Chapter 2.1:Crime as punishment

Freezy wind blows within house of Sumire within a peaceful and silent night the silence was broke by a horse scream of a servant woman.

"Ahhh! Murderer! Help! There's a murderer!"

Before the woman finished her words, her throat was cut by a sword. But cutting it was too late. The other people of the house were woke up.

Lights turned up one by one.

House of Sumire wasn't a big family, their house was also remote from others. It will take 5 kilometers away to find another house beside them.

Lighting up their candles, a person who wears a smiley mask in a black robe revealed with a bloody sword of his.

Seeing that, the servants of the house went panicked and run towards their masters' chambers. Guards were also alarm and immediately surrounded the person.

Spears,torchs,and swords pointed at him. A person who holds a sword attacked the person with his all might.

But before the man could even come closer, blood splurt out from his neck. The person in black slashed his throat in a blink of an eye.

Despite of that, other guards didn't fall down-instead the leader of the guards yelled and said,

"Kill him!"

"What an audacity..." The person in black sneered.

All of the guards attack the person in black all together, But before a sword or spear land to the person in black, blood splurt from their bodies.

Move was fast yet smooth as a feiry moth flying in midnight.

All of the guards went down and died. The person in black immediately dashed to the back door of the residence.

In there, he saw the whole family trying to escape.

"Petty old hogs where are you going?" The person in black sneered.

Children were shaking hiding behind their parent's back. Legs trembling Voice were shaking, The head of the family spoke up

"Wh...who are you? W..what do you want? Why are you doing this?"

The person in black suddenly vanished in front of them.

demeaning voice spoke up.

"Oh what a pity can't remember me?"

The person in black teleported to the back of Satoshi, the head of family. He squish the jaw of the man from the back and pointed a knife on his throat.

The other member of the family stepped back.

the man in black turned around as he cut the throat of the head of family.

Blood splurt out continuously from the neck of the head of the family. the children screamed and cry.

"clan was sure small yet with a number of 2 families,2 children, 1 mother, a pair of couple, 2 elders and 12 servants, do you guys think crying all together won't be so noisy?" the man in black said Coldly.

"Y...you you monster!" Hinata , a member of the family said.

"I'll count 1 to ten, you all could hide within ten seconds... If I didn't find you within ten minutes then you all could live, but If I caught you the game is over. If you try to escape before the game ends then your life is over."

"W...hat are you talking about?! D...don't be ridiculous!" Reonil said.

"Let's begin the onigokko." the man in black said succintly.

The man in black started to count slowly.

"one..."

"two..."

The family started to run and hide as fast as they can.

The twelve servants scattered into 3 groups. The first four person accompanied the elders and went to hide on their underground attic.

While the second four person went on the other rooms of the house.

The third four person dashed along with the couple towards the kitchen.

However the family of the head of the clan with just 2 son and a mother dashed towards the chamber.

The chamber was kinda spacious with a huge bed in the middle corner and night table beside it. There was also a big closet at the right side of the bed And an altar at the corner.

The mother immediately removed the tatami mats on the closet and made her children enter.

"Hide here no matter what you hear, don't come out. Don't make any sound you understand?" The mother said to her children nonchalantly. You can see on her eyes that there is no single apprehension despite of what is happening.

Her children was still in shock after seeing their father's throat cut in front of them. The second son who's still 6 years old wouldn't stop crying, while the first son who's 12 years old has watery eyes and confused on what's happening.

Hearing what their mother said, the eldest son asked a question.

"Mother what do you mean by that what about you? Aren't you going to hide here?"

The mother didn't replied. She just closed the closet and went outside the chamber.

The person in black proceeds to find the persons.

He first went back on the hall where he killed all of the guards. The whole residence were in dead silence.Only corpse and blood can be found.

Playing onigokko with him is absurd,because no matter what they do or where they hide- the person in black is still be able to find them with his magical skills and mana zone.

The man in black walks outside the residence and went towards the kitchen.

The door of the kitchen opened with a creak sound.

The kitchen is so spacious and has a lot of utencils.

No persons could be seen at all nor there is place to hide in there. Where could the couple and 4 servants have gone?

The four servants and the couple were still inside the kitchen and casted a camouflage

spell so they won't be seen.

The man in black sat at the bench and with his legs spread and hand on cheeks.

After pausing for a while, he stand up and walk outside. He slammed the door and stood up outside.

The people inside murmured.

"He's gone..."

"Yeah he's gone..."

The lips of the people curved up and celebrates. Little did they know, The man in black isn't gone yet he was still standing in front of the house.

The man in black then stepped back 5 meters away from the house and started to murmur.

A crimson light struck at the center of the roof of the house and a barrier formed around it.

The pale hands of the man in black illuminated red. A ball of flame ignite from his palm and throw it to the house.

The ball went through the barrier easily and burned the wheat beside the door.

The fire spread easily and smoke went inside the kitchen.

"What is that smell?" Reonil said.

"Is that a smoke?" Hinata said.

The curve within the lips of the people immediately went down. All of the colors on their faces were drained.

"T...the house is on fire! " A servant yelled.

The servants and the couple immediately went to the door and tries to open it, but it won't open at all.

The door in front and back were all sealed.

The couple immediately went for the window but it was also sealed. Destroying the door and window is possible but futile because of the barrier. The whole house sealed by a barier like a cube. Fire won't spread outside and so smoke will just stay inside.

Death from fire is absolute, but death from suffocation is way faster.

The fire went inside and so one of the servant burned his sleeve. The person tried to roll over to kill the fire but it seems no use. The fire is no ordinary fire, it is a high intimidate magic. It can't be kill.

The fire spread all over his body and was burnt alive. The poor man couldn't do anything but to scream in pain til his last breath.

Seeing that, the other people in the room went panicked.

"What should we do?! The fire can't be kill!"

"We're all gonna die!" idk said

"Then do something you fool!"

Idk(the womanincouple) kicked the girl towards the door where there is fire already.

She got bumped on the door but, it didn't broke. The poor girl was only burnt alive and so like the first person, she couldn't do anything but to scream in pain.

"Tch! We also can't break through the door!" idk said.

Gathering all together in the right corner of the house , Croaked voice of woman screamed.

"You guys are useless! Do something! save me! Let me out of here!"

The fire surrounds them and leaves them nowhere to go.

The man in black outside stood in front of the house as he watch the house burn and listen to the agony of people inside.

The ignite of the house gradually disappeared making a thick smoke inside the barrier.

With a snap of his finger, the barrier scattered and disappered. The house burnt totally and leaves nothing but ashes. no single corpse could be seen nor trace of blood.

"Onichan... hic... Where is mother?" idk said

With a coaxing tone idk said,

"She'll be alright..."

Suddenly the two of them heard a croaked familiar voice coming from infront of the chamber.

The face of the lad went pale he immdiately opened the closet and said to his brother not to come out.

Closing the closet, he promptly dashed towards the door and opened it. Opening it, all of the colors on his face drained.

Tainted red Silver and long sword reflected his face. The sword was thrusted on his mother's stomach.

The lad covers his mouth as he cries. He didn't want to scream because if he do his brother might come out and be killed too.

Hiding is way too late the lad was already seen by the masked man.

He run away to lure the masked man to get away from the chamber.

The masked man immediately cought up to him. The lad stopped seemingly accepting his destiny, when suddely his face glowed amethyst. A hyacinth illuminated his face. Without noticing, he was surrounded by many Flowers of Luminous hyacinth.

The flower froze up in air and all the petals scatter into pieces. A petal flew as fast as a bullet. It hit the clothes of the man in black and it was ripped like a bullet hit his clothes.

Another petal flew. The man in black evade it. He stepped back three times and point his sword towards the lad.

Petals flew again but this time it wasn't just one. It was about hundred. The man in black slashed them elegantly like he was just doing a sword dancing.

Of course he couldn't slashed all of them, but he wasn't hit either. Only his clothes ripped off.

The hyacinth was preparing again to strike when suddenly, the man in black spoke up.

"Come out."

The petals of hyacinth formed into human shape then it became a person. Tall,pale skin, wears a tanuki mask and a black robe.

The man came closer to him in a blink of an eye and held his sword like a flower.

The masked man with smiley face tried to stepped back,but both of his hands were being held by the tanuki masked man.

Stepping his feet back the tanuki man pulled him closer to his face.

The smiley masked man pulled his head and preparing to do a head butt. Seeing that, the tanuki masked man immediatley vanished and turned into a hyacinth flower.

The smiley masked man jumped on the roof to retreat but, the petals followed him and turned into a man again.

The smiiley man stopped running and faced the petals.

"Running away without finishing your crime? How dumb."the tanuki man said.

"My job is finished. It's not just a crime,it's punishment." the man with smiley mask said as he dash away from the house totally.

The tanuki mask man didn't chase him anymore. He also vanished and left the lads and three servants in their residence.

...

"I'm back."

"Welcome back my Lord." Watari said.

Alice removed the tanuki mask and his robe and hand it over to Watari.

"How did it went my Lord? Did you managed to stop the next killer?" Watari asked

"No. Something unexpected happened."Alice said.

"Oh?"

"The mastermind himself went to the residence and killed the family. Gladly I came on the right time and stopped him from killing everyone..." Alice said.

Or no...

"My job here is finished. It isn't just a crime, it is punishment."

"He showed himself? Isn't it a bit early?" Watari said.

Alice sat on his chair and said,

"I think... He also don't want to show himself so early. It's just this case is special."

"What does the Lord mean?" Watari said.

"Judging from the latest incidents, the persons who were killed are all aristocrats with dirty backgrounds. Knowing who's the next target is easy because of the pattern." Alice said.

"Pattern?"

"Watari could you tell me the names of the families who have been Killed in the four empire." Alice said.

"Hmm... The first family was from the elf empire; Albrecht family, the incident happened 3 weeks ago followed by Arnoult family from the witch empire just a week after that. The third was Augustus family from the bloodmoon empire which just happened last week. And now Suzure family from blood moon empire. It has just been almost three days since the last incident has happened."

"Do you get the pattern now?"

"All of them were aristocrats and have a dirty secret backgrounds. All of the incidents happened a week after another. Each empire didn't payed attention on each cases at all because culprits have been caught. I just still don't get on how does the Lord came up to the conclusion that someone was behind only 1 case has just happened on each empire. But all their death are totally different yet shares simillarity. Albrecht famil, Murdering and setting the whole house in fire. At first I doubt your hunch because it's just been 2 cases and on different empire, but your pprediction about Augustus family being target became true, which is why we are investigating the thing now." watari said

"You're forgetting something." Alice said.

Watari get the tea from the table and pur some on the tea cup and hand it to Alice.

"Thank you. The letters... They all start with Letter A."

"But my Lord Suzure family doesn't starts with letter A." Before Watari could even finish his Word Alice intervene.

"Which is why I told you that this case was special. It has just been 3 days since the last case happened but another case suddenly occur. Gladly, I set up many hyacinth flower to the 7th district of bloodmoon empire which many bulgar persons exists caused by wicked aristocrats-thinking that the culprit would go after Auguste family on next week. This thing must really be special that the culprit didn't went on pattern and did the crime by himself. Another question is the thing he said to me." Alice said

"He said to you?" watari said.

Alice sips the tea and said,

"It is not just crime, it is punishment."

"He said that to you?" watari said.

"Crime as punishment... Killing wicked aristocrats by using another twisted person. Amusing." Alice said while grinning like a devil.

Watari smiled. " Then, Does the Lord think he will go to vampire empire and make another case?"

"No. There's no reason for him to go to vampire empire, because unlike other empire aristocrats isn't the problem there. It's the elders themselves... Nevertheless this person doesn't intend to hide his identity at all. He's leaving too much evidence. In that case lets give what he want! We'll go hunt them!"

"Then it means we're going to them?" watari said.

"Indeed Watari," Alice said

"I understand my Lord."