, "What would that be?"

Masaru smiled as he really felt this old man was interesting, "What if he was the one who helped Deverill get the Uranium, he knows everything including the law, has contact with the people who work on those kinds of stations... I won't be surprised if he was involved"

Richard felt his spine grow cold at the realization that he as a reporter really screwed up, that was indeed the million-dollar question. Masaru continued, "The other reason is any sane and responsible person will investigate such reports immediately even if it is a rouse, we are talking about a Nuclear Power Plant"

"If it was a regular one he could get away with it, but a nuclear plant is a serious topic. It's not like we are living in a world free from terrorist after all, since those kinds of people tend to play around with nuclear and explosives. And a Nuclear Plant going off in this country, is no joke."

"The fact that old man refused everything and not even showing signs of investigating, labelling it all like a picnic is simply suspicious... beyond suspicious" Masaru concluded, he was admiring the old man who had such terrifying skills.

However, he felt the situation was gradually growing out of his hands. He was not certain if he could contain a nuclear explosion on his own after all.