Second Wife Bar
I had broken the shoulders of the big guy. Everyone unsheathed their weapons. Ashley laughed at me.
"Do you need my help or..."
I immediately made shadow clones that appeared behind every single person who had their weapons drawn against me.
"I don't have any problems with you. I'd like to keep it that way. So I kindly ask that you don't get involved between me and him."
Everyone was silent.
"Thank you for your cooperation."
I looked at the big guy.
"Out of consideration for the bar's owner, I won't kill you."
I released him and went on to pay for my drink. Ashley stood up from her seat and spoke.
"Aren't you letting him off too easily? I know some people who'd be glorified at his death."
"Really now?"
In an instant, I sliced of his legs. I used telekinesis to squeeze his throat and muffle his screams. I looked at Ashley.
"How glorified?"
Ashley smiled as she took out her dagger and sliced of his eyes, instantly blinding him.
"If he died a slow death."
As the rest became agitated, my clones bought their daggers closer to their necks.
"Don't move. I don't mind killing all of you here if I have to."
Ashley stood up, confused.
"I don't understand why you people are trying to help him. I mean..."
She took out her notebook and began reading.
"Veruheim Arkhath, 56 years old. B-Rank mercenary who's also known as the Rhino King by the people of Braza. Suspected of being involved in child-trafficking and is also suspected to be under the protection of the citylord. Suspected revenue exceeds 2 million taels a year, of which 30% is deposited to the citylord."
She snapped her notebook shut as she went to sit down again.
"This all I could gather for now in the three days I was here."
At that moment, a woman who looked to be in her 60s came running and bowed down at my feet.
"PLEASE SIR! PLEASE KILL THIS BASTARD! HE TOOK MY SON! HE TOOK MY ONLY SON FROM ME!!!"
She gripped my leg tightly as tears streamed from her eyes.
"Please sir! I BEG OF YOU!"
I cupped her chin and lifted it up as I activated the first stage of my Kansatsume. My deep red eyes stared deep into hers.
"If an ant suddenly screamed at you begging for help, would you help it?"
She bowed her head.
"If it was sincere enough, I would surely do so."
I smiled as I sensed honesty in her statement.
"Instead of me doing it myself, I'd rather give you the means of fulfilling that wish yourself."
A rod came out of my other hand and I handed it to her.
"Only when you seek revenge yourself, will you feel satisfaction."
The woman got up from her knees. Veruheim was nervous as the woman approached him with a rod in her hand. He started breathing heavily and rapidly as he lay there helplessly. The woman stood above him and held the rod tightly in her hands. He screamed.
"W-WAIT WAIT! STOP! THE CITYLORD WON'T LET YOU GO IF YOU KILL ME!!!"
She raised the rod.
"There's no point living in a world where my son doesn't exist."
She stabbed him.
"Where scum like you live."
She stabbed him again as he screamed.
"WAIT! LET'S TALK ABOUT THIS! WAIT WAIT WAIT WAIT!!!!!!"
She stabbed him repeatedly as the rod pierced his entire back. The sound of meat being pierced and bones shattering filled the room. Veruheim died slowly and horribly as multiple puncture wounds decorated his back. She got up and stood away from him. Karina floated next to her.
{Look at this face of pure satisfaction. Normally she should be crying or shaking in fear after realising what she's done but this woman surprises me.}
{It just shows how much she hatred she had. Great enough hatred will triumph over any other subsequent emotions like fear.}
Karina smiled.
{She'd make a great beserker warrior.}
The woman then came to me and knelt down on both her knees. She placed the rod at her side as she bowed her head on the ground.
"I'd like to thank sir for the opportunity he has given to me. I'll offer my mind, body and soul for the favour sir has given me. I will not complain, even if I'm treated as a pack mule or slave."
I was silent...and then spoke.
"I'm not interested in taking care of a burden."
The woman got up but was still on her knees.
"I see. Then I hope sir will excuse my abrupt departure."
She picked up the rod and pointed it towards her heart.
"The only reason I had for living has been fulfilled. The citylord will be after me as I will no longer have a peaceful life anymore. I no longer have any reason to stay alive. I am content."
The eyes of the people widened in horror as she stabbed herself. She fell down in her own pool of blood. I smiled as I knelt down and held her face.
"It'd be such a shame if a woman with such strong willpower were to simply die like this right?"
Ashley took a swig of her drink. She looked over as her eyes turned purple.
"There's still time to save her. Her soul hasn't completely left her body yet."
I activated my Hasunome and saw a clump of energy in a human figure slowly disconnect from her body. I slid my hand down her face, neck and ended up touching the rod. I removed it. Blood started spilling out. A faint golden aura covered my hand as it permeated onto her body.
"Perfect Heal"
The aura suddenly burst into her, covering her whole body in a bright golden flash as she slowly started to float in the air. Her soul slowly returned to her body as it underwent a drastic transformation. Her old wounds and scars healed. Her hair that was grey from stress regrew into a long beautiful white. All the wrinkles she had disappeared. The golden flash receded as she descended down to the ground again. She looked at herself and immediately flung herself to the ground.
"I, Amiri Baraka swear that I will wholeheartedly serve sir in anyway possible. I offer my mind, body and soul as repayment to the kindness sir has shown me."
I smiled as I put my hand on her shoulder. I looked at Ashley.
"Can you take care of her for a while? We have an unexpected guest."
With that, I vanished. Ashley took hold of Karina.
"Let's go to. We'll get to see your new master in action."
As we left, murmurs started spreading amongst the people. Most praised me for getting rid of a scourge. Other wailed in tears of happiness. Some were worried about the citylord seeking revenge. The bar owner, a short old woman was whining about who would clean up the body for her. I stood in an alleyway quite far from the bar and spoke.
"Citylord. I kindly ask that you follow me outside the city walls so that I can 'talk' you properly without disturbing the peaceful sleep of the inhabitants."
Silence... I activated my Kansatsume on my right eye and increased the intensity of the mana in my Hasunome on my left eye. I turned my head and looked at where he was hiding. I released a heavy wave of killing intent.
"If I have to walk over there and drag you out, I will cut off a limb."
As soon as the citylord appeared, I spoke.
"Don't scream."
I vanished and cut off his finger. I stood next to him facing the opposite direction. I put my hand on his shoulder as he stood there clenching his teeth, holding himself back from screaming.
"In ten seconds, I want to see you outside the Western Gate."
I vanished as I left him there. I stood outside the Western Gate in the clearing. The citylord soon appeared.
"Yijo Sikim greets the honou-"
"I don't want to receive greetings from scum like you."
As I said that, red aura erupted from me. I was in my Vermillion Mode. I didn't release any of my tails. I felt I wouldn't need them against him. The citylord went down on his knees.
"I beg you my king. Please spare my li-"
I whizzed by him and ripped of his arm in the process. Ashley was sitting by the wall with Amiri. Ashley was smiling while Amiri was in extreme delight.
"FINALLY! That bastard is paying for all his crimes!"
The citylord fell to his knees in pain.
"You have two choices. One is I'll give you a chance to confess your sins right here and now and also expose everyone you ever worked with. If you do that, I'll give you a very quick death...by taking your head. The second is that I give you the chance to fight for your life. If I win..."
I dropped his arm in front of him.
"I will kill you slowly as I force out the secrets out you."
I teleported a few dozen metres away from him since I already knew what his choice would be.
"Don't trample on my honour as a citylord!"
He transformed into a massive white lion with three tails. Unlike humans, beasts store their mana in their tails and the amount of mana a beast has will be judged by the number of tails they can protrude. The more tails they have, the more mana they have plus more power, speed and agility. Tails are the crown of a beast and it was no different for the beasts of Winchelin.
"I saw what you did with that woman when you revived her. Right now I bet you don't have enough energy to summon your full power. Even if I'm only at the third level, I HAVE 2000 YEARS OF EXPERIENCE!!!"
As he prepared to charge at me, I shot forward and appeared right in front of him.
"I'm still stronger."
At that moment, three tails emerged from me as I landed a powerful punch right to his face. He was sent flying. He managed to stop himself by digging his claws into the ground.
"I-IMPOSSIBLE!!! HOW CAN YOU STILL HAVE THIS MUCH POWER AFTER REVIVING SOMEONE FROM DEATH?!?!?!?!"
I didn't answer him as I appeared behind him and kicked him in the back of the head. He slumped over. I smiled.
"Such a hard skull."
Before he could recover, I appeared in front of him and kicked him in the chin. I vanished and kicked him in the back, sending him flying forward. I vanished to where he would land and elbowed him at the back of the neck. He crashed into the ground. As he lied face down, I stepped on his neck.
"You're boring. I'll give you some time to show me something amazing or I'll cut off a claw."
He grunted as he stood up. He started powering up. His skin started turning black with white stripes on his shoulders and abdomen. He had striped tribal marks on his face and his mane remained white but grew longer, covering his entire back like a badger. He growled at me.
"This time, I'LL BE SURE TO KILL YOU!!!"
He instantly appeared in front of me as he tried to swipe me with his claws. I barely managed to block his attack. I got blown away and used my tails to block the next attacks that came. I got blown even further away. As soon as he tried to come closer again, I spewed samahadhi true fire from my mouth. It was a beautiful blaze that stopped Yijo in his tracks. I backflipped and stood on all fours as two more tails sprouted from my back. I also activated the 6th stage of my Kansatsume, a shining red iris with pupils which looked like a 6-petal lotus that stared deep into his entire being.
"Now the true fun begins."