Imperial Capital.
Late at night, Aka and Kuro walked side by side through the empty streets.
Both had slipped into the city undetected—Aka, being a notorious wanted criminal, couldn’t afford to be seen, and Kuro knew that Saikyuu’s people would be watching her closely.
Neither of them wore disguises or bothered to conceal their faces, simply moving through the dimly lit streets as they were.
Not a single soul was in sight. The recent string of serial murders had left the city gripped with fear—no one dared step outside after dark.
Wanted posters covered the walls, and among them, Aka’s was the most prominent. The likeness was eerily accurate, nearly identical to her real appearance.
Sheele, Bulat, and Najenda were also on the wanted list, which ant they had to keep their faces hidden during missions.
Bulat, however, had an advantage—the difference between his wanted poster and his current look was drastic. His once-handso hairstyle had been replaced by an eccentric pompadour. With such a drastic change, he could probably walk right past soone without being recognized.
"My sister’s bounty is the highest. Well, she is the trump card, after all," Kuro said with a small smile, glancing at the reward amount.
Aka gave a faint smile in return. "That’s not exactly sothing to be happy about."
The two had been searching the streets for quite so ti but had yet to find any sign of Zanku the Beheader.
...
Unbeknownst to them, Zanku was already watching them from the highest point of a nearby clock tower.
His Teigu, Omnipotent Five Sights: Spectator, granted him special abilities, allowing him to observe Aka and Kuro from afar without them even noticing his presence.
"A serial killer and an assassin? The Imperial Capital really is the best. Delightful, delightful~"
A grin spread across Zanku’s face as he chuckled to himself.
He had already recognized Aka—the countless wanted posters plastered throughout the city had made that easy.
"So... whose head should I take first?"
He locked his gaze onto Aka and Kuro, carefully deciding which of them would be his first target.
…
Aka and Kuro still hadn't found Zanku the Beheader, but he had already begun to make his move.
At this mont, the two sat on a bench, taking a short rest.
"As expected, finding Zanku the Beheader isn't easy. We'll just have to keep searching," Aka said.
"It's only been one night. Back when we were in the Imperial Assassination Unit, didn’t we often go to great lengths to eliminate our targets?" Kuro recalled the past when her sister was still part of the unit. Back then, their days were filled with either assassinations or the journey to one. They had long since grown accustod to this kind of life.
Hearing this, Aka felt a bit nostalgic. "You're right. If necessary, we can stay in the Imperial Capital for a few more days until we find Zanku the Beheader."
"Let's split up. It'll be more efficient that way," Kuro suggested.
She was simply following the principles ingrained in her from her ti in the Assassination Unit—prioritizing efficiency, even if it ant increasing the risk.
"Alright, but don't go too far," Aka said with a hint of concern.
"Got it." Kuro nodded with a small smile.
With that, they went their separate ways in search of Zanku the Beheader.
Unbeknownst to them, he was already nearby, using his Teigu, Spectator. Even through buildings, he could see Aka and Kuro. He was waiting for the perfect opportunity, and the mont they split up was exactly what he had been looking for...
Aka hadn't been apart from Kuro for long when she suddenly spotted her in a narrow alley.
"Kuro? You..."
Aka frowned in confusion.
She was sure Kuro had gone in the opposite direction, so how had she gotten ahead so quickly?
In reality, this "Kuro" was an illusion created by Zanku the Beheader. It was one of Spectator's abilities—Illusion Sight—which could make its target see hallucinations.
The "Kuro" before her was nothing more than an illusion conjured by her own mind.
"Kuro" slowly walked toward Aka, waiting for the perfect mont to strike.
Although sothing felt off, Aka remained unsuspecting.
Just as "Kuro" reached her, the illusion suddenly vanished, revealing Zanku the Beheader—a tall man wearing a Teigu shaped like a large eye on his head.
At the sa ti, two sharp blades extended from his sleeves, slicing toward Aka in a sudden attack.
Aka’s expression shifted, and she quickly leapt back. Even so, her clothes were slashed, leaving a tear in the fabric.
Luckily, her reflexes had saved her. Any slower, and she would have been hit.
"Who are you?!"
Without hesitation, Aka drew her demon blade, Murasa, and fixed a wary gaze on her opponent.
She had initially thought the person in front of her had only disguised themselves as Kuro, so she hadn't imdiately connected him to Zanku the Beheader.
"You assud that because I could take on Kuro's appearance, I couldn't be Zanku the Beheader, right?"
Zanku smirked coldly. "Unfortunately, you were wrong. I am none other than the kind and friendly Zanku the Beheader."
"..."
Aka remained silent.
He had read her thoughts—was this the ability of his Teigu?
But more importantly, this man was the very target they had been searching for.
"That's right. This is one of Spectator’s abilities: Insight. By reading subtle changes in facial expressions, I can see exactly what you're thinking. Oh, and just so you know, I’ve been watching you two this whole ti using Farsight and Clearsight."
Zanku didn’t seem to be in any rush to kill Aka. Instead, he started chatting casually.
"Since you guessed correctly, how about I turn you into a shrunken head as a reward?"
He enjoyed conversations like this—talking to his victims as he toyed with them.
"I really love Farsight. No matter how dark or foggy it is, I can see everything crystal clear from a distance."
As Zanku rambled on, Aka remained silent.
She was focused on one thing—making sure Kuro was safe. And when the opportunity presented itself, she would strike...
But once again, Zanku saw right through her.
"Naïve!"
He effortlessly dodged Aka's attack and laughed. "I can see every thought running through your head!"
He was toying with her, not even bothering to counterattack, clearly amused by her struggle.
"You always keep that emotionless look on your face. Kind of boring, really," Zanku remarked. "But the expression people make the mont they’re beheaded? Now that’s sothing I never get tired of. Most of them have this dumbfounded look and let out a little 'Huh?' before it’s over. I wonder... what kind of face will you make? I can't wait to find out. This is getting exciting~"
anwhile, Kuro, having picked up on subtle noises in the distance, was already on her way...
Reviews
All reviews (0)