It's been more than 2 weeks ever since Raksaya visited my home and at that time we somehow started dating. Although it's a slightly weird relationship if you were to ask me.
...
"Raksaya, I heard that you called for me." I said when I entered Raksaya's office.
"Oh, Akashi! You are here pretty fast, couldn't wait to see me? Hmm?" She raised her head from paperwork and a pleasantly surprised smile appeared on her face before she started to tease me once again.
"..." I stayed silent because I had no idea what should I say to her teasing...
"Well, you don't need to say it aloud, your eyes talk for you. Anyway, come here." She stood up and went once again in front of her desk and motioned with her finger for me to come closer.
I approached her and when I was close enough, she pushed me to sit down on her desk while she sat on me while wrapping her arms around my neck.
"? If you want to cuddle, we can just go for a date...Anyone can come and knock on your door at any minute." I said with a confused expression, however, I wasn't entirely against this act of hers.
"Doesn't that make you more excited? Hehe, this desk is pretty big, just imagine what we could do here..." Raksaya said with a naughty smile but I was aware that she was just joking. Although we were dating for around 2 weeks, we still had yet to sleep together.
I keep forgetting how straight forward she is...
"But not today, keep your fantasies inside your mind for the next time." She said and gave me a quick peck on my lips.
"You keep talking about fantasies but aren't you the one who is imagining things the most." Although I said this, I couldn't help but feel slight tension down there from her words.
"Hehe, maybe but I am definitely not alone judging from the thing that's poking me in my butt." She said with a smirk and our conversation was getting more heated and more heated each second.
"Anyway, you are here for the special mission today. It will also serve as your advancement test to the violet ranks." She changed the mood by mentioning the job because even she started to heat up and it was hard to say what would have happened if she didn't change it.
"Special mission? Why couldn't I just get it from the reception?" I wasn't really surprised that it was my advancement test, rather what puzzled me was...Why did she call me here?
"Yes, it's a special mission because you won't be doing what you are accustomed to. You will play bodyguard for the president's daughter. You might think since when did we start protecting lives but this is a special request from someone of our ranks. It seems that he knows that girl but he himself can't take that job because she would be able to recognize him even with his mask on." She explained while still sitting on me.
"Hm...I get it but who will be targeting her? I can't exactly save someone if they will be targeted by trained snipers." I said with a thoughtful expression.
"Hehe, you sly boy! I know that you are capable of doing that. You are already someone strong enough to be in violet ranks, this is just a formality. I think the only problem here is that you are too lazy to do it." She said while pinching my cheek.
What she had said is the truth...I am capable of doing that but it would require me to be focused the entire time I would be around my target to protect. I don't even know when they will attack so it would cost too much of my energy.
"Do it for me, will ya?" She said with a pleading expression that looked too cute.
Seeing this sight right in front of me...I couldn't help but release a genuine smile which should be enough of the answer for her.
"?!" I have no idea why but when she saw my smile, she widened her eyes in a pleasant surprise and attacked my lips with crazed eyes.
...
"...What was that?" I asked her with a confused expression when she finally stopped her attack after a few minutes.
"It was an advance payment, don't you dare to fail the mission now. Also...I heard that girl is quite a beauty..." She said while looking to the side in embarrassment but she quickly changed the atmosphere around her when she mentioned my target I am supposed to protect.
Her face became cold.
"Don't forget...Your virginity is mine and only mine alone!" She grabbed my collar and said with an authoritative tone.
...Is that why she called me here?
I thought with a weird expression.
"Don't worry, I will get any additional information at the reception so if there is nothing else..." I kissed her for the last time and then said with a small smile.
"That's all, be careful. And once you will complete it...there will be an additional reward waiting for you." She said with a seductive smile and winked at me.
...Somehow I got more motivation to quickly complete it. I guess I will do my best at that time...
...
I got additional information from the man behind the reception.
A masquerade ball...are you for real? *sigh* I guess I will need slightly more formal clothes.
...
After I was done with choosing my clothes and mask, I contacted the number I was supposed to call before finding the girl I have to protect. The person on the phone told me the address of the place where I am to meet up with the girl and her other bodyguards.
I don't get why I have to work with someone else but I guess there is something special behind this mission. The person who requested it perhaps couldn't persuade the girl's father to get rid off her bodyguards.
...I wonder if it will be a typical cliché
...
"...Boy, you have some nerve for letting us wait for you..." When I arrived at the place, someone immediately started barking at me.
*sigh* Why does it have to be like this? Musclehead...checked. Sharp tone...checked. Bald...checked.
"I am here right on time. No one forced you to come earlier and wait for me." I said with an uninterested tone and bored eyes which was perfectly visible through my mask.
"You are that kind of guy, huh? I hate smartasses." He said and started approaching me.
"Stop it, Russell! *sigh* Why did my father have to send so many people to protect me...Anyway, I am Elizabeth, nice to meet you~!" The girl in red dress with pink hair tied up in ponytail stopped the man and approached me. Once she came near me, she extended her hand for a handshake with a bright smile. She wore a fox mask that covered only the upper part of her face, starting from nose.
"I am Jack, nice to meet you too." I said and accepted the handshake.
"Although you don't look like a trained bodyguard, I believe in my uncle's judgment." She said with a smile, I couldn't detect any contempt from her words.
So that's it...Her uncle is part of the organization. anyway, her attitude is good. As for others...
I thought and looked at the other 2 bodyguards that were looking angrily at me.
I have no orders that I also have to protect them, so I will just take care of this small girl.
Although I called her a small girl inwardly, she looked around my age.
"Let's go already! I can't wait to meet up with everyone and have some fun with my friends." She cheerfully exclaimed and went ahead.
Her bodyguards quickly chased after her but not before throwing last glare at me.
I guess her father doesn't like the fact that some stranger will be guarding his daughter.
...
The ball took place in the enormous mansion which would be better to call it a palace. We showed our invitations and the guards let us in.
Elizabeth immediately ran off, to get rid of her bodyguards in the crowd.
"W-wait, young lady!" Russell immediately chased after her but got lost in the crowd of people.
...I hate crowded places.
I thought while slowly following Elizabeth's traces.
...She is pretty smart, she was able to make it look like she continued running deeper into the crowd but I am not a normal bodyguard...
I thought and went in the direction of the entrance.
...
"Haha, Lili, you can't be serious!" Elizabeth was speaking with a girl around her age with shoulder-length black hair and a white dress.
"Yes, that's what he said! I couldn't help but cry while laughing when I heard him, hehe." Lili answered with a slight giggle while covering her mouth with her hand.
"Are you having fun?" I approached them and asked in a monotonous tone.
"Huh? Who are you? Do you know him, Eli?" Lili was the first one to ask while Elizabeth's jaw dropped down.
"How? I thought that I was careful enough..." Elizabeth ignored her friend and instead asked me with a shocked expression.
"You should trust your uncle's judgment more." I just mentioned her uncle and she closed her mouth to think about it.
"Eli, who is it?" Lili asked with an interest leaking out of her eyes.
"Well...my new bodyguard exclusively only for today" She finally answered.
"I see, you don't look like a usual bodyguard. I am Lili, nice to meet you! By the way, I like your silver wolf mask." Lili immediately went for a handshake and I accepted with a nod.
Then I said to Elizabeth not to mind my presence. I went some distance away from them and started observing other guests.
The position where she is standing right now is pretty good, there are no windows closeby. As for guests...
I noticed a few men approaching Elizabeth and Lili, one of them offered Elizabeth a glass of wine with a charming smile and she accepted while blushing.
...I take back my words...she might be slightly smart but she is naive.
I thought and quickly approached them and snatched the glass of wine before she could drink from it.
"Wha-?" Elizabeth was surprised by my sudden intrusion but she didn't say anything.
"Hey! Who are you and why are-" The man who offered a drink to Elizabeth immediately started shouting at me but I couldn't care any less about him and instead sniffed the wine.
Hmph! Even if it is odorless, I was trained enough to recognize whether something is poisoned or not.
I drank the glass of wine in one go and then turned at Elizabeth.
"Sorry about that but I was ordered that you can't get drunk" I told her and winked at her before leaving.
"You, wait-!" The man called out to me but I ignored him.
So it's that kind of poison...Not so potent but the amount would be enough to kill a girl like Elizabeth in 2 hours. However...how was he able to tell that this is Elizabeth? There are numerous guests with fox style masks and pink hair. Yet, he approached her like he already knew that it's her.
---
'What that wink was supposed to mean? Did he actually tried to...no...that can't be! I have to act normal. Still...if it was truly poisoned, why would Jack drink it? I hope nothing bad happens to him but since he drank it so easily he should know what he is doing...I really wonder if it was poisoned or not, I will have to ask Jack later.' Elizabeth nervously thought while trying to act normal in front of others.
---
...
"Anyway, it was all I wanted to talk about, have a nice evening ladies!" The man who offered the drink to Elizabeth said goodbye while nervously looking in my direction.
He must be thinking that I will fall down at any minute, heh. Thankfully, the girls talked with him long enough for the effect of poison to fully disappear from my body.
Now...let's follow him, I doubt that they will try to kill her in the middle of the ball and since their attempt failed he needs to report it.
I quietly followed after him while merging with the crowd not to get spotted by him.
---
'Hm? Where is Jack going?' Elizabeth thought when she saw Akashi leaving her alone.
"Lili, let's follow Jack." Elizabeth said to her friend and Lili just nodded her head because she was also curious where he was going. Both of the ladies were actually keeping an eye on what was Akashi doing the entire time.
---
I followed the guy for a while until he led me to the 2 vans standing near the forest. I took advantage of the terrain and climbed up the tree and started to jump from the tree to tree to get closer.
When I finally got as close as I could, I noticed 4 more people with guns "hidden" at their belt.
...I hate fighting against guns, not to mention the distance between us...I will need to focus a lot for this.
*sigh*
I sighed and draw 2 of my poisoned mini-daggers.
I will be able to kill 3 of them instantly but 1 more with the gun and another one who led me here will remain.
I jumped from the branch and rushed towards the guy who was the closest one to me.
"Wha-!" The guy heard me jump down from the branch but when he snapped his head in my direction I already slit his throat.
"Hey what happe-" The guys heard the sound of the body hitting the ground so they turned around and when they turned around, 2 of them already found my mini daggers in their neck. While the last one found the time to take out his gun and aim at me.
"Stop, you fucker! Who are you?! Who sent you?!" The guy with the gun bombarded me with questions.
---
"L-Lili...tell me that what we are seeing is a dream..." Elizabeth asked while she was trembling and her friend was too shocked to answer her and neither her situation was different.
They both followed Akashi and when they saw the sight of how he ruthlessly started killing people without saying anything to them, they couldn't help but feel fear towards him.
However, when they saw the last guy aiming his gun at Akashi, they also couldn't help but worry about him even though they were afraid of him.
---
"Hoo? The hell itself sends me, apparently, it's running low on residents." I said with a smile and focused my eyes on his fingers near the trigger.
"You are still in the mood to tell jokes?!" He was enraged by how I was joking after killing his colleagues and was about to pull the trigger while aiming at my head.
...Now!
*Bang* I waited until it was apparent that he is going to pull the trigger and leaned forward right at the moment when he was about to pull it, dodging the bullet.
"Wha-? You-!" He was surprised by my sudden evade but he quickly recovered from his shock to pull the trigger again but it wasn't fast enough and the dagger pierced his tight.
"Arg! F-fucker!"
*bang* *bang*
He got enraged due to pain and started mindlessly shooting at me but it was too easy to dodge the bullets now that he was affected by the poison.
The poison I have applied on that dagger wasn't the one that would kill but the one that would cause hallucinations and although it wouldn't work that quickly, it still made his vision blurred.
After he shot all the bullets in his pistol's stack, he quickly tried to reload but he was unable to even grab his reserve stacks attached to his belt.
I guess the poison is starting to do the work.
I thought and leisurely started to walk towards him.