(A New Distortion has begun to make itself known, What will lie in wait for our heroes as they continue on their adventure? Let us find out.)

Bold = English Conversations

Bold + Italics = Japanese Conversations

Distortion 28

The first thing Sora and Bullet saw the moment they stepped out of the truck that carried them past the Akitsu-Ko NOL Controlled border patrol was a stone building that was surrounded by a massive vineyard. The other thing in particular about this location was the amount of snow that had accumulated around the area as Sora scratched his head at that. What was bizarre to him was how this area could even be a winery/distillery with this amount of snowfall that was currently in the area.

"What happened to this area…" Sora mumbled as Bullet came out of the truck with a member of the mafia behind her. "You can blame Ragna the Bloodedge for that. Ever since he destroyed the city's cauldron, the city has been struggling to control the weather around here. We have to temporarily stop production of alcohol for the time being until we get our temporary solution up and running." The man explained as Sora looked back at the vineyard, now understanding the situation.

In his world, because most of the criminal networks had set up in Otsu, a winter city, they already had the necessary infrastructure needed to do whatever kind of business they needed, all without needing any rules from the NOL. Because in this world the 1st free city of Otsu did not exist, the criminal organizations were forced to follow NOL guidelines, which included any restrictions that the NOL may have put in place to avoid the unnecessary manufacturing of alcohol to the public.

"Sorry if I am stating the obvious. I haven't really been in the news lately." Sora explained as the man looked at him with a look that said, How could you not have heard about the SSS class criminal destroying a cauldron and with it the city of Akitsu-Ko's weather system? Sora ignored the look as he stepped a bit to feel the wind bite down on his skin, the cold chilly air shaking his systems back up. "As you remember, our boss wants to see you. So don't think about bailing now before seeing him." The man said as Sora nodded his head at that as the truck drove right into the garage to prevent the snow from freezing the engine.

"Damn it's fucking cold!" Bullet said as she applied a couple of Ars Magus seals all around her body to keep herself warm. "What are you doing? You should at least use some heat Ars Magus to stay warm at least." she added as Sora nodded his head before scratching it. "I actually have zero Ars Magus Aptitude. Can't even use a basic level heat spell if I wanted to. At least I have gotten used to this level of cold...to a degree." Sora explained as Bullet simply looked at him with a look that said what on Earth are you talking about.

"You...You are joking right? Even a kid can at least do a basic Ars Magus circle. That's why Ars Magus was created in the first place." Bullet said as Sora's silence spoke more words than he could. Bullet simply shook her head in disbelief as she couldn't believe someone like him was able to do mercenary work without any kind of Ars Magus training, let alone bear the scars he does. "If you are speaking the truth, we have to hurry inside to get you warmed up. Used it it or not, Hypothermia will make you lose any limbs you got." Bullet added as Sora nodded his head at that.

With Bullet's words, the two of them walked into the now frozen shut winery/distillery. They were soon greeted by a blast of warm heat right at their faces as a fake fireplace that was emitting warm fire ars magus right towards them. In front of them was several barrels of whiskey, lined up in a singular wall behind the counter as there was several other bottles of wine right in front of them. Sora couldn't help but feel his mouth water a bit for a desperate taste of the liquid as he was trying to not say anything to Bullet about his special situation with water, sipping the bare minimum to stay hydrated without going drunk in the process.

The fact that wine and whiskey, which might as well be mana from the gods for him was just staring right at him in the face and he couldn't drink any of it was simply an insult to his face. Sora held back the urge to speak anything as the clerk in front of them smiled. "Welcome. The boss has been expecting you two. Please proceed." The clerk said as she pushed one of the wine barrels behind her, revealing a door as the barrel rolled to the side to do so.

"Well...that's one way of hiding an entrance." Bullet commented as both her and Sora followed the clerk as she led them down the secret stairway to a room that is obviously used for other things. "How have the NOL not found this place? Surely bribing them wouldn't be enough." Sora commented as he couldn't help but be curious as to how the Mafia operated in this world. "We must have our trade secrets sir. But be assured that the NOL will not find the secret staircase and even if they did, it's not much of a big deal regardless." The clerk replied as Bullet couldn't help but breathe in relief.

"Well thank god. As much as I hate them, I would rather not have the NOL breathing down my damn neck while I try to work." Bullet added as the clerk simply smiled and nodded her head at that. "Indeed. So I would like to ask you two to keep this a secret should you two be captured by the NOL in any way. Unless you wish to have the Mafia breathing down on your necks." The clerk added as both Sora and Bullet nodded their heads at that, agreeing with her choice of words.

Soon the two of them were seated inside a tasting room, more barrels of whiskey and wine surrounding Sora and taunting him with the urge to drink as he took a small breath to calm himself down. Now that he had settled down, he couldn't help but think about who the leader of the Mafia was. Back in his world, Sofia was the head of the mafia after her father died from an attempted hit. So was it going to be the same with Sofia leading or will this world throw another curve ball his way.

"Say Bullet, do you know anything about the head of the Mafia?" Sora questioned as he decided that instead of talking off his ass, he needed to know any sensitive information that may cause both him and bullet to tie their own nooses as Bullet placed a finger on her chin, pondering if there was any news that she could give him. Sora patiently waited for Bullet's response but unfortunately, she was unable to give him the answer he was looking for when the door opened.

'Shit… just before I can find out what is going on.' Sora thought as he couldn't help but feel a sense of frustration by the last minute interruption, now forced to go in blind to the conversation ahead. "They are here boss. Just like you asked them to." The clerk clarified as Sora and Bullet looked at the door, waiting for the boss to make their appearance at that very moment. "Thank you dear, keep watch of the store, someone should be coming soon." an old voice spoke as Sora and Bullet waited with bated breath for the head of the Mafia here in Akitsu-Ko to show themselves.

The man himself appeared to look like every single mafia leader that you would see in a film. They noted how he wore a simple suit that had an overcoat over it as he took it off, showing off the black suit with white pinstripes on it as he gave it to what seemed to be one of his cronies. He then slowly reached and grabbed his black fedora as he bowed before Sora and Bullet. "I am glad to meet your Acquaintance. My name is Garlond. I trust that your travel here was as comfortable as it could be?" The old man, Garlond said as he tapped his shoes a bit, shaking off the snow that had accumulated on it.

His posture was immaculate, standing upright and looking at the two with eyes that remained sharp despite his older age. Garlond approached the two before taking his seat in front of them, his men taking seats beside him as a silence greeted them. Both Sora and Bullet did not know what to say other than just remain silent and not say a word until Garlond spoke first. Bartholomew gestured with his hand for his men to do something as one of them followed his command.

"Shall we first have a drink? I do apologize for the lack of water." Garlond said as his men brought forth a bottle of whiskey. "An 18 year old aged Whiskey, one of my finest bottles. Care to sample a taste?" Garlond suggested as the two of them looked at each other. "Now Now, don't be shy. I am not asking you to pay for the bottle, I am offering you a drink." He added as the two of them wondered how they should respond.

"I mean you say that but how do we know that whiskey is not going to poison us?" Bullet questioned as Garlond looked at her with a raised brow. "You really think I would poison my own product?" He said as Bullet lifted the bottle of Whiskey. "I mean it is a convenient way of murder is it not? Hide a poisonous substance in the drink and wait for your victim to ingest it to their death? A clean murder if I would say myself." Bullet said as Garlond laughed at that.

"You are not wrong about that… Bullet." Garlond said as Bullet raised her eyebrow. "You have done your best to remain hidden, that much is commendable. Nothing my information network cannot dig up." Garlond said as his eyes then went to Sora. "But the more important question is your mysterious friend here. How have you managed to remain incognito for so long? It must be very difficult to completely erase all information about someone the way you have." He said as Sora scratched his head a bit.

While he was glad he was not known by anybody, he couldn't help but feel like the lack of information would eventually draw more attention towards him at the end of the day. "I apologize for the lack of information. I prefer to remain incognito from most people. Don't need people digging into my past." Sora said, Bullet realizing he was just lying and decided to go with it. "So in that case, why are you with Miss Bullet here. There's no need for you to expose yourself like this you are aware." Garlond questioned.

"He needed help to get into the city, being a man of no information, if he walked through that checkpoint, he would be drawing more eyes right at me. I suggested contacting your organization and having them smuggle us into the city." Bullet explained as Sora himself was surprised to hear Bullet cover for him the way she was doing as he decided to not let it show on his face and let Bullet continue making the cover story.

"Really now? Now that is truly a disadvantage for being as mysterious as you are. Well I am always happy to help people who are searching to get into the Hierarchical cities without much difficulty." Garlond said as Sora simply nodded his head. The Mafia head was then drawn towards Sora's missing arm as he stood up and approached the white haired man as he did not look fazed and allowed Garlond to get closer.

"Tell me, are you a hermit? Or are you more than you appear." Garlond said as he drew a small switchblade knife close to Sora's throat, threatening to cut into his throat as Bullet was about to react when Sora stood still, surprising Bullet by how stone faced Sora was even with a weapon close to his throat. "As much as I would like to say, I prefer my silence." Sora spoke confidently as he grabbed the whiskey that was on the table and poured himself a glass.

"Are you sure about that? Like Miss Bullet said, I could have poisoned that glass of whiskey." Garlond said as Sora shook his head at that. "If you had poisoned the glass of whiskey to murder a nobody and a mercenary, people would think you were ruthless and be less reluctant to do any business with you." Sora explained as he held the bottle of whiskey right up Garlond's face, showing the logo that was emblazoned on the bottle.

"Secondly, while it is true that this bottle of whiskey could have been poisoned like Bullet said, Nobody would be as bold to try and use poison on their own bottle of alcohol. The moment someone dies from consuming your product, the first person to be investigated will be you. You would be drawing NOL heat towards your own direction and potentially ruin business you create. That would be counterproductive to the legitimate business that you are trying to create here."

Garlond's men couldn't help but become agitated but Garlond merely raised his hand to calm them down. "Let us go with your theory. What if I just poison people when they arrive to this room, a room where nobody would be able to hear a single thing and I can easily destroy any trace of foul play?" Garlond spoke as Sora took a calm deep breath. "Of course, this is the ideal situation to use a poisoned bottle, but if I may ask, how would you feel if you were currently being listened to on right now via wiretap?"

Sora's words continued to make Garlond's men more jittery, more eager to execute him for what seemed to be slander/knowledge he possessed. Garlond however laughed heavily as he relented his knife on Sora's neck, relieving the tension in the room. "That is true indeed. Your choice of words really impress me. Whether you are a hermit trying to lay low or a man who has clearly seen much more than what meets the eye, I can say I am impressed with what I am seeing." Garlond said as he poured Sora a glass.

"Now, talk is cheap…" Before Garlond could finish his words, Sora in front of him, Bullet and Garlond's men, Sora grabbed the glass and boldly drank it as a shot. Sora understood that Garlond was trying to call his bluff, so by actually doing it without hesitation, he was showing Garlond how serious he was as the room waited with bated breath to see what was going to happen to Sora. Sora then felt a burning sensation on his throat as Garlond laughed hard when he saw Sora close his eyes in pain from how strong of an alcoholic percentage he had just tasted, even as someone who could drink Alcohol freely.

"HAHAHA. I appreciate your daring nature Sir! Not everyone is willing enough to call my bluff like that! Let alone drink pure absinthe of all things!" Garlond said as he petted Sora behind his back and took his seat. "You truly are one bold and brave man. Mr…?" he continued as Sora refused the glass of water that was given to help swish down the absinthe, gesturing for more alcohol. "Sora...Sora Minakaze." Sora said as Garlond nodded his head, having heard the name of this mysterious person.

"As much as I admire your bravery Mr Minakaze, you must be aware of what kind of ship I run around here...right?" Garlond said as Sora simply nodded his head. "I am very well aware of what you are saying. You need to maintain a show of dominance otherwise people will think you have softened by letting a complete nobody into your private compound without a single word where NOL officials and other criminals would dream to have such access." Sora explained as Garlond couldn't help but be slightly impressed by Sora's language.

"So that means you are willing to do a job for me? Even if it means compromising on the secrecy you have worked hard to achieve?" Garlond said as Sora nodded his head. "As much as secrecy is nice, being secret is not helping me any further. I need answers right now and the only way I will get them is if I do this job for you. Though if you think I will just do grunt work you will be mistaken." Sora explained, intriguing Garlond.

Garlond: Grunt work?

Sora: I cannot work for your family directly, that would be a long process and that takes time, time I frankly do not have currently to spare.

Garlond: So what you trying to propose then?

Sora:… I will do a hit for you, take out anybody you want. I have no name so I can be used to eliminate anybody you would wish to do so.

Garlond: Anybody now? Even including a high ranking NOL official if I were ask?

Sora: If that would help me get the resources I wish to gain, I will do it.

Bullet couldn't help but be shocked to hear what she was hearing. She had figured that Sora was desperate to get inside the city for information, but to actually go and make a deal with a mafia boss to get even more information for himself. That truly told her how determined he was with whatever was happening to him. "And not just me. Bullet here agreed to help me, so the least I can do is extend to her the same offer for her to get the information she wants. It's only fair enough payment for her helping me to get into the city." Sora said while trying to not think too much about what he had just drank, making Bullet look at him with even more shock in her face.

"Hey don't look at me like that, it's the least I can do for you as payment right?" Sora said as he saw a glass of whiskey poured for him as Garlond looked at him, having relaxed from his massive laugh. "Normally to have a deal for two would require more work but judging from how you are resolved in taking the shortest path possible, I can at least respect that much of your resolve." Garlond replied as another knock on the door was heard.

"Sir, he has arrived." The clerk reported as Garlond smiled hearing that. "Good, invite him in, I wish for him to hear what is going to happen next." Garlond said as the clerk simply bowed before Garlond respectfully. "An old acquaintance is all. Today is to celebrate something important for the both of us after all." He added as Sora and Bullet wondered who this mystery person could be? Soon they could feel the floor slightly vibrate as Sora could immediately catch the whiff of alcohol that was different from the room giving him an idea of who it could be.

"Comrade Garlond! My old friend!" A loud voice boomed as the door opened, letting Sora and Bullet get a good glimpse of the person approaching in the room. His massive frame was barely covered by his coat as Garlond smiled at the man who just came in. "Vlad, it's good to see you my friend!" Garlond said as the two approached and hugged each other. Bullet herself was simply stunned to see one of the more well known Mercenaries of the world being associates with a mafia boss but to Sora, this association meant much more.

"Oh? What's with the new company? They business partners?" Vlad questioned as he approached the two once he finished hugging his good old friend. "No, they are going to be the ones to assist us with a favor." Garlond explained as Vlad simply nodded his head at that, his eyes first drawn towards Bullet as he smiled. "Ahhh, a mercenary I see. I recognize those colors anywhere." Vlad said as Bullet nodded her head at that.

"You know my company?" Bullet said as Vlad simply nodded his head. "No mercenary worth their salt would ever forget the people who wore the jacket you are wearing right now. Especially what happened to them." Vlad continued as he respectfully paused, knowing how sensitive of a topic he was probably speaking to the woman in question. "Yeah… glad to know at least they are still remembered if one of the most well known mercenaries can say that." Bullet said as Vlad patted her back before turning his attention to Sora.

"And you. What's your story hmmm?" Vlad questioned as Sora cleared his throat, still lingering from the taste of Absinthe as he sipped on the glass of Vokda provided to him. "Let's just say I came here to get some stuff done. And in order to get what I need done, I have decided to accept Garlond's work." Sora explained as Vlad couldn't help but look at his friend hearing that, Sora himself remained quiet as he felt a sense of awkwardness, knowing the man while at the same time the man knew nothing about him, like he was a complete stranger to his own friend, reminding him of his own situation even though he was not thinking about it.

"He is right, he agreed in exchange for our help, he will do one job for us." Garlond said as he focused his attention back to Sora. "But in all seriousness, what is it you would like from me besides getting into the city?" Garlond asked as Sora thought about it for a bit before nodding his head. "Fake immigration papers, stuff that will let me get into the Hierarchical cities for the time being. I am aware that there is the option of using the sewers but I prefer to have a normal way of accessing the hierarchical cities if I can. A hermit's lifestyle can only get me so far and all."

There was logic behind Sora's words, he was in a new world and could have asked for information about what was the current world situation using the excuse of him being a hermit but he knew that there would have to be a limit to that. At least by asking for fake papers, he would be able to move around more easily around the Hierarchical cities without having to worry about how he was getting in, and with how much of a favor he was doing, he was most likely going to get the best possible papers a criminal organization could spare for someone like him so something that can resist Ars Magus scanners at least.

"A hermit's lifestyle truly does have it's limits, I don't blame you for wanting to at least be able to travel between hierarchical cities." Garlond said as he then turned his head towards Bullet. "And what about you Miss Bullet? What can I do for you?" Garlond asked as Bullet took a deep breath. She finally has managed to reach a break of sorts even if the methods she got there were unconventional.

"I...I will tell you what I want in private if I may." Bullet asked as Sora could understand her want for secrecy at that moment. He decided to remain quiet and not question her decision of silence as even he would have requests that would be more preferred to be made in a more private manner. All he can trust is that whatever she asks would help her reach the goal she was aiming for. "So if we have made the rewards of our task clear, can we now know what is the mission being given to us?" Sora questioned, deciding to speed things up for times sake.

"Ahh Yes, your task." Garlond spoke as he gestured for his men to bring the documents he wanted. "To be honest, I was going to make you do this task anyways when I saw you had no information about you. But your eager acceptance of the task makes it much easier for me to offer it to you." Garlond said as his man brought the files he requested. "Your target is going to an NOL sponsored party in three days time. He was formerly a part of my criminal network but betrayed me and nearly got me killed as a result by the Zero Squadron. I had to bribe the officials to get the Zero Squadron off my back and now my work is limited as a result."

"I cannot let him live. He serves as a symbol of me being weak. The reason why I haven't done a counter hit of my own is mainly because it would be tracked back to me and I would be eliminated instead." Garlond continued as Sora began to nod his head at that. He was able to get a picture of what was happening and he could see what was truly going on as he decided to keep quiet instead of asking more questions for the time being.

"I have a question, if I may be as bold to ask." Bullet asked, raising a hand in the air as Garlond's attention was turned to her. "Would you prefer us to murder him in a more stealthy manner or would you like to make a statement with his death?" Bullet questioned as Sora nodded his head, wondering what Garlond would decide be this man's fate. Also depending on the method of murder, that would probably change the way they would need to operate.

"I will leave it up to you. You can kill him in the flashiest manner possible for all I care. I just want him dead." Garlond said, not bothering to put any kind of thought in the way he wanted this man to die. This was a surprise for the both of them and they were glad they had freedom to choose how they wished to do this. "Just so you know. I am a mercenary, not much of a hitman." Bullet said as Sora nodded his head at that.

"Don't worry, I am not trying to suggest how you should kill him, just handle it in the way you think is going to be the best way for you two. As long as the man's on the next day's paper when I read it, the better." Garlond said as Vlad chuckled. "Though if I may, you may want to use some subtlety as ever since he betrayed Garlond here, NOL have soldiers following him 24/7" Vlad said, deciding to make sure they were notified about something crucial.

"NOL soldiers tailing our target huh… We only need to murder the man right? Do you mind collateral damage?" Sora questioned, deciding to use this as a test as he watched Garlond carefully for his answer. Garlond himself thought about it for a bit before shaking his head. "That's all I need to know. I hate to ask for more favors but we will need equipment to handle this assassination request." Sora said, getting straight to the point as secretly inside, he couldn't help but be happy about what he found out.

"Let me handle this my dear friend." Vlad snapped his finger, summoning for his own men to come to the scene. "Can you show our two friends to our trailer and let them peruse our wares. Try not to show them anything to extravagant like a new arm for our one armed friend here." Vlad said, speaking with his more professional voice as Sora noted in his own head. "Do not worry. I won't ask for equipment that would be too expensive. I do not wish to owe a debt to a man like you after all." Sora said, buttering Vlad up a bit as he chuckled as Bullet nodded her head.

"You should go ahead and see what you need Sora. I am fine with my current equipment and don't really need much." Bullet said "I insist Lady Bullet. If not for equipment, maybe my wares of rations would pique your interest more." The moment Bullet heard that, she couldn't help but gulp a bit as Sora shook his head. "I would suggest taking advantage of his hospitality, I won't really need rations myself, just mainly equipment." Sora said much to the surprise of everyone in the room.

"So you can have double the rations, the rations you would have wanted and my set of rations. You are more on the road anyways and not having to hunt all the time would be a good thing wouldn't it." Sora said as he had hoped to try and give Bullet more of a push for her own goal. Not to try and push her away from him… okay maybe a little but more importantly to give her the best chance possible in achieving the goals she had for herself.

"In that case… I can't really refuse the offer." Bullet said, blushing a little as she did not want to feel like she was being given food via charity but at the same time, rations are rations and not being able to hunt in certain environments would be the main strength of having these rations in the first place. As soon as that was agreed upon, she looked at Garlond as he simply nodded his head. "Do not worry Miss Bullet. I have not forgotten my end of the bargain, when the job is done, I will have all the info you want. You just have to let me know." Garlond said.

"...You better." Bullet simply said as Vlad clapped his hands together at that. "Right! We have wasted enough time, go and see my wares. I promise you will find things to your liking." Vlad said as Sora simply smiled to himself underneath. While this Vlad may be a different man from the Vlad he knew, if they are somewhat the same person, the weapons he would have should still be the same quality as he stood up and downed a final shot of whiskey.

"Thank you gentlemen for this. Truly." Sora said as Bullet simply nodded her head and the two left with Vlad's men to see his weapons of war. As the two left the room, the men were left by themselves as Garlond dismissed his men. "I thought you said you were not going to go after revenge my friend?" Vlad said as Garlond pulled out a cigar and prepared it for a smoke. "I did remember saying that… but I am a religious man to a fault and I believe I have been given this chance to exact revenge." Garlond answered.

"Religious man huh… I wonder what kind of god would approve of a man who commits crime for a living?" Vlad said as Garlond chuckled and finally lit his cigar. "Who knows… but at the same time, to think it's been a few years now…" Garlond said as his mind wandered for a bit. "Indeed… we have tried to live our lives as normally criminals/mercenaries can but that has not been easy huh…" Vlad said as Garlond nodded his head, blowing a ring of smoke into the air as his mind wondered.

"Tell me Vlad… Do you think we have made the right decision with our lives?" Garlond questioned as Vlad pulled out a bottle of Vokda to down. "I do not know my friend. All I know is that man is finally going to get what he deserved after so long." Vlad said as Garlond simply smiled and poured himself a glass of whiskey. "Indeed my friend, he has lived for too long." Garlond said as the two toasted to that and downed their shots as one thing remained in Garlond's mind.

...Will you ever forgive your foolish father for getting you into this mess...My dear daughter…

Several miles...timelines away, in a similar time but in a different place and circumstances, Sofia couldn't help but scratch her head as she walked up to a photo and picked it up, bringing it back to her desk as a knock was heard on her door. "Come in." Sofia simply said as the door opened to let her see Vlad come in, making her smile as she sat down. "Came here to have a chat to little old me?" Sofia joked as she placed the picture on the table.

"I would love to entertain such an idea. But you know, in the midst of what we are going through right now, we should take the time to remember someone important." Vlad said as Sofia immediately became serious when she heard those words. "Ahhh… it's that time of the year again huh…" Sofia said as she walked towards a cabinet and began to search through it for something special, pulling out a special bottle of whiskey, partially full with a few glasses having been poured out before as she poured out a glass for Vlad to drink.

"Tell me Miss Sofia, how old are you now?" Vlad questioned as Sofia finished pouring out Vlad's glass. "I'm about to turn 18 soon. Why?" Sofia questioned as Vlad simply smiled hearing that. "Pour yourself a glass… You're of age now." Vlad said as Sofia wondered what he meant by that as she poured herself a glass at that moment. Soon she brought both glasses to the table as Vlad held up the glass in the air to inspect the quality.

"What do you mean of age? I have been drinking alcohol ever since I took over the Mafia." Sofia questioned as Vlad in a rare moment, sipped his glass with more grace a man of his size should. "True, but you were drinking more as a show of force. You're about to become a proper woman and you should enjoy this whiskey… the final whiskey produced by your father." Vlad said as Sofia fell silent at that, seeing Vlad bring his glass close to her.

"...To think it has been a few years since dad died…" Sofia said, picking up her glass and tapping it, drinking the whiskey that Vlad would toast to on the anniversary of her father's death. "I've really forgotten how long has it been since he died… been so busy running the Mafia that if it weren't for you asking to remember his death on this date, I would have most likely forgotten right now." Sofia said as Vlad nodded his head at that.

"When you first took over Garlond's criminal empire, you were just daddy's little girl in everyone's eyes. You had to quickly grow up and prove that you were not going to let his enemies take advantage of you. You had to fight those battles on your own but you now stand here on your own two feet." Vlad said as Sofia nodded her head at that. "But dad...father never wanted me to join the family business. He wanted me to be legitimate, marry a legal man and discard the family name to live the life of a citizen… but that life will never happen now." Sofia said as she drank some more of the whiskey.

"If it wasn't for this damn war we were in right now, I would like to go and visit his grave. It has been so long since I actually done so and I would like to give it the proper wash it deserves." Sofia said as Vlad simply smiled at that. "Would you like for me to join? Or would you prefer to do this on your own?" Vlad questioned. "Don't be silly Vlad. You and father were always close. We might as well be family at this point." Sofia said as Vlad couldn't help but feel touched by that.

"You're a loud drunk Russian who liked to drink Vokda instead of Whiskey. Yet father always trusted you the most when it came to important decisions. And I have you to thank for supporting me when I made my first order to kill the man who killed my father. Even if you say you like the mercenary life, you were always father's friend and the others knew it." Sofia said as she stood up and got in front of Vlad before bowing before him, a sign of weakness that no head should ever show except to their fellow head.

"So thank you...for being a part of my father's life… my family's life… and now mine. Truly you are family at this point." Sofia said as Vlad couldn't help but wipe away a tear with his massive hand. "You sure are getting emotional on me this day. Maybe I am losing my touch a little having to do leading instead of fighting." Vlad said as Sofia shook her head. "God, A more emotional Vlad? I don't want to deal with you if you start trying to do Yoga or something stupid like that." Sofia replied back as Vlad laughed at that.

"You sure have your father's wit Sofia. Never lose that please." Vlad said, calming down after his laughter as Sofia simply nodded her head before picking up the picture frame she was looking at earlier. It was of an earlier time, a simpler and more innocent time where she was sat up on her father's shoulder, wearing his fedora as Garlond had the biggest smile an old man could ever had. 'Wherever you may be father...I hope you are resting peacefully. I may not be able to be the innocent girl I once was, but I do hope that you don't mind me wishing to keep your legacy alive.' Sofia thought as she raised her glass to the air.

"To my father… A good man… a great friend… and a father any little girl would have asked for." Sofia said, Vlad smiling at the growth of his friend's daughter. "His daughter may not have picked this life but she has made it her own and that was all anybody could ask for at the end of the day in the criminal world." Sofia said as the two clinked their glasses, drinking to a man who in their timeline died the day a made man in the family betrayed them and successfully sold him out to the NOL.

But in another world, in another timeline, This same made man made the same deal but instead of killing their original target, it was the daughter of the criminal boss that was claimed instead. "To the daughter whose life will never be fulfilled. An innocent life claimed due to being tied with bad blood. May her killer know no mercy when his time comes" Garlond said, both men clinking their glasses in a more solemn manner as Garlond stared at the same picture Sofia had but instead of being in a picture frame, it was simply folded up to fit inside his wallet.

...Two people. One person dying respectively on their timelines. Both following their own paths at this very junction.

GREETINGS LOST SHEEP OF FANFICTION! HOW ARE YOU ALL DOING IN THIS FINE DAY!? And I honestly do hope that you all are doing well, especially those who are going through hard times. Current world events are always out of our control so I hope that the people who choose to read my stories will be able to escape from the chaos even if it's just for a little while. If my works can make you forget what is happening around you even for a little bit, then I am happy to give you that small comfort.

SO WHAT WILL HAPPEN NEXT!? WHAT WILL SORA AND BULLET DO TO KILL THEIR TARGET!? CAN A MERCENARY AND A PERSON WHO IS NOT TRAINED IN THE ART OF SILENT KILLING ASSASSINATE THEIR TARGET!? AND WHAT KIND OF REPERCUSSIONS SHOULD WE EXPECT FROM THIS MAN DYING!? Well the only way to find out is to wait until the next distortion comes out to unveil the events of the next chapter.