Chapter 7 - Ace and Sou

Sou extended his hand for a handshake, which was more unsettling than his previous words. "Good morning, cutie. My name is Sou D. Rigo. It's a pleasure to lay eyes on you," he introduced himself, his tone reeking of insincerity. He referred to me as "cutie," a term grossly inappropriate for a girl he had never met before. I instinctively took a few steps back, refusing to shake his hand. His presence was unnerving, and my gut screamed at me to get away from him.

"Aww, are you scared of me?" he chuckled, enjoying the unease he was causing. Uncle Reo stood like a protective shield between us, glaring at Sou.

"I was under the impression that you came to check up on me, not to become my victim" he warns Sou.

Ace, looking exasperated, chimed in, "He's right, Sou. We've been here for too long. Give our elder a proper examination."

"What are you saying, Ace? We've only been here for five minutes," Sou retorted.

Ace responded, his patience wearing thin, "It took us three hours to make it all the way up here. Did you already forget our tedious trip through the forest? We've spent too much time in this unnecessarily large estate."

Curious about the size of the estate, Sou inquired, "About that, why is your space so big, Mr. Souken? You don't need all of this, do you? Not even the richest politicians own land this massive."

Uncle Reo evaded a direct response, offering a cryptic hint, "I wanted the biggest land possible for my dream to come true. This massive land I own has a bright future, one I can't reveal just yet. It's a surprise." He pointed towards his exquisite flower garden as an example of what he had in mind.

"Aha, you still dream at your age, I see. That's cool," Sou acknowledged, seemingly impressed.

Ace, growing impatient, urged Sou to start the examination. "Let's leave Sou with Mr. Souken for a bit, and you come with me," he suggested, surprising me. I glanced at Uncle Reo for guidance, and he agreed with Ace's plan, sensing the need for a private conversation.

Ace took my right arm, his grip unwavering as he pulled me away from the group and deeper into the forest. "Hold on," I tried to stop him, but his grasp remained as unyielding as steel. "We need to talk," Ace said, leading me further away to ensure our privacy.

"What is it?" I asked, eager to understand the reason for this unusual conversation.

"Your Uncle... Be honest with me. What has he been doing all this time?" Ace's voice carried a hint of frustration and concern.

"Living his life, mostly relaxing," I replied honestly, not fully comprehending the implications of Ace's question.

"That fool. Did he not see this coming, or did he just not care?" Ace muttered, his hand covering his face.

"Care about what?" I inquired, trying to grasp the gravity of the situation.

"Mr. Souken had the perfect opportunity to become the ultimate killing machine, and he abandoned that opportunity. At first, I thought he had other important plans that necessitated emotional attachments, but after meeting you two days ago, I realized I was wrong. He was just goofing off, playing parent. Do you have any idea how upsetting that is?" Ace growled.

Confused about Ace's connection to Uncle Reo, I probed further, "What is your relationship with Mr. Souken?"

Ace admitted, "Nothing, really. I am an assassin who looks up to Mr. Souken. Your uncle is like a god, an untouchable being in the world of Gaia. To think, the near-perfect assassin degraded himself into feebleness."

"But isn't that what age is all about, eventually growing weaker?" I challenged Ace, recognizing the inevitability of aging.

"That's why I'm so upset. He knew this would happen, yet he didn't seize the opportunity to fix it," Ace sighed. "Opportunity? Like what?" I asked, intrigued.

Ace leaned closer, whispering, "This is a classified secret between us. Gaia Agency has developed a device that stops a person's aging. With our technology, it's possible to remain in your prime, never growing a day older, and always getting stronger."

"Isn't that immortality?" I asked, shocked by the revelation.

"No, you can still die," Ace clarified. "Why are you telling me this?" I asked, growing increasingly suspicious. Telling a normal high school girl such a secret couldn't possibly bode well.

"I need your help to convince him to take something," Ace continued, his voice tinged with desperation. "At this rate, your uncle will meet a painful end."

His words struck me like a lightning bolt. Ace, of all people, was telling me that Uncle Reo's life was at risk. I couldn't maintain my composure and felt a surge of anger building inside me.

The mere thought of Uncle being in danger made my throat feel parched, while my head and heart drummed in unison, each beat resonating with my boiling emotions. Without thinking, I lashed out. "You! You're the one who approached him and persuaded him to take the mission! You started all of this, and yet you stand here with no shred of faith!" My fists swung wildly at Ace, propelled by the weight of my anger.

"I hate you! I hate you! If Uncle doesn't return from this, you'll be the first one to pay!" The words poured out like molten lava, my voice echoing with a mixture of fear, rage, and desperation. It was as if Ace had disrupted the fragile sanctuary of my life, upending everything I thought I knew.

"Uncle was living his life happily with me before you barged in!" I added, my words carrying a heavy accusation. The fury was tangible, and I couldn't hold it back. With all the strength I could muster, I lunged forward, headbutting Ace in an attempt to punctuate my frustration.

But Ace remained calm, letting me do whatever I pleased to him. "Are you done?" he asked, seemingly unfazed.

Ace chuckled, "I can't change your mind?" I vehemently shook my head. "Even with a little blackmail?" he teased. My response was clear: "Get lost."

Ace sighed. "Well, it's not like I could find any dirt on you anyway. Our conversation would have been much shorter if I had," he admitted.

"Let's forget your emotions for a second and think logically here. Your uncle's target has acquired an unaging body, you know what that means? He hasn't grown weaker like your uncle. Back in the day, the two of them were basically on par in terms of skill."

I pressed him, "What do you want me to do?"

Ace leaned in closer and revealed a syringe filled with a thick blue liquid, "I want to convince Mr. Souken to take this drug. It will amplify all of his physical attributes tenfold. The main drawback is that it won't let him sleep for days, but when it finally leaves his system in a week, he'll fall into a deep sleep that could last two weeks or so."

I couldn't help but gulp at the sight of the unique drug. Ace explained, "We assassins keep drugs like these on hand for unexpected situations during our missions. Your uncle left the force before our organization started using such technologies, and he's more used to relying on his skills alone."

Ace hoped that the drug would help bridge the gap between Uncle Reo and Xavier. "If he takes this drug, the chances of my uncle succeeding skyrocket. That's what it sounds like to me," I thought.

Ace realized he couldn't sway my decision and seemed to abandon the conversation. "Who do you think I am? Ask Uncle directly if he wants the drug or not. I won't help you; I hate your guts, remember?" I stated, resolute in my decision.

Ace nodded in resignation. "Well, it's not like I would ask a favor of you without something in return, but you're quite stubborn."

As Ace began to leave, I tried one last question, "You call yourself an assassin, so why don't you go kill Xavier on your own? It's pathetic to depend on a geezer." It was a taunt aimed at striking a nerve.

Ace barely reacted to my provocations, and with an air of resignation, he simply replied, "I will be accompanying Mr. Souken on his mission, hopefully we don't get ourselves killed."

Surprised by Ace's stoicism, I couldn't help but ask, "You're not afraid of death? Like, normal people are?"

Ace shook his head, his expression serious, "I don't have time to fear things that are inevitable. Although, I do have a strong desire to survive long enough to see a certain adaptation set to release next year."

"Adaptation?" I repeated, intrigued by the mystery.

In response, Ace proudly displayed his phone wallpaper, revealing the image of a manga character I knew all too well. "Hisagi!" I blurted out in disbelief.

Ace's eyes widened in surprise, mirroring my astonishment. In unison, we exclaimed, "Ruin Chambers 2!"

The excitement was palpable. "Oh my gosh, this is the first time I've met a fellow Ruin Chamber fan!" I exclaimed, my enthusiasm bubbling over.

Ace couldn't agree more, his smile growing wider. "No joke, the manga isn't popular in the slightest, despite how well written it is. Have you read the prequel, Ruin Chamber 1?" he asked, his curiosity piqued.

I nodded vigorously, "Duh, there's no way I'd skip that masterpiece. Hisagi is your favorite character, I take it?"

Ace responded with a nod, "I dig his laid-back personality."

My eyes lit up as I shared my own favorite character, "I get you. For me, my favorite character has to be Zoey Reinhart, the athlete."

Ace quickly connected the dots, "Let me guess, because of her undying will?" He hit the nail on the head.

Zoey and I had much in common – a shared background of an abusive childhood. Despite our pasts, we both relentlessly pursued the sports we loved. For me, it was tennis, and for Zoey, it was track and field. She was my inspiration, the reason I refused to give up even when defeated.

Over the next ten minutes, Ace and I continued to chat about the Ruin Chamber series with unbridled enthusiasm. We reveled in the recent news of the manga receiving an anime adaptation.

"You know," Ace began, "you might not be so bad after all."

I couldn't help but grin, the tension of earlier dissipating entirely. "Same goes for you. Anyone who reads all of Ruin Chamber can't be that bad."

Ruin Chamber was captivating, a series that brought together fans and encouraged passionate discussions. Its plot, a group of kidnapped teenagers working together to escape a complex maze, might sound simple, but the journey to reach the conclusion was nothing short of intense. With multiple twists, betrayals, and conflicts, the story had kept me engaged from the very first page. And now, Ace and I shared not only a mission but a love for the series, a surprising bond in the midst of uncertainty.

As Ace and I walked back towards the wooden house, we spotted Sou and Uncle Reo, deeply engrossed in examining a syringe that was identical to the one Ace had shown me earlier. Ace's reaction was one of disbelief. "This has to be a joke," he muttered, staring at the syringe in Reo's hand.

Ace then asked Uncle Reo about the syringe, who responded without a care in the world. "Our elder is just fine, nothing to worry about," Sou reassured Ace.

Elated at the news, Uncle Reo expressed his gratitude, "I wish Sou could stay. His massages are perfection, removing all the aches I used to have in some of my joints. Now I feel like I can run at full speed."

I was surprised to hear that Uncle had yet to showcase his top speed.

But Ace couldn't believe what he was hearing. "This has to be a joke," he muttered.

Ace had attempted a scheme to make Uncle take the drug, but Sou had simply gave it to him directly, leading to Uncle's acceptance. I couldn't help but burst into laughter at the comical turn of events. Ace had tried to manipulate the situation and failed, and now the very person he had tried to convince had accepted the drug.

I couldn't resist sharing Ace's earlier attempts to manipulate me with Uncle and Sou. I recounted the entire conversation, from Ace revealing the semi-immortal technology to his plot to use me to persuade Uncle, even mentioning our shared excitement over Ruin Chambers 2.

Uncle Reo laughed, seemingly amused by the situation. "Wow, Ace, you're terrible," he chuckled. Sou also wanted to laugh, but a piercing glare from Ace held him back. Embarrassed, Ace turned his face away, his cheeks tinged with red, trying to conceal his embarrassment.

The whole scene left me in stitches. Ace had lost his cool in the most hilarious way, and I couldn't help but find it amusing.

"The mission is the day after tomorrow, I'll be working alongside you but just know i am the solo type. Please don't get your hopes up with me" Ace told Reo, before he began walking. Soul waved bye again and even blew a kiss my way. "See ya later Maki" he said, hopping behind Ace carefree.

"That's an interesting bunch," I noted.

Uncle Reo concurred, "Yep, the agency isn't as dull as it was back in my day, it seems. Their emotions are still intact. Maybe I should pay Gaia a visit one of these days to see how much they've changed."

And with that, the tense atmosphere gave way to a moment of lightheartedness, a brief respite in the midst of impending danger.