The War Within - 5
"Dracopede Cell - Subject: H-31 - Combat Test 97,"
A voice blared over the loudspeakers in an underground arena, with high walls made of thick sheets of pure steel.
"Opponent: Danger Beast - Class: Special - Species: Chimera Lion,"
Hei, now twelve, stood in the center of the arena facing a giant door in the walls. A loud bang echoed through the giant room as the Danger Beast behind rammed the door to get itself free, and to reach the meal it had smelt.
"Opening Gate in, 5. 4. 3. 2. 1. Release the Chimera,"
The heavy steel barrier rumbled open as it scraped slowly against the rough dirt ground. A sinister snarl rang out from within as a huge monstrous creature leaped out.
A massive lion as big as a building with muscles bulging from under its fur. On its head, four horns, two small and two large, stuck out of its dark, thick, natural shield of a mane. Saliva dripped from its jaws as it approached the boy. Then there was a piercing hiss and the lashed out its tail, which was scaled and dark green. There was a mouth, nose, and eyes on its tail as Hei noticed that it was a giant serpent attached to the lion's body, and not a natural tail. Bone spikes lined its spine. Its front feet sported huge claws while its back legs were hooved. From its flank, two leathery wings burst through the skin and stretched out to the very limit, as to present the beast at its largest size.
The Chimera roared at the black-haired boy, who simply stared at the Danger Beast with an expressionless face.
The beast lunged, diving forward to splatter the kid within his giant paws. But his target was faster than it could comprehend. Hei had already jumped into the safety of the air.
His wrists glowed a molten orange as he tensed the muscles in his arms. Red-hot blades slid out of his wrists until the handle of two scorching swords were in the palm of his hands.
Hei gripped onto both blades tightly as he spun his body in midair, building the momentum to fling the two weapons down at the Chimera at an unseeable speed. Both swords lodged themselves into the hungry eyes of the beast and it released a pained and desperate roar as the sudden darkness overtook its vision.
With him still being in the air, Hei produced two blazing rope darts and hurled them down at the Chimera. The blades penetrated the bone and meat around the beast's eye sockets. With a powerful tug, Hei launched himself down like a meteor and redirected his body to make sure that his feet were going to land first.
The Chimera howled in agony as a sword in one of its eyes was forced even deeper and into a part of its brain, as Hei kicked it in further when his feet collided with the hilt.
The black-haired boy ripped out the sword along with the beast's large eyeball before shoving his arm into the back of the empty eye socket, reaching for the brain.
His palms glowed a flaming orange as they heated up intensely. Hei gripped the beast's brain, triggering another painful roar as he scorched the monster from the inside out.
Only when he felt the melted bits of organ fall on his arm along with flakes of burnt flesh, did Hei tear his arm out and jump off the Chimera. When he landed, the blood on that arm had already dried and fallen off from being under the blazing heat.
As the Chimera collapsed dead on the ground, Hei didn't wait for the next announcement on the speaker as he headed for the smaller door on the other side of the arena.
"Subject H-31 Combat Test Complete - Success,"
That was the last thing he heard before the iron doorway closed behind him.
From the one-way viewing area high above the arena, Fashio and Gozuki were peering down at the space below where the body of the Danger Beast lay, its head slowly flickering with specks of fire.
"Clean that up," Fashio ordered the guards of the facility, who saluted and proceeded to carry out their task. The professor himself began to write down some points in a file.
"Interesting batch you have," commented Gozuki with a chuckle as he stroked his short, sharp beard.
"Thank you old friend, anything to ensure that the Empire's power will continue to reign over this world for hundreds of years to come," replied Fashio as he finished up writing and capped the pen.
"I imagine that I'm not going to be able to see the fusing process this time?"
"Unfortunately, you just missed it by two days. We are very strict on the scheduling of it, any imbalance of the time in between could ruin our results, the last time we were hasty about it…it got a little messy," explained the professor.
"Ah, I see,"
"So," Fashio put the file away and took two cups of coffee off a table. handing one to the assassin mentor, "How goes your seven?"
Gozuki took the beverage in hand, smiling at the thought of his 'children', "They're doing fine, soon they'll be ready for work in the field,"
"Do you have a favorite?"
Gozuki snorted and whimsically waved his hand, "Ha! No no, I love all my children just the same,"
"But there is one that you pay attention to more than others, isn't there?" asked Fashio as he sipped on his drink.
"...Heh, you got me," the blonde assassin smirked, "Yeah there's one, a girl with fierce red eyes. Wields the katana like she was born holding one. Honestly, sometimes I see her as my successor more than my actual daughter,"
Fashio grinned and raised his brows in awe, "High praise coming from a former Rakshasa Demon,"
Gozuki shrugged, "Well, I speak the truth. How 'bout you old man? Are you playing favorites too?"
"Of course I am," the professor quickly admitted.
"Was it the boy that just came through?" asked Gozuki, "If I remember correctly he's the same kid that came last in the Forest Trials that you so swiftly snatched over to your side the moment he arrived,"
Fashio snorted and shook his head "No. Definitely not him,"
"Oh? Why not?" The blonde sat on the sill and leaned his back against the glass panel of the window.
"He has potential, yes, and is the only surviving member of his Cell. But he used to be the most troublesome one. Always aggressive. Ignoring commands. Hard to control," explained the mad professor, "Whether it was the fusings that made him that way or not is an honest mystery to me. At least he's become much better in the past months, a complete flip almost,"
"Sounds like quite a hassle…and an early teenage rebellious phase,"
"We used up quite a lot of resources on him. That's why I prefer O-11 the most,"
"O-11, the red-haired girl with tanned skin?"
"Yes, her. She's not the strongest, fastest, or the most skillful in combat, but the other five see her as the big sister of the group, their leader, and they listen to her, and she listens to me,"
Gozuki slowly nodded, he chugged down his drink before asking something else, "So, when do you plan on releasing them into the world, and begin the second half of this project?"
"They'll start their first set of contracts next year. By then, they all should be ready. And please, it's not a second phase but the start of a new one. Project Hybridization will come to an end, and from its ashes, Project Apex will rise,"
"Damn!"
Budo slammed a fist down on the table of one of the Palace's many war rooms, sending splinters and cracks to run through the long piece of expensive, luxurious, wood.
"They struck again!" he growled as he rubbed his temple, clearly frustrated at the situation.
Hei simply watched from the side, equipped in his black martial arts attire with a red belt, the signature uniform of the Apex Six.
It had been a couple of weeks since he and Azi arrived at the Capital. Since then they've been working with General Budo as their supervisor nonstop, assassinating suspected spies and traitors within the city, and the occasional contract to exterminate some Danger Beasts prowling close to military camps or close to the Capital's walls.
"Who struck again?" he asked.
"Night Raid," Budo answered with gritted teeth and a venomous voice.
"Right… What's that?"
"A group of rebel assassin scums who have been the biggest thorn to our Empire's progress these past two years," the General told him, "Led by a former ally of mine too...damn traitorous general turned revolutionist whore,"
"What'd they do?"
"In one month they killed two officials and the Minister's nephew. All three important figures to keep this nation running. Previously they even slaughtered an entire noble family, sweeping the entire mansion and land clean, not even leaving a guard, butler, or maid. They even got Captain Ogre last week,"
"And yet, they've all been replaced, the newer ones by tomorrow morning at the latest," Hei's casual-toned words initiated a scowl from the Lightning General.
"Unfortunately, you're right," Budo agreed with a vexed rumble in his throat, "That's how this world works, especially with the current state of our country,"
"So," began Hei, shrugging off the subject as quick as it came, "I know you didn't call me here just to vent about this Revolutionist Assassin group. What's my task for today?"
Budo pulled out a piece of parchment, another contract, and slid it across the table until the orange-eyed assassin stopped it with his hand.
Hei looked down at the contract. It had an expertly drawn picture of the upper half of a robust man in his late thirties to early forties, with short blonde hair that had horn-like bangs. He also had a chiseled face, a large nose, and ears covered by a set of black headphones. He wore a white shirt with a purple tie and steel plate shoulder pads. But the thing that caught Hei's eye was the diamond-shaped object that resembled an eyeball on his forehead.
At the top of the parchment, written in big black letters was the word; "BEWARE!".
"Who's this?" the assassin asked.
"Zanku," Budo replied, blowing air out from his nose, "One of our best executioners, always did it cleanly and fast by decapitating the ones sent to him. We suspected that it was getting to his head but he'd always say that he was fine, eventually, he developed a bad case of schizophrenia, and yet he still insisted on continuing with his work. However, he disappeared a few months before you and your sister showed up, and recently he's reappeared and has gone fully insane. The man is on a serial-killing rampage. At first, it was just a few city peasants living in the slums but, these past few nights he's been venturing into other districts, attacking and beheading nobles, soldiers, and people of all classes alike. No one is safe from this executioner and if we don't put an end to it soon, it'll cause problems for all of us,"
"The Imperial Police didn't do anything about this?" Hei asked, eyebrows furrowed.
"They tried, turns out they just gave him more bodies to add to the list," explained the General, "Without Captain Ogre's leadership they're a mess fumbling through wet mud but also, it's because of the item he wears on his forehead, you see it?"
Hei nodded.
"It's not a normal accessory. It's a Teigu. Spectator,"
The teen absentmindedly scratched his temple, "I've heard about it,"
"Good, then you'll know what you'll be dealing with,"
"Not the first time I fought a Teigu user," murmured Hei as he folded the contract into a small rectangle before slipping it into his pocket.
"I trust that you can track him down yourself?" questioned Budo who folded his arms across his heavy chest plate.
"Just follow the heads,"
"...W-Was that a joke," The Thunder General narrowed his eyes, but let out an amused snort, "I thought the hybridization would have sapped you of all human emotion, but it turns out humor still remains,"
Hei tilted his head sideways, "...I was being serious,"
"...," Budo blinked in disbelief and cleared his throat, continuing, "Well, when you kill him. Take the Spectator from his body. The Empire can always use a couple more Teigu Wielders who aren't…fully insane,"
The assassin simply nodded before exiting the room.
The red tiles of a rooftop clattered as the boots of the black-haired assassin scraped across the bumpy, rough surface. He had just leaped down from a higher position, one of the many brothel towers, and was regaining his balance.
Truth be told, he did consider walking through the streets as a normal person would during his hunt for Zanku, but traversing the rooftops was what he had grown used to. He thought it was the faster option and offered better vantage points over the entire city, which was very much needed as the sheer size of the Capital could even match the total area of smaller nations.
From under his black and white, 'X' patterned mask, Hei peered up at the setting sun. The sky was a myriad of warm and cold colors, with splashes of blue, pink, red, and orange all in different shades. The full moon had already been up in the sky for a while now, its lunar glory displayed clearly during the then cloudless midday. Along with the sun going down, the winds kicked up and guided a forest of fluffy clouds over the city.
The assassin surveyed the area, everything was peaceful. He silently groaned, the serial killer had left no tracks for him to follow in this district despite him being drawn by the scent of fresh blood, and even if the crazed beheader were to be wandering around, the clustered buildings of this particular area didn't help either. It was rather difficult trying to look through all the rooftops huddled together, allowing only small gaps of visibility from above if he was lucky. A clearer view was needed to investigate.
Hei slid off the roof, through the gap, and his feet met the sign of a shop, landing softer and quieter than a cat. It wasn't a high drop from his position to the ground, and the assassin expertly slipped off the sign and descended on the carved stone path.
In one swift movement, done thousands of times before, Hei removed his mask and attached it to his red belt to not draw attention to himself. Focusing on the scent of blood in the air, the orange-eyed assassin began to pursue it, walking fast instead of running.
The streets here weren't the widest, suffocating almost and was dimly lit due to the lack of sunlight getting in thanks to the cramped rooftops. The area was dirty but not filthy like the poorer districts. The walls of the buildings looked a bit weathered and the windows were a bit yellow with dark green to black stains, or mold, in the corners that would not and would no longer go away. The buildings within that district were usually cleaned twice a year, once by the annual Spring storms, and once by the owners of the property. Waste from those houses and establishments, and collected rainwater would run together in a mysterious mix of green-brown, down the channels dug next to the pathways that eventually led to the sewers. The rats that ran on the side of the paths were still of average size, unlike the cat-sized vermin that plagued the slums.
People passed him going about their daily lives. Merchants, builders, soldiers, blacksmiths, the odd artists or two, and as a sweet, floral, manmade scent hit the assassin's nose, it informed him that prostitutes had begun their nightly enterprise. As he walked the streets he curiously looked around as he stayed vigilant for any traces of his target. He saw the Innkeepers, brothel owners, and other nocturnal businesses starting to light their lamps and lanterns, preparing for a busy and stressful night.
Despite a Teigu-wielding murderer prowling the streets after the moon rises, the people here didn't seem worried at all. Keeping their profits flowing was their priority. In fact, it seemed as if the people in this district didn't even know about Zanku and his ongoing horrific headless rampage. But Hei didn't pay their assumed obliviousness any mind, ignorance is bliss after all and he didn't have time to pay attention to normal civilians. He had one target and he wanted to complete the contract by the time the sun rises again.
The scent of blood led him down several sharp turns and tight corners, a couple of blocked alleyways where he had to find another way around, and even through some of the inns, massage parlors, and opium dens in the area.
As he paced through the busy streets, the smell grew stronger which was a good sign. Then the scent trail suddenly split into two, although still close together.
'Weird,' he thought but shrugged it off. It was in the same direction anyway, by his estimates there were a couple of houses between the two different blood fragrances, and investigating an extra area wasn't too much of a hassle, especially if it would potentially lead him to his target.
It didn't take long for him to find the first of the blood scent beacons. Hei looked up at the brothel in front of him, made of stone bricks and wood with red and pink-tinted windows. A pale, almost steam-like smoke was seeping from under the doors and through the cracks and crevices of the building. The assassin narrowed his eyes suspiciously, he had seen this type of smoke before. Without further hesitation, he pushed open the door and entered the house of pleasure, and immediately the sheer mixture of scents assaulted his nose and disorientated him. The smell of blood was now cloaked by the smell of sweat, perfume, alcohol, sex, and something spicy but floral, sweet but dried.
'Soedit leaves,' he concluded.
Soedit leaves. A type of drug Hei had come across several times throughout his career as an assassin. Despite being the roasted leaves of a poisonous plant, the drug was rather widespread and popular in the underground markets. Its primary use was a sedative but would have a secondary effect that would block off a person's moral reasoning, turning them into animals that would do anything to submit to their carnal desires. It was no surprise that the dried plant was popular all over the Capital, used by devious nobles and common folk alike. In large clouds, the smoke from the leaves would usually affect anyone who breathed it in, and the interior of this particular dimly lit brothel was filled to the brim with it.
Hei's nose twitched, fortunately, his hybrid mutations had made him immune to the drug's effects, however, the smell was rather sneeze-inducing. Holding down the sneeze, the assassin focused and honed in on the scent of blood. He followed it through the hazy brothel, walking past scantily clad men and women, drinking and dancing, some were naked and others were already doing the deed out in the open without a care in the world. He moved quickly, not wanting to remain in the building for long, and thankfully the scent had led him to the back door.
The assassin closed the door behind him, took a deep breath…then released his sneeze.
"Ugh," he muttered, massaging his nose.
Looking up, he found himself in a long alleyway with just enough space to spread one's arms. The smell of blood he had been tracking was definitely stronger now, clearer too, and was practically an invisible line that led Hei to the source of it.
Down the alleyway, Hei spotted a man lying on the ground face-first in a puddle. He made his way to the body and crouched down next to it to begin investigating.
'The puddle underneath him is red, have to turn him over,'
The assassin rolled the body onto his back before thoroughly examining it.
'Head's still intact. Not Zanku. Looks to be around thirty. Broken nose, and bleeding from his mouth. Multiple broken ribs, a couple must've punctured a lung. A stab wound on the right side to the kidney, not too big or small of a wound, could've been done by a small knife, a shiv perhaps, or something similar. Multiple extra puncture marks across the torso too…and it looks like the head was smacked by a blunt weapon. Hmm, a fight broke out here no doubt. With the number of wounds this man has, he didn't go down without dealing a fair bit to his opponent. Even his eyes are still open,'
Hei stood up and looked around and spotted an iron object on the ground nearby. He went over to check what it was.
'This is…a candlestick. Smells like expired perfume and rum, with a bit of Soedit leaf and human exc…oh,' the assassin dropped the candlestick and kicked it away, 'Well that's...no doubt came from the brothel,'
The black-haired teen swiftly continued down the alleyway, focusing on the smell of the second trail of blood that wasn't too far off.
After a couple more turns and tight squeezes, commotion finally reached his ears. Shouting, crying, and pained screams. The assassin was drawn by the noise and hurriedly made his way over to it. There was a stack of crates and barrels in his way but was easily cleared in a single, effortless jump.
This side of the alley was darker than the lanes behind as it was a dead-end that received light from a thin line between the roofs above. At the end of the tip of the dead-end were five people, four men and one woman whose belly was swollen with a child.
Two men were holding down the woman on her knees, she was sobbing loudly as she screamed for them to stop despite trails of blood running profusely down her legs. The largest of the males there, a bald man with gold ear-piercing was burying his huge fist into the gut of a young man, who flew back and collided against the wall, coughing up blood and bile.
A silent disappointed exhale was released from Hei as it wasn't the one he had been contracted to kill.
He shuffled his feet and prepared to leave. This happened every day at every hour in every district in this city. This wasn't his problem.
Just as he was about to move away, he and the injured young man's eyes met. They were bloodshot, wide and terrified, and pleading for him to help.
He had seen those eyes before, in those that he had killed. They would look up at him with that gaze of pleading mercy. The eyes that cried; "Just give me a chance! One more chance!" or 'Please! I have a family!" or "No! Please don't! I'm not supposed to die here! It's not my destiny!". But the only response they got was a blade forcefully inserted through their neck, or a hand of intense heat that scorched them from the inside.
Did he care? No. A contract was a contract. Nothing was more important than fulfilling the contract…and yet the more contracts he completed, the less of a feeling of satisfaction he would receive.
But there were only two words that the eyes of this beat-up young man spoke, "Please help!"
Hei blinked and looked away.
As he began to walk off, he heard someone scurrying desperately across the rough stone path.
"Please, sir! Help me! Please!"
"Where'd you think you're going, bastard!?" a gruff voice growled.
The assassin stopped. Was he talking to him? Hei turned around.
The large man had stomped on the young man's back. His small raging eyes moved off of his victim for a short moment to look at the black-clad assassin, who was staring at them.
"No not you, dumbass!" the man rolled his eyes before applying more pressure onto his foot, and the man beneath cried out in pain as his lungs were slowly crushed under the weight, "This fucker right here!"
"Please help him!" the pregnant woman screamed, squirming in the grips of two lackeys.
"Quiet bitch!" one of them snarled as he bent her arm back until it was on the verge of snapping. The woman cried out in pain as more blood leaked from between her legs and soaked the ground.
"This doesn't concern you! Move on, kid! Or you're next!" the leader of the bandit group threatened.
"...P-Please…," the wounded young man whimpered, as his breaths were being pressed out of him.
"Didn't you hear me?! Fuck. Off!"
Hei made his decision, and the young man watched in horror as the footsteps of his only chance of salvation got quieter and quieter.
Pained cries of both male and female emanate from the dead end. Sounds that weren't unfamiliar to Hei, hearing the desperate screams of people was a daily occurrence and he had long gotten used to it to the point that it was ignorable… So why? Why did he stop walking away?
Hei glanced back into the dark alleyway. The large bandit was repeatedly kicking the smaller man in the guts and ribs while laughing and taunting.
"Fucker! Think you can fuck with us!? You maggot shit!" the bandit sneered as he picked the younger male up by the neck and slammed him against the wall.
"I-I'm…sorry…j-just…let..her…g-go…p-please," the smaller male said as he struggled to breathe.
"We'll deal with the big bro's girl," the bandit growled, "Once you're DEA—!"
The sentence was never finished.
Replaced by a gush of fresh dark red blood spurting violently out of two newly made orifices in the large man's head. His eyes widened and muscles loosened, dropping his victim to the ground who started gasping for air. The young man looked up at his assaulter and saw the sharp tip of the molten orange blade sticking out of the side of the man's head. As the bandit's knees released underneath him, he was harshly yanked down the alleyway.
The bandit's body smashed against the brick walls on the side, the force of which caused his bones to shatter and organs to burst, and Hei, now wearing the mask again, retracted the rope dart as the bloodied body dropped to the ground.
"Boss!"
"What the fuck?!" the two lackeys cried in shock and released the woman in the grasp.
But before they could react, the assassin already disappeared from their sight.
Hei dashed along the walls and dropped down between them, plunging the rope dart's blade into the skull of one while grabbing the other by the back of the head and slamming it into the ground. Blood flew up like miniature red fountains.
The assassin stood up and the red on his weapon evaporated from the heat before he tensed a muscle for it to slide back into the skin under his wrist.
The woman squealed in fright and pulled herself closer to the injured young man on the ground, who looked up at Hei, relief, gratefulness, and tears all swelling in his watering eyes.
"...Y-Y-You came back,"
Hei looked down at the injured man and wordlessly nodded.
"I'm…I'm sorry, I don't have anything on me that I can repay you with," the man admitted as he looked somberly at his feet, "I sold everything to get enough money to leave the country with…," he gazed over at the woman by his side, "...with her,"
The woman teared up and wailed into his arms, her hands gently caressing his open wounds, "I-I'm…s-so sorry…b-because of me…you're like this,"
The man could only pat her head calmingly.
"Information," Hei suddenly said and crouched down to their level, looking at them from behind his mask.
The dark surroundings on his pale mask and glowing red eyes made the air around them tighten along with an eerie sensation.
The man heaved a cough before answering, "H-Huh?"
"I don't want your money, just information,"
"In-Information?" the wounded man echoed before nodding, "...yeah, I think I can do that,"
Hei pulled out a piece of parchment and showed it to the couple, it was the wanted sign for Zanku's death or capture.
"Recognize him?" the assassin asked.
The two looked over the poster for a couple of minutes before they both shook their heads.
"N-No, never seen him," the female admitted.
"I haven't either," the male added.
'What did I expect…?' Hei sighed in his mask, then folded the parchment before slipping it back into his pocket and standing up to leave.
Just as he was about to dash away, he said one last thing to the couple, "There's a medical shop I passed a couple of blocks down in that direction, if you want to save the child and heal your injuries, you should make haste,"
Without hearing their response, Hei kicked off the walls and squeezed through the tight gap between rooftops, popping out into the setting sunlight. The assassin wasted no time rushing to the next location.
'Damn it, Zanku wasn't here either. That only leaves the wealthier districts to search,' thought Hei, sprinting across the rooftops, 'What expensive taste for a former executioner,'
As he ran, his mind couldn't help flashing back to his detour rescue moments ago. It was strange, if he had stumbled upon the situation in the past, he never would've gone back to help anyone in trouble unless it was threatening the success of a contract. If Hei received a sack of coins every time he turned his back on a person in need, he could buy a decently-sized house by now…so why, what compelled him to do what he just did, he wondered. However, even with all these thoughts coursing through his head, he felt a spark of warmth in his chest that he couldn't explain. It was distracting, and Hei wanted that feeling gone before he tracked down his target.
But even so, at the same time…he didn't mind it.
5 Years Ago
It was a room with white walls and a dark gray floor, a monitor at the front, and an automated door to the side. Six desks were set up in the middle, each separated evenly from the other in a rectangular formation. Six children wearing black, skin-tight, full-body combat suits with white boots and gloves were seated at the desks. They chattered amongst themselves until the buzzing of the opening door startled them back to stillness.
Fashio strolled inside holding a remote, everso flamboyantly dressed but a strict expression ever present on his face.
The children focused on the monitor as the professor switched it on, the word, [ TEIGU ] was displayed on the screen.
"In about six months all of you will receive your first contracts as assassins," he announced, "In this occupation, you will meet many different opponents, each may be completely different from the last which is why you've all been through hundred-and-one combat trials. However, though the chances are slim there may be a day where you face an opponent that wields the legendary weapons known as Teigu,"
While he was talking, he pressed the button on the remote and the screen flicked to the next page. A wall of notes dotted the digital display.
"Many may have been destroyed or lost to time, but that is no excuse, all of you must learn and memorize each and every surviving Teigu in the chance that you encounter them in the future," Fashio declared as he changed the screen again to an image of a scythe, "Now pay attention!"
The lesson dragged on for hours. Hei's cheek was resting in his hand, the lack of windows made it impossible to tell the time of day and his foot bounced impatiently. As Fashio turned his back towards him he took the moment to yawn, how many Imperial Arms had they gone through anyway? Hei looked behind him and saw the ashen-brown hair of Rai, arms wrapped around his head. Hei rolled his eyes and turned back around.
'Of course he's using me as a shield to sleep,' the boy thought.
Then he glanced over at Azi, her vivid blue eyes locked onto the monitor as if having a staring contest with it, taking in every bit of information she could see and hear. It didn't surprise Hei that she was one of the two children paying attention. The youngest sister of their little group was rather studious and enjoyed reading to absorb as much knowledge as she could.
With the professor's back still turned, the orange-eyed boy quickly checked on the conditions of the other members. Sitting opposite to Rai was a boy that was taller and bulkier than others his age, he had short navy blue hair and brown eyes. Identified as [ S-61 ]. In front of Hei was the group's older sister and leader, a girl with velvety red hair, dark golden eyes, and tanned skin, her body had developed earlier than others. She went by the name [ O-11 ]. And finally seated at the desk next to him was [ B-51 ], a slim girl with pale skin, short blonde hair, and heterochromia, her right eye pink and her left green.
"H-31!" Fashio yelled slamming a hand on his desk.
The boy jumped in shock as did the others, and Hei could only stare up at the professor with shaking eyes.
Fashio glared down at him in distaste, "H-31, tell me; What are the abilities of [ Almighty Five Senses: Spectator ]?"
"...Uh…um," Hei's mouth went dry. His eyes averted the professor's gaze as he stared at the ground past him.
"It…allows the wielder to…see through walls?'
Fashio furrowed his brows and crossed his arms, "And?"
"Um…allows the wielder to use all five senses at once?"
The professor snorted before whipping around and strutting back to the monitor. Hei sighed a breath of relief. Unbeknownst to the boy, Fashio pressed another button on his remote. The ceiling above Hei suddenly opened up and a strike of electricity shot down onto the black-haired boy.
Hei screamed, feeling the hundreds upon hundreds of volts coursing through his body. It only lasted a couple of seconds but left Hei trembling from the shock.
"That is what will happen if I find out that you are not focusing," The Fashio spoke in a low threatening voice, addressing the entire room, "I expect you all to memorize everything next month, there will be a test and there will be repercussions if you fail,"
The other kids nodded nervously before listening intently during the remainder of the lesson.
The full moon was high in the air as Hei wandered through the Rich District of the Capital. His mask was off and attached to his red sash and the assassin breathed in deeply, taking in the night air.
He had been walking through the streets of the district for a while now, getting weird and disgusted looks from the nobles that saw him. His dark gray and black martial arts attire didn't exactly scream wealth.
Truthfully he would prefer to be on higher ground, but as the assassin still couldn't locate his elusive target, Hei had to change strategies. The target was a serial killer, and he decided to use that to his advantage, posing as a regular person to lure Zanku out.
'If I can't find him, then he'll find me,' he thought while stretching his arms.
Though the chances were slim, it was never impossible.
So far he had discovered multiple dead bodies within the district, he identified nearly all of them to be workers from lower classes coming up to earn money as maids or butlers, sometimes as builders, delivery men, or entertainers. But the occupation of the bodies he had found was of slaves, defined by the branding on their skin. However, it wasn't an uncommon occurrence for slaves to be found dead throughout the Capital, reasons could vary from sickness to poison to murder, but no one would bat an eye, afraid that they'll find themselves against the wrong group of people.
But these slaves he found, none had their heads sliced off.
It seemed that despite being a serial beheader, Zanku didn't kill as many people per night as Hei first thought. That or he would choose his kills carefully, perhaps based on some sort of concept, like only virgin women or Imperial Police rookies, things like that. But the assassin shook the thought out of his mind, the report on Zanku informed that he targets anyone that crosses his path.
Then his flame-colored eyes widened when it hit his nose, the scent of blood. Fresh, spilled no longer than ten minutes ago, north-west of his current location. Finally, he had a lead and he didn't intend on letting it get away.
To his surprise, he didn't have to squeeze through any dark alleys to find the body. Instead, he had only turned a couple of corners and he had already arrived at the crime scene. In the middle of the street illuminated by luxurious lights was the dead body lying in a pool of blood.
Hei quickly made his way over to it and crouched down to begin the inspection.
The first thing he noticed was that it had no head, and the majority of the blood on the ground was due to the newest opening of the body. It was sliced cleanly off too, as clean as the perpetrator could make on a struggling victim. But the wound was a straight line slightly below the midsection of the neck, and just above where the spine would begin. The skin around the neck wasn't very torn either and the bone hadn't been shattered too messily.
'Professionally trained…no doubt now, this is an executioner's work…Zanku,'
The second thing Hei saw was that the body belonged to a noblewoman wearing a, now bloodsoaked, soft green dress. The woman must've either had her hair done up or that it was short given the lack of loose strands on the ground. Hei ran two fingers down both of the woman's arms one at a time. The curled fingers, the tenseness in her hands and wrists suggested that she didn't go out without at least trying to fight back. Flailing her limbs as Zanku held her up and dealt the finishing blow. The skin on the woman was pale and near flawless, without wrinkles, age spots, or sun damage. When he traced his fingers across the noblewoman's skin, he could also feel the plumpness and elasticity in her flesh. The two factors told him of the victim's age.
'Young, at least seventeen, at most twenty-one.'
"Where'd the head go?" he murmured, scratching the side of his head, "Does Zanku take them as trophies?"
It was then that the blood from the body started to exude a sweet scent.
'Eat,'
Hei's eyes widened when a sudden voice spoke from within his mind that sounded near-identical to his own.
'Eat,' it repeated.
'No,' Hei retaliated.
'Why hesitate? There is fresh meat right there in front of us,'
'I-I can't, not here, not now, I'm in the middle of a contract,'
'Why not? It didn't stop you in the past, why let it stop you now?'
'It's not time yet, you know the rules, no more than one a month,'
'Rules are mere guidelines, they are meant to be broken when you need it to be. Besides as I said, this didn't stop you in the past. One a month is hindering your strength you know,'
'I-I…,"
'It's not difficult Hei, all that's separating you from a meal is a thin layer of expensive cloth. Rip it off Hei. You felt the supple flesh underneath earlier. Don't hide it Hei, you were thinking of sinking your teeth into her flesh when you slid your fingers across her arms,'
'That's not true!'
'Perfect age for the meat to be a perfect mixture of tender and firm,'
'Stop it,'
'Just one bite,'
'Stop!' Hei gripped the sides of his head as tight as he could and dropped to his knees.
"Yoou're drooooling Heeei,"
'I'm not!' but to the young assassin's dismay, he could feel a wet trail leaking from the corner of his mouth and quickly wiped it off.
'Hahahahahaha heheheheh. You don't need to deny it, Hei. This need is in your blood. You're DNA as the scholarly ones call it. It's you're nature,'
'Shut up,'
'We need to eat Hei, it's been too long, even you can feel your abilities waning. We need sustenance to survive, remember?'
The assassin didn't want to admit it, 'That's…'
'See Hei? You'll need all your strength if you plan on going against someone who wields [ Spectator ]. Remember [ Spectator ]? How many volts of electricity did you take for getting that one wrong, hahaha,'
'I…I…,' Hei found himself leaning closer and closer to the freshly dead body of the noblewoman. A look of hunger flashed across his eyes.
'NO!'
Gathering all of his willpower, Hei tore through the urges and slammed his inhibitor mask onto his face as he forced himself onto his feet. Staggering back slightly, Hei breathed rapidly behind the mask.
"No…," he repeated, calming his rapid breaths and beating heart.
He averted his gaze away from the body and moved on, taking to the rooftops to avoid the streets.
The streets got wider and wider as Hei traveled further and further into the middle of the rich district until the pavement expanded to reveal an outdoor plaza. In the center there was a tall obelisk, casting its long shadow over the assassin.
Suddenly, the sound of sharpening blades reached his ears.
Hei turned around and saw a large man wearing a long white coat, a black tie, and a diamond-shaped eye on his forehead. A wide grin spread across his face, as he gazed crazily at the boy he was slowly approaching.
'Finally…Zanku show's himself,' thought Hei, observing the executioner and ready to move at a split second's notice.
"Well, would you take a little look at this?" Zanku cackled as he continued to sharpened his gauntlet blades against each other, "A lost little boy wandering the streets at night,"
Hei narrowed his eyes from behind his mask.
"Where are your parents?" the murder maniac asked while continuing to laugh, "Don't they know that it's not safe at night? There are killers on the loose,"
The assassin stared at Zanku and heat started to swirl in his palms.
"Don't you know it's rude to ignore a question? Did your parents never teach you any manners?" The executioner stopped the scraping of his steel weapons when he stopped directly in front of Hei.
'Why speak? I know you can hear my thoughts anyway,'
Zanku was taken aback for only a minute before his lips stretched to his ears, "So you know about [ Spectator]. HA! Are you here to bring me in? You don't look like a soldier,"
'Bring you in? No. The contract said to kill you,'
"Contract? I see now, you're an assassin," the executioner deduced, "Gyahahahaha, so the higher ups have noticed me, looks like I've become famous. You dress in all black, are you from the Dark Squad?"
'No. I am of the Apex Six,'
"Never heard of it,"
'Good,' Hei instantly vanished from his position, Zanku's eyes widened as he heard the assassin's thoughts reappear behind him, 'You're not supposed to,'
A foot collided into the side of Zanku's head and sent the larger man tumbling across the plaza.
Zanku grit his teeth and rubbed his bleeding chin, "Damn kid! I'll take your head and feed it to the boars!"
Hei wordlessly strolled forward and summoned a straight sword made of flames from his palms. He twirled it around with a tint of playfulness in his movements, before rushing forward.
"I can read your movements!" growled Zanku who picked himself up and charged towards his target.
The older man slashed his gauntlet blades in a cross formation. Hei parried it away with an uppercut slice.
Zanku stomped an anchoring foot into the pavement and performed a combo of bladed punches. The assassin nimbly ducked and weaved through each one, getting close enough to cut a bit of the executioner's cheek.
'Wanna play?'
Blood trickled out and Zanku jumped back. He wiped a thumb over it before licking his own red liquid.
"How interesting, you're the first to make me bleed," he murmured before smiling psychotically, "Sure, what's the game?"
'First one to kill the other,' Hei dashed into the fight once again, 'Wins!'
"I love this one!" laughed Zanku who clashed with Hei in the plaza.
The sound of battle rang throughout the square for minutes on end, with only the moon to witness the fight.
Zanku's blades were barraging down on the assassin, but Hei countered with a rain of his own attacks. The ground beneath them sported several cracks and dent from their rounds of combat.
"Tell me, assassin," said the beheader while parrying a double stab from Hei's sword, "How do you deal with the voices?"
Hei flipped back to put some distance between them, 'Voices?'
"Don't play dumb, you know what I'm talking about, the one's in your head that never shut up! It drives me insane, you know. Talking about how I killed them! Removed the head from their bodies! Wanting me to be dragged down to hell with them! They just can't leave me alone!" yelled Zanku, the speed and strength behind his strikes had started to increase as he continued to talk, "It's so annoying! I just want a bit of quiet! One day is all I ask! Is that so hard!?"
The executioner let out a roar and spun his body to produce enough speed for a powerful downard slice. Hei took a risk, desiring to finish this as quick as possible and sped forward to plunge his blazing blade into the serial decaptitator's body.
His timing was wrong. Whether it was because Zanku read his thoughts and slowed down purposely or not did not matter.
Zanku's hand blades were a mere inch away from his face when Hei jerked his whole body back but still felt the weapons making contact with his head.
Dust kicked up from the black-haired assassin's feet as he came to a skidding stop from his momentary retreat. His orange eyes widened when he felt the soft blows of wind against his face.
"Ah, so that's what you look like behind that mask," commented Zanku, "Quite the looker aren't you? It will be a wonderful addition to my collection,"
Hei reached up in a panic, patting his face and gasping, realizing that the inhibitor mask was gone.
"No!" He immediately dispelled the flaming sword.
His eyes flicked frantically around the battlefield and spotted the black and white object lying by the obelisk in the center of the plaza. It had been knocked flying away during the failed attempt to end the fight.
Zanku took notice of the panic wheeling up within Hei's eyes.
"Ho? Is that thing important to you?" he grinned, "Is it your Teigu?"
He received no response, instead Hei kicked off the ground and sprinted towards his fallen mask.
"No you don't," smirked the beheader who cut him off.
The assassin stared at the mask behind Zanku with shaking eyes.
"Move aside," he said without taking his sight away from the mask and making no attempt to continue with combat.
"Why? Are you powerless without it?"
"Move aside," Hei repeated.
"Beg," smiled the larger man.
"I said move aside, please,"
"Hehehe, you're just a scared kid without your mask aren't you? If you get on your knees and beg, I might consider letting you through,"
"I need that mask, give me that mask, return my mask, I need that mask, let me though I need to retrieve it," Hei murmured almost like a frantic chant.
He tried going around the executioner but Zanku cut off his route every time, and even threw a couple of slashes at the assassin, who dodged them easily but didn't counter. Not once did Hei take his eyes off of the inhibitor mask so close but so far away.
"What's so important about that piece of trash?" wondered Zanku before calling out to the assassin, "I'll let you collect it on one condition!"
"Name it,"
"I take your head while you wear it!" the beheader grinned sinisterly.
"You don't understand, if I don't put it back on, he'll take over," said Hei, trembling from the thought, "I can't let that happen, I won't let that happen,"
The executioner raised an eyebrow "He? Who's he?"
"The one…in my head,"
Zanku smile seemed to soften, a flash of empathy, before shaping into one filled with psychotic glee, "So you do have the voices,"
"If you understand, move aside," Hei said desperately.
To his surprise the beheader stepped away and the assassin wasted no time in rushing over to his fallen equipment.
He picked it up and turned it around to see several light cracks running across diagonally.
'It hasn't been damaged too much, still usable…for now,' Hei sighed in relief.
Behind him Zanku was observing with a curious glint in his eye, "Finally…someone else that can hear the voices… instead of headphones, he uses a mask… but… If that mask can cure the voices….. I need it. I want it. I need it. I want it. Ineedit. Iwantit. IneeditIwantitIneeditIwantitIneeditIwantit…I'll kill him to get it! I'll kill him to get it! I'LL KILL HIM TO GET IT!"
While Hei turned around. Zanku saw an opening and casted his Teigu's final ability.
[ Illusion Sight ]
Just as Hei was about to re-equip the inhibitor mask, he suddenly froze.
Zanku was gone.
Instead, standing there was a young girl no older than seven. She was wearing a sky blue dress and barefoot. Long, wavy, peach-colored hair gently flowed down her head and past her shoulders, a red butterfly hair clip decorated her hair. However the girl was faceless.
"...Do I…know you?" whispered Hei.
He gazed at the girl, who was slowly approaching him. There was something familiar about her, but he couldn't find out what it was, and for a reason unknown to him, he couldn't help feeling hatred for himself for not remembering. Was she that important? Had he seen her somewhere before? Did they pass each other in the streets? Did he purchase something off of her?...Did he kill her?
Why was she here, and where was Zanku?
"Who are you?" Hei said in a louder voice, but received no response.
A thin slit stretched across the faceless girl's face, forming into a mouth. She moved her lips, speaking voiceless words, and by reading her lips, Hei made out three words, 'Let's go home,'.
…
…
…
"...Che…ls…?"
The assassin felt something wet trickle slowly down his cheek, bewildered he wiped it away.
"...?"
Suddenly, like a bolt of lightning, a burning sharp pain shot through his head.
"Gyaaaaaaaaaa!"
Hei yelled out in pain and gripped the sides of his head, his fingertips digging into his skin as he stumbled back, dropping his mask. The throbbing only grew by the second and the assassin felt something searing in the back of his eyes. Hei moved a hand to clutch over his left eye.
From behind the Illusion, Zanku stared bewildered at the younger male's actions. This had never happened before whenever he used the fifth ability of Spectator.
"Is it the voices?" he asked, but only got screams as an answer.
After a short while, when it was silent again, the beheader asked once again, or he was about to when Hei launched himself towards him without warning. The illusion instantly shattered as Hei's fingers latched onto Zanku's face, digging into the skin and tightening like iron claws.
"Don't play with my head!" the assassin roared before slamming Zanku into the pavement, sending stone debris into the air. Hei ripped the executioner out of the ground and lashed out a powerful kick to the chest. Both fighters heard several audible cracks, as the beheader was sent back, bouncing across the ground before rolling to a stop.
As Zanku tried to push himself up, a surge of blood came hurling out, turning the stone below him crimson. "What the fuck? Where was this strength before!?"
Before he could react, a shadow was cast over the executioner. Zanku looked up and a chill ran up his spine. Although the one standing over him was the same black-clad assassin that he had clashed with, something was off, it was as if the air had changed and the boy he had fought before had been replaced by something much more sinister. Hei's left eye had shifted from a warm orange into a pitch black with a thin fiery red reptilian slit in the middle. The bloodlust that poured from that one eye managed to shake Zanku to his core.
"Hey," the assassin started, cackling as he spoke and tilting his head to the side, "Didn't you wanna know how I deal with the voices?"
The executioner wanted to desperately look away from the eye but at the same time couldn't bring himself to do it.
"We…"
Hei stomped down on the middle of Zanku's back. The executioner yelled out in agony as another sickening crack rang through the otherwise quiet plaza. Zanku sweated heavily as he could barely feel anything throughout his entire body, his limbs no longer listened to him and remained limp. The assassin reached down and pulled the beheader up by a handful of his hair.
"...Eat!"
Hei grinned psychotically, leaning down and sank his teeth into the side of the serial beheader's neck. Crimson liquid gushed out as the black-haired assassin pulled back, ripping off a long piece of the executioner's flesh as he did. Zanku screamed, it was the only thing he could do. The killer's mind was flooded with a primal fear upon hearing the sounds of consumption above him as Hei was devouring a literal piece of him.
When Hei had finished, blood dripped down the assassin's chin which he promptly wiped away.
"You have served your purpose," he said, grabbing onto the back of Zanku's head, "Now…,"
"Game. Over."
The last thing Zanku felt was an intense scorching heat coursing through his skull.
It sounded like rain drumming against a metal roof as the rapid taps of her feet against the stone street grew faster. A girl sprinted through the pathways drawn in by the sound of battle.
She had long, flowing black hair with neatly cut bangs. She wore a sleeveless black shirt with a red tie. A crimson belt tightened around a dark combat skirt. The girl was also equipped black gloves, socks, and shoes, along with a set of red gauntlets. Strapped to her side was an eerie-looking katana, and a slender hand was constantly hovering over the blood-colored handle. Scarlet eyes darted around as the girl searched for the source of the fighting.
Akame, an infamous assassin of Night Raid whose name struck fear into the corrupted nobles and soldiers in the Empire, had been contracted to end the life of Zanku. She had come to the Capital with their group's newest recruit, Tatsumi, who she had split up with not long ago in order to cover more ground.
When she heard the distant clashing of weapons, she thought the worst, that Tatsumi had encountered the executioner and was fighting with him right now so she immediately changed course to go assist. The target had a Teigu while the new recruit did not, an unfair match in nearly every case, and Akame's dash sped up as a distant scream reached her ears.
Then finally, in the distance she saw two figures with their appearance shadowed by the overcast of the obelisk in the plaza. The larger one was lying on the ground, with the other standing on top of them. Looming over like a vulture atop a carcass.
As Akame got closer, she noted that the one on the ground was Zanku, her target who was bleeding profusely from what looked to be a large opening near the neck. However the one standing over him wasn't someone she recognized. From her angle she couldn't see their face, all she could tell was that the person was a young male in dark martial arts attire with the same hair-color as herself.
The younger male gripped onto the back of Zanku's head. Akame saw his lips move, before Zanku's voice erupted into another painful scream that was brutally cut short. Smoke shot out of every orifice on the executioner's face that was glowing a molten orange until…
*BANG*
Zanku's face was blown apart from the inside out. A small geyser of blood came shooting out before slowing down into a crimson waterfall trailing down the flimsy hanging flesh that was once the chin, and down further, dying the beheader's white cloths red. The fragments of Spectator clattered onto the ground closeby.
Akame pivoted her feet, and came to a skidding halt, stopping only mere paces away from the unknown variable and the freshly dead Zanku.
The young male released his grip, allowing the corpse to slump onto the pavement and flicked the blood off of his hand.
Akame immediately unsheathed Murasame, slipping into a defensive stance without taking her trained eyes off the mysterious assassin.
Finally, the boy raised his head and gazed at her. Their confident eyes met in the middle and silence took over the plaza.
After what felt like an hour, the boy's black and red slitted eye started to flicker like a dying flame. He began blinking fast and stumbled back. The young male placed a hand over his left eye, shaking his head with a short groan. He drew a sharp breath before slipping his hand back to his side.
When the boy lifted his head once again, Akame suddenly gasped. Her scarlet eyes widened and her mouth parted as a pair of sunset-colored eyes gazed back at her. A pair of eyes she thought was long gone. Succumbed to the cruelty of this world.
"...Hei?" was all she could muster out quietly, but just loud enough for the two of them to hear it.
She relaxed her tense stance, and lowered her weapon.
"...Is that you?"
The male assassin was silent, as if he was registering her words, then his eyebrows rose in shock.
"Aka…me..?" he said in a near whisper of a voice.
"You're alive," said Akame, a small smile stretching across her delicate features. She took a step forward, only for Hei to take two steps back.
Hei tore his sight away from Akame and found his mask lying on the ground. Acting swiftly he dove towards it, scooping it up and put it back on.
"Wait!" the red-eyed assassin reached out but before she could do anything else. Hei fled to the rooftops and quickly disappeared into the cloak of night.
"The two of you did well," said Najenda.
The leader of the infamous assassin group Night Raid. Her chin rested atop her hands, with one of them being made of steel and colored a deep green. She gazed with a mix of relief and satisfaction, at the two assassins standing in front of her desk with her remaining eye. The other that had been injured beyond repair in battle had a black patch covering it.
"Especially you Tatsumi," she praised her newest recruit, "Fighting against a Teigu wielder without having one of your own is no laughing matter, you should be proud of yourself,"
Tatsumi ran a hand through his messy brown hair and gestured towards the red-eyed girl by his side, "Actually, when I came onto the scene, Akame had already finished Zanku, decapitated him and destroyed Spectator too,"
Najenda raised an eyebrow, "Did she?"
"Yes," Akame simply replied, "I apologize for not being able to retrieve the Teigu. Zanku made it difficult,"
"I see," the boss rubbed her chin, "Well, better destroyed than in the hands of the Empire. Unfortunately you'll have to wait a bit longer for your first Teigu, Tatsumi,"
"That's fine," said Tatsumi and pumped a fist by his chest, "Then I'll just train even harder to keep up with the rest of you,"
"I like your spirit, and I look forward to seeing your progress" commented Najenda and Akame nodded in agreement, "For now, you're both dismissed. You've both been awake all night since yesterday, so go and rest up,"
Tatsumi grinned and left the briefing room.
Akame lingered and watched the door close behind the brown-haired boy.
Najenda reclined on her seat and brushed a hand through her short silver hair. She took out a cigarette and put it in her mouth.
"So, Akame," she began and flicked on a lighter, "Do you want to tell me what really happened?"
Akame strained her ears to make sure that no one was nearby outside before she moved closer to her leader.
"Boss, do you still remember, a week or two after Night Raid was officially formed?" the red-eyed girl asked and Najenda replied with a hum, lighting her cigarette at the same time.
"And the Empire sent another assassin after you after I 'failed',"
Najenda inhaled and exhaled a puff of pale smoke before crushing the cigarette in her metal hand and flicking it away. She leaned forward, intrigued, "...That boy? He's alive?"
Akame nodded, "He killed Zanku and destroyed Spectator,"
"So he's returned after one year,"
"Yes, but…he seems to have lost a part of his memories, he took a while to recognize me,"
"The Empire messed around with his mind no doubt," said Najenda, who pinched the bridge of her nose.
"Recently, there have been reports that several Revolutionary camps and villages had been razed at a frighteningly fast pace. Our connections in the Capital have also been disappearing one by one. Despite the Dark Squad having a large number of members, there's no way they could traverse that much ground so quickly in such a short amount of time,"
"Boss, do you think that the Empire has deployed the Apex Six again?" Akame asked.
"Yes, although, I thought they would've been disbanded alongside the Elite Seven and Group of Terror," Najenda looked at her assassin sternly, "With their return we'll need to train much harder and work much more carefully from now on. I don't have much information about them due to their secrecy but, all I know is that they're too dangerous to be left alive…including your former ally," she sighed and leaned back on her chair, lightning another cigarette, "I need some time to think, you're dismissed for today, Akame,"
Akame dipped her head and said in a monotonous voice before heading out, "I understand,"
"And Akame," Najenda called out. The female assassin stopped and looked back, "Don't tell anyone about this, not yet,"
Akame nodded once again before continuing on her way.
As the girl closed the door behind her, she walked down the hallway with her bangs covering her vibrant red eyes. She stopped by a window of Night Raid's hidden fortress-like base and looked out at the starry sky above.
"...Hei…," she muttered, "Please..don't make me kill another friend,"
The War Within - 5
Hope you enjoyed Chapter 5. If you did leave a review, follow, and favorite.
Thank You For Reading, Until Next Time!
