#5 MAR v1.1

v1.1 Made a teeny-weeny change that shouldn't matter much. Also added author notes.

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#5
MAR

“Your mission has been accepted, Mr. Vice Mayor.”

The man wore shades covering his eyes, just enough to conceal his identity. It was part of his job.

“By whom?”

His partner sat on the desk, papers cluttering the surface. He ignored them for there was a more immediate danger to his people. He puffed on a cigar, acrid smoke clouding his face. He breathed it in and enjoyed it; the hobby of men of his ilk.

“Are you familiar with the one known as Amariya?” the first man asked, standing across the Vice Mayor.

“I must admit I am not.”

“I expected as much. You are, after all, new to the black market.”

He put the thick cigar, its tip glowing like ember, to his lips, sucked in the glorious fumes, took a moment to savour them in his mouth, then blew them out. The one wearing shades covered in a black cloak didn't mind the acrid atmosphere. If he did, that would show a massive lack of tolerance in his field of career.

“The initial payment, sir?”

“Of course.”

His right hand still held the cigar. His left hand that was on the desk moved into his suit and he produced a thick envelope. He handed it to the cloaked man with confidence, without a single hint of hesitation. Clearly this man had no regrets and was ready to face the consequences.

“Thank you for using our services.” the man with shades stepped out of the office, his feet hitting the floor as softly as a whisper with each step. As expected from a man working in such secrecy.

The Vice Mayor blew out more smoke as he awaited the results.

*********************************************

The pair walked aimlessly. They still had no money, so they weren't looking for an inn that they could not afford. Neither were they looking for a meal, unless Amariya intended to snatch a quick snack like she did back in the Underworld. Mitsuke asked her what they were doing now.

“Waiting for a miracle to drop from the heavens.” she replied in her usual carefree manner. It somewhat annoyed Mitsuke that she just wouldn't reply seriously, but that was her nature and she just liked surprising the boy.

They pushed through against the flow of people in the street. It was reasonably congested being the market street of Naku. They have been walking for perhaps an hour since their arrival. They didn't stop anywhere, not an inn, not a restaurant, not a shop, just seemingly mindless trotting about in the large town. Yet Amariya looked like she was looking for something; her eyes more alert than normal, scattering around, looking at faces. Was she searching for a person?

Mitsuke tried his best to follow Amariya from behind. It was easier than in the Underworld where everybody was in such a hurry. As he picked up his pace, he saw Amariya knock into someone wearing a black cloak and a hood over his head.

It wasn't a direct knock. Their shoulders just met briefly so neither lost their balance. After that, both people continued on each of their journeys, the dark man walking past Mitsuke. Amariya siganlled to Mitsuke, telling him to quicken up. Then, she practically disappeared. Her walking hastened, brushing past people quickly and finally turning into a secluded alley.

Mitsuke tried his best to follow her. Fortunately, his best was enough for he went into the same alley Amariya did after a few moments. He bent down, his hands on his knees, catching his breath as he asked her “What happened?”, still surprised at her sudden speed.

Amariya lifted her hand from her cloak and showed that she was holding a thick envelope. “The initial payment's here.” she said cheerfully. She opened the envelope, ripping the top right off, making her actions minimal as if it was something secret. She revealed its contents to Mitsuke; bills of money. She started counting the money without taking it out of its parcel. After a few flicks, she nodded her head in contempt, a wide smile on her face.

“To attract mercenaries, employers offer an initial payment, just a bit of money to give them an idea of how much the actual reward is.” Amariya explained softly to Mitsuke. In the alley, only a few people walked by, entering it for whatever unheard intentions and leaving it for whatever unheard reasons. In the few times people did walk by, Amariya hid her envelope in her cloak. Obviously she was taking no chances.

They walked out of the alley and joined the flow of people. Mitsuke could assume how Amariya got the envelope, but for safety he asked. Seeing that the street was quite noisy, even if what he was asking was something to be kept secret, nobody would hear them.

“Did that guy you bumped into give it to you?”

“Ah, you're sharp. He's a messenger, part of an agency that specializes in sending messages and packages. When among black market players like mercenaries, they do their job inconspicuously. I've been in the business for quite some time so I know a messenger when I see one, and I know how to receive a package when I have to. A simple shoulder bump, a swipe of my hand and I've got an envelope full of money.”

“I see.” Mitsuke turned to face where he was walking again. Now with the money, the first thing they would do is rent an inn and rest for the night.

“Alright, now for a hefty meal!” Amariya shouted out, throwing her arm to the sky as if in celebration.

Mitsuke was wrong.

*********************************************

“So here's the plan.” Amariya started. She was bending over Mitsuke who was sitting on the bed, looking up at her eyes. She was slightly more serious than before now.

“I'll be going to the neighbouring town tonight. It's too dangerous for you to tag along and to put it bluntly, you'll be a nuisance.”

Mitsuke didn't feel hurt at that statement. It was true. She was a mercenary who had a job to do, who had someone to kill. The last person she would want to bring along was a small boy without any fighting experience.

Amariya straightened. Now her eyes were benevolent, her smile in a sort of apologetic manner. “Really sorry to put it that way. The last person I need following me is a fragile boy who can't defend himself.”

Mitsuke barely believed how well he knew her.

“So stay here for the night. I didn't sense anyone following us nor do I see reason for anyone to do so. You should be quite safe here. I'll be back by morning when the deed is done.”

Mitsuke nodded. It was a simple request, no reason to disagree. But he had to ask one thing.

“What if you don't come back?”

A moment of silence as Mitsuke awaited an answer and Amariya thought of one. She smiled.

“No way that's going to happen. After all this, I can't possibly leave you now can I?”

She really had a cat's smile. One that showed its characteristic carefree nature together with a hint of cheekiness. Mitsuke felt reassured.

“I got it. I'll stay. Nothing else to do anyways.”

Amariya's body relaxed. “Thanks. Lock the door and close the curtains. Don't give anyone outside any ideas.”

She stepped towards the door. Her hand landed on its knob and she turned it.

“Amariya.” then a pause.

“Be careful.”

A wish of safety from the boy. Amariya smiled. Soon, footsteps echoed in the hallway outside.

*********************************************

It was a sort of freedom.

No longer having the burden of caring for the boy, Amariya stepped out of the town gate. A gentle breeze met her face; a cool wave that carried her tiredness away. She faced the vast landscape, small hills running around, trees standing at scattered intervals.

She didn't have to match the pace of the boy for he was not with her now. She reassured herself that he will be okay for the night. She felt slightly excited.

“Well then.”

She sprinted, a cloud of dust kicked up at her heels. When the dust settled, she was no longer there. For she ran with great speed, with great grace, fuelled by her adrenaline and her might. Trees that were standing still now seemed to dash past her. The gentle breeze that swept her face now battered against her everything. Her cloak, her hair, caught in the wind. She bent low to reduce that effect. Still, everything threatened to fly away as she ran over the hills towards her destination.

In half an hour, ran through her mind, constantly calculating. Now she was in full throttle. She needed to be for a kill needed full focus.

At a bird's eye view, a small figure ran. A brown wraith in the darkness. An eagle striking its prey. An assassin going for a kill.

*********************************************

Black and white.

The air cool, unmoving.

Aruka, a town at the very edge of the desert. To counter its scorching heat, the buildings were white-washed, the colour reflecting the sun's rays back into itself, reducing its effects. But it only applied in the day, for in the night the environment turned into cold darkness, the air becoming nebulous and stagnant, as if the initial heat never existed.

The monochrome night.

The white of the buildings and the black of the night. Such a beautiful contrast. A pity.

For that beauty was about to be marred by a deep crimson.

*********************************************

The police patrol walked the dimly lit streets. It was a routine. With the recent serial killings, the government ordered more night patrols to guard the streets. Thirteen known deaths, 'known' being the operative word. This was serious business.

Even so, the patrols were small. They couldn't get every single officer to walk the night. Who knows, all of them might get murdered. It could happen. This was no ordinary serial; weird methods of murder and barely any significant clues at the sites. Some believed that the night patrol acted as bait, free kills for the mad murderer to try to get more clues. Even if this was true, the officers swore to protect the people so they have to oblige to the new night routine.

Three walked close together. They carried torchlights but didn't use them. Although the street lamps were dim, the full moon's rays complimented them and made the scene amply lit. They walked past the tree in the middle of the court, a path most familiar to their many-year-long career.

They didn't take any chances. Their senses stayed sharp, looking and listening out for anything peculiar. A normal person would grow tired of the routine and think that nothing interesting will happen to him, but this three underwent strict training and they were dealing with a mad man.

Even so it was not enough.

A dull thud from behind made two of them turn around to see the body of their comrade on the ground, a pool of blood creeping out of the round hole in his chest. In horror, the two jumped back and looked up to see a man.

The mysterious figure threw his hand out and blood splattered. One officer's head exploded. The other felt the warm liquid cover his right temple. His whole body was numb from fear and he could only move his eyes down to see his second comrade fall to the ground headless.

He stumbled backwards, shivering in horror. He tried to keep calm and remember what his superiors told him. In a frantic action, he grabbed his whistle from his shirt pocket and blew it. A high-pitched sound resonated, telling the other patrols of abnormal activity. He blew many times, his breath running out fast with each blow because of his rattled state of mind. But nobody came.

“No one will hear your whistle. And the same will go for your cries of agony.” a deep voice echoed out.

The dark man stepped forward. Another officer down.

*********************************************

Light footsteps. The people inside the houses would think it was a cat prowling on the rooftops if they weren't asleep to begin with. Amariya was stepping on the tiles with the grace of one too.

Reaching Aruka, she knew she would take forever to find her target if she took the conventional way. So she jumped onto a lamppost and from there onto the roof of the connecting buildings. An easy task for someone as skilled as her.

She looked left and right at the ground below, looking out for anything suspicious. The line of buildings ended and so did the roof, so she leapt at the next line of buildings across, resuming her search. Her eyes were serious, as sharp as a hawk's. Police patrols ran their routines below her.

“Of course they'd beef up their security. Still, it's obvious they don't know who they're messing with.”

She ran by without any worries for not a single officer bothered to look at the roofs. Showed how silent she was.

Moments later she approached a court. Buildings surrounded a small park. A park was perhaps an overstatement for the area housed only a single tree with a line of bricks around it. She saw it. Two corpses lying on the ground, blood splattered all over and seeping along the cracks between the bricks in the floor. One body leaned on a white-washed wall, staining its pure white with a lurid crimson.

“Found him.”

With that, she let herself fall to the right. In a graceful motion, she slipped off the side of the roof, her feet still in contact with the corner. Mustering her strength, she kicked off from there, flying through the air. Turning around mid-flight, her feet then lightly landed on a lamppost and from there, she fell to the ground below, landing behind the dark figure surrounded by bloody corpses.

The distance between Amariya and the man was covered by the nebulous darkness. Even so, she could still make out his familiar features and ascertain that he was her target. In such close proximity, the man should have heard her feet land on the ground behind him but he didn't seem to have noticed.

It was when Amariya took a few steps towards him that his head jolted upwards in slight surprise. He heard her steps.

His entire body turned behind to face Amariya.

A shaven crown. His facial features were rough. He wore rags, perhaps what was left of a robe. And he was overall huge. His muscles bulged, muscular limbs branched out of a solid torso. A band of beads in his right hand.

A Magis User.

Their eyes made short contact as both confirmed each other's identities. He smiled.

“My, my, to have one of the elites after my head, is such an honour.” his deep voice bellowed out. He then proceeded to do a mock bow.

Amariya's eyes were sharp and her looks alone showed she was dead serious. She had no mentality to appreciate his sarcasm right now. The man straightened up.

“Who wishes my elimination?”

“The very one whom you are plaguing.” Amariya responded coldly.

“Ah, perhaps I have overstayed a tad bit too long.” came the deep voice.

“It wouldn't matter. I would still go after your head.”

A small silence.

“Boross Kotohiri. What is your clan's goal?”

His smile seemed to widen.

“A peculiar question to ask at such a time. Still, no harm in continuing. Have you not heard the rumours?”

“Rumours remain rumours. I seek the truth from your very mouth.”

Another silence. The man called Kotohiri looked down, thinking of his reply.

“The Forgotten Arts. It has deteriorated to the point that it is called such.” he said, still looking down.

“You seek to redeem its status.” Amariya's gaze remained straight at him.

He looked up. His gaze met hers. “With the age of technology, the status of Magis lowered as it was rendered unneeded. The consequence, it is now called the Forgotten Arts.

“Now it is the stuff of fantasies, of legends. What was once a flourishing knowledge now crumpled into the mere background. Such a sad story, don't you agree?”

“You wish to remind the people of its power.”

“Precisely. But the transition from technology to Magis must be done slowly. If people are suddenly aware of its force, chaos will ensue.”

“Is what you are doing now not that very chaos you wish to avoid?”

“Not at all. Our methods are already considered subtle. We do not directly reveal its power.”

“You spread rumours, indirectly blaming outstanding incidents on it.”

“If you already know so much, why are you asking me this?”

“Your plans have a hole.” Amariya's tone now had a deeper layer of coldness. “Why must you take the lives of innocents?”

Again Kotohiri's smile widened. “Murder attracts the most attention.”

“Murder without motive is slaughter.”

“But we do have a motive.”

“Not to the public you don't. As far as they are concerned, Magis is a method of slaughter. All you are doing is giving it a bad name.”

“Better a bad name than no name at all.”

Amariya's eyes grew sharper. A hate towards this man was growing.

“You intend to instill fear into them.”

“Once that succeeds, Magis will easily take control.”

Her fist tightened.

“You're a mad man.”

“Now don't tell me your mindset is that of a commoner?”

“No, it is not. I have seen more than a commoner has, and I have heard more than one as well. Yet, I still believe that you are a mad man.”

“How naïve. If you put yourself in my shoes, you would do the same.”

Who is naïve? she thought. Her eyes now closed as she cooled herself down.

“I no longer have any reason to keep you alive.” her cool voice came out in the nebulous night.

“Prepare yourself.”

She bent low.

*********************************************

The room was silent. After all, only a single boy was present in it.

Mitsuke laid on the bed, watching the fan above him spin. Even that didn't make a sound. He turned to his right to see the window with curtains closed as ordered. He found that looking at the ceiling was more comfortable so he turned back.

All sorts of thoughts filled his mind. He wondered how Amariya was doing. Then stray thoughts branched out from that. He thought of what he would do when Amariya came back. Then he thought of what he would do if Amariya didn't come back. He shook his head vigorously, trying to shake that ominous thought off. Don't even think about it, was what Amariya would say.

He then realized that Amariya was all that he thought about. Then again, what else was there to think about that wasn't related to her? She was the first person he met, the only person he knows and the only person he can trust. Seeing that she was in the base of his somewhat shallow pool of memories, it was inevitable.

Perhaps he could think of things related to himself. No self-conscious thoughts came since he wasn't hungry and he didn't have any wounds. Then he thought about his amnesia but that soon faded away. What use was there thinking about the fact that you can't remember anything? He could try churning his mind inside-out for memories but previous futilities deterred him.

Maybe he should just sleep. That would end the flurry of thoughts. Then again, a flurry of thoughts is a factor that prevents or inhibits sleep. Still, he had to try.

He would be surprised at how fast he fell asleep if he wasn't asleep already.

*********************************************

A slash. A dodge. A slash. A dodge. A slash. Another slash. Another dodge.

There was no sound of weapons clashing for there was only one weapon being swung around. It would seem ignoble of Amariya as the only one with a blade but Kotohiri was a Magis User, an exception.

He seemed rather agile for a man his size. Every strike Amariya threw at him he could avoid easily. But Amariya wasn't using her full force either.

“Don't throw a killing blow at the start of a fight. There's high chance of failure and you will pay dearly.” was what she learnt. “Opt to extend the fight, tire your opponent, then finish him off.”

At this stage both people were just testing each other. Seeing how the other acted in battle. Amariya did light strokes while Kotohiri watched her intently as he dodged each one. Collecting data.

But it was time for the next stage.

Kotohiri threw his right hand out, a band of beads wound around it. Amariya saw it, but she didn't see what came out. Still, she dodged, turning away from where the hand was pointing at.

A good move. For a crater formed in the ground behind her, precisely where Kotohiri's hand thrusted at. Debris flew in all directions, dust and chunks of brick. Such was the force of Magis.

Amariya remained unfazed by the invisible attack. She dealt with people like him before. Immediately after the dodge, she rushed at him again, another strike. Kotohiri, with no means of deflecting the attack, evaded it.

But unlike previous times, Kotohiri jumped backwards and threw several invisible attacks. These were followed by more evasive manoeuvres. And the battle continued.

Amariya was forced to rely on her other senses. As they were blasts of Magis, Amariya had no means of deflecting his attacks. She could not see the attacks that came out. She had to focus on Kotohiri's hand movements, depending on where they were headed at. Not only that, she had to predict them. She was not only dodging the blasts based on reflex, but based on timing. She knew that he will throw attacks of his own after avoiding hers, so she dodged accordingly.

Kotohiri was adapting. He became less predictable, throwing out attacks at different moments and trying to foil her attempts at evading. When he threw a blast at Amariya, he swiftly did the same in the direction he guessed she would be leaping in. She too saw this and adapted, either doing multiple dodges consecutively or dodging in less predictable patterns.

It was more of a battle of wits. Of the mind. Both combatants had to constantly predict and adapt to each other. The ground was now full of potholes, craters resulting from Magis. The bricks shattered easily and the sheer force threw debris everywhere, be it small specks of dust or large chunks of brittle rock. The clouds of dust added to the nebulous cold air.

It was Amariya who first went for an ender. Right after a quick dodge, she burst straight at Kotohiri. A distance of ten metres. Her first leap cleared five. Kotohiri saw it and acted quickly, throwing another blast at her. She already predicted it and timed her leap, moving away even before she actually saw the hand come out.

She appeared behind Kotohiri. She held her blade high, its clean, pure surface reflecting the moonlight. There was confidence behind that arm, no doubt, for a killing blow wouldn't be one without it. But that confidence soon faded.

Kotohiri already knew she would come after him like that. When Amariya appeared behind him, he was ready, clutching both hands together above his head, ready to swing. Amariya saw it. A thought process ran quickly in her mind.

Who was faster, him or her? If she tried to strike, would she make it before he did? Or perhaps she should back out, but would she be fast enough? She had to decide what to do quickly. If she hesitated to either strike or flee, it would be too late.

“Tch.” she clenched her teeth in frustration.

She decided not to risk it. It was a fifty-fifty and she backed out. The strength in her arm wielding the katana eased and got redirected to her legs. She leapt back right before Kotohiri did it.

His fists slammed the ground. The action seemed so forceful, but it wasn't the force of his fists that caused it. Magis, so dense, ripples formed in the air, Amariya even saw them. A furious ball of energy crashed down into the floor, creating a massive crater with Kotohiri in its centre. The sound of an explosion. The entire floor around him sank in a violent action.

The brickwork shattered, rendered to bits and pieces. Chunks of stone flew everywhere, this time much faster than before. Amariya shielded her eyes from incoming debris with her left forearm. A piece of brick flew and impacted on her arm. The force of it sent surges of pain running through her body and her arm recoiled. She stabbed her katana into the floor, freeing her right hand. She clenched her wound, trying to stop the pain from flowing. The bone was definitely fractured.

The dust settled. Kotohiri could be seen again in the middle of the crater. His back was still towards Amariya and as he turned to face her, his smile was visible.

“Impressive.” his deep voice came out. “To react to that at such an instant, it is unmistakable that you are one of the elites.”

Amariya did not reply. Her teeth were still clenched, not only from frustration that she had to give up her chance of taking him down, but from pain as well. She regained her composure, letting go of her wound and grabbing her blade again. She stood straight.

“Are you not worried that this battle will attract the attention of unwanted people?” her cool voice barely travelled through the thick debris-filled air.

“Do you believe me to be that oblivious? Ah, you cannot see it nor sense it. Perhaps that is forgivable to a certain degree. I set a shock barrier around our proximity.” came the deep-voiced reply.

“By how it is named, I assume that sounds from within cannot get out and vice versa?”

“Indeed. Otherwise, how have I incapacitated so many people without getting compromised? The cries of agony of the sixteen people in this town alone were never heard by outside ears.”

Sixteen people. He killed three earlier. Thirteen before them. So that really was the official number.

Amariya snorted. “Is there a limit to the awesome powers of Magis.” she said aloud sarcastically.

Kotohiri seemed to take that as a real question. “That is yet to be known. What Magis has not done cannot be called impossible for it has not been done yet.” he replied with pride.

“Not like I care.” she said, looking more serious than before. She swiped the dust off her clothing, battered clouds from her cloak. “For under this moon you shall fall.”

She turned her katana with a metallic chink, facing its edge at Kotohiri. They continued.

Amariya moved quicker than before. She constantly dashed in all directions. She was serious. Kotohiri answered her with more swift attacks. Now he focused on area effects. He flailed his arm around, bringing about devastating blasts of Magis, causing an entire line of craters to form in an instant.

His attacks were towards the ground. Directing them at the nearby buildings would cause unnecessary attention; the shock barrier did not reach that far. Neither did he have to for Amariya's assault was ground based. She could not risk doing jump attacks for she cannot avoid a counter-attack in the air.

Both sides upped their ante. Strikes were quicker, dodges occurred more rapidly, chaos ensued within that single-treed park. But not for long.

Amariya evaded one of Kotohiri's blasts by back-stepping towards that single tree. A mistake. Kotohiri planned to use that to his advantage. He was waiting for Amariya to get close to that tree. He thrusted his palm at it, not caring if Amariya could dodge it or not, which she did. But it didn't matter for she was already caught in his scheme.

The blast hit the tree vigorously. Its branches shook violently, its leaves bursting out. The trunk broke at the very spot where the blast landed, a horrible rupture. The entire tree fell. Right towards Amariya.

Amariya saw it fall. She thought Kotohiri was underestimating her, seeing that she could dodge the falling tree easily. But perhaps not.

Of course Kotohiri knew she would avoid it easily so he had to contain her inside it. He threw blasts around her, forcing her to be unable to dodge in a specific direction. When Amariya tried to jump away from the tree, she saw Kotohiri's hand and had to go the other way lest her body explode. But when she did, she ended up dodging again. Thus, the tree managed to fall onto her.

Fortunately, she was clear from the trunk. Only the thick leaves and branches engulfed her. Harmless really, it didn't do much to her. All she had to do was get out of the nexus of branches and resume her fight. She slashed some branches away to make it easier, then leapt out from the fallen tree. Only to see...

Kotohiri didn't intend for the tree alone to finish her off. He was buying time. Now he had both of his hands above his head again, this time not clenched. His fingers were energetic, charging up Magis. Heavy ripples formed in the air, swirled around and seemed to centre around his hands. And the moment he saw Amariya get out of the branches, he released it all.

Amariya actually saw the blast. A massive orb of Magis, hurled at her. It was launched the moment her feet landed on the ground again; she hesitated if she could dodge it. Moreover, it was huge, even if she leapt away, perhaps her feet would get caught, rendering them useless if they turn to nothingness from the force. She had no choice.

All hesitation flowed away from her mind. She focused intently. Instead of turning away, she faced directly at the mass of power. Her eyes focused at its core, her mind focused on one thing. She grabbed her katana with both hands, gripped it tight. The wound on her left arm stung but she ignored it. All her strength flowed into her arms.

Time slowed down for her. Her mind was focusing on the event happening. She had to time it right. The moment her slash is at its pinnacle must be the moment it makes contact with the blast. Her sharp eyes watched the whole thing intently.

She didn't know what would happen. She was not one with Magis by her side. Magis was a force that followed a fire-fight-fire law. Regular weapons lost to Magis instantly and the only counter was Magis itself. Yet she made it this far already and she could not turn back.

The orb came quickly. The moment was coming. Amariya swung her blade at it with all the force of the world. Magis met metal.

Under the monochrome night...

Ripples flew like chaos. They went every direction; wild threads of energy. The air, cold and nebulous, turned lively. Wind blew together with the ripples, undirected and hectic. A roar as loud as thunder. The sheer force pummelled everything around it. The leaves of the fallen tree detached from its branches; carried by the chaotic gust, disintegrated by its might. The floor ruptured, the brickwork shattered, cracks formed, a silhouette of lightning patterns strewn on the ground. A massive crater.

With Amariya in its centre.

Her hands were still holding her katana, shaking. Her feet were still firmly on the ground, shaking as well. The strike drained her of her energy, of her strength. But it was worth it for she was still alive. Her eyes were no longer sharp. Now they displayed great surprise, wide open in disbelief. How did she do it?

And she was not alone.

Kotohiri looked more surprised than Amariya herself if that was possible. His jaws were gaping and his eyes astonished as well. He had every right to be, for he himself was a Magis User and he had never came across such an incident.

A mere human rivalling Magis? Unheard of!

“How? How!!? How could this be!?” he enraged. It defied all laws known. Metal cannot beat Magis! What trickery is this? Then, he suddenly halted.

It hit him.

His head turned down. His eyes were not visible, covered by a shadow. His mouth, though, still was. And it contorted into a horrible smile, one of madness. From that, he laughed, a guffaw, a crazy laugh. His hand covered his face to control himself, however futile. He threw his head upwards and laugh at the night sky above.

“Of course!” he screamed out. “How could I not see it! Otherwise, how would it be possible! A normal human in the ranks of the elite? Ridiculous!!”

Amariya was unfazed. She stood straight, her gaze sharp at Kotohiri. It was evident to her that the man was turning mad, or more mad than before.

He seemed to slightly calm down as he faced Amariya with a more composed face. “You are ordinary, a person without a sliver of Magis within you. In the black air you blend in perfectly, joining the void of energy.

“How could I not see it! Now with my mind more clear than ever before, I have taken notice! Your-”

An opening.

Amariya did not forget her objective. She was here to eliminate him. And now was the time. She had no interest in his ramblings.

In an instant, Amariya appeared behind Kotohiri. Faster than a blink, she dashed at him, swung her blade and swiped it through his torso. Now she bent low behind him, her blade outwards, blood dripping off of it. And Kotohiri had a gash at his left torso.

Kotohiri's mouth stayed at where it was left when his sentence was interrupted. Gaping. Now with added surprise in it. Massive pain burned in his body from the wound. He did not shout it out for he was a strong man. His arms wrapped around his body, around where he was slashed, trying to keep it closed and reduce the bleed. Without much effect. There was a pool of his blood on the floor as well as red streaks when his blood splattered.

His entire body felt heavy as his legs lost their strength. He went to his knees, making a bang as his knees knocked the floor. His whole body stooped low, lost its energy from such a serious wound.

Amariya was still cool. She swung her blade, trying to get rid of the blood. She didn't sheath it back for the blood was still on it. She looked at the poor figure kneeling behind her.

“How odd.” her cold voice came out. “You, a man with so many years of battle expetience, felled by your own mistake. How could you leave such a big opening? Were you that surprised?”

Kotohiri still smiled as blood continued to flow out of the gash. His hands were stained red from holding it. He gave a wry laugh. “As soon as I saw it, I also saw the futility.”

Amariya was puzzled. “You realized how futile your plan was?”

His deep voice came out slowly. “I am a stubborn man. From the beginning it was there. I chose to ignore it, constantly chasing the dream.”

“You saw the futility, yet did not want to give up.”

“If I did, it would be even more meaningless. For I was not satisfied. The only was to quench my thirst was to do it.”

“You were blinded.”

“At least I realize now. Everything I have done. At least it was all not in vain. What I did was a stepping stone. Now that the people have realized, it is a catalyst for the future.”

“You are insane.”

Another wry laugh. His voice was softer. “Perhaps I am. But all I wanted to see was for my lineage to flourish. Now that it has come to this...”

Now he shouted. “If there is no final stand I can never forgive myself!”

With every drop of might remaining inside him, Kotohiri thrusted his palm at Amariya. One final shot. Futile.

It was a slow thrust. Slower than the other before. Amariya saw it and just tilted her head to avoid it. Then she did a counter attack.

She took a step closer to Kotohiri's limp body, turned her katana to a backward grip, and thrusted her blade into his neck. Blood gushed, not very much for most of it has been drained out. She drew her blade out of his neck and let his body fall sadly onto the ground.

There lay the lifeless mass of flesh and Magis, limp on the brickwork floor, surrounded by its own blood. Amariya's job was done.

She tore a strip of cloth from the body's rags and wiped her blood-stained blade with it. Once done, she let it flutter back to the ground, falling onto the face, covering its soulless eyes. She sheathed the katana. One final thing. She reached into her vest and produced a piece of paper, a nine-pointed star inscribed into it. The mark of a mercenary.

She too let that flutter softly. It landed in the sticky pool of blood. When it made contact, the crimson slowly spread from the middle out.

The night returned to silence. The air remained dark. The only difference made was the crimson mar left in it.


AUTHOR NOTES


v1.1 Made a teeny-weeny change that shouldn't matter much. Also added author notes.

It should be known that in the Japanese language, the format of names has the family name in front, then the given name. An example would be Boross Kotohiri. His family name, or surname is Boross, Kotohiri is his first name. The name format used in this story is such, so for non-otakus, please get used to it XP

#4 ELIMINATE

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#4
ELIMINATE

The tunnel was unlit and dark. Incomprehensible sounds from deep inside echoed in the tunnel, channeled into Amariya and Mitsuke's ears. It sounded like a commotion deeper inside the tunnel. Mitsuke turned back to see the man, a cloak covering his whole body leaving a gap for his eyes, move the slab of rock back into position, closing the entrance. He held it with only one hand, so either he was incredibly strong to slide it back or there was a mechanic that eased the rock's movement. The light from the outside was cut off and the tunnel receded into pitch darkness.

Not quite. Mitsuke didn't notice it before because of the brightness of the outside but the tunnel ahead of him was faintly lit. Light from deep in the tunnel was reflecting off the tunnel walls where they currently stood.

Amariya just casually walked forward and Mitsuke followed behind her. He wanted to ask her many questions; where this was, who was that man, what's in the tunnel, but he had to focus on where he stepped as it was still too dark for him to see the ground properly. Amariya on the other hand was walking along without slipping or tripping on the uneven ground, as if she walked this path a thousand times. She probably did, Mitsuke thought.

After many careful steps and a few stumbles, the light got brighter and Mitsuke could at least see the floor at his feet. Still needing to take careful steps on the uneven ground, Mitsuke walked some more and finally reached the end of the tunnel. To behold a spectacular view.

He was several hundred feet above the bottom of the cavern. Low buildings were scattered all over the ground below, people hurrying in the narrow channels between each. It was indeed the sound of commotion; people shouted to get others' attention, just like in the market in Tarm. The massive noise travelled all the way up to Mitsuke's ears and it was almost overwhelming. Must be the fact that this was an enclosed space and the sound echoed everywhere, amplifying itself. He looked directly straight and still saw buildings reaching all the way to the other end of the cavern, the false horizon.

It was an underground city.

Mitsuke was standing on a cliff. Still amazed at the spectacular view, Amariya had to call to him to get his attention. Mitsuke turned to his left to see Amariya heading down a slope, probably towards the ground below. Mitsuke followed her.

“Amariya...” Mitsuke wanted to start a question.

“You want to ask about this place, right?” she said. Mitsuke wasn't surprised that she knew it. So far his questions have been obvious and predictable.

“They call this the Underworld. It's pretty much the main gathering place for black market activity. Mercenaries, intelligence agents, drug dealers, you name them, and you can bet your life that at least one is here.”

Mitsuke felt nervous. Somehow this seemed like a dangerous place for a small boy like him.

As if reading his mind, Amariya said “Don't worry about being the odd one out, I won't let anyone bully you!” cheerfully.

The pair continued along the slope. Mitsuke noticed that it was zig-zagging along the cliff towards the ground and would take quite some time to reach it. To kill some time while walking down, he asked about the man at the entrance.

“He's known as the Gatekeeper. Nobody knows his real name and when we ask him for it, he gives us different names each time so we decided to just stick with Gatekeeper. Aha, I guess a reply like that was kind of funny. There was a general rule; if you reveal your actual identity, you are admitting that you are new to the black market business. So we normally just say stuff like ' Do you need to ask?' or 'You don't need to know'. Why does he still ask that then? Well, maybe it's a tradition of sorts.”

Then Mitsuke asked general questions about the whole place.

“Nobody knows exactly when this place existed. It's been around for too long for anyone to pinpoint an exact origin. There are several entrances but only one is open at a time. You saw me smacking the cliff wall just now right? I was trying to see where the current entrance was. When I heard the hollow sound, I knew that that was it. All the other entrances are sealed by slabs of rock slotted into the tunnel. When we want to change the entrance, we move the slabs from one entrance to the open one, sealing one and opening another.

“A place like this obviously has to avoid the eyes of the public or problems will arise. That includes hiding away from the government. That's where several entrances come in. If by any chance a normal man sees someone entering through an entrance in the cliff and either investigates it himself or informs the authorities about it, they will be put off when the supposed entrance is sealed and they only see a normal cliff wall. But we have agents in the outside world to prevent this anyways. You saw the shack out there right? That's actually a surveillance spot. There's an agent in that shack and if anyone not related to the black market is around, he will report to the inside and all entrances will be sealed.”


Mitsuke listened intently. He found himself learning more about the world around him every day. He noticed that Amariya kept using 'we' in her explanations so she truly was among the black market people here. They reached the bottom of the vast cavern and now walked with the people below. Mitsuke looked around. People in cloaks covering their whole bodies were hurrying around. He asked a question.

“Even among people in the black market, you wouldn't really want to reveal your identity here. A general rule in the black market; never trust anyone.” she replied.

In the flow of people, Mitsuke got pushed back. Afraid that he would be separated, he rushed forward and grabbed hold of Amariya's cloak. People were staring at the two of them. It was a peculiar sight in the Underworld; a girl with a young boy holding onto her by the cloak. Most of the people turned at them out of curiosity. Others were kidnappers and eyed them intently, finding an opening. There were none as Amariya grabbed hold of Mitsuke's hand and pulled him forward.

A drop of water fell on Mitsuke's head and he looked up in reflex. He saw the cavern ceiling above, vicious stalactites hanging off the ceiling with the chance they would fall off at any moment. Water drops dripped off of them, originating from the outside world. That was for the natural aspect of the ceiling; as for the unnatural aspect, huge lights hung off the ceiling, providing the vast cavern with illumination. They weren't fire torches but electric lights. He wondered where the electricity was from. He also noticed other tunnels boring into the cavern walls, zig-zagging slopes heading towards them. Those must be the other entrances.

The pair suddenly remembered that they haven't eaten lunch yet. Still walking along, they crossed by a stand selling skewered whole roasted fowl. Seeing that she didn't have any money left, Amariya swiftly snatched one while nobody was looking. Again, an action that seemed oh so familiar to her. They turned into a corner out of the vendor's sight to have their meal.

Once done, they walked faster than before. Exactly where are we heading to, Mitsuke thought. A few minutes after that thought, his question was answered. The pair stood in front of a stall, a tent with a curtain as an entrance. A sign above it said 'Jidai's Mission Acquisition'. They entered, swiping the curtain to the side and causing the chimes tied above them to play their signature sound.

The inside was dimly lit by a single light bulb hanging in the centre of the room but just bright enough for Mitsuke to notice that it was very plainly furnished. A carpet was at his feet and there was a desk right in front of him. Behind the desk was a shelf, each compartment filled with stacks of paper. There was another curtain at the side of the shelf and that was where a man stepped out of, called by the ringing of the chimes at the entrance.


He was an elderly man, almost bald but with thin strands of hair strewn on his scalp. His eyes squinted, it almost seemed as if they weren't open at all. His face was wrinkled, same went for his scrawny arms and figure in general. He was holding a stack of more paper in his hands as he stepped out of the other room at the back. He smiled at the sight of Amariya.

“Ah, if it isn't Amariya.” he said, his voice old and senile, with a snicker at the end. He placed the stack of paper from his hand onto the desk.

“Good to see you too, Jidai.” Amariya replied, sitting on the carpet. She took her cloak off and folded it, putting it onto the carpet beside her, showing the vest she wore over her plain black shirt. She also swung her bag off her back and took her sheathed katana off her belt and placed them on her cloak.

“So, is there any specific criteria you are loo-” Jidai's words were cut off by the sight of his other guest. “Ah, why we have a new visitor here.” he said with a senile snicker. “How rude of you not to introduce him to me.”

“I just thought it didn't matter to you. His name is Mitsuke. Found him in a rubbled town.”

“Ah, the Agara incident. I heard about it already. So he is a survivor.”

“The lone survivor more like it.”

“Ah, then that makes him all the more special.” Jidai snickered. “Well then, nice to meet you, Mitsuke-kun.”

Mitsuke was slightly surprised at being greeted so casually by this man. He gave a small bow and a soft “Nice to meet you.” in response.

“Such a polite boy.” he snickered. An old habit of his. “Well then, to business. I'm sure you are here for more reasons than showing this young boy to me.”

“Of course.” Amariya stood up and walked to the desk, sitting on it. She seemed so casual, it was obvious she knew the man for such a long time and she did this over a thousand times. Jidai took a seat behind the desk, flipping through the stack of paper he brought out of the other room. Amariya looked at the papers Jidai flipped through from where she sat. Mitsuke didn't know what to do so he just sat on the carpet obediently.

“I'm broke as usual, so find me the closest and most lucrative job.” she said to Jidai.

“I expected as much from you. Considering that you just only took a job from me a week ago, this was expected.” he responded with a snicker. Then, he remembered something. He went straight to near the bottom of the stack and pulled a piece of printed paper out.

He handed it to Amariya. She took it with her gloved hand and looked through it.

“If it's the closest and most lucrative job you want, here's something worth looking at. Have you heard of the recent killings at Aruka?”

“Sounds interesting. Do explain more.” she replied still eyeing the paper.

“Thirteen casualties have been identified. Nobody knows if that's the actual number of victims. And all this started only five days ago. Quite an active killer, wouldn't you say?” Jidai said with a snicker.

“I'm sure something else makes this case more special.”

“Of course. Each victim died in a spectacular way. A perfectly circular hole in the torso. Bodies split in half. There was one where the body laid on the floor with every finger separated from the hands and laid in a circle around it. And each one of them have no apparent connection. Other than being victims of murder, of course.”

“I see that it's not the Mayor of Aruka that's the employer.”

“Indeed.” Jidai crossed his fingers and rested his chin on them. “The Mayor intends to find the culprit and put him or her into justice through the conventional means. But that would mean a normal 10-year sentence in prison with beatings. Such a punishment does not seem fitting for such a sinner, at least that is what some of the Council members think. So they decided to find mercenaries to eliminate the murderer without the knowledge of the Mayor.”

“I doubt he's so stupid to not realize who the employers were after the murderer is executed.”

“Well, that is something to worry about later on after they handle the problem. After all, the wellbeing of their citizens is their top priority.” Jidai snickered at his semi-sarcastic statement.

“Why hasn't anyone else taken the job? It's been around for quite some time, hasn't it? And it sounds like such a well-known incident too.”

“Well, considering all the key-points of this case, it's pretty obvious who's the culprit, don't you think?”

Amariya contemplated for a while. “I see.” she said.

“Not many people dare to challenge them. Of course there are the more elite ones who would probably take this one without hesitation, but fortunately for you none of them have come here to ask for the job yet.”

“And indeed that is good for me. I'll take it.” Amariya said with a smile.

What followed was some signing of papers and filing of documents. Mitsuke still sat on the carpet in a blur about what happened just now. He listened to the two of them talking but barely understood anything.

“The initial payment should arrive by this evening since Aruka is quite near.” Jidai told Amariya.

“Got it.” Amariya walked back to Mitsuke, putting a piece of paper into her vest. She picked up her cloak and swung it over her shoulders as well as put her katana at her belt. “Again, thanks for the help, Jidai!” she shouted to her back.

“It's my job. Take care, Amariya, Mitsuke-kun.”

Mitsuke stood up and followed Amariya out of the tent. His eyes took a split second to adjust to the light difference. It was ironic; he got out of a tent and found the outside which was a cavern brighter than the inside. Amariya walked further out when she realized her back lighter than normal. Of course, she forgot to take her bag from the tent. She couldn't believe it; she's been in there so many times and she forgets to take her bag now.

She turned behind. “Mitsuke, I left my bag in there. Mind waiting out here for a short while as I go get it?”

“Sure.” he replied in a sort of obedient way.

Amariya pulled the curtain to the side again.

*********************************************

He walked in fast and heavy steps in his fury. It wasn't the first time, he's lost many times before yet he just wouldn't learn his lesson. The hot-tempered gambler who was the head of a small brotherhood was indeed very vexed at his most recent loss. Some two hundred coins, not the most but still a lot of money.

“Calm down, bro. We can get that money back. Just beat the crap out of them and they're bound to hand it over.” a lackey tried to talk to his infuriated boss.


“It's not as simple as that, fool!” the boss said. “It's a whole casino!! They've got security there, no way we'd beat that!!”

The lackey, crestfallen at his vain effort, slowed his walking and receded into the crowd behind the boss following him.

Rakujo stormed through the crowds. People moved aside to allow him passage. He was well known in the Underworld for his very bad temper. It was quite a common scene for him to rush down the path and head to the outside to vent his anger in some way. Some time or another there would be news of him robbing public places and causing havoc in general together with his whole gang and they would disappear right after the incident, back into the Underworld. And he would gamble once more with the money they just stole. Indeed, a stubborn man.

The whole gang behind him had differing thoughts. It was either pity for the gang leader for his loss or pity at him for his stubborn-ness and bad luck. Some also think about how Rakujo was bad at gambling, betting on huge amounts of money without seeing the odds. They were lackeys; they only needed to show loyalty to the leader through action not through thought.

“Alright guys, we're going to mess Tarm up!!” Rakujo exclaimed angrily to his fellow brothers. They all roared out in response in support of their beloved boss, sincere or not.

And in their rush towards the entrance to leave for Tarm, Rakujo knocked into a boy. It wasn't a direct impact otherwise the frail figure would fall over. Since his forearm just knocked into the boy's shoulder, a sign of how much bigger he was, the boy just spun round and lost his balance a little. Rakujo, still in his fury, looked down at the measly figure.

The boy put both his feet back on the ground and looked up at the massive figure looming over him. He was confused about the whole event and his eyes told it clearly. Rakujo's annoyance grew in him as he saw this odd sight.

“What the heck is a little boy doing here!!?” he shouted out.

Still in his fury, Rakujo formed his right hand into a fist and pulled it upwards.

“This ain't a place for you, kid!!”

Thus, his fist strikes down.

*********************************************


The chimes rang once more as Amariya entered the tent. She saw her single-strapped sling bag on the carpet, nearly abandoned there. Jidai was sill at his desk.

“Forgot something, did you?”

“Yeah. A rare occurrence, don't you think?” Amariya said smiling, though her embarrassment was present in her voice.

She picked the bag up and slung it onto her back. She turned towards the entrance she came from and said a casual goodbye to Jidai. As she took a few steps, Jidai said something.

“I wonder if that boy will bring along someone his current age in ten years.”

Amariya stopped in her tracks. The statement played in her mind. And she giggled.

“Indeed, I wonder.”

She stepped out.

*********************************************

Mitsuke waited outside for Amariya. For someone who went in there a thousand times, she sure can forget a bag, he thought. He stood aimlessly, perhaps his one aim was to wait for Amariya. With nothing to do, he looked around him, staring back at the ceiling and the cavern walls he observed earlier.

A commotion was heard. There was a group of people storming through the path, shoving passers-by aside to make space. It was lead by a very angry man. Mitsuke noticed them at the bottom of his mind; while looking at his surroundings, he heard them come but didn't put them into serious consideration. Then, there was a great impact on his shoulder.

Spinning once and losing his footing, Mitsuke eventually got back to standing up again. Still in his confusion, he saw the towering figure loom over him, shouting something and readying his fist to strike down at him. Feeling helpless, he just flinched and braced himself.

*********************************************

The curtains were pulled aside and Amariya stepped out of the tent, her eyes adjusting to the change in brightness. Once her eyes could take in her surrounding properly, she saw an almost unbelievable sight.

There was a huge man. She knew him. What was his name? Ra... Rakujo! Yes, that guy who always had bad luck and lost money and would act all immature and vent his anger at his surroundings. And he had a gang of goons too, sucking up to him lest he beat them up. There he was with said goons behind him, crowding around. And Mitsuke, much smaller than him, cowering as a fist swiftly moves downwards towards his face. Rakujo's fist.

Rakujo was about to punch Mitsuke out of whatever reason.

*********************************************

Time slowed down.

Amariya saw the sight and was not about to let Mitsuke get injured from Rakujo's anger-venting. She poised, bending low as if about to strike. She released her katana from its scabbard with her thumb, pushing it against the guard and revealing only an inch of the blade. Then, she bolted.

In an instant, she dashed towards the man, covering about four metres in a single bound. Her legs kicked the ground, thrusting her with great velocity, disappearing from where she was standing and reappearing right next to Rakujo. Her feet skidded on the floor to stop her in her tracks in the perfect position to perform her next move.

She thrust her hand out, palm open, and slammed it against Rakujo's fist. The impact stopped the swinging arm. Rakujo saw her and was stunned and surprised. This woman just appeared out of nowhere and stopped his fist with her puny hand!

Mitsuke, too, was surprised. Instead of feeling massive pain in his face, he opened his eyes to see Amariya appearing in front of him, saving him from injury.

And they both saw her eyes. Empty, emotionless, merciless.

Deep crimson.

In a split-second, Amariya flexed her hand to grab hold of Rakujo's wrist, her fingers not even meeting after wounding around it. She pulled his arm forward, pivoted her shoulder against his arm and threw him to the ground right next to Mitsuke. The massive impact from the heavy man falling to the ground caused the floor to vibrate and a great cloud of dust flew up from the dirty ground.

Mitsuke had a hard time following the split-second event. Now he just realized that his attacker has been subdued and is now lying on the floor next to him facing the ceiling. Rakujo's eyes were in a daze, disoriented from being thrown by a girl almost a quarter his size. And she used only one arm; her left arm was holding the handle of her blade.


Amariya pushed the katana back fully into its sheath. As if still not satisfied with her method of subduing the man, she pulled his arm up and twisted it in a swift and deadly manner, dislocating his joints. Rakujo gave a loud cry of excruciating pain. Amariya let go of the arm and it just fall onto Rakujo's torso, limp and immovable. Perhaps for weeks.

Amariya realized that the two of them had to leave before the group of lackeys who were behind Rakujo before he got thrown regained their senses after being stunned at her amazing feat. She grabbed hold of Mitsuke's hand. “Let's go.” she said, still with coldness in her voice. The two of them ran towards the direction of the entrance they used to enter the Underworld.

Some lackeys wanted to chase after the two of them but after hearing the great cry of pain from Rakujo, they decided to turn back and give aid to their boss. They successfully fled from the scene.

*********************************************

Amariya leaned against the cliff wall she stepped out of. Mitsuke was bending over, his hands on his knees and catching his breath. They ran from the scene with all their might, reaching the entrance and finding the Gatekeeper already opening the entrance. He was used to his job; hear someone rushing out and you let him or her rush out.

“I'm gonna get it from them when I come back.” Amariya said with a sigh. She still didn't think it was her fault. Rakujo was the one assaulting the innocent boy. If he had a sliver of intelligence, he wouldn't have gotten his arm like that. Maybe the whole gang will be staying by his side at the general clinic in there and wouldn't have time to go after her. But that won't last forever. Great, another nuisance to face when I come back, she thought.

“Amariya...” Mitsuke could barely say out, panting like he ran for his life, which he did, a minute ago. After a few gulps of air, he stood straight and continued his sentence. “Thank you...” with more pants after.

Amariya was slightly surprised at what he said. Such a polite boy, she remembered Jidai saying. What an accurate statement.

“Hey, I already said I won't let anyone bully you!” she responded with a big grin across her face.

And they started another journey.

*********************************************


Straight ahead of them was the way to Tarm. The two of them followed the cliff wall, sticking to shade under the afternoon sky. Once clearing the semilunar cliff, they continued walking onwards. Mitsuke noted their current direction. If the way to Tarm was north, they were heading east. After some time the sun was setting right in front of them and Mitsuke realized they were heading west instead.

Based on Amariya and Jidai's previous conversation, or rather briefing, they were heading to Aruka. He asked how far more to it and Amariya replied saying that they should reach there by nightfall if they don't stop to rest. Mitsuke didn't mind walking if it was that nearby. Even so, he didn't need to.

*********************************************

“Amariya, exactly who is Jidai? You seem to have known him for a long time.”

Inside the supply vehicle, Mitsuke was sitting next to Amariya along with two other young men who were across them. As she was sitting right at the back of the wagon, half blocked by a wooden board, the noise of the wagon's wheels went directly into her ears and she could only barely hear Mitsuke who was right next to her. Still, she knew his question.

“He's what you call a mission-acquisition agent. People just call him an agent or mission-man. He's helped me plenty of times before and I'm not the only one. We've known each other since I started being a mercenary so we go a long way back.”

Mitsuke nodded. It wasn't that he couldn't think of that conclusion, he just wanted to confirm. He noticed that Amariya said “started being a mercenary” and that piqued his curiosity.

“How did you start being a mercenary?”

Amariya's face showed that she was thinking. “Not an easy question to answer. I guess it started when I was adopted by my teacher. When I learnt all his skills, I thought I'd use them myself.”

This conclusion Mitsuke could not predict.

Time passed. By evening the wagon reached a town. Amariya told the middle-aged man handling the horse pulling the wagon that this was their stop and the two of them got off.

“Sorry, but I don't have any money with me currently.” Amariya told the man with a sorry smile as if to beg for forgiveness from him.


“No, no, it's alright. You wanted to go the same direction so it's no different for us.” the man replied with his aged voice.

Amariya gave her thanks and waved goodbye to the group of merchants they hitch-hiked with. Mitsuke did the same.

But the town they were at was not Aruka.