[7] NO HALF MEASURES

The light within Sliff faded faster than the motivation Galarax and the others provided him. But as they said, it could be restored. At least the light. Only thing was…Sliff never asked them how his Luma would shine again.

Each tick of the clock, closer to nine, made him even more anxious. But it would have been worse, had he returned during the night. Who would have known that anticipating your own death was this nerve-racking?

"I wasn't in Valhalla for even an hour," Sliff thought. "But when I returned, it was already over seven in the morning."

Was it because of the weird way time worked in Valhalla? Or was it because of the other thing that Sliff concluded?

"Maybe my technique isn't as instant as I feel. Maybe I'm in that white nothingness for hours without even realizing it. Who knows…?" His heart skipped a beat, as the door of his room slammed open.

From the other side, a tall and dark young man stepped in. He had the exact same attire that Vyzen wore the previous day.

"Oh, you're up, thankfully," he said, halting at two arms length away. "I'm Rillon, you're escort. You ready, Sliff?"

Sliff nodded, getting out of bed, wearing the clothes provided to him by the hospital. "I was just…not expecting you to come so early—" Rillon pointed a knife straight at him, poking its tip into his neck.

"Wh-What?" Sliff thought in panic. "They couldn't even wait for the meeting for my execution?"

Rillon leaned closer to whisper. "I could've been anybody, Sliff. Why're you so sure I'm here to escort you and not to just murder you?"

Sliff gulped. "I…don't know… Mistress Valisha told me to expect someone who'll pick me up before nine. And…your clothes…"

Rillon sighed, hiding away his knife. "That's a very shallow reasoning, Sliff. You could've died just like that, you know?"

Sliff blinked, his eyebrows coming together. "So…you're not going to kill me?"

"Of course, not," Rillon said. "How would a dead dude give his testimony? Think about it."

Sliff exhaled in relief, lowering his head. "Safe…"

"I had to do it, you know," Rillon said. "With the current situation and all. Besides, Vyzen sent a messenger eagle just this morning, telling me to protect you."

"You know Vyzen?"

"Of course," Rillon said. "We're in the same squad, so I know how much he cares about your safety and all. But it's not like the council will let you get killed just like that. Not before they get your testimony, that is."

Sliff scratched his head. "Why would anyone want to kill me?"

Rillon gave a look of confusion. "Weren't you in Tane's party as well?"

Sliff nodded. "Yeah... So…?"

Placing a hand on his head, Rillon pointed toward the door. "So the newspaper outside 'is' yours! No wonder you're so calm." He stepped outside, leaving the door open.

"Huh? Newspaper?"

Closing the door behind him as he stepped back in shortly, Rillon tossed a rolled up newspaper at Sliff. "Check the highlight."

Nodding, Sliff unrolled the newspaper, reading the article on the front page—

Sliff's eyes widened as he read the title. "Kratur guildmaster assassinated by Desperado in the presence of Seekers from the top guilds."

Settling on a stool beside Sliff, Rillon nodded. "According to the latest developments, Tane was involved with the Desperado and the news of his death enraged the gang he was associated to."

Sliff whipped his head sideways. "Tane was in a gang?"

"Apparently," Rillon said, raising his shoulders. "It's not like he was a known gangster or anything. But, you know how the Desperado handles shit."

"But…" Sliff said with a tense frown. "How did they know about Tane's death?"

Rillon rolled his eyes. "They're Desperado, Sliff. That's how."

Sliff gulped. "And are these Seekers…the search party?"

"Yeah," Rillon said. "But something that isn't mentioned in the article is that Vyzen made the assassins retreat by protecting their second target."

"So, he's fine…" Sliff said with a brief sigh of relief. "Wait... Second target?"

Rillon looked sideways, narrowing his eyes. "I think her name was…Iyana. The girl that Alaric, our squad leader, was supposed to escort."

Head pulling back, Sliff made a confused face. "Why were they after her?"

"Desperado takes no half measures," Rillon said. "If they find out a gang member was killed, they'll eliminate everyone they suspect. In this case, they must've thought that Tane was sent on a suicide mission by the guildmaster. So they're now targeting the entire guild, starting from the surviving members of Tane's party."

Sliff breathed heavily, his heart racing. "But that's not true… He chose the quest by himself…"

"I don't know, Sliff," Rillon said, showing his palms. "One of the strongest parties of Kratur goes on an easy quest and every member dies, except for the ones who can't even fight? Seems like a set up if I've seen one."

Sliff's head fell, realizing that he might get killed even before he reached the council meeting. He gulped. "I never thought Tane would be a gangster…"

"I mean…" Rillon said. "Isn't that the whole point of Desperado? You can never know if someone is a member until they reveal it themselves. The doctor who treated you might be one. Who knows?"

Sliff shook his head. "That's not helping at all…"

Standing, Rillon placed a hand on Sliff's shoulder. "You'll get to the meeting in one piece. You have my word on that, alright? Vyzen never asks for help, so when he does…you know its serious shit."

Meeting Rillon's eyes, Sliff nodded slightly, still fearful—

"Fear is not real, kid," a voice echoed in his head.

Rillon put his hands in his pockets. "Let's get going then, Sliff."

Exhaling, Sliff stood up, a sudden calm on his face. "Alright."

***

Leaning sideways, Eljin covered his mouth. "I still think this is a bad idea, Vyzen."

Vyzen remained silent, his burning eyes making more noise. Though nobody could hear, or even see them, for he had his hood pulled over.

"Alaric already switched the missions," Eljin said softly, the words diffusing in the busy marketplace through which they walked. "You should've just returned to Kyubu."

Vyzen dialed up his pace, a heavy thump to his every step. "And show what exactly, Eljin? The title of today's main article said that it all happened in our presence. Are you going to let your guild's name be tarnished so easily?"

Eljin shook his head with a hand over his face. "It's just a stupid article, Vyzen. Why rush to your own death?" Vyzen stopped abruptly, turning toward him.

"I never asked you to follow me, Eljin," Vyzen said. "Alaric told me where the assassins were hiding, so I had to settle the score with them."

Eljin frowned. "But you knew nobody would help, so why go alone? Besides…don't you have a meeting to attend in two hours?"

Vyzen exhaled through his smirk. "I came alone because I'm more than enough for them, not because nobody helped me. Besides, in two hours, I'll be sitting in the meeting room, smiling, because not only will I have captured some Desperado members, but also because I will have saved the life of my friend." With that he turned and advanced toward the building surrounded by stone pillars up ahead. The Sactum of Kiv.

Eljin shook his head, following behind regardless.

***

Smiling as he looked outside from either window of the carriage, Rillon hummed in a soothing tone. "We're halfway there already. An assassin has yet to show up. Aren't you happy?"

Sliff nodded nervously, not knowing if what he just said was meant for a laugh or not. "Sure…"

The carriage rolled to a halt.

"What's up, mister Dayuki," Rillon said, tapping the glass to the coachmen's compartment.

"An old lady is crossing the road, sir," the old coachmen said in a polite tone.

Rillon smiled, getting off the carriage. "Let me help her."

Sticking out his head from the window, Sliff saw Rillon approaching the hunched over old lady who was trying to walk across the road with her thick walking cane.

"Can I help you, old lady?" Rillon asked.

The old lady slowly turned her head, as if the movement was too much of an effort for her. "Why, yes, young man…"

Rillon leaned toward her, holding her arm. "Let's get going then—"

Eyes widening, Sliff was in full disbelief as the old lady jumped, swiping a sharp knife at Rillon's face—

Sliff got yanked out of the carriage, a bulky man choking his neck from behind. He saw that the coachman had been captured too. "This is bad… THIS IS VERY BAD!"

Rillon had completely evaded the knife slash, slamming a palm on the face of the old lady, putting her down. "Fucking wax hag!"

The old lady rolled from underneath his hand, her body melting like a candle. A man emerged from underneath. A much taller man.

"Wh-What?" Sliff thought in confusion as the grip on his neck tightened.

Rillon grabbed the melting man's neck, pulling out his knife. "Who sent you, huh?"

The man laughed. "Your real trouble is behind you."

Turning with a foot planted on the ground in front of the other, Rillon's expression changed from calm and happy to a dark and angry one.

Sliff thought Rillon's reaction would be the opposite. But his face did not change even after the man who was choking Sliff pulled out a knife.

Rillon slammed his hands together transitioning into a hand-sign.

The man behind Rillon laughed through his bloodied nose. "You're not fast enough, Seeker."

Stretching out his hand toward Sliff, Rillon—for some reason—smiled.

Sliff stiffened, for an attack from either Rillon or even from the man behind would hurt anyway. The man behind Sliff pulled back his knife then slit the throat. His own throat.

"H-Huh?" Sliff thought, looking back at the falling man, coughing as the man dropped dead on the road. Then he glanced toward his left, at the man behind the coachman who was equally confused—

He too slit his own throat.

Rillon stood upright, facing away from Sliff.

"Whoa…" Sliff thought. "It's his technique…"

The man in front of Rillon crawled away, stuttering. "Wh-How? How the hell did you—

He went silent. Still alive, but silent. Frozen. Still. Then he started to sweat. "How did I not recognize you…? You're…"

Rillon pocketed his hands. "Uh-huh."

"The Body Snatcher—" the man said before slitting his own throat.

Sliff gulped. "He really kept his word. He's really strong…

"But Vyzen is stronger."

***

Walking between the many rows of seats to his either side, Vyzen turned his head back, placing a finger on his lips.

Eljin nodded, pulling over his hood even more.

The interior of this Sactum of Kiv was just like any other. Rose-tinted glass panes bordered each of its big windows, which were in between stone columns. The roof was designed with intricate floral patterns, reminding worshipers of Kiv that flora is above all, air is the essence of life.

A priest stood ahead, dressed in white and green, his back toward them, lighting several candles close to the roots of the short but thick trunked tree, growing colorful leaves from its several branches. A kivara tree. The worshipers would gather in a few minutes.

Vyzen smiled underneath his hood, closing the distance between him and the priest. "I'll be done by then."

The priest turned, his old and wrinkly face folding on itself. He joined his hands. "Oh, my dears, may our Mother bless you with the brightest beam of sun—"

Vyzen jumped several feet up, his hood flying back, lunging at the old man, pulling back his hand, which radiated a bright orange glow. He slammed his glowing palm at the priest's face, knocking the old man toward the candle stands.

Eljin joined his hands after closing his eyes. "I'm sorry, Mother Kiv, but if the cancellation doesn't work, I have nothing to do with this."

"It's working alright," Vyzen said with a smirk, wrapping a hand around a wrist. "I would guess our targets will show up shortly."

The priest climbed onto his feet, his skin melting fat, white globs to the ground, and leaking away black soot, like the burning wax candles he crashed into, revealing his true face. A much younger face. "You're so dead, my dears."

Turning back, Vyzen grinned with a raised eyebrow.

Eljin sighed. "Yeah… Yeah… You told me so…"

As the wax-like layer melted off the priest's arms, it revealed the tattoo of a rose on the back of his hand, the stems of which wrapped around his forearm, circling all the way to his elbow.

Standing upright, less tensed, Eljin exhaled. "I was worrying for nothing. It's just the Black Rose gang. They're pretty low in their notoriety."

"Don't let your guard down, Eljin," Vyzen warned. "We still don't know how many of them are here—"

The doors from which they entered shut close.

"Huh?" Eljin said.

"Thanks, idiot," Vyzen said, pointing at the priest. "Now we don't have to worry about any civilians getting harmed."

The priest smirked, wiping the blood off his lip. "You two have just dug your own graves."

Eljin tapped Vyzen's shoulder. "Is this guy cocky or what?"

Vyzen laughed. "He has no idea who we are."

Sounds of heavy steps, from the back room, echoed in the closed hall.

Vyzen raised his fists before himself. "Finally."

"Try not to kill them, alright?" Eljin said, rotating an arm. "We have to capture them alive."

"Sure."

Three figures, dressed in all black suits, immerged from the back hall. The one walking at the very front had his hands behind his back and wore a red laced hat over his squarish head. Their boss, most definitely.

"Tell me, kids," he said in a voice course as sandpaper. "What brings you here?"

"Just settling the score," Vyzen said. "No half measures, you know."

The boss smirked. "The Kratur assassination, I assume. Very well."

"He thinks we're Kratur Seekers, Vyzen," Eljin said with a chuckle. "This guy has no idea who he's dealing with."

"Do you?" the priest yelled, from behind the black suited group.

The boss nodded to his right side.

"Yeah," Vyzen said. "But how threatening can the Black Rose gang be—"

The priest's head exploded. The man to the boss's right had just shot him with a flintlock pistol.

"No half measures," the boss said. "No room for the weak."

Vyzen lunged toward him. "He was you're partner, you dumbass!" His hand radiated a bright blue—

He spat blood as he got kicked in his gut by the man to the boss's left. Vyzen was launched straight toward Eljin.

"Whoa!" Eljin said loudly as Vyzen smashed into him, knocking both of them to the ground.

"Pfft," Vyzen said, jumping back onto his feet then pulling Eljin as well. "I underestimated these bastards."

"That was some kick, Vyzen," Eljin said.

The boss laughed with a closed mouth, finally showing a hand. "Kids these days, they think they're strong themselves but fail to see who actually has the power."

Eljin stuttered, looking at the hand that the boss showed. "Th-That's…"

Vyzen's eyes widened as he looked closely at the tattoo on the back of the boss's right hand. "I did not see this coming…" This tattoo was recognized all across the regions, even among the common people. The tattoo of a black skull inside the gaping mouth of a venomous snake.

The mark of the Onyx Bane gang. One of the most notorious Desperado gangs. But the skull on the boss's tattoo was also marked with the number '5'.

The boss laughed, his head falling back. "Do you finally realize who's 'actually' in trouble here?"

Vyzen wiped off the blood around his mouth. "Pfft!" He smiled. "I'm so happy that I'll be the one to finally catch you…Mamba."

The boss, the 'Onyx' Mamba, one of the Onyx Ten, smirked. "Will you, child?"

Eljin placed a hand on Vyzen's shoulder. "If we try, maybe we can run away, Vyzen."

Vyzen stood upright, his entire body radiating with a yellow glow. "What're you talking about, Eljin? I can't possibly pass an opportunity like this. You're free to do whatever you like. But me? I'll capture Mamba!"

The two men on either side of Mamba started laughing.

Vyzen exhaled, closing his eyes, before turning to Eljin with a calm smile. "We can't run even if we try to, Eljin. It's kill or be killed at this point."

Eljin had also realized it, but perhaps hearing it be told out loud finally made him completely aware of the fact…or maybe even reminded him of one…that once Mamba strikes you, you're dead for sure. He leaned nervously, tightening his fists. "I'll fight too, Vyzen, even if it means death."

"Wow!" Mamba said. "Always love to see some friendship—"

Vyzen's fist was an inch away from Mamba's nose before he was kicked back again, Eljin catching him this time.

Mamba's face soured. "Not bad, kid."

Vyzen smirked, spitting blood to the side. "No half measures."