The church bells tolled on.
Ding...ding...ding
Zaviel Nocturne stood amidst the ruin of Mr. Greens' office. He sheathed his Katana back on his back as drops of blood, almost dry fell of his gloves.
The rain outside trickled on and the bells in the distance grew louder each second. Odd, how something meant for salvation could sound so comforting after murder.
He closed his eyes.
As usual after every kill, he could feel his body temperature going up exceedingly, above average. He usually considered it as stress.
But oddly, as the bells in the church sounded, his temperature started going down until it returned to normal.
"Peace. For a second, at least."
He spread out his arms and did something he never did for the first time.
He let his guard down
Then.....
Fwoop-WHUP-WHUP-WHUP-WHUP
The sudden thrumming of helicopter blades shattered the stillness like a slap to the face.
Zaviel's eyes flew open. "...You've got to be fucking kidding me."
From the skies, spotlights beamed down. Shadows flickered.
Dozens of black SUVs skidded to a halt on the streets below, and from them emerged squads of armed agents. They moved menacingly, their guns loaded.
He had been too focused on the church bells that he didn't even know that the FAI were outside the office
"FAI! We have you surrounded! Come out with your hands up!"
A male voice shouted through a megaphone.
Zaviel sighed and slowly turned toward Mr. Greens' Sword-slashed corpse, still slumped on the floor like a sack of greed.
"You really had to snitch on me before dying? You're dead and still pissing me off?"
He stepped over to the body, crouched, and patted Greens' cheek mockingly.
"I hope hell runs out of whores before you get there."
Then he stood.
"...Looks like recess is over."
The first bullets came fast—glass shattering as agents opened fire from the rooftops and door.
Zaviel moved faster. His hand snapped to his back, katana sliding free with a clean metallic whisper.
He didn't run.
He charged forward, his blade radiating a black chilly aura.
CRACK–CRACK–CRACK!
Bullets screamed through the room. one whooshed past his shoulder, another missed his cheek by inches.
Zaviel leaned forward, body tilting like a falling blade. In the blink of an eye, he was on them.
He leapt out the broken window, flipped mid-air, and landed on the rooftop across the street with a clang.
The agents didn't even have time to curse.
He struck at lightning speed.
"Move in! He's....!"
SLASH!
A head flew.
*SHUNK!*
A chest split open like paper.
He danced between them, katana spinning with fluid, brutal grace. Arms, legs, barrels of rifles, all cleaved.
One agent raised a shotgun, panicked.
*CLANG!*
Zaviel's blade met the weapon mid-barrel, slicing it clean in half. The man's eyes widened then Zaviel twisted and buried the blade in his throat.
He gave the man a hard look before he yanked his blade out.
Blood sprayed across the rooftop.
"Didn't anyone teach you guys not to bring guns to a sword fight?" he muttered dryly, already spinning to the next.
They fired wildly now, some trying to retreat, others screaming into comms.
"He's a demon!"
No. He was worse.
He slid under gunfire, sliced through an agent's calves, sprang back up and drove his katana through another's chest, twisting it savagely. Bones cracked.
Two soldiers landed on the roof from the helicopter hovering above. But before they could even act, Zaviel threw a flip and in mid-air, removed two daggers from his legs and darted them towards the soldiers.
The dagger impaled their heads neatly, the impact sending them falling of the roofs. Their body burst open as they hit the ground.
The helicopter turned, circling.
Inside, a sniper locked on.
Zaviel saw the laser dot flicker across his chest.
Then he moved.
*BOOM!!!*
The bullet blew a hole into the rooftop, but Zaviel was already in the air. He twisted mid-leap, landed in a crouch, and looked up.
"Someone's compensating with that scope."
He reached into his belt, pulled out a small black round device. I had a shiny red button with a bullet hole at the top
"Say boom."
*BOOOOM!!!*
The gadget let out a low thump and a streak of black energy blasted upward like a thunderbolt.
The helicopter exploded mid-air.
*KRA-KOOM!*
Flames erupted, blades twisted, and bodies were thrown like ragdolls as the craft spiraled and crashed into a nearby building.
Zaviel tilted his head and smirked.
"One down. Who's next?"
But just as he turned, something caught his eye.
Movement.
A flash of red hair.
*BANG!*
A gunshot rang out.
Zaviel pivoted sharply, katana raised
*CLANG!*
The bullet deflected off the blade inches from his face.
He skidded backward, boots scraping the wet rooftop.
Then he saw her.
A woman in her early twenties. Combat gear. Crimson ponytail tucked into a tactical helmet. Sharp eyes locked on his with a trained steadiness. Her gun was still raised.
Zaviel didn't move.
Neither did she.
He could kill her. Right now.
But he didn't.
"I thought the army was supposed to enforce justice, how come you're just guns for hire?"
"Speak for yourself" She snarled
"Greens molested and killed the President's daughter but nothing was done to him cause somehow, he could buy his way out!! "
"He was tried before the court and found innocent of the charges, you killed an innocent man! That's all I know!"
He watched her finger tighten on the trigger again.
She fired.
*CRACK!*
He leapt back, bullet missing by a breath. Then, with a sarcastic grin, he muttered, "Cute. Your aim's as beautiful as you are."
The woman's eyes narrowed.
He gave her a mock salute... then turned, sprinted toward the edge of the roof, and dove off.
She ran to the ledge just in time to see him falling, arms outstretched, coat fluttering like a shadow with a heartbeat.
But before he hit the street.....
*SHRRRRRRR!*
He vanished.
Completely.
Gone.
Only the rain remained.
The agent's breath caught in her throat.
Her eyes scanned the dark, searching but she found nothing.
Nothing but the lingering image of Zaviel's mismatched eyes burned into her memory: One gold, one violet. Unnatural. Unforgiving.
She tapped her earpiece.
"This is Agent Clove. Subject has vanished. I repeat, vanished. Cloaking tech, visual signature impossible to track."
"Copy that," a voice responded. "Can you confirm identity?"
She stared into the dark alley where he'd disappeared.
"I saw his eyes clearly this time, it's definitely him"
A pause.
"Hmmm"
Far below, among the shadows, Zaviel crouched behind a wall, now fully camouflaged.
His suit shifted with the surroundings, flickering patterns mimicking wet brick, shadow, even garbage.
He tapped the side of his visor and whispered, "Note to self... church bells are a setup. Avoid peace."
Then, with a grin under his mask, he added:
"And remind me to piss on Greens' grave next time."
He vanished down the alley, no sound, no trace, only a few scattered bodies and the still-falling rain left behind.