"This is... unexpected."
My voice, laced with awkwardness and slight confusion, echoed in the empty streets of the Black District.
Yes, you read it right.
The Black district, a place that should be brimming with life like any other town, was enveloped in silence and darkness. The stores were closed, no street lights were lit, and literally every part of the town was deserted.
Coincidentally, it happened today when the ceremony is going to happen.
"This reminds me of a ghost town. It's giving me the chills."
Shin whispered beside me.
"Can you not whisper it in my ears? It's gross. People will get the wrong idea."
I pushed him away. He mirrored my disgusted expression, sighed, and looked away with a tired face. Just then, River walked up to me. He was back after scanning the area for other changes.
"Should we cancel our plans?"
He asked and the two of them looked at me and waited for my next orders.
Elliot had gone ahead and confirmed that the area where the ceremony is taking place is we expected it to be. We were also prepared in more ways than one.
'This is getting messed up but...'
"That is not enough of a reason to back out."
More cautious than ever, I walked on ahead. The two followed while talking behind my back but I ignored them.
"Whoah, so he knows how to make such a serious face. Just a second ago he looked like a normal idiot."
"You're still not used to that?"
Ah, I really hate this. The persistent feeling that something bad was going to happen kept shouting inside my head.
'Obviously, the other houses must have something to do with this.'
If the Pheregor house knew that the streets would be deserted today, they would have no doubt used locations nearer to their main bases. In that case, the children getting lost in a crowd wouldn't be a possibility, and it would also cost less travel and security expenses.
But if the location didn't change, this means that they have no idea something like this will happen too.
'Was this the reason why Lionthan was quiet?'
Mammien was causing many skirmishes until yesterday but we haven't heard from the House of Envy.
'Genius bastards. They used the fights to cause an uproar and worked on this plan behind the scenes.'
My head started to hurt while thinking.
Such a large plan couldn't be done without someone trying to keep it under wraps. Only one house can control the information flow of Black District and fool the house of Pheregor at the same time.
House of Lust.
'That sneaky Deusa, who were they really siding with?'
Before I could think harder, someone harshly grabbed at my collar. I looked behind at River with wide eyes.
"Are you planning on killing me? I almost choked to death."
"...It's unlike you to be unfocused at times like this."
He pointed at the side with his bandaged chin. Only then did I notice that we finally arrived at the place.
'Shit. I need to get my head straight.'
Shin was already running stealthily in the garden towards Elliot who opened the door to the backyard. His golden head is covered in a brown cloak and he moved swiftly like a predator.
"Do we need to do something like last time?"
River asked. His voice was still calm, his lavender eyes devoid of any guilt. He looks like he will readily kill everyone here if I told him to.
'What a way to make me feel guilty.'
I shook my head.
"That was too messy and risky. Unless we need to, I don't want to fight in close combats. But if we need to do it..."
I lowered my voice.
"After we get out official names, let's just bomb everyone and survive."
I smirked at him, enjoying the rare look of subtle shock on his face.
"I think my spells are going to be that powerful."
River clenched his fist, he stayed silent but the look in his eyes said 'I won't lose' or something like that.
Surprisingly, he knew how to be competitive.
"Let's go."
We both followed after Shin, who was waving at us for a while now with Elliot behind him, while slowly gripping the hilt of our swords. The security was dense but due to the geographic nature of the location, we were able to move without catching too much attention.
SHIK!
The sword created a sharp sound as I pulled it off its sheath.
'That thief, where did he even steal these high-quality weapons?'
I was thinking of asking him later but for now, I focused my gaze on the three people that were walking in the hallway. The windows of the manor were broken so we could see where they were headed towards.
They were heading to an isolated place. It was the part of the manor that was under Elliot's assigned areas to guard.
Elliot had called them over and like moths flying to a fire, they were falling perfectly into our trap.
When we were near them, I locked my gaze with the other two. It was the signal to start. Understanding this, the four of us moved in sync and drew our weapons.
SHIK!
SHIK!
SHIK!
"Now."
I ordered. Elliot nodded robotically and performed a unique spell.
"Time Freeze."
I gripped the hilt of my short sword and held the handle tightly between my fingers. Almost immediately, the space around the three targets distorted. It was as if a sudden glitch happened like when a computer cuts to a different window.
My eyes focused on the back of my target. We waited until the three remain frozen still in their place before Shin, River, and I jumped from their blind spots.
Time Freeze, a spell that stops the time on a certain area for five seconds in exchange for losing one of your senses.
'I can't let Elliot's sacrifice go to waste, can I?'
Ignoring the happy voice inside my head that told me to kill because I wanted to, I used that as a lazy excuse and pierced one of the three people's heads with a smile.
SPLASH!
The action of piercing someone's head with my untrained hands caused the blood to splatter all over my face.
"What the..."
I quickly let go of the sword.
'Why am I suddenly having the urge to lick it like those crazy bastards I see in the movies? Blood doesn't even taste good.'
Nodding to myself, I faced Shin and River who didn't have a speck of blood in their clothes. River, as always, looked calm while Shin, though slightly pale, had a hint of happiness on his face.
Time moved normally after we stabbed the three to death. It was a soundless, swift kill, just like what we planned it to be.
'Well, we also had a plan if they noticed and tried to fight back with their abilities so either way is fine.'
"Shall we go?"
I gave them my signature smile and walked on ahead, dragging the dead body I stabbed along. They followed me, dragging the people they killed as well. Elliot, who by now had completely white eyes, cleaned up the bloody mess with telekinesis before following us.
As I said earlier, Time Freeze was a spell that stops the time on a certain area for five seconds in exchange for losing one of your senses.
'Looks like the sense he exchanged it with is sight.'
I shrugged and looked away. I searched for a speck of guilt inside me but they were non-existent by now.
'I have bigger things to worry about. Like my survival, my survival, and my survival.'
My eyes wandered to the walls of the manor that connected to the entrance. Children would be entering there soon, and along with them, the ancient stone.
I can almost hear an invisible timer telling me that a bomb will explode any minute now.
'The huge fight is about to start.'
Later, as everyone expected, there would be a bloodbath in this place.
The ones who killed most were trusted members of the Pheregor, Mammien, and Lionthan households under the order of the heads of their respective houses.
Today's struggle for power was a story that many kept in mind even years after the event had happened.
But hidden from their knowledge, the first to die were three people. They were insignificant lives, their deaths itself wasn't notable, but the ones who killed them would soon be members of one of the most powerful factions of the Black District.