Musashi Hirata, if the people from the core region heard this name, they would be surprised. Because Musashi Hirata was Musashi Naizen's little brother, the second son of the current head of Musashi Clan.
Everyone would be shocked as a member of the big clan as Musashi Clan, Musashi Hirata admitted that he was associated with Shadow Fang as an Assassin.
It was known that Musashi Clan was a big clan with heroes backgrounds. Musashi Hirata's decision to join the Ranker Alliance already stirred the people in the core region. So if they knew that Musashi Hirata was part of Shadow Fang, it would cause an uproar.
Moreover, Slash was famous in the underworld. An assassin that never failed to kill his target. The first Assassin that successfully assassinated Legend Class Ranker and two Crown Class Rankers.
Musashi Hirata's arrogant manner was supported by his solid record as an assassin. So when the upper echelon of Shadow Fang ordered him to kill someone unknown, he did not act like his usual self. Killing the target as soon as possible.
However, this time he did not plan to kill his target too early. He wanted to know what was so special about his target this time. Making the Shadow Fang's upper echelon tasked him to kill someone unknown like Heero.
Musashi Hirata looked at Heero's face and he was a bit surprised that Heero was still calm. He disclosed his identity attempting to look at Heero's reaction. He even told Heero his name that he was part of the Musashi Clan.
But he failed to get what he wanted. Heero was just so calm as they were looking at each other. Musashi Hirata furrowed his eyebrows and scanned Heero's face.
He did not recognize Heero which also meant Heero was an unknown man. His target was not a famous ranker or hero, but why did Shadow Fang ask him to kill Heero. This was the thing that made him curious.
An unknown man that worth Shadow Fang's attention, so he wanted to know more about Heero.
'Does he have something that Shadow Fang wants?'
Musashi immediately shook his head as he denied his speculation. Shadow Fang only tasked him to kill Heero and then left. They did not ask him to take something from Heero.
"This is weird…" Musashi Hirata muttered in a low voice.
Meanwhile, Heero had been staring at Musashi Hirata with a strange look as he contemplated on some things.
First, about the weird outfit the man in front of him wore.
Second, he felt strange that as an assassin, the man in front of him did not take a single action of an assassin was supposed to do, like trying to silently kill him or poisoning him.
As for Musashi Clan, Shadow Fang, or even the name Slash. He did not care all of it or to be exact, he was unaware that the man in front of him was the famous assassin slash.
The only thing he could tell was that this man at least was weaker than Feng Fennu.
It proved by the man's class and rank. The man who had admitted himself as an assassin was only at Gold Class Ranker - Rank 5, while Feng Fennu was Crown Class Ranker - Rank 1. It proved that the assassin was much weaker than Feng Fennu he killed this morning. (TL: since rankers have an extra rank "crown class" those in crown class are usually half-step legend class rankers. So there are not many rankers in this category).
"Do you want to kill me? Or you just want to stare at my handsome face," Heero said to the man in front of him. He also rubbed his fine cheek and thought, 'Does my handsome look not only attract women but men as well?'
Musashi Hirata had his eyes widened in surprise when he heard this. Then, his eyes radiated a disgusted look as he looked at Heero.
"Hah, you are, right. I come here to kill you…" Musashi Hirata paused as he remembered that his task was not to kill Heero.
"Indeed, I come here not to kill you, but to catch. Maybe, you have a body that is suitable to be Shadow Fang's lab rat?" Musashi Hirata was mumbled by himself. His words were not directed to Heero and he also did not wait to hear a reply from Heero.
Musashi Hirata moved his hands towards the sword on his waist. His right hand was on the handle and his left hand held the sheath.
Heero also took a deep breath. Even though he knew that his opponent in front of him was weaker than Feng Fennu, he would not be careless.
Moreover, he had not recovered his Ki yet. But even so, it did not mean that he could no longer fight. He straightened his body and had his hand forward, he was making a stance.
Even without Ki, he still could use his raw strength to fight. Heero had been training his body to the fullest extent possible.
With his focus on Musashi Hirata's movement, Heero was ready to welcome any attack.
Fwoosh!
Heero's eyes widened as he saw Musashi Hirata launch his attack. With an extremely fast movement, the assassin moved and slashed the sword at the same time.
Heero's reaction was a bit late, but he managed to dodge the sword. However, he did not avoid the attack unscathed, a cut appeared on his left cheek.
He failed to react in time. Not because he was unable to but because he was surprised that the assassin's movements were very familiar to him.
The way Musashi Hirata attacked him just felt so familiar.
The difference was that Musashi Hirata's technique was a bit clumsy and weaker compared to the technique he was familiar with. Heero took three steps back as he tried to remember the technique.
Meanwhile, Musashi Hirata was also stunned that the technique which earned him the name Slash would be avoided by some unknown person from the outer region.
He looked down at Heero not without a reason. He had been investigating Heero for two days and found there was nothing special about Heero at all.
Heero was just an ex-teacher of preschool and a waiter at a noodle shop in the outer region at that. Except for the controversial Heero created from beating a group of people Iron Martial Fist, Musashi Hirata could not find something exceptional from Heero.
Musashi Hirata turned around, his gaze was still as sharp as before. But this time, he looked at Heero in a new light as only a handful of people could dodge his move. He took a deep breath and made the same stance as before.
Heero also made the same stance as before upon looking at the assassin made the same stance as well. For the time being, he could not remember, but he was sure that he had met someone with the same technique as this assassin on Dramonia.
'Let's fight longer, maybe I will remember if I fight him longer…' Heero decided to prolong the fight.
Moreover, he also had identified that the opponent was not as dangerous as he thought. Even without Ki, he could still beat the assassin.
Once again, Musashi Hirata made the same move, it was too sudden and even faster than before. However, facing the same technique he was familiar with, Heero could easily avoid the second strike.
As soon as he saw the assassin's strike, it was as if his body moved on its own. He squatted down and the sword flashed right on top of his head.
As the sword missed, Heero's body ducked forward. He charged toward the assassin's belly and pinned the assassin down. Afterward, He took the sword and hit the assassin's head with the blunt side of the sword's sharp blade.
"Miyamoto!!!" Heero suddenly exclaimed. It contained a surprise yet also excitement. In excitement, he tore the black cloth that covered the assassin's face.
However, soon, he had to be disappointed as the face behind the black cloth was not Miyamoto. It was a completely different look than the man in his mind.
"That's right, this is not Dramonia but Earth…" Heero backed away as he muttered in disappointment.
As for Musashi Hirata, he was in a daze as he looked at the dark sky. Unbelievable look pasted on his face as he could not believe what had just happened to him. The technique earned him a name as the famous assassin Slash was easily countered.
It was indeed true that Heero's movements were somewhat crude, but it was a move he used to counter his best friend's move in the past, Miyamoto. So when the assassin used the same move as his best friend, it was as if his body made a subconscious move to counter this move.
As for why he could easily pin the assassin down, it was because the assassin was just too much weaker compared to his best friend. Even without his Mystical Eyes, he could see Musashi Hirata's move.
That was why he could easily beat Musashi Hirata down. But a question appeared in his mind, how could the assassin use the same technique as his best friend?
Heero looked at Musashi Hirata who was still dumbfounded as looking at the darkened sky. He felt somewhat amused, he somehow knew the assassin's feeling as a nostalgic feeling flashed in his heart.
Miyamoto also had the same look as this assassin when he successfully knocked Miyamoto down. They both had the same unbelievable look on their faces.
Heero let out a chuckle as he remembered his bearish best friend. Miyamoto was a Grandmaster Class Hero but also his love rival back then. Yueying chose him as her lover then this bearish Miyamoto came to him.
Miyamoto challenged him to prove to Yueying that he was stronger than him. In the end, Heero took Miyamoto down with his crude move. After some twists, later they became the best buddy and often took the missions together afterward.
Heero's chuckle snapped out Musashi Hirata out of his daze from being beaten in such a fashion. He immediately stood up, only then did he realize that his hand no longer holding the katana. He looked up and saw the sword in Heero's hand.
The only sword in his hand was taken. Usually, he would bring two swords and more assassin tools. However, he underestimated his target and the only choice was to retreat for now. But if he retreated now, his record as an assassin that never failed would break. He did not want that.
But to his surprise, his target threw the sword back toward him. He caught the sword and looked at Heero dumbfoundedly.
"Let's have more fight, kid!" Heero smirked at the assassin.
Musashi Hirata was shocked and pissed off at the same time. The thing he hated the most was being looked down upon like this. Fury and rage became more apparent on his face.
He held his sword tightly with his two hands. At the same time, the sword released a strange noise.
Wuuungggg!
Once again, Heero was surprised by this strange noise. It was truly the same technique as his best friend, Miyamoto, the famous Quake Sword. Then, Heero became even more surprised with the next assassin's statement.
"Be proud, you will die under a secret technique of Musashi Clan, Quake Sword!"
Heero's eyes widened in shock as one clue to another clue connected in his mind. Musashi Clan and Musashi Miyamoto. Both had the same family name and the same technique.
Moreover, Musashi Hirata claimed this Quake Sword was his clan's secret technique. Then this meant the assassin in front of him was…
"... My best friend's descendant?"