Hadrian smiled.
'… found you.'
Under a minute, the trail eventually led him to the target's current location, which was in a room a few doors away from where he was before, and now he saw the target in person.
The target, Igor Kamenev, was a tall and broad-shouldered Russian male.
He had a dirty mop of dark brown hair that looked a bit oily, making him appear as if he hadn't taken a bath for days, and dark blue eyes that radiated arrogance and cruelty to everything and everyone he laid his sight upon.
He wore a large, heavy brown coat, a loose shirt beneath, black pants, and muddy brown boots.
There were gold rings on some of his fingers, and layers of gold and silver necklaces around his neck, which were clear signs of his vanity, despite his unhygienic appearance.
And his face was just as unsightly.
He was neither handsome nor ugly, just average in truth.
A common face among mundanes.
But the scruffs, the bell pepper nose, the oily hair, and the wide blue eyes made him look like a typical lowlife scoundrel trying hard to make it in the big leagues.
Vivid cyan eyes roll in exasperation.
Not to sound vain, but he felt a bit cheated by being given a boring target, whose common traits were akin to those of a typical third-rate villain.
The pest was sitting in a booth, lounging with one arm on the head of the seat and the other on the table.
Upon close inspection, the irritating cur was not alone.
There was someone with him, most likely a potential client, by the appearance of the man's suit seated across from him.
One quick look into the other man's history strengthened Hadrian's resolve to end him as well.
Better to end both trash than let them soil the earth with their rotting existences any longer than necessary.
SHING
The familiar hiss of the blade as he withdrew the sword from its sheath entered his ears, almost comforting to him as he walked slowly to the target.
VROM
Behind the mask, the inner ring of the glamoured cyan eyes glowed with a faint blue and violet hue, as if in the process of shifting yet restrained at the same time.
With a calm and collected façade, Hadrian quickly went to work.
...
---
...
"~♫♪♪~"
Situated all over the room were several speakers.
Music was played from the devices.
The chatter of people, the noise of cutlery, and other audible noises were mixed in.
And yet –
SQUELCH
"URK!?"
The tumultuous sound, along with the cry of surprise, was thunderous enough to interrupt the busy yet somewhat relaxing mood of the room.
"…?"
All eyes turned to the source.
"… huh?"
"What the…"
"Hey, is that…"
Gasps and murmurs slowly took over the room.
Everyone looked on in shock as they beheld a horrifying scene before their sights.
On the right side of the room, there was a private booth where two men were seated and facing one another. Two other men, armed and heavily built, were standing guard nearby.
One man was familiar – a regular face seen often in the marketplace and in some underground circles. By his appearance, it was Igor Kamenev.
The other was new and seemed to be a potential client of the former.
But…
There was one standing near the former, who was never seen before by anyone in the room.
The figure was average in height, a bit slim, yet proud and hale in terms of physique.
From his body structure alone, it was obvious that he was a male.
He was dressed in an all-black attire, one that was quite stylish and too detailed to be made from common materials and minimal effort.
To those who can only see his back, they can see the severity of his dark clothes.
As if drawing them in, drowning them in its depths.
Even from afar, the beautiful shade of the figure's ash silver hair caught the onlookers' attention, admiring its color for a few seconds, before the gravity of the situation sank in.
The ones near the booth, however, feel different.
Shock and fear shot through their bodies by the white smiling mask the figure was wearing.
The mask alone emits a menacing sensation.
It was the kind that makes one's skin crawl just by looking at it.
The dreadful feeling heightened significantly by the long, bluish silver blade in his right hand –
"…"
Drip
Drip
– the same sword that was currently lodged through the side of a man's neck.
Drip
Drip
The soft noise of blood hitting the surface of the table and the ground was loud, pounding in the ears of all onlookers like drumbeats as an ominous feeling crept in.
…
One second passed.
A mere second of silence –
"AAHH!"
– before everything turned into a chaotic mess.
"WHOA!"
"WHO THE FUCK IS THAT?!"
"IS HE CRAZY?"
Some panicked, screaming as they tried to get away from the foreboding figure in black.
"Get the bitch!"
"Kill that motherfucking cunt!"
"Don't let him leave this room alive!"
Others moved into action, flustered as they were by the sudden severity of the situation.
The few, who were armed, held on to their firearms, readying themselves in case the unknown figure turned on them.
"This motherfucker –"
The two men with guns, standing near the booth, were the first to direct their weapons at him.
WOOSH
But unfortunately, they did not expect the man to move so fast.
One moment, their guns were trained on him.
And just as they were about to fire –
WOOSH
"What the fuck!"
"How did he –"
– only to find that they couldn't.
And so, they can only watch helplessly what happened next.
Their boss and employer, who tried to move out of the booth, became the man's next victim.
Like a black mirage, the man was on him –
SLASH
SQUELCH
THUD
– their employer's head was chopped off, flying away, and landing on top of a table nearby.
"AAH!"
"THE FU–"
Loud screams began to fill the air, as they all witnessed the casual and sudden murder of two men by a sword-wielding figure in black.
THUD THUD THUD
THUD THUD THUD
Panic and fear immediately settled in as half of the occupants rushed over to the entrance, only to discover that it was locked and surprisingly sturdy.
…
"The fuck!? Why isn't this shit opening!"
"The fucking windows won't open too!"
…
Some even tried to open the windows by force…
…
"Try breaking it!"
"It's fucking useless! Nothing's working!"
"The fuck is happening?!"
…
… to no avail.
No matter what methods they tried and used, the doors and windows would not budge, much to their massive confusion and dread.
The ones who stood their ground quickly found themselves in a fearful predicament.
…
CLACK
CLACK
"What the fu–"
"The fuck's the matter with this fucking thing?!"
…
The guns in their hands would not shoot.
The triggers were locked, as if jammed, despite a few having made some recent adjustments and maintenance on their firearms.
Unknown to them, Hadrian had the foresight to sabotage their firearms (via spell) earlier before he made his move. Locking them inside the room had also been his doing.
Some gritted their teeth in frustration – a reflex to suppress their fears of the unknown they were up against, before moving to fight the white-masked man with a melee weapon or unarmed.
…
"Mo–monster…"
"That is not a human."
"I don't want to die here…!"
…
Most wavered at the thought of engaging him in close combat though, not after they saw how he made quick work of the two heavy-built men who were the closest to the booth.
"AACK!"
"DAMN IT!"
"FU–"
Soon after, pained screams echoed in the room.
SPURT
Blood sprayed wildly.
SLASH
"MY LEG! HE GOT MY FUCKING LEG!"
Limbs were severed, torn from the seams of their flesh.
BAM
THUD
"Oof!"
Bodies were beaten, flying across the room in various directions like rag dolls.
The black wraith in human form tore down every opposition in his way.
Those, who did not join in the fight, could only watch with absolute fear in their bloodshot eyes
They cower from their respective hiding spots, as they all witnessed the black murderous figure swing his weapon at his enemies in smooth arcs and motions.
He moved at a speed that almost made him a black blur in their eyes, all the while maintaining a calm posture and displaying no signs of exertion on his part.
The man was a well-seasoned fighter.
His movements were calm and calculated. He wasted no energy and timed them perfectly. It was as if he had already predicted how they would react before they could.
The way he fought was unlike anything the people in the room had ever seen before.
Regardless of the limit of his space, he can weave his way out of their attacks; even dodging some of their coordinated assaults seemingly without effort was nearly entertaining to watch.
He was also unpredictable in the timing and manner of his attacks and counters, including the way he used the environment to his advantage from time to time.
These were telltale signs of how much combat experience he accumulated, and the power he has at his disposal, despite being a complete unknown.
It was as if he was born to fight.
A ridiculous notion that only exists in weird fantasy tales and alike.
Yet, here he was, fighting them all by his lonesome.
And winning single-handedly at that.
The fact that he appeared seemingly out of the blue, and just began cutting down people was something he will be remembered for.
By the time Hadrian heard of this, he would defend himself by pointing out that he was simply after one person. But, there were idiots who joined the fray and attacked him.
That, and he would conclude that even lowlife criminals were humans in the end, seeing as almost none of them noticed he left the people who didn't fight him unharmed (albeit traumatized).
And the ones that were the lesser of evil (thanks to the automaton quickly looking in through their pasts) merely experienced the discomforting sensation of having some of their limbs detached or crushed beyond repair.
Both groups survived simply because he let it happen on purpose.
Hadrian may have intended to cause actual harm to gain infamy.
But he was not that heartless.
...
---
...
BAM
"Ugh –"
After kicking a stool (conveniently landing into a ruffian's face, knocking him out cold), Hadrian finally left the room once there was no one left to fight, much to the quiet relief of the ones who hid and abstained from the chaos.
The skirmish took no more than a minute and a half.
He fought a lot, probably most of the occupants in the room.
But there was not the slightest bit of exhaustion felt.
"Hmm…"
He opened his fist and closed it, repeating this action a few times.
Looking at his gloved hand, Hadrian was a bit amazed at how potent the aging potion his grandfather had made for him.
It was before departure when he consumed the aging potion.
The potion would only cause his body to grow into its natural state without any comprises.
After drinking the potion, his body aged ten years, and was now similar to that of seventeen years old, making it convenient for Hadrian to tackle missions easily.
Aside from age, the potion gave him the side benefits of a powerful and able body, augmenting everything inside him.
"…"
Hadrian paused, expression turning blank from behind the mask.
Well, almost everything.
Imagine his surprise that he was unable to activate the Armiger, the power of the Lucis bloodline, to its full potential.
Hadrian had discovered it earlier (before departing from the hotel) when he tested it out in the glass pavilion.
Summoning phantom weapons, elemancy, and some others were still available for him.
But the true power of the Armiger – the supreme divine ability to summon the royal arms of his predecessors all at once, only exclusive to those worthy of being the next ruler of Lucis – was, unfortunately, locked out for him.
Not that the ability itself was lost to him. He can still summon astral weapons, just not the royal arms that were once wielded by his predecessors.
The ancient magic of the Lucis Caelum still dwell in his soul, regardless of him being reborn in a different body.
This, he could confirm even without the Moon Cell's assistance.
Which led him to consider that the reason why he could not use the Armiger at its true potential was due to the ring worn on his right middle finger, only hidden via magic.
The Ring of Lucii.
He had no idea how the astrals sent the ring to him, but no matter how many times he was reborn, the ring was always with him.
He only needed to summon it from the Armiger.
It was identical to the one he had worn in his first life, appearance-wise at least, but Hadrian can tell that it was not the same ring that was passed down to his family.
The true Ring of Lucii held enormous power, almost to the point that it nearly drowned and crushed Hadrian in its brilliant radiance the first time he tried to wear it.
The one bestowed upon him, however, felt different.
It was as if the ring on his finger was made solely for him to use and no one else.
Further analysis via a magic spell gave him a deeper insight into what the ring was truly capable of. Much like the former, it can amplify his powers and reduce the cost of magic energy when casting spells.
The three spells in the ring were also present, but Hadrian dared not to cast any of them.
There were a few reasons why.
One, his body (despite quickening his body's physical growth to that of a young adult with the aging potion) was not yet ready to endure the strain and exertion of his divine heritage.
And the ring can sense it, even acting as a limiter of a sort to prevent him from casting the spells imbued in the ring.
However, the Moon Cell assured him that the seal was only temporary, and that it will disappear once his body (without the aging potion) matures.
The reasoning was sound enough as it coincides with what he knew and experienced in the past.
Even though Hadrian had great control over his powers, he had only managed to awaken the true power of Armiger after he passed the trials given to him by his predecessors, and when he reached the age of fifteen in his first life.
It was also the same in his second and third lifetimes, which gives credit to the Moon Cell's analysis of the ring's strict requirements.
The age of his body was still young, seven-years-old at that, but Hadrian only needed to wait for it to grow (naturally), and the Armiger would be fully accessible to him then.
Second, Hadrian was quite aware of how destructive the ring's spells can be.
Thus, he had no desire to test it out of idle curiosity.
At least, not without extensive measures and careful preparation.
Hadrian was cognizant that he would have to test the ring's spells at some point.
And he did not particularly look forward to the scarring effect that it would leave on him once the time to do so arrived.
Fortunately, most of the spells and abilities that he learned and acquired in his previous lives were still available for him to use freely.
And despite the limitations he discovered, Hadrian was not that helpless.
His grandfather mentioned another minor disadvantage though, but the old magician was interrupted before he could explain.
Once he was back in the lobby, Hadrian –
Snap
– clicked his fingers, activating a spell, as he made his way through the front doors.
There were several curious gazes that followed him.
"Hey! We need help here!"
"Ugh... my... my arm...!"
"Fire! There's fire inside!"
"Ring the alarm!"
"Someone, call the ambulance and the firemen!"
But the panicked shouts and pained screams of the people inside distracted them.
The fire was burning all it could reach.
The glaring scent of black smoke entered their nostrils, spilling into the vents and into the hallway he had come from.
During the scuffle, Hadrian had placed incendiary spells on the ones that died, which can be activated via remote thought.
The snap of his fingers and his intent were the trigger.
Soon, mass confusion and panic erupted. Alarms blared throughout the building.
Because of the chaos occurring inside, no one even bothered with him as he casually strolled out of the door.
Everyone else was too busy getting to the source of the fire, making it convenient for him to leave without hindrance.
The culprit of the incident left the building without anyone being the wiser.
...
---
...
Step
Step
After depositing his things in one of his subspace inventories, Hadrian went on a walk.
The assignment was finished late in the afternoon.
And now, it was evening.
There was still a hint of the orange hue of the afternoon sun above.
But the night was closing in, almost occupying most of the sky from where he was located.
The city also became active, as the lights from various buildings and billboards came alive.
And while most of his heightened senses were sealed to a quarter of their level, thanks to certain artifacts on his person, Hadrian can still hear various sounds typically heard in cities.
HONK
HONK
Cars moved forward, and the honks of their alarms were loud.
"– ahahaha!"
"– and you know what else he said?"
Indiscernible chatter of people from various buildings.
Chit
Chit
The scuttering of vermin and insects in shadowy corners and sewer entrances.
Hissssss
Hissssss
The sizzling noises of meat on a flat commercial grill, most likely a burger patty, considering the tempting smell wafting from a nearby vent.
Hadrian can hear them.
And if he focused enough, he could even understand what the people were saying.
He had no desire to do such a thing though.
Thus, he ignored whatever his senses had gathered to his attention, putting all trivial information until it was nothing more than white noise in the back of his mind.
"Haaah…"
Sighing through the half mask that covered the lower part of his face, Hadrian opened his eyes and continued his idle stroll.
While he did say to Luka and Lionel that he might call a service from the hotel, Hadrian wanted to spend some time roaming the city and clear his head.
There was neither remorse, nor guilt inside about what he had done to those people earlier.
They attacked him due to their own reasons, and he merely responded in kind.
Even in his first life, Hadrian was never the kind to let a violent response pass, especially when it was directed at him unprovoked.
It was not as if their hands were clean either.
So no, Hadrian's conscience was not at all disturbed over their deaths and fatal injuries.
Rather, the reason he was taking a stroll right after the mission was simply out of habit.
After displaying (and partaking in) such brutal violence, Hadrian felt the urge to walk and relax his mind.
It became even more important for him to do so when a mild, yet familiar headache disturbed his peace of mind. (4)
'I guess this detriment will always be present, no matter where I go…' Hadrian grumbled, irritated by the throbbing at the forefront of his head.
In a magus's point of view, the soul acts as the blueprint for the body.
It contains the record of everything one has attained in life, particularly one's ego, memories, and even their abilities.
In his case, the myriad of knowledge (of events, blueprints, spells, etc.) and various abilities he attained in his past lives were carried over into the present, including some of his weaknesses.
His headache was a consequence of the latter part.
Even though he would rather be without it, Hadrian cannot deny that it was an especially useful ability, enough for him to willingly endure its side-effects.
'Not that it would go away anytime soon. It's rather depressing to think that I'll have to endure this bloody thing for the rest of my life, regardless of how many times I reincarnate…'
Hadrian sighed, displeased at the thought.
"…"
Lamenting at his (mis)fortune, the mage snapped out of his musings as a curious sound entered his hearing, interrupting his thought process.
"…?"
Belatedly, Hadrian blinked and looked around.
Earlier, when he began his walk, he was somewhere near the slums, striding along the side of a somewhat empty street.
Hadrian was not aware of how long, but now he found himself standing in some alleyway.
Given that he had yet to familiarize himself with the city, it was safe to say that Hadrian had no bloody idea where he was exactly.
It was fine though, considering he was not exactly hopeless when it came to navigating his way through unknown locations.
'It's not as if this is the first time I've gotten lost before…'
Using his enhanced hearing, he could hear the vehicles moving and the random chatter of people, which meant that he was still near where it was bustling with activity.
It was all normal.
There were no signs of anything out of the ordinary.
'Then what was that sound earlier? Did I just imagine it?' Hadrian wondered, brows knitting.
Not a moment later –
…
"… uuaACK?!"
"Stop her!"
"GET THAT BITCH!"
…
– he was proven wrong, as his ears picked up the sound again.
'Is that…'
While there was no change in his calm and regal expression, his cyan eyes glowed a bit brighter as he walked through an alleyway with dim lighting.
His feet moved on their own, while he was focused on the sight occurring a fair distance away, close to where he was initially.
Casting a few muted spells upon himself, Hadrian crossed the distance in a few seconds.
He quickly found himself standing at the end of the alley with a large space.
There were two more alleys linked to the area, but Hadrian paid it no mind, as his attention was set on the scene that he stumbled upon by chance.
It was also fortunate that the shadows hid him perfectly; otherwise, the people in the area might have taken notice of his presence.
The scene he encountered was a fight.
"…"
Hadrian tilted his head, taking in the sight before him.
… well, it was the aftermath of one.
Judging from the tone of the one who came out on top, the fight started with a disagreement between the ones involved.
It was a fight between five and one.
The former was a group of men, most were broad-shouldered and able-bodied.
Some were already unconscious or writhing on the dirty cement in pain, and there were knives, shivs, and crowbars cluttered around the floor.
From head to toe, they have the typical appearance of grungy-looking goons, all shady and not the slightest bit trustworthy.
A few even have tattoos peeking out of their sleeves, and piercings on their faces.
Ignoring the third-rate ruffians, Hadrian turned his attention to the only one still standing.
In the middle of four injured and groaning burly men, there was a young woman with a deep crimson curly hair.
'…oh?'
Recalling a certain memory, it was the girl from earlier.
The same one from the marketplace.
She has a slim and nimble appearance, with a pale but healthy complexion. And she seemed smaller than most women. When she moved, her hair gave way in effect.
Hadrian's eyes widened a tad as he caught sight of her face.
'Young…' was his first immediate thought.
The girl was just that, a young teenager.
Probably somewhere around fourteen, or fifteen years old.
Before, he had thought she was simply a young adult.
Hadrian did not expect her to be that young.
He had seen bizarre situations before. In them, young people proved themselves more capable of violence and maturity than most adults twice their age (himself included).
But it was still a bit surprising to see it in someone with no magical background.
True, there had been instances where he had encountered such cases before.
Although the era he had lived in before was a time when Niflheim waged an all-out war with the rest of the world, orphans with rough childhoods were not rare back then.
In fact, it was something that happens almost daily, tragic as it was.
Clearly, similar cases also occur in this reality as well.
Step
Step
Hadrian was dragged out of his melancholic musing as the young girl moved.
The redhead lightly crouched over the last man who managed to remain conscious, holding a wickedly sharp knife above his right eye.
"Hiiik!"
The man breathed heavily, almost hyperventilating.
The fear in his expression and body language alone was clear to see.
Due to his experience, Hadrian knows a bit of Russian.
His understanding of the language was average at best, but not polished enough to instill confidence in him to talk to a native speaker for long hours.
Granted, the Moon Cell can help him remedy that issue easily.
But Hadrian prefers not to rely on it too much when it comes to things that can be attained through effort, learning new languages included.
Of course, that was a difficult mindset to maintain, when the alien artifact residing shamelessly in his soul, was more than happy enough to translate the conversation for him.
"– touch me again, and I will gauge out your eyes, cut off your extremities, and feed them to you." She spat at the man beneath her.
"Please! I won't do it again, just don't –"
FWOSH
The thug stopped talking.
With wide eyes riddled with fear, the poor tosser watched as the knife quickly and steadily travel down his body to rest above his privates.
"What did I say about talking?"
The girl's eyes were bright with malice, as she applied a bit of pressure.
"Ack?!"
The man yelled, his eyes glistening with incoming tears.
PAT PAT PAT
PAT PAT PAT
Hurried footsteps distracted Hadrian from the poor fool's slobbering, as a group of men came from either side of the alleyways.
"Hm?"
The mage titled his head curiously.
Noticing the similar emblems on their clothing and the ones lying on the ground, it was not that difficult to tell that the two were connected.
The girl was good at fighting, she could obviously defend herself.
But as a mundane, and one that young, she was bound to limitations.
It would not be an issue if there were just four or five guys, but another group of them would be problematic even for her.
Hadrian suspected that she might survive the encounter, but not without sustaining an injury and some bruises.
As the men took a step forward, pulling out knives, and cracking their knuckles in an intimidating manner, he was conflicted.
Admittedly, he had been curious as to what he heard earlier.
He went to the source, much like felines would do to sate their curiosity.
And now that he had, a curious dilemma dawned upon him.
'Intervene… or no?'
Hadrian did not have to help her.
There was no need for him to, as she was skilled enough to defend herself, not to mention that he had just completed his own task.
There was no need for him to stay around, when he had committed his first kill as 'Rey' from just around the corner.
The part that tried to reason with him to not get involved was silenced, however, when he saw the men's gazes on the girl.
'…'
There was… an undeniable filthy glint in their eyes as they roved over her form.
Hadrian's eyes narrowed in contempt.
It was not difficult to guess what their intentions were at that moment.
Because of that, he didn't doubt what his next actions were going to be.
"Haah…"
Glancing upwards, Hadrian sighed and squared his shoulders in preparation.
The palm of his left hand opened before motes of blue, silver, and gold lights flashed briefly as he summoned Tempest and Lapis again.
With his lower face covered and the trickster weapon in hand, he entered the scene.
SHIIK
Step
He only took one step forward, yet everyone in the vicinity took notice of his entrance.
No matter, their attention only made it easier for him to deal with the situation faster.
"Now, this is unsightly. All you fools gathered like this for one little girl. Even I think that's unfair." Hadrian mused aloud in Russian.
"What the…?"
"Where'd he come from?"
"Now who's this bitch?"
The group of thugs exchanged, as they looked at him with ridicule.
Most were confused and amused by his appearance.
Apart from the mask and the weapon in his left hand (which appeared like a cane in their eyes), Hadrian looked like he was on his way to attend a formal event, what with his posh suit and all.
But the more sensible ones, noticed a peculiar air about him that caused the hairs on their bodies to rise.
Their inherent instinct, as old as men, tells them to exercise caution toward this strange person – that he was someone dangerous.
Their wariness turned up a few notches, as some took note of the small red stain on the man's left collar of his shirt. On the front of his dark brown shoes, there were also visible droplets that looked suspiciously a lot like blood.
Such details were easy to overlook, but due to their mounting fear, half of the thugs could not help but feel intimidated all the same.
It was subtle…
But there was an inexplicable pressure weighing down upon them, unconsciously drifting from Hadrian, due to his displeasure for their ill intentions to the girl.
The way the pair of bright cyan eyes seemed to glow in the shadows, despite the dim lighting of a post lamp above him, only amplified the creeping sensation they were feeling by instinct.
Unaware of their distress, the girl took advantage of the moment to look at her surroundings and ascertain her position.
Green eyes dart from one man to another, counting the newcomers, before deciding on the best course of action.
With a frown, she turned to the man on the ground and used the end of her knife –
"GAH!"
– knocking him out, then she sprung up beside Hadrian.
"What do you want?" The girl asked as she kept her eyes trained on the enemies.
"To help." Hadrian answered quietly, somewhat muffled due to the half-mask.
Even though his eyes were on the enemies, he could feel the young girl's confused gaze from beside him.
He took a glance at her, and was momentarily taken aback.
Her hair was a deep shade of red, slightly curly, and cut just above the shoulders.
She was young, but her face already held hints of the kind of beauty she would become once puberty hit her.
However, it was the color of her eyes that caught him a bit off guard.
They were green, like emeralds, a bit darker in shade, but clear and beautiful on their own, nonetheless. They also held the same unique essence as someone who was close to him.
'Like hers…' Hadrian thought with a familiar pang in his heart.
Oddly enough, he could not remember that person's name or their full appearance.
Only that they have green eyes and that they are female.
So lost was he in his memories, he almost missed her next response.
"Why?" She asked, suspicious.
Not that Hadrian could blame her.
People working through illegal means rarely help each other out without a motive.
Giving her a shrug, Hadrian smiled, before he turned back to face the men who were now approaching them.
"I'll tell you later."
With that said, he immediately went on the offense.
Eager to return to the penthouse for some well-deserved rest, Hadrian wasted no time in dealing with his enemies.
He hit fast and true, targeting their vital points with punches and kicks. Occasionally, he took advantage of their critical points, making quick work of them.
Sometimes, he would use more strength than usual in his assaults, causing some of the poor fools to fly across the area, who were not prepared to be launched off like that.
WHOMP
"ACK!"
A punch to the chin.
SMACK
"UCK!"
A reinforced slap to the temple.
THWOK
"GUAH!"
A kick to the solar plexus, and so on.
Mere assaults and basic movements, but the thugs all crumbled just the same.
Compared to his previous battles, it was disappointing.
The scuffle earlier in the marketplace had been disappointing.
But this one was even more so.
Hadrian paused, then shook his head with a sigh.
He ducked –
WHOOSH
– and a crowbar went past his head.
Courtesy of a foolish goon, who overestimated himself by trying to get a clever hit in.
SHUNK
"UUACK!?"
The fool was rewarded with a sharp stab in his inner thigh.
Near the groin.
A moment later.
An idea came to mind, and Hadrian smiled faintly.
"Hu–"
The thug began, confused for a moment.
Then, pain shot through his body.
In reflex, his mouth opened wider.
A loud howl came out, followed closely by a guttural scream.
"–uuuuaaaAAAAAH!"
The cause?
Shiiick
It was the katana, which was still fixed into his inner thigh.
Hadrian used the fool's predicament to lift him up and toss him to the side.
THUD
He went down in a heap, curled up and whimpering in pain.
The ruffian's weight worsened the wound.
Blood flowed heavily from between his legs, despite his attempt to stop it with his hands.
It was a clear indication of how serious the injury was.
The clever thug won't be returning to action anytime soon.
"…hmph."
With a huff, Hadrian faced the others.
And as he did so, he thought that he shouldn't complain.
He was up against mundanes (non-magical humans), after all.
None of them were enhanced, magical or chemically speaking.
They also do not have magic to fall back on, or know a path to gain power on their own.
He could not blame them for their lack of effort to resist his assaults. (5)
'They could at least find new ways to avoid my hits. I mean, I'm not even going that fast, nor are my movements that complex to read…' He mused.
BAM
He backhanded a man into unconsciousness in one motion.
Concluding that his opponents were just simple-minded cretins, Hadrian sighed and endured the (one-sided) fight in silence.
It had been a boring distraction, him beating down one filth after another in a cold methodical and almost robotic fashion, until –
"AHH!"
– he heard a sharp cry come from behind.
"…!"
BAM
"AGH!?"!
Bashing the side of another goon's head with the sword's rear handle, making him lose balance and fall to the ground unconscious, Hadrian snapped his gaze to the source.
The cry came from the young girl, who was on the ground.
She seemed to have been tripped by one of the men fighting her.
Judging by how careful she stood up; it appears she had twisted her ankle.
Regardless, the redhead gripped her knife as she glared at the ruffians.
…
…
"Stay down, girl." One thug taunted; his eyes were wide with malice.
"Yeah, don't wanna mess up that pretty face of yours even more." Another added with a dark chuckle.
Rather than be daunted by their words, the redhead scoffed in disdain.
She made a show of brushing off the dirt from her clothes.
"Hah, you bitches should take your own advise…"
Then, she got into a combat stance, and gripped her knife in front of her.
"…since I'll be the one to mess you dickheads up." The girl ended with a sharp glare.
"You little…!"
…
…
'Hoh…?'
Hadrian was impressed.
Even with her injury, the young girl looked ready to fight, no matter what.
That fierce spirit of hers… it was something Hadrian can respect.
Looking back to the ones he was fighting, he saw a few of them were the only ones left standing.
They all looked afraid though, glancing worriedly at their fallen brethren who were too injured to move, unconscious or taking permanent dirt naps (dead) from then on.
To be fair, Hadrian did not really care whether they live or die by his hands.
They lost any shred of mercy from him the moment he saw through their intentions earlier, and he was not exactly the forgiving type to them filthy sort.
Sensing their unwillingness to fight, Hadrian turned away from them and moved to the girl.
Step
"Gah…!"
Step
"Oof!"
Uncaring of the bodies he walked on (who all groaned in protest at the sudden weight on their heads, backs, and stomachs), he stepped close to the young girl till he was next to her, making sure that she noticed his approach so as not to surprise her.
"Hey wha–"
The girl opened her mouth, a questioning look in her emerald eyes, most likely to ask what he was doing.
She was interrupted when Hadrian simply lifted his left hand.
Chu-uk
The hand that held Tempest, pointing right at her, and his finger was on the trigger (seemingly appeared out of nowhere from the side of the sheath).
BANG
"…!"
"…?!"
"Uck?!"
The sharp sound of a rifle going off startled almost everyone in the vicinity, including the young girl in front of Hadrian.
The recipient of the sudden fire was a man who was a few feet near the girl.
"Hmph…"
Hadrian frowned.
Judging by his position, the fool seemed to have planned on restraining the girl from behind, probably with the intent to take her as hostage.
But Hadrian rendered his initial plans to rest…
… by giving the idiot a point-blank rifle shot to the chest, to which the fool received head-on.
The mixed expression of shock and pain on his face was clear for all to see as he slowly fell to the ground limply, chest bleeding heavily from the bullet wound.
THUD
With everyone wide-eyed and frozen momentarily, Hadrian took this as a chance to put this back-alley skirmish to rest.
By killing the rest of them.
Step
Step
Woosh
The second to fall was a shady-looking man with goonish features.
While it was uncharacteristic of him to label people, he was not feeling particularly merciful, as the ruffian was one of the vermin who looked at the girl with disgusting designs earlier.
And as an empath, sensing emotions tinged with dark intentions was always unpleasant for him, even if it was not directed at Harian.
For his sickening intent, Hadrian gifted the hoodlum a slow and painful death.
First, he –
BAM
Crack
"–oooOOF!"
– delivered a swift harsh kick in the most important part of a man's body.
The force behind the kick was enough to put a dent on a car door.
Thus, Hadrian was not at all surprised when he heard a distinct noise of bones and something breaking, as the thug was forced to let go of the crowbar and kneel on the ground.
"Mo… ther… fuc… ker…"
The ruffian had tears coming out of his tightly closed eyes, holding onto his precious.
But…
Step
SHUK
"Uurk!?"
He was not given a second to grieve of losing his most beloved reproductive organ.
A quick swipe of Lapis resulted in a large slit across his throat.
"Kuack… kack…" The man gurgled, shock and pain clear on his face.
He then fell backwards, hands moving up to his open throat that was bleeding profusely.
Step
Step
Before the man's body hit the ground, he had already moved on and found his next target.
From there, Hadrian moved as if on autopilot.
His body moved by instinct and muscle memory; a powerful combination that was only earned through countless life-and-death situations.
Woosh
BANG
SLASH
Behind the half-mask, he wore a calm and collected expression.
But his vivid cyan eyes were glaring, and glowing slightly.
A side-effect caused by a few of his magic circuits activating, along with the calm yet simmering anger raging inside him.
His mind was blank, but he was aware of his surroundings, even more so as he cut down the lecherous cretins in a methodical fashion.
At this point, the girl was already forgotten.
Pushed into the back of his mind, as Hadrian was only focused on eliminating his targets in the most painful ways.
Some tried to stop him, throwing threats and insults in stutters and unconvincing tones.
…
"Do-don't come near me!"
"He a fucking terminator or something?!"
"Hey, stop this fu– Ack?!"
…
When it did not even faze their assailant in the slightest, the remaining ones tried to run away.
Some of them had tried to stop him by going on the offense.
…
"Fuck this shi–"
"Die ya fu–"
"Ya mothe–"
SLASH
SHUK
BANG
"Ugh?!"
BAM
CRACK
"FUUU–"
SHUNK
…
Their attempts only earned them either the blade to the throat, bullets, or broken bones.
All were attacks that would eventually lead one to a slow and painful death, which left the others with one choice –
…
"Fuck this!"
"I ain't dying here man!"
"Fucking fuck?!"
…
– to run away from the vicious monster stalking after them.
Step
Step
Of course, with mercy out of his system for these fools, Hadrian gave them no reprieve and did as he wished to them.
He wanted to end his stroll by returning to the hotel in peace.
But as usual, the world deemed the opposite.
Hadrian was painfully aware of this.
He should have walked away earlier, considering the girl's feisty spirit.
Being able to take down a group of hoodlums alone speaks of her combat prowess.
But…
…
Hints of crimson around the irises, glowing as he glared murderously at the cowering imbeciles.
The unfortunate fools can only stare in horror.
"Mo-monster…!"
"Crazy mothe–"
SLASH
SLICE
…
Having seen through the cretins' ill intentions to the girl, a significant part of him did not want to move and turn away from the situation.
Not while knowing they would simply find another to prey upon after being done with the girl.
Hadrian was no hero.
He never will, nor did he ever want to be.
But he was a king once, and even then, he had lines that he would not cross.
Ignoring what these uncivilized Scheiß Fleischsäcke were about to do to the girl once they had beaten her to submission, was something he cannot abide by and allow to happen. (6)
He was angry.
Not just at the situation and at these vilesome men, but more so at himself.
He was usually calmer and composed, always in control of his emotions.
It was not the first time he encountered a situation before.
Plenty fell at his hand in the past, shoddy rapists and murderers included.
The kind of monsters with human skin, and the ones who just wanted to see the world burn, unrepentant and uncaring of the consequences of their actions.
But for some reason, he was a bit out of sorts today.
And it was bothering him the more he thought about it.
'I wonder why…' Hadrian mused, frowning.
When nothing came to mind, the mage sighed.
Shuuuk
He slowly extracted the sword from the beaten body of the last thug.
Looking around, Hadrian blinked languidly, taking in the current state of his surroundings.
The once semi-clean and average-looking alleyway has now turned into a bloody murder scene, while decorating the stone floor was blood and various appendages, belonging to the men that had the unfortunate experience of being eviscerated by him earlier.
Parts of the walls and the ground were adorned with visible web cracks, courtesy of his own doing when he tossed a few men around earlier in the fight.
It was an image typically seen in most horror movies.
Scratching the back of his head, Hadrian felt a bit embarrassed at the aftermath of his anger.
"Hmm… overkill." The magician in disguise muttered, his eyes returning to their cyan coloration now that he was calm.
Still, he felt no guilt in what he had done.
He might have in the past, but after experiencing the glamorous life of a magus, plus those few wars, he had gone past the point of no return.
Now, he only felt bad that he killed them all too early.
The mage did a once over at the area.
"…"
That, and vandalizing an area that was once in good condition.
Contemplating casting a few spells to fix the damages (it was far better than to send money to the local government anonymously), Hadrian idly flicked the sword to rid the blood off the blade.
Shiiiing
Then, he sheathed Lapis a moment later.
Out of habit, he was about to deposit Tempest and Lapis into one of his spatial vaults, before he stopped when he noticed a presence nearby.
"…?"
Languidly, he turned his head, directing his gaze to the left where he sensed it.
Cold, bright cyan eyes met a pair of clear emerald ones.
The latter belonged to the girl he had saved, then forgotten.
The red-haired girl looked out of place, like a lone rose standing out in the middle of mutilated corpses.
She was standing at the edge of a large puddle of blood, just several meters from where Hadrian stood.
And though she wore an impassive expression, it was a façade, a mask to hide her true feelings.
Her control over her faculties was impressive.
But she was young, and there was a limit to what she could conceal, especially from Hadrian.
The light sheen of sweat on her forehead, the droplets cascading on the side of her cheek and down her neck – they were so very easy to see.
Her body was tense, coiled like a spring, ready to move in case there was a need for her to.
Her eyes, while there was fear in them, were accompanied by others.
Hadrian can sense several emotions from her, pouring out in waves.
There was fear, almost conquering half the state of her mind and body, but it was balanced by wonder and curiosity.
Oddly enough, there was also fascination and anger mixed in.
The last not directed at him or anyone else, but at herself.
Hadrian had an inkling as to why she felt that way.
Angry, that is.
But he was not interested in knowing the reason, as it was none of his business.
No, he was more interested in something else.
It was clear in her eyes.
She was afraid, and yet, she chose to stay even after witnessing him single-handedly killing the men harassing her earlier.
Hadrian expected her to be gone while he had the cretins' attention before.
Yet, here she was, standing before him, albeit anxious to be near him.
Whether she was brave or foolish, her actions piqued his curiosity.
But, after his bout of rage, Hadrian was not feeling particularly welcoming to speak to anyone, especially not to a stranger.
Just as the girl opened her mouth to speak, looking a tad nervous as she did so, Hadrian turned on his heel and walked away.
"Ah, wait…!" The girl called.
But Hadrian did not look back.
Like a black spectre, he disappeared into the shadows, leaving only after his wrath was emptied.
Silence ensued as the redhead stood in midst of bloody, mutilated corpses, bewildered at her situation.
...
---
...
Hadrian lost track of time as he wandered about.
With the anger flushed out of his system, his mind returned to its usual calm and calculative state.
Now, all he could think about was his actions earlier.
It was certainly uncharacteristic of him, to suddenly murder people out of pure displeasure.
And not just one, but multiple times at that.
True, there was the fact that he felt no remorse in ending the lives of those men, nor did he felt pleasure in committing such actions.
No, he was more concerned with how at ease he was with enacting murder.
He had been angry, this much he can admit.
Hadrian wanted to make those depraved men bleed painfully for bearing a sickening desire to the girl, especially one that young.
Recalling their disgusting gazes and the equally abhorrent lust from earlier, Hadrian regretted killing those depraved imbeciles.
'Hmm… death is mercy for the likes of those vermin.'
Hadrian frowned.
Perhaps he should have let them live, and use them as test subjects for the practical testing of his research.
"Ah…?"
Hadrian blinked, idly realizing that he had stumbled into a small, empty park.
The park was small in size, surrounded by trees with a few stone benches to rest on, tall lamp posts, and a small-size fountain in the center.
Having been distracted by his thoughts earlier, Hadrian had no recollection of how he got here.
He did a quick look around, and found the park was located near to a two-way road with cars passing by every few minutes.
Which was a good sign, as it meant that he could call for Luka to pick him up later without giving the aide much difficulty locating his whereabouts.
GPS was not exactly advanced in this world's time yet, though he can probably program one for his holo-tech and include it as an update in the future.
Effort was not a problem, but it would require him some time to do it.
'Hmm…'
Recalling the kind cab driver earlier, the mage supposed he could call on him too.
Striding to one of the benches, Hadrian sat down with a sigh and leaned back, closing his eyes for a moment.
The respite was brief, as he was interrupted, when he sensed a presence making their way in his direction.
"…"
Regardless, Hadrian did not open his eyes, as the newcomer was not a danger to him.
Step
Step
"Haah… haah…"
Soon, footsteps came to his hearing range, along with the sound of someone panting softly.
Then, it stopped for a moment, as he felt a tentative gaze land on him, before moving in with caution, as if intending to sneak closer to him.
Unfortunately for them, Hadrian has a few methods in searching for people…
… one of which was augmenting his sense of hearing, only limited to his vicinity.
The young newcomer had already failed in their endeavor, despite their efforts.
It was only when the presence was several steps behind, did Hadrian speak up.
"Why are you here…" The magician asked, opening his eyes.
Languidly, he turned his calm and collected gaze over his left shoulder.
"… little girl?"
"…!"
Standing behind him to his left side, was the red-haired girl from earlier.
The girl looked at him with wide green eyes, looking like a deer in headlights.
The expression on her face would have amused him a little, if he had been in a lighter mood.
But, after reflecting on his actions, and mulling over the possibility that his recent behavior might be influenced by something of an insidious nature, Hadrian was not in the mood to entertain unexpected guests.
Still, he had to give a bit of credit to the girl.
Hadrian had been staring at her calmly for almost a minute now.
Yet, the redhead held her own as she met his gaze head-on.
The girl was nervous.
He could sense it, despite her efforts to hide her wariness behind a stoic façade.
Most people, even those who served him before, would often take on an obedient and docile demeanor when they were in his presence, including most of his current retainers in this life.
Partly because they had all seen what he was capable of, and partly due to his background.
But the girl before him…
She stood firm under his calm and somewhat cold scrutiny.
Again, either she was truly brave or merely showing bravado, Hadrian can't help the faint smile from appearing as he looked at her.
For providing him amusement, he was willing to speak to her, despite his mood.
It was certainly not because he felt bad, as he saw the slight fatigue in her body, nor the sweat that fell on the sides of her cheeks.
Nope. Not at all.
Hadrian scoffed deprecatingly at his own thoughts.
Turning his gaze to the front, he spoke up.
"Well, if you chased after me like this, then you must have something to say. You might as well sit down and state your reason, while I don't have the urge to get up from this bench just yet." Hadrian announced nonchalantly, staring at the water pouring from the top of the fountain.
Hearing the girl swallow her nervousness behind him, Hadrian kept his eyes ahead, even as the redhead slowly took a seat at the opposite end of the bench.
"…"
"…"
Silence settled upon them, as neither spoke for several moments.
Hadrian was not bothered by the silence, finding himself somewhat entranced by watching the water flow from the top of the fountain, and down below its artificial cavity of the structure.
The nonsensical action had successfully distracted him from his thoughts, relaxing him even.
Although, while he appeared absentminded to others, this was merely a deception.
His mind remained alert and his body, while relaxed, was on guard, still high on adrenaline and ready for any surprises.
Only fools would try to take advantage of his current state at this point.
The few that did and, miraculously, survived after attempting such, can testify to that.
The girl beside him was the opposite.
She stared at him in the corner of her eyes, obviously trying to amass whatever courage she could gather to speak to him.
Hadrian did not mind her looks, as he was used to being the target of attention.
Usually the unfriendly kind.
Stares and words can only bother you, if you let it.
And he had already endured far worst in the past.
It took a while, but the girl finally mustered enough courage in her to break the silence.
And it just so happens when Hadrian had the urge to stand up and leave.
Before he could do so, however, the girl had already spoken.
"You… what do you want?" The girl asked, her voice low and he almost missed it.
But thanks to his unnatural sense of hearing, Hadrian heard her.
Slowly, he turned to look at her.
The Moon Cell's automatic translation was still working, as he saw her lips moved in a way that was not comparable to when one speaks English.
Hadrian had to take a moment to marvel quietly at the automaton's ability.
But he did not delve into it too much, as the little girl was in front of him.
"Food and some rest. Now, if you'll excuse me, I must get going. Farewell, little one." Hadrian said with a small wave.
He stood up from his seat, though not before grabbing Tempest.
With Tempest in hand, he was about to walk away when the girl also stood up from the bench.
"You can't just leave!" The young redhead said loudly, stopping him in his tracks.
Turning his gaze over his shoulder, Hadrian lifted a brow.
"I beg to differ, little one. I can do whatever I want."
Hadrian sighed loudly, when she tried to place herself in front of him, limping slightly as she did so.
"Look, I appreciate the enthusiasm, but I do not need, or want anything from you. I helped you because I wanted to. Now, I understand if that is a foreign concept for you to digest, but just accept the minor act of goodwill for what it is, and move on." He said in a matter-of-fact tone.
It was quiet for a few moments, before Hadrian began to move once more.
He passed her, and was only a few feet away when she suddenly spoke again.
"I can't be in debt to you."
The words were whispered.
The emotions in her voice were mixed, and quite genuine that it caused Hadrian to move into a slow halt, but he heard her all the same.
"I refuse to be in debt to anyone, anymore. So, what do you want?!" The girl was almost yelling at him now, and it caused Hadrian to recall a memory of –
BZZT
Hadrian grimaced.
His head throbbed in pain, interrupting his train of thought.
The manner of his posture, and his hand on his forehead did not go unnoticed by the girl.
"… Hey, are you okay? You've been quiet for a while now…" The girl asked, sounding nervous and a bit concerned.
"I'm fine, just a bit of a headache…" Hadrian grunted with a slight nod, waving a hand to her worries.
Inside though, he could not help but wonder if the 'condition' from a previous life was returning.
'Hm… another one to look into later…'
Exasperated by the thought of his 'weakness' coming back, Hadrian scratched the side of his head with his free hand and sighed.
"I suppose… you wouldn't just accept me telling you that I don't require payment, huh?"
Once more, he sighed when she shook her head.
"Hm… stubborn. Fine, fine. I can probably think of something later. But for now, I really need to return. Are you amenable in coming with me to where I'm staying?"
"No, I'm fine with it." she said with a shake of her head, after a moment of deliberation.
Hadrian was about to walk again, before he noticed her condition.
Now, he can be heartless at times, but he was not a bastard to leave a child limping after him.
With another sigh (having lost count of it for today), Hadrian crouched on one knee, and pointed at his back with his thumb, uncaring of the confused look she shot him.
"Come on, best for you to get on my back since it's still quite a walking distance to where we are going. Or do you fancy limping all the way there?" He asked with a knowing side-way look.
With a slight nod, the girl moved and got on his back, leaning on him as she placed her hands on his shoulders for additional security.
Once he was sure that she was settled and tuckered in, he stood upright and made his way out of the park.
"What do I call you?" She suddenly asked from behind.
"Rey… you can call me Rey." Hadrian said nonchalantly.
"…"
It was quiet for a few moments as he walked before…
"Black Widow."
'Huh?'
Hadrian paused, then turned his head to look at her over his shoulder.
"Black Widow?" He asked with a curious tint in his voice.
"Black Widow." She repeated, her green eyes staring back at him.
"Really?"
"Really." She said in monotone, face expressionless.
Bewildered, Hadrian let out a soft 'huh' before he moved again.
Idly, as he exited the park, he could not help but think of how familiar her name was.
'Black Widow' was most certainly not the girl's actual name, but an alias she refers herself to for people in the underground business.
The alias and her appearance seemed familiar though.
And it was nagging at him endlessly.
He just could not point out what it was… yet.
Still, one thing was for sure.
Hadrian has no idea what will happen in the future now.
…
…
…
"Ah…" The mage suddenly said.
His sudden halt surprised the redhead on his back.
"What is it?" she asked, leaning to the side to see his expression.
Turning his head, Hadrian looked at her with a sheepish expression.
Which couldn't really be seen fully, given the mask covering his lower face.
But the girl sensed his slight embarrassment anyways through his eyes alone.
"Nothing. Just… remembered an old man waiting for my call."
He chuckled dryly.
"…?"
The puzzled expression on the girl's face was understandable.
Obviously, she had no idea what the hell he was talking about.
Hadrian can only give another chuckle at that.
"Ahaha!"