Chapter 12
Meanwhile…
The black tie event was in full swing.
Businessmen from all corners of Japan and even some from America had come to see Miss Ozawa for themselves. Yet among those dressed for the evening was the hitmen hired to take her out. Some posed as bus boys, others acting like CEO big shots themselves, others working security detail. Either way there would be nowhere for her to run or hide the moment she appears.
Seventy five percent of the businessmen here are in on this hit as well.
Yet as the night was about to officially start, no one saw their 'guest of honor' appear.
Many were confused to this, until the last guest arrived. He strolled in as if he owned the place. The hitmen sneered at the sight of Ace, their biggest rival. No one had seen him since he took the job to take out Yuko Ozawa, in fact, it was him and two others who intended on taking the job. But even those guys have yet to be seen.
Curious, one of the hitmen made his move. He knew Ace from back in the day so he must have intel as to what's going on. Just as he approached, Ace peered up and smiled wickedly.
He snapped his fingers, shutting the doors tight and the window suddenly became blacked out. No one could see in or out at this point. "What the fuck…"
"GREETINGS LADIES AND GENTLEMEN! I AM HERE TO REPRESENT MISS OZAWA!" Ace shouted. He bore a rather proud smile to it all.
"Represent… YOU'RE ONE OF US ASSHOLE! YOU'RE A HITMAN, YOU AGREED TO THE JOB!"
Ace paused as he peered at the man who shouted at him. He smirked. "Ah, it's been a while hasn't it Roto?"
That was the name he went by, stupid, and yet not his own. Roto had dressed himself as a high ended CEO, it took a lot of makeup to cover the scars on his face and hands to pull off the look, and yet, Ace saw right through it.
Of course he would, he has been known to take out targets who underwent surgery to hide their appearance, they never could get pass him.
"What is the meaning of this? Where is Miss Ozawa!?" the rich people shouted aloud. It was followed up with others demanding to know where she is as well. Ace appeared to be ignoring them for the moment.
"What the hell man, you agreed to the job, I was there when you signed the contract, you agreed to never stop until either that bitch and bastard were dead… or you died!" Roto shouted once more.
Ace smiled. "Yeah, part of that contract did occur. I did die," he said bluntly.
The room fell into an odd silence. "What?"
"I died!" he said once more and was sincere about it. "So did some of the others, and all other hitmen who have come before and after me since… they are all dead." He said bluntly.
Roto smirked. "Dead… so the guy I knew with ice in his veins… isn't the man standing before me?"
Ace paused. "I guess you could say that," he said. "At the same time, I still feel like myself. I'm just not human anymore…" the lights went out. But a few were turned back on. It was just enough to give shadowing to those in the room, but their facial features are rather hidden in the darkness. Someone odd near Roto was holding their arm up oddly. It was as if they appeared poised to fight… yet with thin air.
"Sir, this isn't a jujutsu sorcerer…"
"Jujutsu…" Roto muttered.
"AAAHHH!" someone screamed. And then… one by one, Roto heard and saw bodies drop! It was mainly the hitmen who went first, as they slowly vanished from the room. Roto was in the middle of it, away from the walls to be safe than sorry. Yet when it fell silent, the lights came back on.
Blood was everywhere!
The rich people screamed in terror as they saw the trails and the markings from those who desperately tried to save their own skins.
Yet, where are the bodies?
"Now that we have most of that issue resolved, it's time for the second half of this meeting… nearly all of you here… are guilty of attempting to harm my young master." He announced. "As such, I have been asked to deal with you personal, that way I will become a permanent member of the guard. So, the question is this. If I were to spare you, what grantee can you give me that you will never come after my young master or her family again? Because, if one is not given to me. I have no choice but to end your lives here and now!"
Roto was sick as he saw these rich people throw themselves at Ace, pleading with their lives, offering him all the money in the world he could ever want if he just looked the other way. Yet, on and on they begged, none wished to let sleeping dogs lie as they were. This Yuko woman was someone they feared would ruin their way of life, therefore, she had to be taken out.
Yet as nothing appeared to please or satisfy Ace, he sighed aloud. "Now this is troublesome. For you see, I cannot kill everyone here without setting off alarms, if I do such a thing, they would believe my young master did it. Since… it was a party to honor her and yet she never showed up to it…"
Roto heard enough, he decided he would earn some extra scratch if he took out Ace, the rich assholes on the floor would kiss his feet for saving their lives. Yet, as he reached behind himself discreetly, he tried to feel for the gun.
His heart froze, Ace was reaching behind himself… and possessed Roto's gun! He was NOWHERE near him! How… how was this possible?
"Now, let's see. BROTHERS! WHAT SHALL WE DO!?" he shouted.
The lights went out once more, yet, when they came on again. Roto froze. All around the room, from wall to wall were foxes! One was nearly the size of a wolf as it stepped forward. Yet as it came closer, it appeared to go on fire… before turning into a giant of a man!
Roto has seen show from overseas. One of massive men called Vikings. This person fit that description.
"Well, I think we know we can't kill them all… but there is something else we can do…" said the massive man with red hair.
"Enlighten me older brother…" but then, Ace paused. "Oh… OH, Do you mean…"
He smiled and nodded.
"STOP YOU FOWL BEASTS!" It was that weird guy from earlier, the one that said something about sorcery. "I'm a jujutsu sorcerer. I will not stand by as you threaten these people's lives!"
Ace didn't appear concerned. The massive guy beside him smirked. "Really? You wanna take me on boy? So be it,"
"Remember Loki…" Ace said in a slight warning tone.
"Yeah, yeah I know." He muttered back.
No one understood what was happening, this stupid guy appeared to be standing still and yet trying to throw invisible rocks at him or something. The brute named Loki was flicking his hands oddly enough and smirked as he suddenly snapped his fingers.
The world distorted until Roto saw this massive surge of power leaving that crazy guy's hands! "There, now everyone can see what he's trying to do." He said to the strange man with odd power. "It would be a shamed if you died looking like a moron in front of these people…"
The energy that guy expelled was odd, and yet soon, he ran out of it. The massive man named Loki smirked. "Figured you would be done now… my turn…" he merely snapped his fingers. The man caught fire and was reduced to ashes instantly!
"What the actual…" Roto whispered.
He only jumped again when the rich people suddenly passed out on the ground. Ace was smiling to it all as these little orbs of light suddenly hovered over them. "Now, are per our agreement, bodies in exchange for your cooperation. Is this a deal?" he asked the orbs. They bounced up and down as if nodding in agreement.
Then the orbs of light gently floated down over one of the passed out CEOs… the screams… oh God, everyone screamed out in such agony as the balls of light suddenly pushed down. The rich bastards gasped for air until they went deathly still. But their eyes rolled over, and turned black. Their smiles became twisted as they slowly sat themselves up again. It was as if they inspected tjemselves to find any flaw with them. Ace on the other hand nodded to it all. "I do believe that works out well for everyone, does it not?"
"What… what the hell…" Roto froze as he found himself the only one in the room now. The rich who had come to end the career of a young woman have now turned… their faces twisted oddly as they bore strange teeth.
"Well, now that we know what has happened. I think it's about time we conduct ourselves far more properly?" one of the CEOs said aloud. "For one, I look forward to working with Miss Ozawa."
"Ah the changelings have succeeded, excellent, everyone knows what to do now, correct?" Ace asked of them.
"But of course!" they replied as their faces altered back to a more human appearance.
Roto was trying to slink out of here, yet he suddenly ran into someone. Ace had come from behind him. "What the fuck man… what… what happened to you?"
He smirked. "Well, it depends on how much you want to know. But at the moment, we still need you alive for various reasons. Roto, you are going to be working for me for a little while…"
"What… what's in it for me?"
"Your life for one," Ace said in a calm tone. "But it also depends on how useful you are to me and my brothers… as well as our new allies here. Everyone who sought to end Miss Ozawa is now a changeling. As such, they are divine creatures and the last thing any of them would want is to harm my young master. So… you are going to assist us in cancelling all the hits on her. Second, you are going to take out anyone who insists on fulfilling their voided contract. Lastly… well… that will depend on you now will it. If you have proven yourself useful, we may spare you. Fail… and let's say you can join the others we took out earlier…"
There was no choice in the matter. He was surrounded. Roto merely nodded to the terms. "Where do you want me to start?" he asked reluctantly.
