Assassin in the Void
By psychored1911
Disclaimer: I do not own Assassin's Creed or Familiar of Zero.
Chapter 5: Of blood and faeries
Dream sequence
Saito looked around; he was not in the academy anymore; or anywhere for that matter. Rather, he looked like he was in some pitch black void. Other than him, there was nothing else besides a simple bench. Shrugging to himself, he walked over to it and took a seat.
"Ah, I see you're doing well,"
Saito turned in surprise. Sitting right next to him, sat an old man holding a white cane and a coiled rope, a weary smile on his face.
'That voice,' Saito looked at the man "You're the voice in my head. Do I know you?"
The old man gave him a hearty laugh "Well, to some extent you have remembered me. I have watched over your ancestors for generations. Unfortunately, they tend to see me in their youth or in times of distress. Quite like your predicament right now. If i recall correctly, I had to change my appearance into this because you were frightened of what it was originally."
Saito blinked "What are you talking about?"
"That's not important at the moment. What is important is this," the old man picked up his white cane (walking stick for the visually impaired) and swatted Saito's left hand.
"Itai (ouch)!" Saito drew back his hand in pain. He watched as a red welt formed over his runes.
"Tell me, my friend: would you accept the power of the gods in exchange for your free will?"
Saito gave an offended look "Nandaro (What the hell)? Of course not!"
"I'm afraid that you have already done so," the old man took Saito's left hand and looked at the runes "These runes will allow you to wield any weapon. But, in return, you will slowly lose yourself, your memories, until you are the perfect servant. If you serve that woman, well, you will become the enemy you have sworn to forever fight."
Saito gave a horrified look "What? I didn't ask for that power!"
The old man shook his head "Yes, but needn't worry," the old man gently touched Saito's wound. In an instant, the blood started to glow, obscuring the runes. "As we speak, I am slowly distorting the runes, giving you the power, but destroying the stigma that is corrupting your mind. If I were you, I would reread that notebook a couple more times, re-spark your old memories. It would make my job a bit easier." The old man picked himself up and stood in front of Saito. "Oh, before I forget," he gently touched Saito's forehead with his white cane. "There, you have inherited the power of your ancestors; let their experience become yours."
Dream sequence end
"Ah!" Saito woke up with a start. He looked around; he was in Louise's bed. "What the hell was with that dream?" he grumbled as he groggily stood up. He stumbled a bit as he started to regain his bearings. He picked up Derflinger, who was placed on the table, and slowly walked towards the window.
"Hey partner, are you sure you don't want to take it easy for a while?" Derflinger asked in a worried tone "You seemed to be in a lot of pain the other day."
"Daijoubu desu (I will be fine)," Saito said as he climbed onto the windowsill.
"Excuse me?" Derflinger asked. "I think you're speaking in some sort of gibberish."
Saito realized he was speaking in Japanese and quickly justified himself "Sorry Derflinger, I just had a- never mind." If he told his dream to Derflinger, he'd probably think he's crazy. "Let's just go." And with that, he leapt out the window.
Meanwhile, at Tristain Castle
Henrietta came from her throne and walked over to Louise, who bowed deeply "Congratulations, Louise Francoise. You have earned the rank of chevalier."
Louise bowed again "It as an honor to accept the title of chevalier; but to tell the truth, I couldn't have done it without my familiar."
"Where is your familiar anyway?" Henrietta looked around, but Saito was not in the room.
"He is resting back at the academy." Louise told her "During the ball, he suffered from some severe headache. I needn't worry though; the local doctor said that he just needed some rest."
"Well, I hope that he gets better," Henrietta said in a sympathetic voice as she walked back to her throne. Despite being injured by the young man, she sensed that he didn't mean any real harm "I am in need of your assistance yet again."
"Anything for you, your majesty," Louise declared.
"I want to run an intelligence mission, check for any corruption amongst the local nobles." Henrietta gave a concerned look "I have heard that several have been abusing the commoners for their own gain, or worse; for that rebel group Reconquista." Henrietta hid a mental frown; there were several nobles in the court who bore friendly faces in her presence, but underneath that mask, they were nothing more than crooks who always abused the commoners. But now, with that rebel group in Albion causing strife amongst the nobility there, she was worried if any of the local nobility were getting any ideas.
"Don't worry your majesty!" Louise saluted with a dignified look on her face "You can count on me! I will make sure that they won't have their way."
Meanwhile, back with Saito
Saito walked into the weapons store he obtained earlier. He wanted to see how successful it was doing under new management. Before he got there, the Tristain's arms dealer was nothing more than a cheap weapons stand that contained all sorts of poorly conditioned weapons.
Saito walked in with a surprise; there were several customers in the store, the inventory was much larger and assorted, but to top it all off, the salesman, now in jovial-looking clothes, seemingly wore a customer-satisfaction demeanor.
The salesman noticed him "Ah it's the owner!" he exclaimed as he motioned Saito to come closer "I have taken your advice; and now the store is more successful than it ever was when I managed it."
Saito was speechless "Umm… you're welcome?"
"Oh yes, before I forget," The salesman quickly went over to the register and pulled out a small pouch of gold "Here is the rent money for this month,"
"…" Saito quietly took the rent money and continued to the door "keep up the good work."
As he exited the building, Derflinger came out of his sheath "How about that? That jerk actually managed to turn that store around. And it's all thanks to you!"
Saito rolled his eyes. He guessed that the salesman changed so that he could continue living there "Whatever you say-"
"Look over there."
Suddenly, Saito's vision started to fail him. All he could see in his path was black and gold; and by that, everything turned into black silhouettes with only a faint, golden path to follow. Since his sight was failing him already, he slowly followed the path, stumbling over other people hidden from his vision.
"Hey partner, are you alright?" Derflinger said in a worried tone "Where are we going?"
"…" Saito ignored him as he continued moving. Eventually, after a few minutes of walking, he started to regain his sight. Surprisingly, he found himself at a desolate alleyway, with nothing besides a few trash cans and the dead body of a young woman just lying there.
"Well, examine the body."
'You don't have to tell me," Saito got on one knee and closely examined the body 'I'd say by that small hole in her arm, she was stabbed by what looked like a needle, most likely tampered with some paralysis drug. Afterwards, the perpetrator forcibly stabbed her. Judging from the condition of the body, it was done rather recently, most likely last night. If only I had some sort of I.D., then I could identify her work and faction.' He examined her body, and quickly found a badge; a fairy in pink pentagon. The name was etched onto the back 'Hmm… Adele of the Courtesans' guild,' Saito quickly wrote it down in his notebook. 'Guess I better check it out,' he closed the corpse's eyes "gomeifuku wo inorimasu (rest in peace)." And with that, he left for the courtesan's guild.
A few minutes later
Saito looked up "This looks like the place," the courtesans' guild looked a bit more, well, appropriate, than he would have thought. Sure, the employees were wearing rather suggestive outfits, but they also seemed to have this rather pure, no, innocent air around them. This was a far cry from the brothels and such that were popular in Renaissance Europe.
"Oh! Are you a customer?" a voice said. Saito turned around; a man in drag-queen like attire met his gaze "Welcome to the Charming Faeries' Inn. I am Scarron, owner of this establishment. How may I help you?" He said in a flamboyant manner.
Saito sweatdropped "Umm… this is the Courtesans' guild, right?"
"You're both right and wrong!" the Scarron justified, further confusing Saito "This is one sect of the Courtesans' guild. This sect is for our more "innocent" members. If you're looking for our more 'hardcore' material, then-"
"No, that's not why I'm here." Saito quickly changed the subject; he was definitely too young for something like that "I'm here because I found this," he presented Adele's seal "She's dead."
Scarron's face slowly turned serious. "Come with me," he pulled Saito to one side "you aren't joking, are you?" he said in a more serious tone.
Saito nodded "Unfortunately, yes sir; she is dead. I'm sorry about the loss."
Scarron sighed as he slumped onto a chair "That's the third murder this month," he rubbed his head "I don't know what to do anymore." He said in a more masculine voice.
Saito sat down as he took out a notepad "If it means anything, I'd like you to tell me what happened the last time you saw her."
"The last time I saw her, she said she was going to a nearby doctor to treat her wound." Scarron told him.
This piqued Saito's interest "Did she say which doctor she was going to?"
"She said she was going to the doctor by Bourdonne Street."
Saito put away the notepad "Give me a few minutes, I'll find the murderer." And with that, Saito stood up and left the inn.
A bit later
After a few minutes of searching, Saito found the doctor's stand "Excuse me sir," Saito got the doctor's attention "Did you know if a girl named Adele was here a bit earlier?"
"…" the doctor took a step back before trying to beat a hasty retreat.
'I knew it,' Saito thought as he chased after him. From the beginning, Saito noticed how similar the case was to the Malfatto, and more recently, the Jack the Ripper cases that assassins faced in earlier generations.
Saito followed the doctor until they reached a dead end.
In panic, the doctor pulled out a large syringe "G… get away from me!" the doctor screamed in terror "I didn't murder that woman!'
"Then, why did you run?" Saito sternly asked.
The doctor stayed in denial "I did not kill her!"
"You're sounding very suspicious right about now," Saito glared back at him.
"Shut up!" the doctor charged at him, an insane look on his face. Saito quickly dodged before stabbing him with the hidden blade.
*SHTLINK!*
Saito gently laid the doctor on the ground. "Why did you kill those girls?"
"R… Reconquista promised me power if I killed the ones who had found out their spies." The doctor started to cough up blood.
"The courtesans, they heard of their plans through rumors?" Saito inferred.
"Yes… I do not regret my actions…" The doctor coughed blood again.
"Who are the spies?" Saito sternly asked.
"I shall never tell…" The doctor died in Saito's arms.
Saito stared at the corpse "… Yasurakani nemure (rest in peace)." Saito closed the doctor's eyes as he took the syringe from the corpse. He stood up "I guess I should report to the owner again."
Meanwhile, back with Louise
Louise, wearing a black dress and beret, sighed as she sat down by a fountain. When she was given money to pay for her mission, she foolishly gambled it all away in an attempt to make more money. Now, with no money, Louise has no idea how she is going to carry on with her mission, let alone survive the mean streets of the city.
"Oh hello!" Louise turned around; it was an obviously confused man wearing women's clothing. "I am Scarron. I run the charming faeries' inn. Are you interested in staying for the night?"
Louise shook her head "I'm sorry sir-"
"Wrong!" Scarron shouted rather floridly "It's mi mademoiselle!"
Louise sweatdropped "I'm sorry mi mademoiselle, but I don't have any money."
"That's not a problem! It will be for free!" Scarron made a flamboyant pose "Buuuuuuuut, under one condition…
A few minutes later
"Now girls, I would like to introduce to you our newest employee!" Scarron motioned to Louise, who was now wearing a frilly, revealing dress "This is Louise. Because of some debt she inherited from her parents, she will be working here for a while."
Louise bowed "N… nice to meet you all!" she stammered "I hope we can get along well together!"
"Oh, before I forget," Scarron added "I advise for you all to be careful on your way home. There has been a serial killer seen around this area and he's-"
"Been taken care of," a voice interrupted. Everyone's attention shifted. It was Saito, twirling a rather large syringe in his left hand "The serial killer is dead. I confirmed it." He said blankly, ignoring Louise's presence completely
Several of the girls squealed in joy. Others sighed in relief. "Are you sure that he is dead?" Scarron asked him.
Saito nodded "Of course, I confirmed it personally."
Scarron motioned to one of the waitresses "Jessica, bring out some of our best wine and give everyone a shot on the house; today we celebrate!"
Several of the workers squealed as they went off to their business. Louise, however, pulled Saito to the side "What the hell are you doing here?" she demanded.
"That depends; tell me why you're working for the courtesan's guild." Saito countered.
Louise paled "W… what are you talking about?"
"This building is a sect of the courtesan's guild. You're telling me you didn't know?" Saito made an obscure smirk under his hood.
Before Louise could answer, Scarron approached the two "Oh, before I forget," he handed Saito a pentagon shaped seal decorated with a fairy "Here, this shows that you are an ally of the guild."
Saito attached the badge to his shoulder "Thanks," as he took it, he saw the apparition of the deceased courtesan, giving him a wink before disappearing. 'Yep, I'm going delusional again,' he rolled his eyes as he walked into the bar and pulled out a recipe from his notebook.
Flashback, New York, 2010
A younger Saito looked at a sign; the words 'Bad weather' flashing in neon lights atop a building. From the smell alone, one could easily tell it was a bar. He looked at this partner "Colette, remind me why we're here,"
"C'mon, just live a little for once," Colette said cheerfully as she dragged him inside.
"Aren't I a bit young to enjoy myself at, oh I don't know, A BAR?" he tried to struggle out of her grip. "I'm not as old as you are."
"Oh relax; it's not like Bill's going to notice," Colette brought Saito inside and lead him into a booth. She got the attention of a bartender "I'll take a Shirley Templar; the kid will have a Shirley Temple,"
Saito gave a suspicious look "Shirley Templar?"
"It's just a name, don't get so alarmed," Colette told him "It's nothing more than a Shirley Temple cocktail with some gin."
The bartender handed them their drinks "Here you go,"
Saito tugged at the bartender's clothing "Hey, can I have the recipe for the Shirley Templar?"
The bartender shrugged "Sure," he took a card and wrote down the recipe "Here you go,"
Saito took the recipe and pocketed it "Arigatou (Thanks)," Saito then took one of the drinks "Well, bottoms up!" he quickly drank the beverage, ignorant of its contents.
Colette's eyes widened "No, wait, that's the-" But it was too late; Saito drank the whole thing. Immediately after drinking it, Saito collapsed, out cold. "Shirley Templar," she deadpanned.
Flashback end
"Note to self: if you drink something with gin, make sure it is compound gin and not distilled. I wished that I recognized the bartender sooner though. Oh well," Saito thought to himself as he mixed the drink at the bar.
Jessica, one of the waitresses, noticed Saito mixing the drink "Hey," she got Saito's attention "What'cha mixing over there?"
Saito nonchalantly poured her a drink "Try it," he said quietly.
Jessica shrugged as she took a sip. Her eyes widened "This is great! What do you call it?"
"The Shirley Templar," Saito answered "A friend of mine showed it to me."
Jessica took another sip of the Shirley Templar "This is really good,"
"Hey, where's my drink?" one of the customers hollered at their direction.
"I got to go; we'll talk later," Jessica said as she unconsciously took the Shirley Templar and served the customer.
The customer took a swig of the Shirley Templar "Hey, this isn't my drink, but it ain't half bad. Hey waitress, I'll have another one of this!"
Jessica motioned for Saito to make another drink. Eventually, other customers noticed Saito mixing the drink. Curious, they also ordered whatever Saito was drinking. As they drank, they all yelled in praise.
"This drink is amazing!"
"I haven't tasted anything like it!"
"I'm coming here every day just to get this drink!"
"Where's the creator of this drink? I want to give him my regards in person!"
The next day, a few hours before the inn opens
Overnight, the Shirley Templar has become the Charming Faeries' Inn's most popular cocktail. Saito, who introduced the cocktail, unintentionally made the Inn the most famous bar in town.
"That was one of our most profitable day ever!" Scarron exclaimed "And it's all thanks to you!"
"Well, it wasn't exactly the way I pictured spending my weekend," Saito sweatdropped. He was actually trying to investigate spies from Reconquista. On the other hand, making an ally of the courtesan's guild could help him with that. "Can I ask you a question first?"
Scarron nodded "Ask anything you'd like!"
Saito folded his arms "You guys are courtesans, right? So don't people look down on your faction?"
"Ah, but that's the beauty of it. It's the fact that they do underestimate us and we use that to our advantage." Scarron explained "Since they underestimate us, they don't notice that we extract their money and information from right under their noses."
"Oh, that makes sense-" Saito stopped for a second "wait; you said your girls had extracted information?"
"Yes, they're usually just rumors, but from time to time, we hear something important."
"Did you hear from a group known as Reconquista?" Saito asked.
"But of course, they are a favorite subject of rumors. In fact," Scarron walked over to the bar. After a few minutes, he came back with a folder full of files "We archived several of the rumors attached to them." Scarron handed the folder.
Saito gave a skeptic look. It seems strange that they had all this information about them. Then again, they did say that they have been doing this for a while. Maybe that was why Reconquista hired the serial killer to kill them. Brushing off the thought, Saito reluctantly took the folder and started looking through its contents. 'There's a lot of info, but I can't tell which is real or false,' he grumbled in frustration.
"Allow me to be of service,"
Suddenly, Saito's eyesight went black again. Everything was black silhouettes except for one sheet of paper, a completely white piece of paper. A split second later, his vision returned to him, and he was looking at a paper filled with detailed notes. He silently read it 'let's see here… A group of Reconquista agents are going to go and steal the possessions of one named Sir Turenne," he quickly handed the folder back to Scarron "Quickly; I need to know where Sir Turenne lives, right now!"
A bit later, at Sir Turenne's mansion
Five Reconquista agents snickered as they loaded crates full of treasure onto a carriage. It was an easy job; they thought that they could get away with it. What they didn't know, was that they were being watched.
"Hey, have you heard," one of the agents struck a conversation "There have been sightings of an angel," he said as he started lifting up on one the crates.
"An angel? No way," Another agent commented as he helped him "That's just an urban legend,"
"Well, if this angel is real or not, he's been bringing death along with him," a third added.
"True, but he doesn't seem to be working for the Tristainian government," a fourth one mentioned.
"A mercenary perhaps?" the last one noted.
The first one put down his crate "Well, I think-"
*SHTLINK!"
The first agent fell to the ground, dead. As he fell, a white silhouette appeared where the deceased agent once stood.
"I… it's the angel…" one of the agents whispered in fear.
"We can take him," another commented as he charged at him. Saito, unflinching, drew Derflinger and flipped himself over his attacker. Not stopping, he thrusted his sword behind him, killing the attacker immediately.
"Son of a bitch!" a second agent tried to tackle him, but he made the fatal mistake of tripping. Saito, taking advantage of this, grabbed the agent and used him as a human shield. A second agent dashed towards them, trying to help his friend. Seeing this, Saito pulled out his crossbow and shot the second attacker in the face.
Finding no more use in his shield, Saito snapped his shield's neck as he approached the final agent, who was cowering in fear. He grabbed the agent by the collar "Tell me why you done all this," he sternly growled.
"I… it wasn't our doing!" the agent soiled his pants in terror "It was Sir Turenne; he orchestrated the theft so that the shipment would look like a robbery! He would say that the taxes have been stolen so that he could take more from the commoners!"
Saito kept his grip firm on the agent. It made sense; this explained why there were no guards trying to stop them. It explained how they were easily able to do such crimes. Reconquista manipulated them all.
"You have chosen the right thing to do. Unfortunately, you have made the mistake of allying yourself with those who seek destruction." Saito chanted as he executed the agent. He gently laid the body on the ground and closed its eyes "Yasurakani nemure (Rest in peace)."
After passing the agent on, he checked out the carriage. There, he took a few small pouches of gold, but little else interested him. However, a single, wooden crate strangely caught his eye. Curious, he opened up the box.
It was a Colt 1878 Double barreled shotgun. Well, that was the model anyways; the barrel and the stock were both sawn off. Besides the shotgun, there was a bandolier, holding 39 12 gauge shells, as well as a box containing 22 shells. This, and the two shells inside the sawn-off, he had 61 shells.
"It's my lucky day," Saito smiled as he took the sawn-off and ammo. He stood up and looked around "Okay, it's about time I should head back."
A few hours later, back at the inn
Saito walked into the Charming Faeries' Inn "Hey Scarron, I'm-"
"Oh good you're here!" Scarron hastily pushed Saito into the bar "You can give your report later, just make that cocktail again!"
"… Whatever you say," Saito shrugged as he got out the ingredients and started mixing the drink.
Meanwhile, Louise glanced over his direction 'Grr, what is that dumb dog thinking?' she had no idea what Saito was doing here in the first place, but it seems like he was doing some investigation. Since he's most likely not going to tell her, she is going to have to find out herself.
"Hey!" a customer smacked Louise in the butt "Where's my drink?"
Louise fumed "Why you stupid-"
Before she could overreact any further, a glass bottle sailed through the air, hitting Louise in the head.
*CRASH!*
Louise fell to the ground, unconscious. After a few seconds, Saito emerged from the bar "I'm sorry sir; I'll get your drink, as soon as I clean up this mess." He said as he picked up Louise and carried her to the bar. As soon as he got there, he set her down and gave her a swift kick, jarring her back awake. "What the hell do you think you were doing?" he glared at her "You are supposed to serve them, not attack them."
Louise got up and dusted herself off "You try and serve to these people's every need!" she whined as she violently stamped her foot.
"Welcome to our world," Saito smirked. He then folded his arms "Look, maybe if you try treating the customers with the same respect you treat royalty, maybe you'll be more successful at this job." And with that, he picked up a broom and started cleaning the mess he made earlier, leaving Louise to think to herself.
"Hmm… treat customers like I would Princess Henrietta, huh?"
The next day
During work, Louise began to give off the air off a royal servant; something that no other employee, not even Jessica, can manage. This, coupled with Saito's Cocktail, made the Charming Faeries' Inn even more popular.
"Saito," Scarron got the young assassin's attention "I need you to do something for me,"
Saito turned to him "What do you need?"
"I need you to go with Jessica and obtain the rent from the other departments," he motioned to Jessica, who was currently wearing typical commoner's clothing.
The young assassin gave a brief nod "understood," and with that, he followed Jessica out of the inn.
As they walked, Jessica leaned closer to Saito "You aren't from around here, aren't you?"
"What makes you say that?" Saito dully asked.
Jessica started to make a list "Well, for one, you're wearing rather strange clothing. Second, you have a sword on your belt, indicating you're a traveler. And third, unlike most bartenders, you only know how to make one cocktail,"
Saito ignored her comment. They kept walking until they reached the Alluring Devils Brothel, a building highly reminiscent of a BDSM club/brothel. He could tell because of the faint sounds of moaning and the disturbing scent of... bodily fluids in the air 'Well, this must be their 'hardcore' department.' Saito thought as he reached for the door.
"I wouldn't touch that if I were you."
Saito stopped his hand "You know what, I think you should go inside and get the money."
Jessica rolled her eyes "Somehow, I thought you'd say that," she said as she walked inside.
As she walked inside, Saito sighed in relief "thanks for the save there,"
"I am supposed to protect you, remember? This is my job."
"Well…" Saito stopped himself as soon as Jessica came back. He continued to follow her "So, where's the next stop?"
"Our other department is a casino," Jessica told him "Our workers there usually entice the gamblers into spending all their money, then we fool them and leave them penniless."
Saito stared at her, dumbfounded "Only a real idiot would fall for that." He told her.
Meanwhile, back at the Inn
"ACHOO!" Louise sneezed.
Back with Saito and Jessica
Saito waited patiently for Jessica to come out of the casino. Suddenly, he fell to the floor, his head pounding like crazy. "Grr… not again!" he growled as he grasped his head in pain.
"Hey, I'm back," Jessica smiled as she carried the rent on her belt "Come on kid, it time to-" she frowned as she saw Saito, balled up in pain "hey, are you all right?" she said worriedly as she ran to his side.
Saito clutched his head in agony. But, after a few seconds, he stood up, looking completely unharmed. He stared at Jessica "What in tarnation (damnation) are you looking at?"
Jessica gave a worried look "Are you okay? You seemed to be in a lot of pain back there."
"Don't worry; I'm as fine as cream gravy (top notch)," Saito started walking away, not even wondering what he had said. "Let's just head back to the saloon,"
"The what?"
"The inn," Saito corrected himself as he walked back, with Jessica following shortly.
A bit later
Saito and Jessica came back to a surprising sight: a large group of commoners were gathered outside the Charming Faeries Inn, all glaring at the inside. Curious, Saito got the attention of one of the angry commoners "Hey, what's going on?"
"It is Sir Turenne," The commoner explained "He kicked everyone out just so he and his bodyguards can enjoy themselves here."
"I heard he overtaxes your business if someone dares stand against him," another commented.
"Not to mention that he's all touch and no tip," Jessica muttered, unintentionally getting stares from others.
As they talked amongst themselves, Saito intently listened to the many rumors, all very negative. Including the rumors of him siding with Reconquista, all of these rumors make him very late for a much needed assassination. Acting quickly, he looked at a nearby stable full of horses, and smiled.
Meanwhile, inside the inn
Sir Turenne sat impatiently at his table. He had heard of a new cocktail that was very popular with the local commoners, so naturally, he wanted to see what the fuss was about. "I am getting impatient, Mr. Scarron,"
"Look, I'm sorry Sir Turenne," Scarron apologized "But I already told you; the one who made the cocktail isn't here. He's on a job for me,"
"Well then call him back!" Sir Turenne ordered "I-"
*gallop, gallop, gallop, CRASH!*
Suddenly, a horse charged into the front door, its white hooded rider brandishing a pistol in hand. Amidst the confusion, Saito aimed his USP at Sir Turenne, and fired.
*chik*
A red hole formed on Sir Turenne's forehead, slowly oozing blood. Sir Turenne fell on the ground, dead. Turenne's bodyguards, shaking off their initial bewilderment, pulled out their muskets and aimed it at Saito, who now pulled out Derflinger. "Get him!" one of the bodyguards yelled as they fired their muskets.
"…" Saito charged in and impaled one of the bodyguards with Derflinger. Acting quickly, he hopped over the dead body and took aim with his USP, shooting the heads of four other bodyguards, killing them.
Spotting the last bodyguard, Saito held his USP by the waist and started twirling it like a revolver. He watched as the final bodyguard's focus shifted from him to his USP. Tossing the USP into the air, he pulled out his sawn-off and shot the distracted bodyguard in the chest, immediately downing him.
"Hmph, I dropped countless fools that put up more of a fight than them," Saito rolled his eyes as he caught his USP in midair and pulled out Derflinger from the corpse. He walked over to Sir Turenne's corpse "Oh well, sleep tight, partner," he made a little prayer and closed Turenne's eyes. He then picked up Sir Turenne's wallet and tossed it to Scarron "I reckon' this should cover the damages."
Scarron took the money "Thanks, you have the gratitude of the entire guild." He then resumed his girly voice "Now everyone; LET'S CELEBRATE!" he cheered as several customers stormed in, somehow undaunted by the corpses of the fallen nobility.
Someone tapped on Saito's back "Hey," It was Louise, still wearing the uniform "You did good out there," No response "Hello? Are you in there?" she knocked on Saito's head "HEY!"
"Hmm…?" Saito ignored her and started walking upstairs.
"Hey! Don't ignore me while I'm talking to you!" Louise barked at Saito, but he continued to ignore her "Hey!"
Later that night
Saito sat on the roof, staring at the twin moons, a calm feeling washing over him.
"Is something bothering you, my friend?"
"… What happened to me back there?" Saito asked, clearly thinking over his actions "One minute I was me; the next…"
"Go on,"
"The next minute, I felt like I was someone else; I was another person," Saito finished. He didn't know why, but he started talking and acting like a shadow of himself, a past life, an ancestor.
"I guess you are experiencing the bleeding effect."
Saito blinked "Excuse me?" he read about it from one of Lucy Stillman's reports. The symptoms differ from person to person, but the end result is always constant: they undergo a mental breakdown and lose their mind.
"You needn't worry, my friend. Despite this, your ancestors' memories shall teach you everything you need to know. With their knowledge, you will liberate yourself, give yourself true freedom."
"Well, I hope you're right…" Saito said as he stared into the night sky, the twin moons glowing in the night.
A/N: before we go on, this might shed some light on Saito's strange behavior late in the chapter.
Ancestor profile
Alias: The Kusagari Kid
Real name: unknown, though was known to answer to Kyle or Akira
Born: July 2, 1858 in Los Angeles, California
Time period: American Old West, Meiji Period
Political affiliations: Assassin Order, Kusagari clan
Special talents: gunslinging, Japanese swordsmanship, free-running...
Origins: in 1854, Logan McLarens, who happened to be an American Assassin, Sailed to Japan under Commodore Perry to investigate or prevent any Templar activity in Japan. There, he and a member of the prestigious Kusagari clan named Sakura Kusagari fell in love with each other and married in 1857.
Biography: Kyle (or Akira) was the son of an Assassin father and a Samurai mother. He had quite a humble childhood: living as a normal boy in Los Angeles. He was taught how to use a katana and horseback riding by his mother and was taught how to free-run and use a firearm by his father. He learned of his heritage (both Samurai and Assassin) at a young age. By the age of 23, he became an extensively accomplished Assassin, assassinating outlaws & Templars such as Sam Bass and Sandy King. His actions have brought justice and prosperity not only to the Old West, but to Meiji Japan as well. He is well known in the Order for blending western gunslinging with the signature Kusagari sword style, creating a unique style that utilizes both a Katana and a firearm (usually a revolver) in perfect synchronization. His weapons of choice were a one-of-a-kind custom made revolver and his ancestors' powerful katana in battle. A gifted swordsman, he is capable of doing things most people can only dream of.
Personality: he acts extremely serious when in combat, utilizing talents in gunslinging and kenjutsu to take down his enemies. He knows pain, fear, and hate, yet he doesn't show it. He is quite the loner, though he is very respectful towards civilians and his fellow Assassins.
Note: Kusagari was given two names when he was born: Kyle was given by his father, and Akira was given by his mother and uses either name depending on the region. Ironically, modern historians have forgotten his name(s) completely, and solely dub him as "The Kusagari Kid". Kusagari, when his clan had scattered due to a massacre, had reassembled the clan and had them aligned to side with the Assassin Order. Kusagari also inherited from his ancestors a special formula for an extremely strong and lightweight alloy, which he implemented on his armor and weapons.When Saito is using this ancestor's DNA, he will start talking in a gruff, old western accent and will fight using Kusagari's unique "gun-edge" style; dual-wielding with a sword and a gun. His eyes will also seem to turn to a notable dark brown instead of the usual blue. However, since Kusagari never used the hidden blade, Saito will be much more reluctant to use his. Kusagari's katana is a family heirloom, and it is currently in the possession of Saito's older sister, but his revolver and armor have been lost to the sands of time. Perhaps they are hidden in Halkenginia?
Weapons unlocked!
Colt 1878 Double barreled shotgun "Sawn off": a 12 gauge double barreled shotgun developed by Colt. The barrel and the stock have been sawn off, giving it more power and spread at the cost of range. In this world, simply pulling it out will immediately end a fight- pulling the trigger certainly will. It has 62 shells remaining.
Glass bottle: an empty glass bottle that can be found anywhere. Smashing it on someone's head can easily be used to knock someone out. It can be turned into a lethal weapon by breaking the bottom and using the remains to fight.
On hand: 0/1
Items obtained!
Large syringe: as the name suggests, it is a syringe with a large needle. It can quickly administer any medicine painlessly, or as least as painless as a needle can get. The design allows the needle and the plunger to retract and eject out of the barrel for easy transportation. Hmm... This gives Saito an idea.
Courtesans' guild seal: a seal that proves you are a member of the Courtesans' guild. Saito obtained this after killing a serial killer that was murdering members of the guild. Fellow members will help Saito out in times of distress and vice versa.
Shirley Templar recipe: a recipe for a cocktail called the Shirley Templar. It is basically a Shirley Temple cocktail with gin. Saito likes making it, but doesn't drink it to avoid alcohol poisoning. He got the recipe from a bartender who works at "Bad Weather".
Bandolier: a pocketed belt for holding ammunition. This one in particular holds 60 12 gauge shotgun shells. Saito wears it under his hoodie.
A/N: And that's it. I'm sorry for not updating; it's just that I had a lot of tests at that time. And with finals coming, don't expect much from me for a while. On another note, take a guess on who that bartender was in Saito's flashback. I will explain that voice in Saito's head later, though it has something to do with one of his ancestors. This ancestor, The Kusagari kid, will most likely be the one that I'll be using throughout the fic. By the way, I made a couple of references to a certain game from Ubisoft in this chapter. I bet you can't figure out which one it is. Anyways, see you later, please review!