Chapter 25.5: The king in crimson.

Reiji sat in his office suit, fingers interlocked, overlooking the city; a window to his empire. Standing 12 floors high, his building loomed in the centre of the crimson bandit's territory.

The office; an ode to opulence and luxury, mahogany bookshelves lined the walls and the aroma of freshly brewed tea hung in the air. His former masters vice that he had taken a liking too. A large table of cedar sat in the middle, polished to perfection. Elegantly crafted high back chairs surround the table.

Reiji was a man of honour and pride. The recent events of his guild losing half of its members, as well as the other activities that have come to be associated with the guild, plagued his mind.

*Knock Knock*.

"Enter!"

"Sir." Hiro bowed, his junior assistant, barely above a boy not nearly a man, dressed in a fitted red suit, freshly pressed hair brushed to the side; like always he held a serious face.

"My apologies sir for interrupting, there here. The survivors you asked for." Hiro pressed.

"Thank you, bring them in."

Three crimson bandits scurried in; eyes glued to the floor. Almost like rats on all fours. Reiji approached his desk, unrolling his sleeves.

"Thank you for coming in my comrades. Please take a seat."

"Thank you, sir." They muttered with shaking voices, each too afraid to look up.

"We humbly beg your forgiveness!" All three scrambled down to their knees once more, pressing their hands and heads down. "W-we were ambushed."

"Yes, it has been a constant issue, no?" Reiji's eyes filled with fire as they strolled the men, pacing between the desk.

"I want you to tell me everything you can recall of this mysterious figure who is responsible for the destruction of our guild!" Reiji sat down once more.

"H-he comes from the shadows... metal soldiers at his back" They started. ""They-they were human sir, but not. Black armour, didn't die from gunfire and-" The weasel from the mall reaper encounter stammered.

"These soldiers... are they invincible?" Reiji eyed the men's pathetic state. "Yes boss, nothing works-" "

Please, were sorry we failed. Don't punish us sir!" The weasel begged over the top of all his comrades.

Three heads almost breaking the ground with each plea. "My boys." Reiji approached them with a smile, kneeling before them. Putting his hands on their heads. "I would never punish my boys." "Thank you, sir, thank you." The bandits cried tears of joy.

"Hiro, go and fetch Shinya." Hiro bowed leaving the room.

"And what of our foreign associates? How did they fair?" Reiji asked the weasel.

"I'm sorry sir, they were killed too. But..."

"But?" Reiji looked deep into the weasel's eyes, piercing him with intensity.

"H-he left one too the monsters... I heard her scream and beg." The weasel whimpered.

"Unfortunate, but why her? Why not you all?" He questioned in deep thought.

"The ones he kills he consumes everything."

"Takes the bodies and leaves one to tell the tale." Reiji paced.

"That begs the question. All this over a drug run? Why?" The two gave each other a nervous glance, before the weasel spoke once more.

"Sir, we were there to buy some salves-" The other two bandits grasped his shoulder, eyes begging him to keep his mouth shut.

"Slaves?" Eyes cold like ice, Reiji stood above them once more. A shadow washing over all.

"N-nothing sir."

"Speak." Reiji ordered, voice low and monotone.

"Well... W-we thought we could... use them, sir. For our businesses, and-"

*Thwack*

Reiji struck the weasel hard across the face. Fist like iron against the frail bandit. Blood, teeth, and bone from the weasel. "We do not partake in the skin trade, nor shall we ever." The weasel whimpered small apologies.

*Thwack* *Thwack*

The other two suffered the same fate as the weasel. "I have no tolerance for slavers, if we weren't so low on numbers, I'd burn you all for this. Never, ever do something this repulsive again." Reiji slammed a fist into his desk.

*Knock, Knock*

"Enter!" Reiji didn't bother looking at the door, frowning at the crimson bandit members sprawled out in a pool of blood and teeth on his office floor.

"How may I assist you today?" Shinya inquired as he strolled in and bowed to his leader, his voice cold and monotone

A tall, slender figure; exuding an aura of deadly calm. Eyes narrowed like a serpent's, icy and calculating, focused on everything. His lean physique concealed beneath a perfectly tailored grey suit, tailored to accentuate his form, as sharp and elegant as the mind behind it.

"Yes... Yes." Reiji re-composed himself, pressing his fingers together as he leaned back into his chair.

"Hiro, get these men out of my sight," He spoke as he motioned Hiro to the beaten men.

"My apologies, Shinya, I asked you here as I wanted to discuss the impacts on our business." Reiji continued; Shinya's cold gaze gave nothing away.

"Not good sir. With each strike that is one less deal we make, less income, less resources. Additionally, our former associates and other business partners are hesitant to work with us, they too fear the dark." He flatly said.

Reiji turned once more to his window overlooking the ward. 'Have we truly exhausted all means? Perhaps not.'

He turned once more to his right-hand man. "We will offer this monster a job with us. If we can't beat him buy him." Shinya raised an eye.

"Sir? How do you plan on getting a monster that leaves nothing alive to receive a job offer?"

"Everyone has a price; behind that mask is a person just like you and me. 'Desires', 'wants', 'needs'. We just need to find it." Reiji asserted.

"And if we truly can't be brought? Sir?" Shinya stepped forward.

"Then we will use the money that would be his; hire mercenaries to wipe him off the face of the earth." Reiji clicked his knuckles, getting lost in the view of his city.

"Scrape together all you can, with our guild member count running low use their pays if you must. Let go of other members if need be. Weather the storm, we have come to find ourselves in."

"It shall be done sir." Shinya bowed, exiting the room.

"Wait, before you go. I need something else." Shinya stopped in his tracks. "Yes sir?"

"These activities of human trafficking is beginning to pick up within our organisation." Shinya dropped his brows, a sinister look in his eyes.

"Find them and execute them. I will not tolerate slavers Shinya, make an example of them." Reiji ordered Shinya, eyes like a furnace raging inside him.

"Very well. However, it is worth mentioning that the practice has tripled our profit-"

"Shinya! That will be all." Reiji pressed.

"Yes, sir." His eyes revealed nothing about what he was thinking before turning to leave.

'These fixations on honour and morals are pointless if we're broke...' Shinya's browed knitted with displeasure as he quietly left.

"Boss!" Hiro barged in nearly knocking Shinya.

"His attacked again. Club Eden." Reiji spun instantly,

"The sun still sits in the sky? Why would he change his pattern?" Reiji rushed towards the door.

"Come, let's go before the police arrive!" Grabbing a nearby coat and walking out of the office with Hiro & Shinya.