Chapter 96: Ch134. Karasu no Uta - 2
Kurt slowed his pace just enough for the person behind him to know that they had been noticed, without even looking back.
He heard a soft chuckle coming from behind, and everyone stopped right on their tracks, unable to even utter a single word.
Not one of them, except for Kurt, had noticed the person.
"It’s the very first time that someone notices my arrival." The soft voice sounded again.
And for some reason, even Kurt was completely unable to move.
"And even more, a simple youngling..." The voice chuckled again. "It seems I’m gonna have fun at the Evaluation process."
The person finally moved from behind Kurt and the group, and when they showed up in front of them, Everyone’s jaw went to the floor.
It was a man in his mid twenties, tops.
Medium, curly black hair that fell like cascades over his face.
His pale skin was like a messy portrait of a god, so handsome that the man was, with his slanted dark eyes, his unusually tall and muscularly lean complexion, and the fluidity of his movements.
Kurt had never seen a person like that, anywhere in any of the world lines.
Every single person on that floor of the building stood up and bowed towards the man.
"WE HUMBLY SALUTE AND WELCOME THE SILENT GOD!"
But even that didn’t stop Kurt from being brazen.
"Erm... Can I ask you a question?" Kurt said, looking at the one called Silent God in the eyes.
"Sure, go ahead, youngling."
And only then, Kurt noticed that the man weren’t speaking japanese.
He spoke english, and fluently, at that...
"What is this Evaluation Process of yours, and why do we have to undergo it?"
The Silent God chuckled.
"Hanzo already told me about you, during your trip to here. Which means I did my homework on you, younglings, and already know that you’re fugitives from the New Dawn guild. However, I also know that, since you all are irregulars, most of you didn’t undergo any ranking process designed to measure your full potential." He gave a sinister smile that became even scarier because he was so handsome. "And since you’re the only ones to escape the United States alive, I’m quite interested in knowing how strong you younglings actually are."
Kurt walked slowly towards the man, and everybody in the room seemed to hold their breaths.
"I must apologize, but I don’t think we have much time to stay here and undergo whatever test you might have for us..." He stood eye to eye with the man called The Silent God, and only by then, everyone noticed Kurt’s height. And he was as tall as the man. "We’re looking for a friend, so we gotta get going. Unless you know him, by any chance. Did you ever come across a huge, bald man, named Rodrick?"
"First of all, it’s a pleasure to meet you, Kato Burei-san." He said, to which Kurt raised his eyebrow. "My name is Yamamoto Riku, and I’m the leader of Karasu no Oto guild." He smiled warmly. "Answering your question, I do know the man called Rodori, but due to strict guild policies, we don’t have the means to take you to where he is right now. However, I do insist that you stay, eat, and sleep. I don’t think you have anything to lose in making friends who can probably help you fight the enemy quickly rising in the West, right?"
Kurt wanted to say something in return, but Riku had a strong point.
However, even though the man didn’t show any hostility towards him, there was definitely something off about him.
And not finding out what it was, kept Kurt from trusting him completely.
"What do you gain from it?" Kurt asked, determined to understand what it was that felt so off about Riku. "I mean, usually, these kinds of tests cost credits for you to go through, and you’re willing to allow it to us for free? You wouldn’t blame me if I thought that it’s sketchy, to say the least."
The blade of a katana gleamed through the air, stopping less than an inch from Kurt’s throat.
"I would be more careful with my words if I were you, punk!" The second in command, Tosen, glared at Kurt, who was still exchanging glances with Riku.
"You’re quite good at threatening..." Kurt retorted, without breaking eye contact with Riku.
Suddenly, though, Tosen felt all the air being squeezed out of his lungs, and the whole hallway became like a giant compressor.
The pressure that Tosen felt was so overwhelming, that he couldn’t move a single muscle.
Let alone speak.
When Tosen turned his head to look at his boss, he noticed that not only Kurt, but Riku, too, was glaring at him with a killing intent worthy of Death itself.
"Lower your blade, Tosen. Unless you want me to relieve you from your arm."
He looked at Kurt, but the young man only glared at him, nonchalantly.
And Tosen tried, but he couldn’t move.
He felt like if he did, he would die.
After a few seconds, though, he finally was able to withdraw his sword back to its sheathe, staggering backwards and bowing, apologetic.
"Impressive, for a youngling." Riku chuckled, immediately assuming that calm and composed expression. "So, what do you think? Will you accept my hospitality, and undergo the EP?"
Kurt understood what happened there, and it gave him chills.
He never stumbled upon a person capable of doing what Riku just did, with such confidence.
Kurt grinned.
"Yeah. I guess we’ll stay for a while."
Riku smiled, content.
"Then, I guess I’ll see you again at the EP. So jaane, Kato-kun! Mata ashita!"
Kurt had taken his earpieces off during the conversation, so he didn’t notice when Riku started speaking japanese again, but he held those words to his heart, determined to learn everything he could in the amount of time he would spend there.
"Jaane, mata ashita..." He muttered to himself, trying to get a grip on the meaning of that sentence, while the guild master, Yamamoto Riku, disappeared in the hallway’s distance.
"Are you crazy?" Cinthia glared at him. "Do you know how powerful that man is?!"
Kurt thought about ignoring her, but he simply retorted.
"Do you?"
She just turned around to walk again.
Kurt looked at Nikolai, and he winked at him, giving a bright smile, followed by a thumbs up.
And they began walking the hallway again, until they reached an elevator that lead them to their temporary quarters, where they showered, changed their tattered clothes, and went to have dinner in the common cafeteria, right before going back to their quarters, to sleep the first night of actual rest that they had in three years.
***
Riku sat in a fancy leather armchair in his office, reading the files his intelligence team had gathered over the group of irregulars, when he heard a knock on the door.
"Come in." He spoke, smiling.
And after a few instants, Tosen entered the office, timidly.
"Did you want to see me, boss?"
"Oh, I did, Tosen-cchi." Riku answered.
Not even the fastest car in the world could change gears as fast as Riku’s smile faded from his semblance.
"Are you aware that you almost died earlier?"
"Y-yes, sir!" Tosen stuttered, slightly trembling.
"Then I guess you’re able to tell me why and how..."
Tosen stuttered a few words, but then he breathed in deeply, and managed to put his words together coherently.
"Yamamoto-sama got angry at me..."
Riku let out a chuckle.
The chuckle became a laugh.
And the laugh became uncontrollable laughter.
"Me?" He laughed some more. "Oh, boy... You’re too blind, Tosen-cchi. I didn’t have a thing to do with your almost death, back then."
Tosen’s eyes became wide.
"Wh-what do you mean, boss?"
But Riku wasn’t on his armchair anymore.
He appeared behind Tosen like nothing.
Without a single sound.
Not even a drop of killing intent could be detected, as he touched ever so slightly with the smallest blade on Tosen’s neck.
"Tell me... Are you able to dodge, parry, or even block my attack from that distance? Honestly."
"Th-that’s... Impossible, boss..."
"Then why do you think you couldn’t withdraw your blade? Why couldn’t you move?"
Tosen thought for a second, reliving the scene in his head.
"Because... Because Yamamoto-sama got furious, and released your powerful killing intent...?"
Riku reappeared in his armchair, his legs crossed, carefully studying his underling’s expression.
"That’s why you’ll always be second in command, Tosen-cchi." Riku sighed. "You are great! But you lack open mindness."
Tosen tilted his head in confusion.
Riku sighed again, deeper.
"The reason you’re alive right now, is just because our guest has manners." Riku said, waiting for any reaction from his subordinate. But as there was none, he kept speaking. "I just glared at you. I took the chance to measure the raw killing intent of the youngling, and he made sure to let us know what he came for."
Riku paused for a moment, letting his words sink in Tosen’s mind.
"The reason you couldn’t withdraw your sword, was because Kato-kun didn’t allow you to. He had, somehow, taken control of your body, and allowed you to reach for his throat with your blade. But at the last inch, he released the tiniest amount of something black, almost unnoticeable, and literally blocked your blade. He simply kept it from touching his skin." He got up. "Now, do you know how absurd it all sounds, even as it comes from my mouth?"
Tosen was speechless as he thought of that.
It made him tremble.
But before he could say anything, Riku sat down again, looking at him.
"We have a monster in our amidst."
