Chapter 15: The Murderer
"I told the boy to test the sword, not to destroy the wall! You damned brat, Haruki, are you planning not to pay up again?"
"Money, my foot! I wouldn't pay you a cent. Don't you dare think I'll let you bully him to save face just because this is a gift for the kid. Especially not with you."
After that, the two of them started a loud, noisy quarrel again.
Kazuka quickly ran back into the shop and picked up the scabbard that had been placed next to the sword. It was white, interspersed with yellow. It looked just like a knight's sword.
Scene Change.
The Deputy Captain of the Guard, Yamato, along with 10 others, was chasing a man in a black cloak who carried a sword on his back.
"Stop right there, don't think you can escape!"
The man ran through a crowded street, aiming to use the mass of people for cover. Seeing his intention clearly, Yamato yelled out.
"He's trying to hide in the crowd, hurry up!"
A guard running alongside Yamato raised his hand and began channeling a large purple sphere of energy. Sensing danger, Yamato immediately shouted.
"Stop now! Don't release any attack here. This place is too crowded!"
Running deeper into the crowd, they lost track of the cloaked man. They stopped.
The guard with purple hair angrily complained.
"But we can't just let him go, can we? He's already killed 44 people! If he gets away, there will be more murders!"
Yamato glared at him with icy-cold eyes. His voice dropped.
"So, you intended to release that attack into this crowd of people?"
Faced with the pressure of Yamato's words, the young man lowered his head, clenching his jaw.
"I apologize, Deputy Captain. I did not think things through."
Yamato glanced at everyone around them.
"Alright. Return to base, report the full situation to the whole squad, and then increase the patrol throughout the entire village."
Everyone responded in unison. Then they dispersed.
"Understood."
The man in the black cloak ran into the forest and leaned against a large tree. He was clutching a large, profusely bleeding wound on his abdomen. He pulled his hood down.
The man had white, shoulder-length, slightly curly hair. His eyes were pure black, as if concealing a profound darkness. A large scar stretched across his face, running from his right eye, crossing his mouth, and stopping at his chin.
"Damn it, was I ambushed? You cursed guards, I, Mukuro, will definitely make you pay. This entire village is so large, how am I supposed to find an Elf?"
He sat in the forest and began absorbing energy to heal himself. Afterward, he walked deeper into the town, his eyes scanning everywhere as if searching for something.
—Fortunately, it's a minor wound, I can heal it myself.
He saw a little boy walking down the street with a lollipop in his hand. His eyes narrowed, intently focusing on the candy. He flashed a bizarre smile. He walked slowly toward the boy and crouched down.
The boy stopped and looked at him with curious eyes.
"Huh? Sir, is something wrong?"
An inhuman smile appeared on his face.
"Sir? Is something funny? Why are you smiling like that?"
"Oh, I have something even tastier than that candy. Would you like to have some?"
The boy was surprised, his eyes wide with excitement.
"Really? What is it? Please take it out."
"Alright, open your mouth and close your eyes."
The naive boy did as he was told. He closed his eyes and opened his mouth, a look of excitement on his face. The cloaked man drew the sword from his back and thrust it straight into the boy's mouth. The boy's eyes widened upon impact, and blood sprayed continuously. He let out a crazed laugh.
Mukuro twisted his blade in the boy's throat; black energy continuously emanated from it, erupting upwards, causing the boy's head to explode. With great force, he then delivered a vertical slash, cleaving the boy in half.
A piercing scream made everyone look in that direction. A woman's face was contorted in terror. She covered her mouth with her hands and collapsed to the ground. This woman had witnessed the scene of Mukuro killing the boy.
The surrounding crowd ran in panic. Some people recognized him as the murderer who had terrified the village recently. A man turned back and pointed at Mukuro.
"Look! That guy looks like the one the Guard described!"
Hearing the man's words, the crowd panicked even more and ran away. In contrast to the frantic people, Mukuro calmly picked up the lollipop and licked it. After two licks, he burst into a crazed, loud laugh.
"Hahahahaha"
Kazuka and Haruki were also in that chaotic crowd. The two of them still didn't understand what was happening.
"What's going on, Big Brother? Why is everyone so terrified after that scream?"
Haruki instantly assessed the current situation. He ran through the crowded mass.
"Follow me quickly, Kazuka!"
—Something must be happening up ahead to cause this chaos.
Pushing past the terrified people, Haruki saw a fiercely intense battle taking place. Deputy Captain Yamato and Captain of the Guard Himura, along with another guard, were attacking Mukuro. In the distance, a healer was treating two people.
Continuous streams of energy clashed, and the attacks that flew out and struck houses and the ground exploded. The area had become a pile of ruins. Grasping the current situation, Haruki drew his sword and rushed in at high speed, his blade encased in a sea-blue light.
"What's going on, Himura?"
"Damn it, Haruki, this is the killer who's been rampaging recently! He just murdered another little boy!"
"Damn it, it's him?"
Mukuro ducked to evade Himura's slash. But Haruki, moving at lightning speed, unleashed a close-range energy slash toward Mukuro, then immediately closed the distance from the left. As Mukuro had to parry the incoming slash and step back, Haruki kicked him, sending him flying. Yamato seized the opportunity to rush in and slash, but Mukuro blocked it easily.
Himura charged in from behind and kicked the back of Mukuro's neck, knocking him unconscious and sending him sprawling to the ground. Haruki rushed over to examine him.
"He's knocked out. Well done. Now bind him and take him to the dungeon."
Yamato approached and praised him.
"It's a good thing you were here. Otherwise, I'm not sure we could have caught him."
Haruki scratched his head awkwardly.
"Haha, everyone contributed. I can't take all the credit."
Kazuka remained standing frozen some distance away, his mind filled with many thoughts.
"Huh? It's over already? That fast? I didn't even have time to react."
"Big Brother Haruki reacted too quickly to the situation. I had only just reached for my sword."
Kazuka lowered his gaze to his hands.
"I'm still too weak."
Haruki approached Kazuka and tilted his head.
"Let's go."
Kazuka gloomily followed, then looked up at Haruki.
"Big Brother? How did you finish him off before I even had time to draw my sword?"
Haruki was startled by Kazuka's question. He understood what Kazuka was thinking and trying to say.
"It's good that you're self-aware like that, Kazuka. Don't be sad; you've only been learning for a few days."
That evening, a guard frantically ran into the room where Himura was working, slamming the door open with a loud noise that jolted Himura awake.
"Captain, this is no time to doze off! Come outside with me now!"
Himura, with a sleepy expression.
"Calm down. Tell me slowly what's wrong."
"We can't be slow! Someone else was just killed at the edge of the village! Yamato pursued him but lost his trace. Go to the dungeon now; Yamato is interrogating the guy to see if he has an accomplice."
Himura slapped the table and jumped to his feet, speaking loudly.
"What?! Someone was just killed? Alright, let's head to the dungeon right away!"
Arriving at the dungeon, Haruki and Yamato were observing another person interrogating Mukuro. The sound of Mukuro's agonizing screams echoed throughout the dungeon. Iron chains were fixed to both walls, with their other ends locked onto his hands and feet. Notably, his neck was also fitted with a collar patterned with several red lines.
"Oh, Haruki, you're here too?"
"Ah, you're here, Himura. The thunder elemental user of the Guard is channeling electrical energy into him for the interrogation."
"Ah, I see. Have you gathered any information yet?"
Yamato was also standing there, hands clasped behind his back, shaking his head slightly.
"Of course not. We're the Guard, not an interrogation unit, so we lack experience in this. It will be quite difficult to extract information."
Suddenly, Yamato looked closely at Mukuro's shoulder. The white shirt he was wearing in the cell had a red stain. Yamato pulled the lightning elemental user aside. He recalled the scene of chasing the man in the black cloak earlier.
Yamato had thrust his sword forward, and the arrow-like energy attack had struck the man's shoulder from a distance.
Yamato instantly realized. He abruptly backed away.
"Asano, Morita! Quickly use your energy to surround this guy!"
The two guards standing outside the cell immediately rushed in, enveloping Mukuro in energy.
Haruki and Himura were startled and retreated as well. Himura spoke up, sounding confused.
"What is it, Yamato?"
Yamato walked closer to Mukuro. Asano and Morita were maintaining a dense energy layer to restrict Mukuro's movement. When Yamato approached to reach for Mukuro's shoulder, they created an opening for his hand.
Yamato grabbed the fabric on Mukuro's shoulder and tore it away. It was a rather small wound but still very clearly visible. Seeing Yamato's actions, Haruki instantly placed his hand on his sword, on guard.
"Earlier, during the pursuit of the cloaked man, I fired an attack that injured his shoulder."
Everyone nearby understood the situation. But Asano looked at Yamato with an incredulous expression.
"That's impossible! We've been guarding him very closely! How could he have escaped?"
Mukuro sneered. He spoke, instantly putting everyone on high alert.
"Yo, greetings. I am Kiryuu. The one you beat up this morning was Mukuro."
"We... live... in... one... body."