Chapter 52: Culling

Daedalus Street had stood for hundreds of years as a sanctuary for the lowest of criminals on the entire planet. It was a safe haven for the most wretched dregs of society and allowed them to carry out their dirty work unabated. As a result, the city's most vulnerable mortals were sentenced to a life of servitude and despair, acting as mere playthings in their sinister machinations. Despite Orario's law enforcement possessing multiple first-class adventurers, they could never quite catch their quarry, owed to the region's perfected defence systems and maddening nexuses of hidden territories and migratory patterns.

Unexpectedly, this safety net had been utterly obliterated over the past four nights by an unknown third party. An alpha predator walked amongst Daedalus' alleys and sent shivers up even the most hardened criminal's spines. Day after day, the broken bodies of wanted thieves; rapists; fraudsters; loan sharks; child traffickers; and serial killers were flung all across the "I am Ganesha" building and its grounds, along with bags of narcotics and stolen goods. It was a public relations disaster for the Ganesha Familia, who had absolutely no idea who the culprit, or culprits, were. Each 'present' that they were forced to house was affixed with a written note, referring to their establishment in quite the unsavoury manner. It seems that whoever was hurling criminals into and onto their grounds had quite a poor view of their Familia, who were referred to as 'idle dullards' and 'self-conceited worms' on multiple occasions.

The issue was further convoluted, as each note was addressed to them by seemingly random criminal gangs, which had the secondary effect of causing relations within Daedalus Street to break down completely. No soul could be trusted and Orario's criminal underworld was currently in hiding or at each other's throats.

Expectedly, the Ganesha Familia was in an uproar and had called a hastily organized strategy meeting to order on the fifth morning of their humiliation. We now find ourselves within the inner chambers of the Ganesha Familia headquarters: a spacious, dimly lit room filled with nervous adventurers. Various sacred artifacts and tapestries adorned the shadowy space, each revering a specific aspect of the Hindu pantheon. The Familia's Captain, Vice-Captain, and their God Ganesha were currently seated around an immense round table, deliberating over a pile of notes they had been ever so graciously gifted. The company was surrounded by most of the Familia's high-class forces, who were looking on in worry and fright as their Familia captain trembled in her seat.

Shakti Varma was an absolute wreck: her dark blue hair lay loose and frayed; her precious orange and gold battledress was left crumpled and dirtied; and her face was twisted into a pained scowl. The poor woman had been on guard duty at Orario's outer edges when she received news of the newest thorn in her Familia's side, and had been completely blindsided. Not a wink of sleep had blessed her in days, mostly due to the constant human bombardment that their home had suffered throughout the entire four nights. Infuriatingly, every search for the culprits had been utterly pointless: no matter how well they combed the perimeter, they could not spot their recent rabble-rousers. It was if ghosts were haunting the Ganesha headquarters, waving the executive's failures in their faces.

"DAMN IT ALL!" Shakti picked up a flier and tore it to shreds, beating her fists on the table and reducing it to splinters. "WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON OUT THERE!? I AM SICK AND TIRED OF HAVING TO WAKE UP TO CLEANING BODIES EVERY SINGLE FLAMING DAY! I EVEN HAD ONE OF THOSE BASTARDS THROWN THROUGH MY WINDOW FOR GOD'S SAKE!"

Her colleagues were utterly mortified at her current condition and took several steps back from the powerhouse. They had never seen the stoic woman's mask shatter so completely, including their God, who gaped at his child's fury. Even in the most chaotic situations, Shakti had always remained calm and collected, regardless of who or what she faced. Waking up to crashes and tremors, and being forced to incessantly race across the entirety of Orario, had brought the commander to her wit's end. The constant beratement from Orario's civilians and fellow adventurers also drove her towards her current madness.

Shakti grasped at her face and moaned in consternation. "I mean, in all seriousness, HOW IN THE HELL ARE THESE BASTARDS DOING ALL THIS!? DO THEY EVER SLEEP!?" To make matters worse, their bothersome pest(s) had been beginning their 'bounty hunting' earlier and earlier as the days passed, as if they were enjoying themselves more and more, or becoming increasingly skilled in their task.

Thankfully, Shakti Varma's idyllic God was by her side to impart his wisdom, acquired over billions of years of existence. He strode up to the woman and cast her a shaky smile. "I-I am Ganesha?"

"ZIP IT YOU GOBLIN FACED LEECH!" Shakti spat out at the deity, eyes red and suffused with bulging blood vessels.

Ilta Farma, the Familia's Vice-Captain, fanned her arms in submission and spoke in a soothing voice. "C-calm down, big sis. Y-You're not yourself right now! We just need to work together to wrangle up a strategy!" The amazoness maintained a sweet smile, but her bronze legs shook at her superior's fury. Ilta respected her Captain immensely and had suffered defeat to the spear user many times in battle. She of all people knew just how powerful Shakti was. The redheaded vice commander was a battle maniac, but she was certainly not in the mood to fight Shakti when she was so mentally unstable.

Shakti tightened her fists and breathed in and out to compose herself. "Huff… Huff… Huff… Phew… Y-you are correct, Farma. I should not have lost my composure. My current behaviour is a disgrace to you all. However. We cannot allow these nuisances to roam free like this. If they truly wish to be of aid to the city, then they must collaborate with us."

Off to the side, a tanned human boy gulped and approached the duo of executives. This was Modaka, a curly haired boy with a forgettable name. "B-But, isn't this a good thing, lady Varma? This person, or people, are clearing the streets of dozens of criminals!"

Shakti Varma shook her head, withholding her wrath from the novice. "That is not the point, Momonga. We have no idea what their true objective is, other than humiliating us of course."

Modaka slumped down, grumbling at his newest nickname. 'M-My name's Modaka, lady Varma… Why can't anyone remember it…?'

Ibri Achaa, the Familia's lively colosseum announcer, came to the boy's rescue and grinned at his captain. "I think Monaka's right, lady Varma! Around three quarters of the bounty book's been turned in, and we haven't had to pay out a single Valis! Talk about a bargain!" Peculiarly, the pink-haired boy had been having an absolute blast over the past few days. It was always so exciting to see who adorned their doorstep each morning, and racing around the city was exhilarating!

*Cough* A studious elf approached the circle to support his juniors, holding several sheets of documents and reports. "We may be getting inundated with letters shaming us for "getting beaten in our own game", but we're also receiving reports that crime has plummeted in all regions of the city. Surveyors also report that civilian happiness and living standards are skyrocketing within the poorest quarters!"

A pallum girl squeaked as she bounced up and down in joy, sending her ginger braided locks flying in all directions. "Not only that, but every orphan has vanished off the streets!"

Shakti stormed up to the diminutive girl, sweat dripping down her face in terror. "Don't tell me… They've been kidnapped in the commotion!?"

The blond girl clutched her twin tails in worry as she attempted to reassure her captain's frayed nerves. "N-No… W-we've traced them all to the nearby orphanage. Maria is currently taking care of them, alongside several part-time workers. Also, their monetary donations exploded precisely when these strange events began…"

Shakti breathed out a sigh of deep relief. "I see… My apologies, Mia. However, that is no coincidence. These people must be involved in that scheme as well. We should thank our lucky stars that this organisation is at least somewhat altruistic. To commit such intricate acts right under our noses, suggests that they are adventurers of the highest calibre. At least level five or six. It is highly likely that they also possess a concealment skill of some sort. We will need to increase our presence around the orphanage and question anyone we know of that possesses a stealth skill… Likely a pointless endeavour, considering that they are able to easily evade us. Huff…" Shakti grinded her teeth at her failure in dealing with the situation: she was the captain of Orario's largest Familia, and her current behaviour was utterly inexcusable! "I-I suppose that we will have to simply grin and bear this humiliation… In the grand scheme of things, Orario's safety will always be our top priority. However, I will not stop searching for those… menaces. I have a plethora of 'criticisms' and choice words to share with them for the commotion they have caused here."

Shakti Varma was incredibly embarrassed, and her pride had been shattered; however, the woman could not lie to herself: whoever was rounding up Orario's criminal underbelly, and saving its endangered orphans, was doing wonders for the city's health and longevity. Of course, several nights without rest was having its obvious effects. The woman's frayed nerves could be set off by any bothersome event…

*BOOM* *CRASH*

The gathering winced and turned to the side.

"Uh, oh…"

"This is bad…"

"Another one this early?"

"I'll get the mop…"

The entire headquarters building trembled as yet another human meteorite impacted with it: this time directly into their spacious courtyard garden. Shakti growled and tightened her fists, nearly drawing blood as the reverberation began to trigger the beginnings of PTSD. "If that filth struck even a single flower petal… I WILL MURDER THEM!"

Ilta Farma chuckled mirthfully and sprinted off to deal with their newest inmates. "D-Don't worry, big sis! I'll go deal with them!"

*Pat* *Pat*

Far off, in a shadowy corner, Hit wiped his hands clean, ridding himself of yet another pair of criminals. He had used time skip to 'bat' the poor excuses for humans out of the air, and into the Ganesha Familia grounds. In this way, Hit remained hidden as he tossed the two wastrels into the air; skipped time to clobber them; and finally disappeared as the striking force took effect. If there had been any onlookers, they would have witnessed a pair of unconscious bodies rocket upwards and catapult themselves right into the ground, likely possessed.

Upon their impact, the subhuman slavers left human-shaped imprints in the Ganesha Familia's rose garden, sending thorns and teeth flying in all directions. Hit quickly shot away as a feminine screech erupted mere moments later, and sprinted towards Orario's guild building with a smirk. 'That should be enough for now… A shame: I have not enjoyed myself this much in quite some time.'

Hit had made immense progress over the past four nights, capturing the majority of 'Bounties of Orario's' listings, along with a motley of miscellaneous criminals. The doddering fools saw and heard absolutely nothing as Hit carried out hit and run tactics, sending multitudes of pressure-point strikes through time to instantly render them unconscious. The bodies, and their cargo, were then tied up and flung into an area for safekeeping until Hit was done for the night. Next, came Hit's favourite game, where his trophies were carried across the city of Orario, whilst avoiding the Ganesha Familia's multitude of enforcers. Hit won the game by throwing his cargo into and onto the "I am Ganesha" building. Through the statue's legs; onto its trunk; crashing through the main mansion's windows; and even colliding directly with the Ganesha Familia members themselves: there was no end to Hit's methods to unload his bounty. No matter which formation the Ganesha forces chose to mobilise into, Hit would always find an unguarded point of the headquarters' perimeter and subsequently capitalised on it. Unless it was an obvious trap of course.

This may seem like harsh treatment from the 'delivery man', but Hit good reason for his profound disrespect for the Familia. Following his thorough perusal of 'Bounties of Orario', Hit had also returned to the 'Familias of Orario' tome, noting that the Ganesha Familia had hundreds of members and eleven Level 5 adventurers! This was absolutely astonishing to Hit. How could such a large quantity of high-class adventurers fail so utterly in their task of ridding the city of crime? Hit was slightly biased, as he was used to planets that possessed the strongest military forces stamping out crime without mercy. Government agents found the task quite easy due to the weakness of their average civilian and absolute power that advanced energy weapons provided. The perfectionist totalitarian regimes would never allow such activities to occur under their noses. Of course, if the government benefitted from the illicit dealings, then they would be allowed to continue. On the other hand, in Orario, even a level one adventurer was far beyond what a mere mortal could potentially become, obfuscating matters. Nevertheless, Orario was far from the most corrupt city Hit had frequented, although, this was like stating that this particular wine glass was only moderately poisoned.

Sadly, Hit's quarry thus far had been unusually weak, ranging from paltry unblessed humans to poor excuses for level 2s, suggesting that the region's true masterminds were still skulking in an uncharted location. So far, Hit had done an excellent job of turning Daedalus' criminal machinations on their head, sending the cockroaches scuttling into hiding. The city's underworld was currently gripped in abject terror. They now believed that a shadowy entity stalked their inner sanctums, secret meeting places, and slept under their family's beds at night. At first, the myriads of gangs had stood strong, confident that the notes that the Ganesha Familia disclosed were truthful: that rival gangs were selling each other out. However, after days of indiscriminate disappearances and uproar, they could now state with absolute certainty that this was no ordinary quarrel. Rather than an ordered nexus of illicit goods exchange, Daedalus' streets were now largely devoid of shady gatherings or blackmailed intermediaries.

Instead, the streets appeared far more homely, with civilian families enjoying a more relaxed atmosphere, free from their perpetual overlords. The entertainment district's discarded orphans were also nowhere to be seen, quite the disappointment for Orario's grooming gangs, who received the worst treatment from their spectral huntsman, bordering upon irreparable bodily harm. Conversely, Maria's orphanage was booming with clientele, forcing the kind woman to hire several part-time workers and retirees. Thankfully, whoever was leaving the children on her doorstep would always affix bulging coin bags around the children's bodies, providing more than enough money to finance their upbringing.

Hit smiled lightly as he thought back to every small bundle he shuttled to Maria, who took the tykes into her growing family without question. The matron had quickly acclimatised to his secret nightly deliveries, even taking to thanking Hit as their guardian angel. The strange warmth in Hit's heart was positively incandescent as he stepped onto Orario's Northwestern Road, completely offsetting his feelings of donor's remorse.

Of course, Hit kept up appearances by regularly delving into the dungeon and exchanging magic stones at the guild. Since most of his nightly hours were now devoted to acting as a living nightmare, Hit delved more shallowly than he would have hoped, focusing on collecting precious herbs for exchange at the blue pharmacy. This served a dual purpose, as Hit's visits also allowed him to purchase immense quantities of high-quality rope from Miach, something that Naaza thankfully did not question him about, at least outwardly. Surprisingly, Hit did not have to worry much about interference or questioning from his Familia executives, as they were forced to vacate the mansion on Hit's second day of vigilantism. Hit had returned to a completely barren mansion that night, now devoid of both male and female adventurers. The loner did not know, nor did he care why this was the case.

Interestingly, Hit had also received an incredibly polite letter from Bell Cranel this very morning. The boy had begun the note by profusely apologizing for bothering his dear mentor, followed by a cordial invitation to a banquet at the Apollo Familia's mansion this fine evening. Hit had quickly written out his reply, stating that unless the boy wished to hire Hit to dispose of the debauched deity, then he could count him out of the insipid gathering of supercilious fools.

Subsequently, Hit had exited Twilight Manor and made his way to Orario's guild building via the city's many alleyways. This is where the former assassin had stumbled upon a duo of particularly unlucky slavers, who were in the process of abducting a blind beggar. Thankfully, Hit had quickly shattered the felon's lower arms and tibia, reducing the rotund imps to wailing piles of filth. Amusingly, the two had begged someone they referred to as the 'Veil Stalker' to return them to Daedalus in exchange for over 100,000 Valis. 'Veil Stalker' was one of Hit's most recent monickers, which included, but was not limited to: Night prowler; Vengeance; Shooting Star; The Pulveriser; Spectral Abductor; The Snatcher; Moonlight Slayer; and Daedalus' Wrath. In any case, Hit ignored the pathetic offer and quickly delivered a series of pressure-point attacks unto their muscles and nerve clusters, jabs designed to inflict the most pain imaginable. Once the demons masquerading in human skin were unconscious, he whisked them away to the Ganesha Familia headquarters and 'escorted' them to their new home.

Back to the present, Hit nearly chuckled as he briskly entered the guild building, masking the expression with a deep cough. This was merely a cleanup operation to locate his true targets, but Hit could not deny that he was enjoying himself. 'Those vermin must be attempting to spread their disgusting tactics elsewhere, since Daedalus is obviously off limits currently.' Surface level thugs had suffered the brunt of Hit's initial attacks, causing the creatures to lose all hope and sanity as they desperately attempted to hide in any hovel they could find. Sadly, this seemed to work against them as their hunter only increased in efficiency in response to their altered movements, seemingly finding them easier to predict. Now, the dregs were fleeing to the wider city, fearing the Ganesha Familia's wrath far less than the demonic presence that stalked their ancient home.

Hit kept his hands stuffed away as he veered to the side and waltzed up to the guild's noticeboard, ripping a vexing level up notice flier off as he went past it. Sadly, Hit was interrupted in his escape by an unwanted nuisance, something that became another facet of his daily routine. 'Great. What inane drivel will I be subjected to today…'

Suddenly, a muscular woman leapt dextrously over the Guild's exchange booth and skipped up to Hit whilst biting her lip. This was Amina, the amazoness that offered to share a night of passion with Hit on their very first interaction. Unfortunately, Hit's cold refusal had only served to spur her on, and she had now switched tactics to woo Hit each morning. It was incredibly frustrating for the stern man, as he was forced to frequent the noticeboard each day to relieve the irritating structure of his rank-up notice. Amina had quickly capitalised on this habit and used Hit's predictable movements to her advantage, something that Hit had to begrudgingly admit was highly effective.

Amina's silky red trousers ruffled as she hopped in front of Hit and twitched from side to side, working up the courage to speak to her newest crush. She gulped as Hit's crimson orbs darkened, brows furrowing into a murderous glower that promised torture. Still, she pressed on with her daily greeting. "H-Heya handsome. D-Did it hurt?"

Hit's brows furrowed further, this time out of confusion at the hollow question.

"F-Falling from heaven, I mean…" Amina's rosy cheeks darkened as she chewed on her lip and squeaked in lustful embarrassment.

Her captive audience member continued to stare at her as if she was diseased, standing still with a statuesque appearance.

The lovestruck woman shivered and moaned, quickly recovering with another question. "Huff… Oh, U-Um… D-Do you believe in love at first sight, o-or should I walk by again? Huff…" Her heavy breathing was now clear for all to see as it was expelled from her as a heated vapour.

Hit rolled his eyes and scoffed at the painfully cringeworthy pick-up lines, barging past the unsavoury woman with a confident stride. Sadly, Hit's astute hearing failed to miss the euphoric moan that escaped his newest nuisance, who held her head as she collapsed in a heap.

'What did I do to deserve this? Does she derive pleasure from this nonsense?' Hit's glower deepened as he approached Eina Tulle's counter. The half elf was holding a hand to her mouth as soft giggles and snorts escaped her. "M-Making friends, Hit?" *Snort* "Hihihi!"

"Nemeses, actually. If this continues, I will have to… deal… with that gnat." Hit's eyes darted to the side, easily locating a blushing figure trembling some distance behind him. Strangely, the pervert seemed to be deriving even more pleasure from seeing her love interest talking to another woman.

Eina could no longer stop herself and laughed heartily at poor old Hit's misfortune. "HAHAHA! Fufu!" *Cough* "D-Don't be so harsh, Hit, she's been doing this routine for years. You're not the first and you are certainly not the last of her... interests. Although, you're definitely her type. Maybe you're the one!"

"Save your needless comments for someone who cares. Take this." Hit rudely dashed Eina's opinions to the side and jabbed his letter to Bell into her abdomen.

"H-Hey! Don't be a spoilsport, Hit!" The giggly advisor took the offered envelope and hastily placed her crystal glasses atop her dainty nose. She smiled as she recognised who the message was addressed to. "Oh! A letter for little Bell! If you like, I can deliver your message to him myself. He should arrive here with his party in a few hours…"

"No. Just do your job." Hit was now in quite a foul mood and replied with an incredibly harsh groan.

Eina sighed and held her hands up, admitting defeat. "Alright, alright. I'm sorry, okay! I won't tease you anymore, Hit."

"Hmph." Hit grunted and turned around, noticing that his muscular voyeur also hastened to turn away, and was now whistling to herself as she held her hands behind her back.

Sounds of opening and shutting drawers drew Hit's attention back to his advisor as she hastily brought out several sheets of paper. "Wait! I still need to question you about the uproar in Daedalus! I know it can be quite annoying, but it's mandatory for every guild advisor to check in with their adventurers whenever we receive new reports from the Ganesha Familia. Please read this, Hit."

Hit grumbled and took the offered fliers, already knowing what they would contain. 'Here we go again…'

Dear Adventurers of Orario,

Please contact the Ganesha Familia should you possess any information regarding the past week's events regarding the mass apprehension event within the Daedalus region. Any information is welcome. If you recognise either of the handwritings in the following notes, please notify the guild immediately.

Rest assured that we have everything under control, and the Ganesha Familia will forever be at your service. Thank you.

Note 1:

To the snivelling insects that reside within this obscene hovel of conceited idleness,

Consider these new arrivals the result of your own inaction.

Thanks for nothing,

The Demon Elephants.

Note 2:

To the miserly pachyderms that stand as this city's greatest embarrassment,

Enjoy the free labour. Who knew that doing nothing your entire meaningless lives would pay off?

Insincerely,

The Tiger Gang

Hit's stony face barely twitched as he read through his own condescending notes, each written in entirely different handwriting styles and inks, essential for producing anonymous written documents. He handed the sheets back to his advisor with a faux look of confusion and exasperation. "Why would I have any interest in the inane activities these leeches perform?"

Eina sighed in dejection as she accepted the flier, one that had not arisen any form of recognition from any of her charges. "Right, right… Do you have any idea who the culprits might be, though? The Ganesha Familia seems desperate for any clues…"

Hit shrugged his shoulders with a huff. "How would I know? Based on these notes, it is likely that this entire debacle is a form of gang warfare."

Eina narrowed her eyes at Hit, not entirely convinced: her woman's intuition was on high alert. "…Maybe... Still, you have been acting a little strangely, recently. You've been exchanging your magic stones at far earlier hours than usual! Normally, I would be ecstatic that a workaholic like you would be spending less time within the dungeon, but I know how tenacious you can be… This isn't normal for you…"

'Shrewd girl.' Hit crossed his arms and stared down at the pesky pest. "I do have a life outside of the dungeon, Eina. You are free to accompany me for a private meeting at the Manor, should you not believe me." Hit's eyes sparkled in assertiveness. 'If I appear assured of my innocence, then Eina should discard her suspicions of me. Guild advisors are almost certainly barred from private meetings with their adventurers outside of the guild for safety reasons, so this should act as an empty offer. Additionally, Loki is also away in Melen, thereby eliminating the chance for a joint meeting.'

"E-EEEHHH!?" Eina's entire body blushed crimson as she overheated, steam billowing from her twitching ears. The blushing maiden pressed her two index fingers together at Hit's scandalous offer, followed by clutching at her cheeks in longing. "P-Private!? W-Well, I-I really shouldn't… An advisor and her adventurers must not f-fraternise… B-But maybe… just for tea!"

Once Eina recovered from her trance, she rose a hopeful grin to a vacant space. Her dear conversation partner vanished completely from the scene, with only the guild's opening and shutting saloon doors signifying his sudden departure. The half elf tightened her fists and screeched, throwing a pile of documents into the air. "HIT, YOU SON OF A…!"

Author's Notes

Sucks to suck, Eina.

In case it wasn't obvious, Amina is basically Darkness.

One thing to note, is that Hit's answers to Eina's questionings are always in a manner that would be useless to a God's truth distinguishing ability. "Who knows…" and "Why would I…" are quite vague replies and, even if they did set off a god's ability, it would not be incriminating.

This statement is also equally vague: "Based on these notes, it is likely that this entire debacle is a form of gang warfare." As Hit begins his statement with "based on these notes", it will be regarded as a truth by a god. If he simply stated that: "it is likely that this entire debacle is a form of gang warfare", then any eavesdropping Gods could detect a lie and he would be brought in for questioning.

By the way, I changed Hit's disclosure of possessing mystery to the executives in chapter 43 to him merely stating that he acquired a development ability. Looking back, it's silly for someone like Hit to reveal such a rare ability. Also, I misspelled it incorrectly throughout season 1 (developmental ability is incorrect).

I will also change the part where Hit scares Loki in season 1 by 'teleporting' in front of her while she twirls his status sheet around, and skips away, to him walking away from her after grabbing it (cannot move objects in time skip).