“Already did as he mentioned them. I do feel two groups out there, but they’re far beyond the city and busy fighting.”
“And cops?”
“How the hell should I know where they are? It’s not like I can sense every type of human in this place.”
“Boss?” Sandro asked.
I turned back to face the man who was still acting all important. There was a hint of fear radiating off him. After all, even if I wasn’t a monster like the kobolds, we were twelve armed men.
“Will you move or not?” I asked as my eyes met his.
He shook his head and opened his mouth to speak, but I wasn’t going to let him. This had gone on for long enough. The nodachi sprang free from its scabbard as I pulled at it with all my power and speed. If blades could sing, I was sure the nodachi would have done so as it came crashing down just to the left of his neck and sliced right through the chest. The blade got stuck somewhere near his spine, making a sickly crunchy sound.
Blood sprayed in all directions as his lifeless body stood there, held upright by my sword. I kicked out and pulled the blade free, swung it overhead, and sliced right through the second man’s ax, his arm, and head. Screams resounded all around me as women screamed from the windows of their homes or the balconies. The remaining group of men stood there as if frozen for a very long moment before they started screaming as well. Kang and Sandro tensed up to my left, but I put up my hand to stop them.
“Anyone else has any ideas of who they work for? If you do, please step up so we can discuss that matter.”
I wanted to curse myself for trying to sound cool, but in the end, I sounded dumb. Whatever. No one seemed interested anymore, and they hurriedly moved to the side, got up to the sidewalk, and ran off in all directions. Two dozen grown men ran like wussies, tucking their tails between their legs.
“That wasn’t smart, boss,” Sandro whispered. “There are dozens of witnesses!”
“I don’t care. Come on, let’s move before anyone else gets any stupid ideas.”
He shook his head but hurried up and walked ahead of me along with Kang and four others. The remaining five took up a defensive position behind me. Interesting. Did they really think they needed to protect me? Well, I wouldn’t piss on their parade. Shit, what kind of saying was that? All kinds of stupid memories ran through my mind as I tried to think of something else.
“Scar?”
“Yeah, what is it now?”
“Say, do you have any idea how to get rid of these thoughts?”
“Easy. Don’t think about stupid things.”
“Shit. You’re as useless as tits on a boar.”
“In other words, just as useless as you are.”
I rolled my eyes as we stopped near a group of kobolds that just appeared. There were about thirty of them, all staring intently at us. Sandro motioned with his hand, and the five with him joined in on the fight. They made quick work of the small buggers, and we started moving again. No one stopped us, no one until we got to the end of the street.
Concrete barriers and cars were put up as a barricade, behind which over twenty men and women stood, watching the road. I felt slightly intimidated, as they looked like a real band of thugs and not the group of rabble that had tried to stop us up the road.
“Sandro? Came to turn yourself in to the boss?” a man called from behind an SUV. “He’s eager to see you! All the other group leaders came to pay their respects last night when we called! All but you!”
I put up my hand for Sandro to remain silent and stepped up to the man who spoke.
“Where’s Kihot? We need to have a little chat.”
My nodachi was back in its scabbard, so I didn’t look imposing enough to him. I was sure of it; otherwise he wouldn’t have burst out in laughter.
“What? Who the fuck are you to meet our boss just because you feel like it?”
“Sandro’s new boss. Now, why don’t you call him over before I force my way in?”
His expression changed from amused to slightly worried. He looked at me with a steely-eyed gaze as he snapped his fingers loudly. Four times, to be precise. Everyone around him shut up and tensed at what was about to happen.
“How about you back those words up, punk?”
Punk, huh? I didn’t have a problem with people calling me names, but punk and old man? They just sounded so damn weak! At least that was the vibe I got from my memories. He did one thing correctly, though. He gave me the go-ahead to attack. I sure looked forward to a good brawl.
Chapter Nine
“Get in formation!” Kang’s voice reverberated from behind me as I pulled at my nodachi, drawing the moment out.
The men and women across from us huddled up against the cars and grouped up on every entry point. Idiots. Why walk when I could jump?
“Don’t die!” I snapped; my voice was as cold as steel. “None of you are allowed to die! Understood?”
“Yes, boss!” Kang yelled.
His cousins followed right after him. It was strange how none of them were very talkative, but I didn’t care. The less I had to talk, the better it was for me. I hated to talk without reason, and small talk was the worst of all.
I darted right at the SUV and jumped over the hood, holding the tip of my sword out toward my opponents. Two of them slashed at me with their swords, but the blades bounced off my nodachi. I landed on my feet and swung the sword in a circle to create enough distance between the two and myself. My mind blanked out at that moment, and I let instinct drive me.
The swing created a gap of ten feet between me and the closest enemy. I made two hurried steps and brought the nodachi down overhead, cutting his chest wide open. To my surprise, the man didn’t even scream. And there I was hoping he’d cry like a bitch.
Two more closed in from behind. I sidestepped a cut and swung the sword back in an upward angle, splitting the man in half as the sword exited at his neck. Blood sprayed my weapon, but I was gone again, pulling the sword down for a second strike that hit the third man against the steel shaft of his spear. It dented downwards and touched his shoulder, just enough that my blade cut into his face. I pulled the nodachi free and strafed it off the falling man’s suit, wiping one side of the blade clean, sidestepped, and wiped the other side clean.
The battle was in full swing by then, as the brothers and cousins had joined in, fighting for the gaps in the barricade. Sandro was at the very front, using his naginata spear to slash across hoods. Bloodthirsty bastard. He was one of those sadists, I was sure of it. He was weak, but given the chance, he enjoyed drawing blood. I’d have to keep an eye on him.
A loud boom rang out from the other side of the yard, and something struck the car next to me. I ducked instinctively and looked around, spotting a group of men who had just exited the mansion. They were pointing their guns at me, but bullets weren’t flying in all directions. Instead, a single bullet flew my way. I dodged and paused. Why weren’t they shooting rapidly? I was sure this body’s previous owner had witnessed more than one shooting in his life.
“Keep trying!” one of the men ahead hissed.
Another bullet struck the ground near my foot. He pulled the trigger again, but no new bullet left the barrel.
“It’s as if they have a damn timer!” a new voice yelled. “It just doesn’t want to shoot!”
So there was a sort of cooldown between shots? It didn’t make sense at all, but I was going to use this chance. Those guns could kill from a distance and prove to be much more dangerous than anything they could take up close and personal.
I pushed myself off the ground just as another bullet strafed my arm, but ricocheted and struck one of their own men in the leg. He’d tried to crawl up on me and paid the price. I looked back at the approaching group. Five men and five guns, of which three had fired, but how long was the cooldown?
The distance between us was about a hundred yards, but I bridged that gap in less than six seconds as two more bullets struck my shoulder and my left arm. The fir
st bullet deflected into the ground, but the second passed through the shield and lodged inside my flesh. Twenty yards. Ten.
I pulled my good arm back and threw the nodachi right at the closest shooter. It entered his chest and sent him staggering backward and into another of the assailants.
“Kill him!” one of the remaining four yelled. “Don’t let him near the boss!”
A new shot rang out, and I felt my right leg buckle slightly, but the bullet passed right through my calf and struck the ground ahead of me. I jumped back and struck the shooter with my elbow. His head snapped back, but he still stood there with a stunned expression on his face. I drove my fist into his nose two times in quick succession. His head rocked backward, and his neck snapped under my blow.
A stun baton struck my back and sent electricity coursing through my body. It stung but surprisingly didn’t do much else. Even though it should have stunned me, I could move just fine. I turned back to face the third man and pulled the baton from his hand, jabbed his neck with my free hand, and shoved the baton in his mouth, then swung around and kicked the back side with a roundhouse kick. His neck broke, and the baton exited through the back of his throat.
“You want to die just like these three?” I growled as I got up and pulled the nodachi from the dead man’s chest. The front door shattered as three bullets passed through the glass and struck one of the remaining opponents.
“Shit! You bastards! Can’t you even hit him?” a new voice rang out from inside.
A fourth shot reverberated, and a new bullet struck me dead on in the chest. A chime rang out in the back of my mind, alerting me about something as I dropped on my back.
Damage Notification:
You have received 42 damage from Kihot Pirelli.
Critical Hit!
I closed the damage notification and pulled up my stats. The Enma Shield stat was at zero, which wasn’t good. I pushed myself up and stared through the shattered door. A short, thick man stood there with a gun in each hand. A white suit hugged his body and didn’t flatter him at all. He was grossly overweight while his skin was greasy and slick with sweat. Suddenly, a bullet struck the man next to him right in the face and exited out the back.
I glanced over my left shoulder and spotted the last of the five men who attacked me earlier pointing his gun at Kihot. He ducked back behind a stone pillar that held the balcony aloft overhead.
I got to my feet and grabbed one of the guns that lay on the ground, pointed at Kihot, and pulled the trigger. A bullet flew right at him, but glanced the side of his head and struck another man in the face. There was only one thug left behind him. I groaned and darted inside, pulled the nodachi back, and threw it again. I was slightly familiar with how to throw it by now, so it was much easier this time around. It smashed right into the thug’s chest, stopped for a moment as if held there by an invisible shield, and then pierced his guts.
“What? How can you throw that thing so easily?” Kihot screeched as he pointed his guns at me and pulled both triggers, but none of the guns fired.
I brought my hand down and clenched it into a fist, then slammed it upwards into Kihot’s jaw, lifting him off the ground with ease. He crashed right into an expensive-looking vase and then the wall behind him. Both guns clattered to the ground as he sat there, stunned and grabbing for his throat.
“It’s nothing personal, but I need your wealth and connections,” I whispered as I leaned down next to him, grabbed his slick hair with both hands, and pulled him to his feet.
“Let… go! You barbaric fiend! Do you have any idea who I am? Who paid you? I’ll give you more! I’ll give you everything!”
I stopped for a second and looked into his eyes.
“I’ve already taken everything from you, Kihot. The only difference is how all of this will end.”
If I hadn’t known better, I would have sworn that someone struck him with a crude, sharp object. His chin bled badly, and blood slid down to his chest and gut.
“You won’t get away with this.” He cackled.
“Shut up if you want to live for a minute longer!” I hissed and pulled even harder at his hair. Shit, it felt so wrong to pull someone’s hair, but fuck it. This was a battle for life and death, why would I think about how it feels? “Tell them to stop fighting! Now!”
“Ahh! Stop pulling! It hurts!” he cried as we passed through the door and walked down the stairs. “Stop fighting! Stop! Fucking stop!”
Kang and Sandro both lay on the ground, beaten and bleeding, but most of their opponents were either down or still fighting with the rest of the ten.
“Enough!” I yelled. “Everyone’s already dead here, and if you don’t want to be next, stop fighting!”
I shoved Kihot and kicked him in the back. He dropped to his knees and then slammed face-first into the pavement. He cried out and rolled to his side, clutching his face.
The fighting stopped then and there, but no one was clear about what was going on. That much was apparent. The eleven who had accompanied me, however, started pushing the rest around and forced the survivors to their knees as they pressed the edges of their blades against the prisoners’ necks.
Kang got up and helped Sandro stand. The two men stumbled over to where Kihot lay on the ground. Sandro kicked his side and spat. I pulled him back and stood there, glaring at the defeated gangster.
“You’ll tell Sandro and Kang where you’re keeping your money, who owes you, have someone prepare all the paperwork for what you own, and—whatever else he wants to know! Understood?”
“Fuck you! Who do you think you are to come here and make demands?” Kihot cursed.
I kicked him over and stomped on his left wrist, shattering it with the heel of my shoe.
“I won’t repeat myself!” I yelled as he cried out again. A faint smell of urine accompanied his shrieks, and I backed off. “Did he just piss himself?”
“Yeah, looks so,” Kang groaned as he tried to stand upright.
“Kang, check the survivors and see who could possibly be loyal to us. If you have any doubt, kill all of them here. I don’t want to keep watching my back for someone who might backstab me.”
He nodded his head and scurried off to stand with his cousins, walked around them once, and stopped behind them. He put up his hand and made a cutting motion to his people. The nine slashed into the survivors and killed them before they could even put up a fight.
“Really?” I called over. “All of them?”
He shrugged. “They’re all hired guns. If we left them alive, they would have told their superiors who decimated them. I don’t think we want another fifty or several hundred of these goons on our doorstep.”
“Right,” I whispered and turned back to Kihot, who lay there whimpering in fear. Then I remembered the man who helped me during the battle, and my head shot around. He still stood there leaning against the same pillar, but had his hands up and to the sides. “You! Come here!” I yelled, calling him over. The man started walking but never dropped his hands. What’s more, he put them up and held them high above his head.
“Oh? Isn’t that Mark?” Sandro chuckled. “What the hell are you doing here?”
The man’s face never changed. It stayed as neutral as it possibly could be. His black hair was tied in a stubby tail atop his head, which looked ridiculous, but his posture was that of a trained soldier.
“We were called in last night, so I came here instead of the boss.”
Sandro nodded knowingly. “Yeah, I have a new boss, so there was no point to coming in.” He chuckled. “What’s with the old guy? He good?”
Mark shook his head sadly and only then showed a hint of bitterness. “He’s sick. That’s why he couldn’t come. I don’t even know if he’s still alive. He was on life support last night after a car pressed him against the garage wall. His insides are all—you know.”
Sandro nodded again and let out a sigh. “Boss, this is Mark. He’s the right hand of the only man I could stand in this group. I think he
could be loyal if you offered him the same deal.”
Mark frowned. “What deal? And where did this man come from?” Mark asked as he studied me.
The look on his face wasn’t filled with anger, disdain, or anything really. He just stared at me inquisitively. I appreciated someone who could stay calm in the face of danger and death. Even more so if they could hold themselves to a certain standard when speaking to those who beat them.
“Sandro and these men are under my protection, Mark. I’m not like everyone else, especially not after all of this happened last night. See, you can compare me to the new alpha of this pack.”
He nodded. “It’s insane. Most of those trash assholes you guys killed earlier couldn’t differentiate heads from tails, but now suddenly they could fight? What the hell is going on?”
“I have some ideas, but we can talk about them tonight,” I said. “But that’s only if you join us.”
My voice was slightly weaker than intended, but I was tired. Swinging that big sword around was quite different than carrying it around. When it was in the sheath, I almost didn’t feel it at all, but now that I’d swung it a couple of times, I could feel the muscles in my arms burning ever so slightly.
Mark nodded once and turned to face Sandro. “What now?”
“Now you help me get everything out of this bastard, and then you’ll head back home to get your sweet wife. You’ll meet us with whatever valuables you have tonight at my sister’s ryokan. We’ll all be staying there from now on.”
“Wait, what? I can’t leave my boss behind!”
“Then don’t,” I said, interrupting the two. “If you change your mind, you know where to find us. But if I find you did something out of retribution afterward, it won’t be only your head that rolls.”
Mark’s expression turned several shades darker. “Don’t threaten—”
“I don’t threaten, Mark. I do, so you have two choices. One is you come stay with us, or you keep your mouth shut and out of my business. You can even keep whatever it is your boss has made wherever it is you reside right now. I think that’s as fair as it gets.”
Beginner Quest: A LitRPG Cultivation Series (Towers & Rifts Book 1) Page 10