"Huh? Are you lost, little girl?"
Ryūnosuke smiled at the sight of Rin. That meant there was one more girl to join this sacrificial feast.
Rin, on the other hand, got scared the moment she saw this guy's face. She stepped back a little with Kotone in her arms and looked around. When she noticed, she saw that there were more children than she saw when she arrived. All of them, like Kotone, were disoriented and vacant-eyed.
"Don't be frightened. Your arrival is quite timely. Let me help you."
He reached out his hand, but Rin pushed him away and, in that small instant, she felt a strange fluctuation in her prana and mana in the air. However, this didn't feel right to Ryūnosuke.
"Don't run away..."
And he began to chase after her. He reached out to grab her by the hair, but she turned around and ran to the counter. He followed her, tripping over a box in the process. Rin took advantage of this to throw a glass bottle she found on the counter at him, which hit Ryūnosuke in the chest, leaving him a bit dazed.
She just kept running away and Ryūnosuke chased after her rather clumsily.
'What do I do, what should I do?'
She asked herself. As she was running away, she saw that man had a purple bracelet on his left wrist. That bracelet was glowing, which told Rin that that was a magical object as the compass was also pointing to the bracelet. She tied up the loose ends with the evidence she had and realized that he was controlling the children with the bracelet.
So, to take advantage of that, she decided to cause more chaos around him to get the perfect opportunity. However, her hands are shaking. She is full of fear and it is hindering her plans. She thought of all the people who could show up to save her, but then shook her head and climbed onto the counter. Rather quickly, she pushed a box that was there and tapped Ryūnosuke's foot.
He groaned and Rin took advantage of the latter getting angry himself, then grabbed him by the arm and started injecting mana into the bracelet.
"Wow. You're helping me. Thanks."
But Ryūnosuke didn't care. He wanted the bracelet to be full of mana. A girl who used magic was perfect prey.
Rin also realized what she was doing and began to feel her mind clouded, but she remembered Tokiomi's teachings and came to her senses. The irony of the situation, was that her poorly executed magic was the solution.
He began to overload the bracelet with a determined look.
"You... have done so many evil things..."
She squeezed Ryūnosuke's hand tightly.
'Toru... how would you have gotten out of this situation?'
She wondered as the waves of mana began to generate wind. The bracelet glowed brightly as the aura of prana in Rin illuminated the darkness of the bar. Ryūnosuke worried that this was getting out of hand, but it was too late.
'No... I can't live wondering what others would do. What I should do...'
What Rin wanted to do was to wonder what she herself would do in this situation.
'Do my best...'
She wanted to be 'perfect'. And to achieve that, she had to defeat this madman.
It was then that the bracelet exploded, generating an intense light that blinded Ryūnosuke, and pushed Rin backwards, making her fall head first against the ground.
'It hurts...'
She immediately stood up and, oblivious to the pain, looked up, only to realize that the children had come out of their trance. They were now crying disconsolately, confused and fearful.
"Kotone..."
Kotone was also crying out of fear, but Rin appeared at her side.
"Rin-chan...?"
"It's not the best time to cry."
She walked over to the door and pushed it open.
"Everyone, quick, get out!"
She said. The children waited no longer and fled as far as their small legs with weak muscles, but strong bones, would allow them. Ryūnosuke, meanwhile, confused and with his vision distorted in strange tones, rubbed his eyes and staggered.
Rin took one last look at the man and fled together with the children.
***
On top of one of the buildings, eyes glowing in the darkness, stood Toru. He had just arrived after sensing the disturbance that had formed, but when he arrived he found four patrol cars and about twenty policemen. There were children tucked in blankets protecting them from the cold of the night.
"Hm..."
He didn't see Rin anywhere, but he saw the death lines of mana trails. Something was mobilizing nearby.
'What a mess...'
He noticed that he was covered in blood, but he paid the matter no mind and mobilized into the shadows. He could not enter his dematerialized form because Kirei's order was in effect. His body was prepared to kill at any moment.
***
And at the same time, a few meters away from where one of the police patrols stood, Rin watched the children safely with a faint relieved smile. Her effort was worth it.
'I have to go home'
With that done, she had to go back. Aoi surely noticed her absence by now, so she must be very worried.
But as she was trying to go deeper into the alley to go to the next street, something strange fell from above.
"..."
Rin timidly approached to see what it was, but her eyes widened in horror as she saw that creature clearly.
It looked like a disgusting starfish, with strange colors, writhing as if it were a worm. Rin gasped at the sight of the monster and backed away. The demon looked ready to attack Rin, but something happened.
A strong wind exploded behind Rin, causing her to instinctively look in that direction.
...
He was covered in that crimson liquid. His eyes glowed dimly in the darkness of the alley and in his hands, two blood-stained daggers.
It was then that the stranger who appeared surrounded by mystery moved in a split second and, with his daggers, cut the monster, causing it to disintegrate enveloped in black particles.
'What... What happened...?'
Just as Rin wanted to wonder what the hell was going on, she felt a blow to her neck. She closed her eyes slowly as she fell to the ground, and the only thing she can see before she fell unconscious, were the Mystic Eyes of that boy.
'To...ru...'
...
"What a fool you are..."
Toru lifted her up in his arms. He looked at her face and realized that because of him, Rin was stained with other people's blood.
...
"...Looks like I'm the fool..."
He sighed realizing his mistake. In front of him, the clone that helped him kill the demon disappeared shrouded in a cloud of smoke. With just that one attack he spent all the mana he had, so he couldn't stay active and disappeared.
"Hm... Ryūnosuke... Caster's Master is nearby."
That information, thanks to one of his clones, came to his mind. But before jumping to kill the culprit, he had to leave Rin in a safe place. However, at that moment...
"Stay away from Rin-chan..."
The man who was watching them that day in the park appeared. Toru turned around with Rin in his arms and Kariya saw that this one was covered in human blood. Rin was uninjured, but this ignited the anger of this man, whose appearance, because of the Matō magic, has been deteriorating more and more.
"It's not a good time to get into conflict."
Toru said. He continued.
"If I hadn't arrived, you would have. Don't worry, I'm not looking for trouble. I should make it clear that I won't hurt Rin-san. She must return to Aoi-sama."
With that said, he approached Kariya and handed Rin to him.
"Your clothes got blood on them. I'm sorry, Rin-san."
"Your... why?"
Kariya asked. Toru didn't know what this man was referring to, but he answered what he thought Kariya wanted to know.
"Because there are things I can't help. Something like my own feelings. Take Rin-san to Aoi-sama. Don't you dare hurt either of them."
He turned around and, before jumping onto the roof of one of the buildings, said to her:
"I'll surely see you later. So I will definitely kill you. I will, just like the people I've killed tonight."
And with nothing more to say, he disappeared. Kariya stood thoughtfully with Rin in his arms. He sighed and then looked at the girl. He closed his eyes in pain. Carrying Rin made every bone in his body ache, made him suffer, but;
'This will all be worth it when I win the war.'
He walked into the alley and before he passed to the next street on his way to that park, he thought:
"Assassin... I won't let you kill me. Not until Sakura returns to her mother and sister."
***
After the police arrived, he had no choice but to run away. He slipped through the alleys with ease, and though he bumped into a few things along the way, he didn't stop. Ryūnosuke sighed wearily after all.
'Haa... damn. That bracelet broke. I hope Caster doesn't get mad. I lost so much tonight... but this is no time for regrets. I'll get more right now'
With full confidence, he made it out of the city and into one of the nearby woods where another one of his bases is. Even though he lost to a girl, that wasn't going to discourage him. He smiled relaxed because now he would go after more children. All it took was to evade the police and nothing bad would happen.
"Haha. I can't wait anymore."
"What exactly can't you wait for, Ryūnosuke-san?"
A voice echoed in the darkness. Right after that, a gentle breeze made Ryūnosuke close his eyes for a moment. When he opened them, in front of him stood a person covered in a black hooded cloak along with a worn red scarf, who was pointing a dagger at his face. Confused, he looked everywhere the mystery guy could have come from and scratched his head thoughtfully.
"Are you talking to me?"
The hooded man, who appeared to be bloodstained, replied in a whispery voice that for some reason could be heard close to his ear.
"There's no one else here, what do you think?"
Ryūnosuke understood this. The hooded man in front of him is one of the Servants Caster had warned him about. If Ryūnosuke were to come across one of the enemy Servants, he had only one choice.
"So... what do you want from me?"
The question itself was rather stupid, so the hooded man answered him with a cruel silence. Ryūnosuke then, clearly remembering how to use his Command Seals, looked at his hand and was about to speak.
The Assassin, Toru, looked at Ryūnosuke as if the world was in slow motion and sighed. In front of him was an assassin, someone who has killed many people. Seeing his own bloodstained body, he couldn't help but think that maybe the two of them are similar. However...
"You won't."
Toru said waving his hand and with an elegant and clean cut of the dagger, he cut Ryūnosuke's hand.
For Ryūnosuke this was a strange experience. He looked at his hand and the latter was no longer there. Instead, he watched as blood began to pour out of the wound, a wound so perfect that even the cut in the bone was clean and straight. He saw his hand lying on the ground, separated from his body and then he felt something strange.
"Haa... it's warm..."
The warm, red blood pouring from his wound sent a growing shiver through his body along with the accompanying pain.
Toru, meanwhile, watched Ryūnosuke's reaction in silence. He wondered if the two were really alike. It was so that a lot of questions were born in his mind. He wanted to know, he wanted to ask a real assassin what it means to be an assassin.
'I lost sight of what I was looking for and sank into the pleasure of killing...'
He thought. Ryūnosuke bent down and touched his severed hand with the finger of his right hand.
"It's cold... and I feel dizzy..."
That guy's reactions were very disturbing. Someone normal would react by screaming in pain, crawling on the floor in fear at the aggressor, or at the very least try to run away, but that wasn't the same with Ryūnosuke.
'Right... that's why... he's a murderer too...'
"Why?"
The question suddenly left his lips. Ryūnosuke, who had tied a tourniquet made from his own shirt around his arm, looked at Toru in confusion. Then he smiled as if nothing was wrong and answered him happily.
"You mean my murders? Well, I like to do it. I like to kill."
"There's no other reason?"
"Why would there have to be another reason? When a life is extinguished it has to be in a glorious and beautiful way, pleasurable in every aspect. Generating fear in the heart of the victim, giving them last hopes to see them fall to the ground; like birds that don't know how to fly. Killing is what gives meaning to my life. It's what gives me everything I need, everything I've ever wanted."
"I see..."
The description was quite detailed for Toru. So, before executing his act, first of all, he wanted to know how a person like Ryūnosuke feels about his emotions when it comes to killing.
"I guess something similar happens to me..."
The first time Toru killed someone he felt absolutely nothing, but it was after regaining his memories that he began to enjoy the kill. However, this was beyond the simple pleasure of killing. It was something different.
As if something was whispering in his ear to sow terror and destruction in everything known. When he fought and caused destruction and death, a nascent thrill welled up inside his heart. It was an indescribable pleasure that told him to keep doing it. It was strange and even now Toru doesn't know what to think of it. So he explains it to Ryūnosuke.
"A feeling growing in my heart... it boils strongly like boiling water. When I feel the blood on my hands. When I feel people's souls dance around me. My eyes see it, my body feels it. I want to keep doing it, I want to kill... I want to destroy... I want to cause Chaos, to sow discord in everything. I don't know if it's my own mind, I don't know if there's something else inside me, but I feel I must continue no matter how much suffering I cause, for maybe that's the reason for this feeling."
Toru's eyes shone brightly. He remembered all those moments. Every soul he ripped from the bodies of his victims. How they spoke to him, how they looked at him. There was something else about him. Something he couldn't explain, but....
It felt extremely good... like an addictive drug.
[The Chaos that resonates in your nature]
Ryūnosuke looked at Toru with enlightened eyes. The speech of this mysterious hooded man was....
"Great... that's awesome... You're great!"
Ryūnosuke thought that Toru was just like Caster, however, again Ryūnosuke's way of reacting was what gave Toru the answer.
"I see..."
Neither of them look the slightest bit alike.
...
...
Ryūnosuke felt something strange after Toru spoke. Why did he have his hand raised to the right? He felt his dizziness increase and a stabbing pain throbbed in his throat. When he realized, he reached out his amputated hand towards Toru and watched as blood splattered from his neck.
"Thank you for making something clear to me, Ryūnosuke-san. Now rest. Maybe the people you caused pain to will see you with a smile..."
The answer Toru found was....
"You feel admiration for that sort of thing. I..."
Toru simply felt disgust. Then he tried to remember...
"What kind of expression did I have when I was Alek Gusev?"
When he killed all those people to feed his creation, The Light of Humanity, what kind of expression did he have on his face?
To be continued...