I can't believe I just wrote this. Anyways, Merry Christmas.
Chapter 3
Ky sighs.
He is on his first patrol in a month, and, of course, it is raining. Heavy torrents of rain pour from the heavens, reducing visibility to a few meters in front of him. A peal of thunder splits the night, making it hard to hear anything as well. A nighttime wind is also blowing, causing the rain to sting his face and chill his bones. All in all, it's a bad night to be patrolling.
Ky has his subordinates to thank for this.
Their intentions are good; they were simply worried about his health. The blond officer had been pretty much stuck in his office for the entire month dealing with paperwork and digging through records to investigate leads. His men had (rightfully) thought that going outside would be a good change of pace.
They are right. Even as precipitation splatters Ky's face and soak his uniform, his head, which felt heavy from days of sitting and lack of sleep, begins to lighten up. Despite the dark and chilly night, his mood improves, and he feels refreshed.
It will be nice to just walk around the city for a few hours without having to worry about his other responsibilities and tasks. The reports of illegal shipments of black tech being smuggled into Zepp needs to be addressed, but he doesn't need to think about that right now. His task is to patrol the city and make sure everything is peaceful and orderly. Maybe he can even relax and enjoy himself. There's not much to see in terms of scenery, but he can still—
A woman's scream cuts through the night. It's coming from just around the corner. So much for a relaxing stroll.
Ky unsheathes Thunderseal and starts running. He rounds the corner, bracing himself for anything.
A figure, silhouetted by the rain, is hoisting another up in the air. The one in the air seems to be female, based on her figure and how much (what appears to be) hair she has. The one on the ground appears to be male, based on his build.
"You over there," calls out Ky, "stop where you are."
"Mmm?" The figure's head moves, and his voice confirms Ky's guess. He is indeed male.
"Release the woman. You are under arrest for assault."
"You're all alone, are you not? Keep yapping, if you like. You'll regret it later." At least he's released the woman. She must be unconscious, because she lies in a heap on the ground.
"Justice isn't about numbers. And numbers do not equal power. Allow me to show you why."
"Don't say I didn't warn you."
Something shoots through the night. It's too dark and rainy to make out what, but it's moving very quickly, and Ky would rather not get hit. He twists his body awkwardly to avoid the projectile, and almost loses his balance because of it. Another projectile zips towards him. Ky can make out a few details this time. It's white, and shaped like a ball, but he can make out little else. It's moving too fast for him to see what it is. Ky brings up his sword to deflect the projectile, and it smashes into the ground behind him. He can hear the sound of stones breaking. Surely, the projectile would've shattered his ribs if it had hit.
The blond officer moves on the offensive, dodging another ball. As he brings his sword down in an overhead swing, Ky gets a look at his opponent. This white hair, that snooker cue...could this be Venom of the Assassin's Guild?
The man brings his cue up and holds it horizontally over his head, parrying the slash. He must be Venom; no one else would have a snooker cue capable of blocking a slash from Thunderseal. This works out in Ky's favor; Venom is a wanted man anyways.
Ky draws back his sword and goes for a horizontal slash. Venom skips backwards to avoid being bisected. The former Knight runs after him and throws himself into a slide, his left leg bent and right leg extended. His white boots crashes into the assassin's ankle, knocking him off balance. Ky rises with a left handed swing, making sure to hit with the flat of the blade to avoid mortally wounding his opponent. His objective is to arrest the man, not kill him. Venom grunts with pain and retreats a few steps. He reaches into his jacket and pulls out two white pool balls. He throws them into the air, and they levitate at around chest level. Whatever he's setting up, Ky wont' give him time to complete it. He charges in, lightning crackling from his sword. A trail of blue electricity is left in Thunderseal's wake as he spins and slashes diagonally, from the left shoulder to the right hip.
Venom backpedals, dodging the slash, and thrust out his pool cue. The stick hits one of the balls and sets it into motion. It moves slowly, however, and Ky has plenty of time to cut it to shreds. Venom takes another step back and fires another ball with a shout of "Stinger Aim!" This one is much faster, but it is shot too high; it's going to miss Ky completely. The police officer charges forward, disregarding the ball. He shouldn't have. The ball collides with the other one still floating in the air and the impulse sends it flying towards Ky. He twists his body in an attempt to dodge, but the ball still hits his deltoid. His shoulder goes numb for a second before flaring into pain. He is lucky his arm isn't broken; his uniform is ripped where the ball hit it. Ky sucks air through his teeth to bear the pain and maintain his concentration. He discharges a bolt of lightning from his sword to prevent Venom from attacking during his temporary vulnerability. The assassin has no intention of fighting anyways.
"Hmph," sneers Venom. "I did not come here tonight to fight you. I will withdraw for now, but you cannot protect her forever. She will pay for her crimes."
She? Her? Oh no! The woman!
Ky turns around and rushes over to the unconscious woman on the ground. She is breathing, and a quick check of her pulse reveals that her heartrate is normal. Ky looks up to face Venom, but he has already disappeared into the night.
Tch, he's gone. That criminal will pay for his deeds one day. For now, I should bring the woman back to the station. She's bound to have some information on—wait.
This blonde hair, that uniform...could this be Millia Rage?
Ky knows he shouldn't be surprised. Venom, the new leader of the Assassin's Guild wouldn't waste his time attacking any normal woman. It's just that Millia's been keeping such a low profile, and with the Guild so close to disbanding, such an attack seems abnormal.
At any rate, it is Ky's duty as a man and as an officer of the law to bring Millia back to the station. She doesn't have any wounds that require immediate attention, although several ugly bruises on her face shows that she suffered quite a beating. Her hair is completely loose, and it forms a golden carpet around the ex-assassin. None of her bones look broken either (Ky would feel for broken bones, but his honor as a knight prevents him from taking advantage of an unconscious woman!), so Ky carefully wraps one arm around her shoulders and another under the knees and lifts her up.
The ex-assassin is delightfully light, and her unconscious form snuggles into Ky's body for warmth. The officer can feel his face warming up, and he whispers a quick prayer to the Lord for purity of thought.
Thankfully, they are not far from the station, and within minutes they are back at the police headquarters. Ky trudges up two flights of stairs and pushes open heavy double doors with his uninjured shoulder to enter the lobby of the International Police Force's Paris main branch. It's very elaborately decorated, with stained glass windows over the door and on the walls at the sides, beautifully carved statues of angels and lion heads and suits of armor. On either side of the door are stairs that leads up to an observation deck. Unfortunately, arches support the roof, allowing the cold night air and some rain to blow into the lobby. Luckily, this also means Ky doesn't have to worry about dripping rain all over the place. The lobby serves as a rotunda, with many hallways branching off from it leading deeper into the headquarters.
The receptionist at the desk—Alex—is fast asleep. Ky doesn't blame him, it's very late and sleep is starting to leaden his eyes as well. Ky veers into one of the hallways and heads towards the infirmary.
It's not until Ky is in front of the infirmary doors that he realizes he has a big problem: Millia's clothes are soaking wet, and she has to be changed into a nightgown. None of his officers are female (the result of all his closest Holy Knights joining him in his new job), and the nurses are surely at home at this hour. Ky gulps. There's really only one option here.
Father, please forgive me for any sinful thoughts I may have.
Ky sets Millia down on a bed and goes to a nearby wardrobe to pick out a fresh nightgown. The ex-assassin curls up and lets out an uncharacteristic whimper, as if protesting the sudden loss of warmth. Given the circumstance, Ky knows he shouldn't be thinking this, but the sound is very cute.
Oh geez.
Ky hovers over Millia for a second, pondering how to remove the uniform. At this distance, he can smell the scent of her shampoo. It's faint, being mixed with the odor of blood and sweat, and washed with rain, but it's there nonetheless. Lavenders. How pleasant.
But that's not the point. He should be focusing on her clothes, and how to remove them. No, that doesn't sound right. How about...
Ky shakes his head. He needs to focus on the task at hand. The tunic seems to be a slip-on, he just has to pull it over her head. He loosens the belts over her chest, averts his eyes, grabs the bottom of the tunic and lifts up. The wet fabric clings to Millia's skin, making the whole process a lot harder than it has to be, but eventually he gets it off.
Next, there's the inner uniform. He has to take her arms out of the sleeves first, and then pull the whole thing down so it comes off around her legs. Perhaps he should remove her boots and socks first, to get those out of the way. They are removed easily enough. Ky also takes Millia's arms out of the sleeves with little (moral) struggle, contact of the arms is chaste. The problem is taking the rest off. The black fabric of the inner uniform is skintight, and the added wetness from the rain makes it cling to skin like glue. Ky has to put one arm on either side and pull down. The position is very compromising, and it makes averting his eyes very hard. Ky has to squeeze them shut. Eventually, the inner uniform comes off as well.
Now comes the hard part: putting on the nightgown. Ky can't do this blind or look away, doing so runs the risk of him...touching something inappropriate, and he will not accept that risk. There's no getting around it. Ky will just have to grit his teeth and do it quickly, like an immunization shot. Thankfully, Millia is wearing undergarments, so she's not on full display, but even so, there is a lot of...temptation before Ky.
The cotton gown has a zipper on the back, so all Ky has to do is slip the gown on and zip up the zipper. He can do this quickly and get out of here without sinning anymore.
Shooting another prayer for forgiveness, Ky takes a deep breath and gets to work. Ky positions Millia's arms so they're by her sides and out of the way. With one hand between her shoulder blades, Ky props Millia up as he puts the gown on with the other hand. He struggles with all his might to fixate his eyes on anything other than Millia's generous bust. As soon as the piece of clothing is at her stomach, Ky leans the unconscious woman against the headboard and pulls the gown all the way down, making sure to keep his eyes at an appropriate level. Despite his best efforts, the captain catches himself sneaking glances at those enticing legs. Slipping her arms into the sleeves proves to be a quick task. Finally, Ky zips up the gown, tucks the ex-assassin in and stands up. He collects the wet clothes and spreads them out at the foot of the bed. Hopefully they'll dry by morning.
The former Holy Knight unleashes a big sigh as he leaves the infirmary. That was one of the worst experiences of his life. Ky is positive that he will have flashbacks of bare expanses of silky smooth skin, voluptuous breasts and long, slender legs. May the Lord protect his sanity and purity.
Ky returns to the lobby and finds Alex still asleep. He is about to wake the receptionist when a voice captures his attention.
"Ah, finally done are you? I was wondering how long you would take."
A brown haired man with a well-kept beard and mustache steps out of the shadows. He wears a greyish-blue suit over a white dress shirt, and his dress pants are the same color as his suit. Red crosses with white trimming adorn his sleeves and he wears a similar tie. A monocle rests over his left eye, and a piece of red clothe rests on his right shoulder.
"D-Don't get the wrong idea! I...I was just...just..."
"I'm sure I have no idea what you are talking about, my fellow," replies the man with a knowing smile. "At any rate, I'm looking for a police officer named Ky Kiske.
"Oh, well I am Ky. What can I do for you?"
"Nothing special. I've just come to pay a visit. It is customary for the king of the night to request permission from the protector of the day before venturing into the sunlight."
Ky really has no idea what this person is talking about, but the way he talks and the aura he exudes...Ky's arm moves instinctively towards his sheath.
"Ah, where are my manners? My name is Slayer. Your friend at the desk there is fast asleep and won't wake up until someone touches him. He won't interfere. Now then, let me test your skill."
The brunet leaps at Ky, leaving a cloud of purple dust in his wake. The surprised police officer barely has time to bring his sword up to deflect the hit; such is the speed of Slayer's charge. Slayer's fist meets the hard steel of Thunderseal, and the force of the blow is enough to send Ky skidding backwards several meters.
"If that is what you wish, then I will oblige you!" says Ky. Electric energy surges down Thunderseal into Ky's arms, spreading through his entire body. Lightning crackles from the sword.
Ky charges at his opponent, slashing horizontally as he does so. To his shock, Slayer blocks the sword with his forearm without any damage to his limb or even his clothes. If his earlier movement didn't give away the man's inhuman nature, then surely this does. In retaliation, the monocled fighter delivers a powerful jab to Ky's gut, launching him airborne. The blonde manages to perform a flip midair to land on his feet, but the punch has left him gasping for breath.
Slayer advances towards his target slowly, as if he is taking a stroll in the park. He even has his pipe lit and leisurely smoking it.
He's not taking this fight seriously at all. I will have to make him take it seriously then.
"Stun edge!" A bolt of lightning discharges from Thunderseal, zipping towards Slayer. The supernatural brunet hops out of the way easily, and the electricity splashes harmlessly on the far wall. The projectile, however, is just a feint. Ky slides along the ground with one leg extended, crashing into Slayer and knocking him off balance. The blonde rises with explosive force, swinging his blade as he does so. The slash should've cut the debonair in half, but, as Ky expected, his opponent's body is tough enough to take the cut without sustaining any damage. Instead, the brunet is sent stumbling back with an amused look on his face.
"Very good Mr. Kiske, you managed to land a hit on me. I'm impressed."
Ky normally enjoys a good duel. He is rarely able to spar with anyone close to his ability, so a fight that challenges him is always welcome. What he can't stand, however, is someone looking down on him. He can't stand it when people belittle him and not fight seriously. Normally such irritation is directed at Sol, but this man before him is doing the same. Ky can feel anger coursing through his veins.
"You haven't seen anything yet. Holy Order special technique!"
A much bigger bolt of lightning shoots out of Thunderseal this time, three times the size of the first. Slayer chuckles, and then puts his pipe in his mouth to free up his hand. He shifts his arm in front of him in a triangular pattern, moving so quickly that it seems like he has three hands. The electric projectile hits the brunet's hand and dissipates as if colliding with a wall. Slayer raises one eyebrow in amusement, as if taunting Ky.
"Grrrr... Block this! Sacred edge!"
Ky swings his blade in a circle, the steel leaving behind a trail of thunder in its wake. Once he completes the rotation, the blonde thrusts his sword through the circle he created, and massive amounts of electric power discharges from Thunderseal. The lightning takes the form of a blade and shoots towards Slayer, who seems genuinely impressed by the show of power.
"Ho...?" the debonair murmurs. Slayer's body shimmers once before disappearing entirely right before Ky's attack hits. The Sacred Edge slams into the far wall. The vibrations caused by the impact are enough to shatter the windows on the side walls. Thankfully, it is late at night and there is little chance of passersby in the streets getting caught by the collateral damage.
Slayer re-emerges a couple of meters from where he was, clapping.
"Quite a display of power, young one. But you would be well advised to control your power."
Ky swears he will wipe the smug look off Slayer's face no matter what. "RIDE THE LIGHTNING!"
The police officer slashes the air in front of him, creating a wall of electricity. Ky leaps with all his might, propelling the lightning forward.
"If you wish for me to fight seriously, then so be it," sighs Slayer. He bows his head and takes a drag from his pipe. "But you really ought to be careful what you wish for." Slayer snaps his head up with an intense look on his face. He shoots forward, leaving a cloud of purple dust behind. "Homono Punch!*"
To Ky's amazement, his opponent is directly challenging the electric power of Thunderseal with his bare fist. Slayer rockets towards him with his right arm extended. It takes Ky's brain several seconds to comprehend the brunet's fist breaking through the wall of thunder and striking him directly in the chest. It takes several more seconds for the pain to flare through his entire body.
Ky leans heavily on his sword as he attempts to rise. His body is worn out after taking those two hits, and he has some problem breathing. His opponent is clearly very powerful, and with Ky's combat capability decreasing by the second, there is only one option for victory left. He doesn't like relying on his ultimate attack, as it is the one move he is unable to hold back on. Ky rarely fights with the intention of permanently harming anyone, so he pulls his punches, so to speak. His Rising Force attack, however, is different. Ky synchronizes his magical ability with Thunderseal's electric power and together they unleash an attack with all their might. The consequences of his attack range from paralysis to complete bodily disintegration. Against this opponent, however, the blond is left with no choice.
"Full power!" Ky exclaims as he clasps both hands around Thunderseal's hilt. Electricity crackles from the blade, and energy runs down the sword into Ky's body, charging him full of power. "RISING FORCE!"
The blond officer thrusts his sword outwards, and a beam of lightning discharges from the blade. Every hair on his body stands on end from the powerful discharge, every nerve tingles from the electric stimulation. The plasma moves quickly, striking Slayer before he has a chance to react. With a pained grunt, the monocled fighter falls to the ground, smoke rising from his body.
"I hope I haven't overdone it," says Ky to himself.
"Don't worry, I'm fine," responds Slayer, dusting himself off as he rises. The debonair tries to play it off, but the attack must have hurt a lot. Ky can see many subtle nuances on the man's face that indicates pain.
Even so, he has sustained far less damage than anyone else that has been hit by the Rising Force. If this Slayer being can withstand his ultimate attack that can kill even highly magic resistant Gears, then there is nothing more Ky can do against him. He has lost.
"Hmph. I've shamed myself in front of you," concedes Ky as he lowers Thunderseal.
"No, not at all," reassures Slayer as he takes a drag of his pipe. "You're quite impressive."
"Still, why are you here?"
"When the sun sets, the moon rises. Here, have a look at this." Slayer reaches into his suit and pulls out a piece of paper, which he hands to Ky. "And, since Miss Rage is in your care, please give this to her. She will know what to do with it when the time comes." Slayer once again reaches into his jacket and pulls out a golden dagger. It's small, barely a knife, but its blade is sharp and pointy, and the hilt has an intricate design of flowers. A jolt passes through Ky as he catches the weapon, but he dismisses it as static electricity. He puts the dagger in his pocket and takes the paper into his hands.
"What's this? Ahh, the latest bounty list."
"Indeed. You know anything about the new names here?"
Ky scans the list. What? The new top bounties are... and the reward!
"What on earth? This is—wait, where did you go?"
The brunet is gone. All that remains of him is a memory, and a new lead to investigate. This new bounty list is big news. It's no coincidence that these names are on this list, and to have their bounties increased by so much...something is definitely afoot here.
First things first, Ky needs to wake up Alex and inform him about the situation concerning Millia and the new bounty list. Then, he will go to sleep. Ky has a feeling that he will need all the rest he can get, because something big is coming.
*For Slayer's overdrive, 'Dead on Time' in GGXX, Slayer says something during the attack, but I'm not really sure what it is. I played it by ear and rendered it as "Homono Punch" but really I have no clue.
You know, at first I thought it would be funny to have Ky suffer a bit, but after re-reading that section, I just wanna cry.
