3 Kill the Impatience

Year: 1024

"Now then gentlemen, I would like to thank you for your patronage. Do be sure to make use of the goods. Innocent ones fetch quite a high sum of money," spoke a shady businessman in a dark purple suit and a top hat.

The man tapped his black cane on the side of a large 6' x 6' steel cage containing 5 females inside. Each of them was bruised and dirty, their bodies concealed by brown cloth. Two muscular gentlemen in white military uniforms were grinning ear to ear as they looked over the scared women inside. Out of the five, the eldest was about 20 years old and the youngest was only 14.

"These beautiful dolls will be great for the boys back at camp. It is rough being on deployment and not having the ability to get any action for months on end," one guy said.

"Yeah, plus we got virgins? The tightness will get everyone off tonight," the other man said.

"I also have others for labor if you are in need of that sort of thing. My caravan can appeal to all kinds of tastes," the tycoon regarded.

"I'm sure it does. Maybe I should head back and see if our purse is large enough for the fee."

As one of the pair of soldiers went to walk away, he noticed that a plume of smoke was rising in the distance. In that instant, barrages of gunfire had ignited the air before cries of mercy soon followed.

"What the hell is going on?!"

Before he could blink, a clap of thunder had echoed out and the man discerned a loss of all feeling in his body. The soldier's head then promptly fell to the ground causing an audible thud. All of those present reacted by screaming and as the second soldier pulled out a handgun from his holster, he could not help but tremble whilst looking around for what caused the death of his comrade.

"You're shaking like you're going to wet yourself, how pathetic…" a ghost-like voice called out. A shadow then zipped around the man as he was tempted to pull the trigger.

"Gah, dammit! Where are you?!" he cried out. Meanwhile, the businessman had begun to retreat from sight leaving the virgin females in the cage to save his skin.

"Just be quiet, your whining irritates me."

A blast of lightning had assailed the soldier as a red-eyed figure stood over him. The heat from the wave of energy instantly charred his body, turning him into a human barbecue.

"Oops…"

The girls in the cage were frightened by the sight and trembled in fear, whimpering uncontrollably. However, the figure just kept walking past them before pouncing on the trader.

"W-wait…please wait…d-don't do this. I can pay you however much you want. I'll give you my entire caravan of slaves!" he begged.

"Slave trading…what a disgusting way to make a living, yet you choose to do it so liberally. I wonder, does it feel good to place a price tag on lives for your selfish gain? Your kind should be purged from the face of this Earth. But…that requires work I'm not invested in. So on behalf of all the vile bastards like you in this world, I hope you are prepared to die a most noble death."

The man with the red eyes and scythes did not spare him the courtesy of giving a rebuttal before decapitating him on sight. As his blood spurted about like a geyser, the male sighed heavily.

"Well then…that was easy. It's nice to be able to kill more soldiers from the Capital. I wonder who will eventually come to find the bodies…maybe I should leave a message for…him."

The assassin tucked his blades over his back and dipped his fingers in the blood. Walking over towards the tent where the other slaves were being kept, he wrote something that was targeted towards someone:

Blood is the penance for sin and corruption.

Due to the nature of the splatter of blood, it would probably be misread as something else. However, the message would still be clear to that man.

The red-eyed warrior walked leisurely back toward the cage where the girls were kept and sliced open the lock. The figure of a male draped in a black haori over top of a red-lined white t-shirt with black pants and dark brown boots gave them pause. After seeing what he did to their oppressors, they backed toward the corner in fear of him.

"I'm not going to hurt you. If I were you, I'd take their money, free the others and get out of here as fast you can. You may not be so lucky if you're caught again," he expressed bluntly.

Nodding hesitantly, the girls quickly got up from their position and began to gradually make their way out.

"Th-thank…you…" one girl muttered.

"Don't thank me. I merely saved you by coincidence. This world isn't fit for the weak-willed. You have to be ready to fight for survival at any point in time. Otherwise…you'll wind up like them."

Without speaking another word, the male sighed before taking off as quickly as he came. He did not even bother leaving his name for the women to remember him by. However, his red eyes and heterochromia hair would leave an impression on them.

Four and a half years had passed since the public execution of Raiden Arashi in the Capital City. Since then, the remaining Blood Wolves had chosen their paths. Aquilo assigned his loyalty to the Empire and meanwhile, Yuki led Raizo to the Revolutionary Army. Though it was a reluctant choice for the boy, he had elected to join their cause only under the pretense of having the opportunity of killing his traitorous rival. After dispensing the trivialities concerning loyalty, both of them were integrated into the rebellion.

It was the latter portion of the Year 1024 and tensions were at an all-time high in this civil war as the fate of the nation could potentially be decided in the coming weeks or months. The rebels were preparing themselves for an all-out attack on the Capital City, but they needed to destabilize the enemy's strength. As a result, elite groups of assassins and other Teigu users were sent out across the land for a variety of reasons. Whether it was for the sake of removing high-value targets, establishing supply lines by destroying Imperial stations, or fulfilling personal contracts, the rebellion did anything and everything that would give them an edge and gain the favor of the people.

That was one of the purposes behind Raizo's recent assignment. Returning missing people to local villages caught up in a slave trade while also eliminating any forces involved achieved many different aims. The rebels would look good in the eyes of the people and be perceived as a force of liberation while corrupt officials and soldiers would be dismissed from this world. As cruel as it sounded to some with a higher moral standard, it was a necessary crime. The ideology of heroes was beyond dead. Instead, the world ran on the principle of choosing the lesser of two evils.

The red-eyed shadow had come upon the southern headquarters of the Revolutionary Army. It was not anything fancy as a castle or a fort, but what could be construed as a massive training ground or heavily fortified encampment area. Occupying about 2 miles across the green grasslands, thousands of tents and log cabin structures decorated the area where tens of thousands of soldiers gathered together.

In the western part of the encampment were huts dedicated to the armory and forges where weaponry was crafted. Weapons that were stolen from Imperial soldiers were also brought to that part of the camp so that they may be inspected thoroughly and stored for use. To the northeast was the medical ward where injured soldiers were treated, regulatory check-ups were conducted and supplies were kept for medicinal purposes. The east was where the ranches for livestock and horses were arranged. This was also the arena where transportation devices such as wagons and carts were kept in case scouting parties and other expeditionary measures needed to be taken. The northernmost part of the camp was where the higher-ups and chain of command resided along with the treasury. Filling in the gaps of the area were barracks, guest quarters, the mess hall, and training yards where the bulk of the army roamed freely. Minus the heavily fortified, military atmosphere, this arrangement was much similar to the village that Raizo grew up in.

The Blood Wolf entered the southern entrance where the checkpoints and security teams were stationed. He took about a half-day to return since he just felt like taking his time. After presenting himself at the gate, the guards inspected him and checked to see if he matched the verified description based on the data obtained by command. Upon confirmation, he was allowed through. Now it was time for the most annoying part of his day.

"I'll be sure to give them my report…and a little something extra."

The 17-year-old assassin marched his way deep into the grounds as he prepared to give his report on his latest mission. Such was the standard procedure after every mission for assassinations. However, Raizo was a different kind of contractor. Since he considered himself closer to a mercenary than an actual loyal soldier to the cause, he occasionally acted along the lines of what could be seen as insubordination. To put it plainly, the Revolutionary Army could hardly control him.

"What the hell did you do now?" Yuki asked as she saw Raizo approach his destination.

The light-blue-haired female was sporting a sleeveless yukata that was cut short like a mini-skirt over long-tight spats that cut off mid-way down her thighs. A V-cut opening was left that greatly emphasized her cleavage even though her skin was obscured by a black mesh shirt underneath.

"A preliminary report of your mission just came in a while ago. You already know who's fuming right now…"

"Yeah well, he's not the only one who is fuming. I'm getting sick of this bullshit."

"Here we go…"

The pair then entered the large tent where a singular figure sat in the room behind a desk with two guards on either side. The chamber was modestly decorated. There was a small bookshelf in the back stacked with a few items for leisure reading, a small table where refreshments and small meals could be served, and two other chairs reserved for guests. The man at the desk wore a tanned military uniform with a white overcoat and a white mask covering the bottom half of his face. All that could be seen were his sandy blonde hair and emerald-colored eyes.

"Well, well, Raizo Arashi, so good of you to return safe and sound after your mission. I trust it was completed with ease," the man inquired.

"Indeed…Fujitora, no problems whatsoever," the teen responded.

"That's Colonel Fujitora. Don't forget that you are to address your superior officer with respect."

"Ah sorry, I forgot you were promoted over the years since we last met," Raizo shot back with indifference.

"Spare me the antics, child. Is there anything else you wish to report?" Fujitora further pressed.

The red-eyed youth raised an eyebrow as he turned to Yuki before returning his eyesight to the man before him.

"Nope, not a damn thing."

"I see…so you know nothing about the little message left in blood right? It was quite poetic: Blood is the currency the wolf uses to repay sin and corruption. You know nothing about that?"

"Hmm…if that's what was left behind then…"

"Guess someone mistranslated what I said, then again I did write in blood so it most likely smeared," Raizo thought to himself.

"Stop with these fucking games, boy. You know exactly what I speak of. Unless you are willing to call our spies a bunch of liars?"

"You said it, not me. So there was a cryptic message left behind, and? The mission was still completed was it not?"

"You went above and beyond your orders. You were to stop a slave broker and free missing villagers from bondage. Instead, you slaughtered an entire garrison of Imperial soldiers, burned down their encampment, and then purposely left evidence behind that puts our operations at risk."

"I see nothing wrong with what I did. The people were saved, the target is dead, and fewer Imperial soldiers stand in the way whenever you and your army elect to march on the Capital. The message was not intended for you, but for someone else. Someone you have failed in finding information on as per my request. Did you forget about the agreement we made?"

"No I have not, but I have a feeling you will remind me anyway," Fujitora sighed whilst sitting back in his chair.

"Damn right I will. To be honest, I don't give a damn about your war, your cause, or anything this army represents. You're just a means to an end for me to find Aquilo and put an end to him. My assassination services are being provided to you in any way that is deemed necessary so long as the mission is complete in exchange for any and all information pertaining to the whereabouts and movements of that man. So when was the last time you provided me with good, credible information? And how many contracts have I carried out since then? I'll put it to you this way, you're in debt to me, deeply," Raizo expressed with pressure in his voice.

"Well then…I appreciate your pleasant reminder but know that your little message won't be getting to anyone. Our agents acted on the instinct of cleaning up your mess and making sure everything you did was consumed in the fire you initially started."

"That's quite an interesting way of doing things, Fujitora. May I ask why you'd have them go out of their way to do such a thing?"

"Because you are to work covertly, and what you did was far from the definition of that."

"Duly noted, but know this… I'm the best damn asset you've got right about now that can act on his own accord and carry out your backlog of requests. Keep screwing me over with what I've asked for, and you might just find the jobs getting messier and messier…"

"Is that a threat, Raizo Arashi? Are you willing to take your insubordination so far as to risk a court-martial and possible execution?"

"Are you willing to try and execute a teigu user of my skill level? Heh, funny…you claim to be fighting for a brighter future for this land, yet your choice in how you deal with 'disobedience' is no better than the Empire. I'll make it easier for you. Until you decide to compensate me for what I want, I won't accept any more jobs. Let your amateurs take care of the high-value contracts."

With that, Raizo turned his back and walked out of the tent leaving Yuki and Fujitora alone.

"That boy is truly out of control. I don't even know what to do with him…" Fujitora sighed heavily.

"He's consumed by grief and anger. He lets his impulse guide him so long as it gets him closer to achieving his revenge. Even I can't get through to him like I used to," Yuki added intuitively.

"I see. Well, I imagine you will probably speak to him again before the evening concludes. Give him this. Hopefully, it will keep him out of my hair for a significant amount of time. I already put something in motion that will transfer him somewhere else. Optimistically, the division in question will be able to control him," the Colonel said as he slid an envelope across the desk.

The female picked it up and peeked inside with a small gasp.

"Are you sure about this?"

"That will point him in the right direction and take him to people that may be able to deal with him better than anyone else."

"Yes sir, I understand."

It was getting late as Raizo returned to his tent. The male had a small fortification set up away from the barracks towards the area where the armory was kept. The sound of metal working was a relaxing noise to him that often afforded him proper rest. His space wasn't too large or small. In fact, it was just a dome-shaped tent large enough for about three people to sleep in.

Aside from a blanket and pillow, the youth did not have much inside that warranted much attention. He never knew when he would just decide to pack up and leave so he kept his load light at all times. He washed his clothes down by the nearest river as well as maintained his weaponry, seldom needing outside material things except for food. Whenever he was not on assignment, the youth kept to himself.

He unlatched his scythes from his back and removed the belt that carried the blades Assana had commissioned for him. Sitting them down, he removed his black haori before sitting down to remove his boots. As he laid back, the boy cast a glance over those swords before recalling the face of the girl.

"Assana…would you hate me if you saw how I was now?"

Just as his mind was about to travel down memory lane, a feminine voice interrupted him.

"Hey Raizo, can I come in? I got something for you."

"Yuki? What's going on?" he said as he unzipped the entrance to allow her inside.

"Wow, you really are a minimalist," she chuckled upon looking at the emptiness of the tent.

"Anyways, I got something for you," she said before handing him the envelope.

"What's this?" he asked.

"It's some information that you have been waiting for…about him…"

Raizo instantly tore open the envelope and looked inside whilst reading over the documents.

"So there's some rich guy in the north that's a member of a weird society who knows Aquilo? Excellent," the assassin smirked.

"I suppose, but you're going to have to act on it quickly. I gave the info a glance and the guy doesn't stay in one place for too long."

"I'll leave at first light then. Seems like the best opportunity to take this man out is at night when he struts around his estate. So be it."

"Yeah…h-hey Raizo, let me ask you something," Yuki began whilst running her fingers through her ponytail.

"What's wrong?" he tilted his head.

"Did you mean what you said to Fujitora about this war and the entire country?"

"Yeah…I did. This war means nothing to me, this country means nothing to me, and these people mean nothing to me. Nothing in this world is of my concern… only him and the opportunity of my blade slitting his throat."

"But…why? Don't the living matter to you? Can't you look ahead and think about the future? Surely you want to see an end to the Empire and its terrorizing ways," she pleaded, placing a hand on her chest as if she was clutching her heart.

"I want to see the Empire burn… I want to see the Capital bask in flames, yes… I want to see that whole nation crumble under the weight of its hypocrisy. But it's not like I care about what happens next. This war is just a matter of convenience for me. It's the opportunity for me to kill anyone I have to in order to get my revenge. Any unnecessary distractions can be dealt with by these hopeless dreamers who care about justice.

They fight for something that doesn't exist in this world. It's quite tragic really. They want peace, security, and happiness to return to this land. However, this land has existed so long because of the current system that even if it achieves the 'liberation' that is promised, it won't last for long. Justice is just another convenient excuse for people to fight. It goes hand in hand with revenge. Whereas justice benefits the many, revenge only benefits the one. For me, that is all the benefit I need. I have no personal attachments left in this world. My clan is dead. I'll do whatever I can to achieve my goal, only then can I truly rest."

"Raizo…is that…is that really how it is for you? Has the concept of love truly vanished from your heart?"

"Love is what made mankind weak in the first place. My ability to love died five years ago."

"You are…truly heartless, Raizo. Your apathy is a death wish," Yuki said with disgust.

"No… I haven't achieved apathy yet… because the only two emotions in my heart are rage and hatred. That's all I need to survive. Have a good night, Yuki. I need some sleep," he spoke dismissively before turning over.

"Yeah… good luck with whatever path fate has in store for you," the girl ended before taking a swift exit from the tent.

Shaking his head, Raizo made sure he sealed the entrance back up before lying down and letting his mind drift off to sleep. He was already feeling his focus adjust on tomorrow's mission, but he had to stave off his anticipation in favor of rest.

"I'm one step closer to you, Aquilo."

*****

After Raizo awoke the next day, he immediately set off to his destination where the target indicated by the report was located. More than half a day had passed with the youth taking very few breaks to rest. Because he was unfamiliar with this part of the region and he did not want to draw unnecessary attention, the assassin elected not to use his powers as a means of faster travel. Nothing more would have garnered said attention than a light show involving streaks of lightning.

He came upon a mansion that was removed from the prying eyes of nearby villages about 250 miles or so away from the Capital, which was almost triple that distance from the Revolutionary Army encampment. It was a fancy 2-story castle-like structure that was constructed almost as if royalty resided there. A full garden had decorated the vicinity of the estate for almost half an acre of land. Hired guards patrolled these grounds at all times paid for by the patron inside.

On the roof of the settlement, a bald, fat man in a white robe came sauntering out with a wine glass in hand leading a train of women. These girls seemed to be dazed and confused as they had some form of hallucinogen coursing through their veins. The man had encouraged them to get into the pool that was located on the roof while he sat back on his chair to relax and enjoy the sight of his treasures frolicking about.

Raizo observed the activities of this man from a distance. He hid in a tree on top of a cliff that overlooked the entire area as he studied the grounds to plot a course for his infiltration. The skies were clear as the stars shimmered radiantly. Coupled with the light of the full moon, it was almost as if it was daytime all over again.

"I could easily make everything dark by creating a storm, but that could put the security team on guard. It seems like I'll have to tackle this old school. Though…civilians in the compound will not make things easier…"

As he prepared himself to attack, he sensed that something was off. Observing the grounds more closely, he saw what appeared to be several silhouettes moving in from all different directions onto the property. As he narrowed his eyes, the youth wanted to make sure that he was not hallucinating. The shadows dashed around from various areas across the gardens seemingly pinpointing the locations of all the guards that were on patrol. Something was clearly about to happen.

Raizo wanted to jump in immediately to get his man. Still, his instincts kept him firmly locked in his current position.

What happened next could only be described as the most brutal yet coordinated slaughter fight that the young man had ever seen.

There was a guard that was walking past a rose bush armed with a rifle paying close attention to his surroundings. Before he could even turn his head to the left, a silhouette rushed at him with blinding speed. She had red eyes and long jet-black hair. Dressed in a black schoolgirl's uniform, she had red gauntlets, black gloves, and a red necktie. In her left hand was a samurai sword with a red and white handle and a long, pristine silver blade.

The woman rushed in and sliced the man across the chest causing his blood to seep out. As the man dropped to his knees in shock, his body became covered in mysterious markings before he keeled over with foam leaking from his mouth. The moment he went down, another guard rounded the corner but the girl had instantly rushed after him and swiftly cut off his arms leaving him ready to scream out in agony. However, the same strange markings appeared and spread around his skin which rendered the man silent.

On the opposite side of the grounds, two individuals were patrolling leisurely together when they were seemingly pounced on by an animal-like creature. Peering in closely, the person was a female that had on a skimpy outfit. She had a black halter top that could barely contain her large breasts matched by black underwear. A brown belt with a silver buckle around her waist, white pant legs that exposed her inner thighs, white sleeves that only covered her forearms, and a white scarf around her neck. She had golden armbands on each of her upper arms below the shoulders and had long knee-high brown boots. With golden blond hair and yellow eyes, the woman with lightly tanned skin had ears and hands like that of a beast.

The two guards that were caught by her grip found themselves meeting a graphic death. Her paw-like hands had penetrated their chest cavities at the same time and crushed their hearts inside their bodies. Pulling her hands out, they dripped with their blood as she licked her lips just like an apex predator. She then turned her attention in the opposite direction and ran off into the garden where a few more of the guards were patrolling.

Effortlessly weaving through the bushes, the beast woman used her razor-sharp claws to jump at each one of them without giving them the chance to fire a single shot. She ripped their faces off one after the other as they each dropped like flies onto the ground. One more tried to get the drop on her by aiming his rifle from afar. Yet as the soldier had removed the safety, he felt his consciousness fade.

Standing behind him was a figure covered from head to toe in silver armor shaped like a dragon with a white cape draping off his shoulders. He had a unique spear in his hands that had an arrow-shaped bell and was dark red in color. At that moment, the weapon was soaked with the guard's blood as the man was impaled with the spear. Pulling it out, the guard dropped to the ground. The animal girl saw this and gave the armor wearer a thumbs up in approval before they both advanced to another location on the grounds.

As the patrols were failing to check-in, more reinforcements emerged from the house through the emergency doors. For precautionary measures, a few of the guards joined their boss on the roof for greater protection. Two teams of five were about to make their way into the garden where three of the assassins were last spotted. Just as they converged with each other and were about to move out, suddenly the entire squadron was captured. They were stuck in positions that made them appear like strangely manipulated puppets. Their limbs were bending in nigh-impossible angles the more they struggled as their cries began to echo aloud.

Out from the shadows, a man in blue jeans, a white shirt, and a dark green jacket over top had appeared. He had on red goggles over his light green hair with green eyes. Wearing crimson gloves, the male twirled his fingers about which seemingly led to the limbs of the guards being ripped off. The moonlight captivated the scene revealing there were steel wires present that the naked eye would not normally see.

The 10 men had fallen but another guard was on the way. This guy had been significantly bigger in stature and he boasted a large Gatling gun as his weapon of choice. However, the puppeteer was not impressed. He gathered together his steel thread and wove together a lance made of steel wire. In that instant, he launched it as hard as he could toward its target. Before the guard had the chance to pull the trigger, the spear had pierced his chest and punctured a hole through the heart.

As the guards on the roof waited for the situation to change, the four remaining stood closely by their boss who was too drunk to really care about anything. Then out of nowhere, an unseen chain of events had occurred. Thin, beam-like projectiles were fired causing each of the heads of their intended targets to explode on contact. The source of this attack was unknown, but it was from a sniper. The men dropped dead leaving only their boss to fend for himself whilst his lady entourage were all stuck in such euphoria from the drugs that they could not even pretend to understand what was going on.

With only the boss remaining, it was safe to assume that he was the next victim. As Raizo found himself ready to act upon the realization that his mission was in jeopardy, the sniper had already fired and ended the man's life without a moment's delay any longer. Devastated by this fact, the youth could only watch helplessly as the fat bastard's life faded from view.

A few moments later, a group of five appeared. The fifth one was a new presence with pink hair tied like twin tails, a lavender dress, pink eyes, and a silver rifle that was smoking from the barrel. The modest lady had a rather sassy attitude as depicted by her body language. Observing the five assassins, Raizo processed their appearances inside his mind and wondered who they were. Then he focused on the armor user again. He recalled seeing that armor in a wanted poster a few years ago.

"Night Raid? They're still around? They've grown in number as well. What on earth is going on here?"

As he continued to monitor their activity, he noticed that the black-haired female held a bundle of documents in her hand. Thereafter Raizo had a gut feeling that those papers possibly contained information that was vital to his search for Aquilo. As they all departed together, the Blood Wolf had one option left: Follow them, and if necessary, kill them.

The assassins dashed away from the area; however, the raven-haired female lingered for a moment. She turned her head towards Raizo's location with her eyes locked on his location. As the light of the moon intensified with its luminescence, her crimson eyes glowed. Likewise, the young blood wolf felt like his stare met hers. Within that small window of time, he felt his nerves rattle as if her gaze was piercing through his vengeful resolve before she vanished.

"Why…do I feel like I was just staring death in the face? This is going to be harder than I thought."