A cluster of small huts could be seen in the vicinity. Their number, to be precise, amount to 12.
Two men were walking carelessly towards that place, as if talking a stroll in a garden. One was clad in black and the other one was in white.
"This is it." said the man in black plainly and disappeared.
These two men were ofcourse, Kage and Boaz.
As soon as Boaz reached near the huts, he shouted. "Is anybody home? Helllooo..."
He felt several eyes on him. Yet he stood there without moving. Seeing that he is alone, few men walked out from different huts.
"Who are you? Why are you here? What do you want?" A man started asking him one question after another.
Boaz just smiled and answered. " I just came to deliver some thing that belong to you."
Boaz lifted the sack he was carrying and spilled its content out for everyone to see.
Everyone present was shocked when he revealed the items contained in the sack. More men came out of the hut. Now, a total of 10 men were present at the scene, excluding Boaz.
There was shock and anger in their eyes. Of those who joined later, one man asked, "Who are you exactly?"
He was calmer than the other people. Also he was standing the farthest from Boaz.
"You must be their leader right. Even seeing the head and body parts of your man cut in small pieces didn't flinch you. I am impressed." Said Boaz with a smile.
Yes, that sack contained the remains of the man they have captured earlier on. He had tortured him to get information, but the man didn't talk. Boaz's frustration of being unable to make the man talk, led to the current condition of that man.
That man has only said one thing before dying... "The light will come for you. The light will come for everyone."
The leader understood that this man knows their identity. He didn't hesitate to draw his weapon and commanded everyone to kill this man.
All his men were A rank. And he was S rank. Same as the person who came to threaten them.
Together with his men, he can clearly kill him. But his instincts shouted to him that something was amiss. But, he didn't have time to think about it, as Boaz's fist was right in his face.
His body slammed into the ground creating a crater.
Other men of his were clueless as to what happened. Boaz was just too fast. Before they could recover, They felt a pressure descending upon them, restricting their movements.
They felt a chilly wind swept past them, making them uncomfortable.
But suddenly the wind stopped. The pressure went away and they regained their movements and could think clearly.
They felt another presence behind them. As soon as those men tried to turn their head to look at the person that appeared behind them, their heads detached form their bodies and rolled on the ground. Their lifeless body fell on the ground with a thud.
This was Kage using his assassination techniques perfectly. The fight was over in an instant.
On the other hand, Boaz has captured the leader, who had lost his will to fight after seeing the death of his men by a single strike.
"Now if you will be kind enough to tell me what the Kingdom of light is trying to do in these lands." Asked Boaz with a still smiling face.
The leader just glared at him and spoke nothing.
"If I were you, I would speak. Unless you want to end up in the same condition as the man I brought with me." Boaz threatened the man.
The man still didn't say anything. The only change was that his eyes now contain a sense of helplessness and fear.
"Your figures, your toes, your manhood. I'll cut you little by little untill only your head remains." Boaz still continued with a evil grin on his face.
"If.. If you promise to let me go, I'll.. I'll tell you what I know." said the man in a low fearful voice.
The higher a man reach on the path of cultivation, the more he seem to value his life.
"I promise you that." Boaz said without hesitation.
"We don't know much. There are many more groups like us spread throughout the kingdom. We just follow orders. Our task was to remove any uncertainties that arise in their plan, for which they can't take action themselves. That's all I know. I am telling the truth. This is all I know. "
The man said as he pleaded for his life.
" I know. "Boaz patted him, turned and walked away.
Man regained color when he saw Boaz leaving. But he soon froze. A knife was embedded in his heart and a man in black was standing near him.
He mustered all the strength he could and complained. "B..But.. You promised."
"He did. But I didn't." It was Kage who replied this time.
The man's body slumped without life.
.
.
.
~A day ago~
Morgan and Daren have gone south of their base to reach their target. Arius, Boaz and Kage were moving towards the north.
They had 50 men with them, their cultivation being low, they had to stop to take rest in between.
While they were resting, Kage approached Arius. He said nothing and just stayed at a distance from Arius.
Arius being a SSS expert was aware of his presence. He didn't mind him at first. But the constant stare form a man made him uncomfortable and he finally asked. "Whaaat?"
Kage didn't stand on ceremony and approached Arius with a smile, which made him even sinister. Arius's hair stood up.
"I had a favour to ask." said Kage. For some reason he didn't had the mask on.
"Spill it." Arius bluntly said.
Kage moved a little snake from his embrace carefully and placed it in his hand. The snake was Nhi, who was sleeping without a care in the world.
"Can you exchange places with me for this mission. It's not that I am afraid of this little snake, it's just that this mission doesn't suit my profession. You may do it better." Kage explained.
"Arius now knew what Kage was up to, which made him roll his eyes. After pondering for a while he agreed with a sigh.
" Fine. Now go away. " Arius said as he placed Nhi in his robe, carefully. Looking up he saw Kage still in front of him. "Now what?" He asked with a frown.
"Hehe... It's nothing much. It's that I don't work well in groups so... Will you take these men with you.. Don't take me wrong, it's just that, I may not be able to protect them. But you.. You are strong."
Arius didn't bother with him anymore and waved at him to go away.
Kage complied this time because he knew that Arius had agreed. He finally felt at peace. Carrying that snake was too scary for him.