Chapter 13: First Clue
I lied.
My sleep schedule is still messed up and at this point I'm running on fumes.
I'll fix all the typos and whatnot tmrw.
Also did any of you guys notice just how sheltered the Mission: Yozakura Verse is? Pretty much everything is stationed in Japan so I can test my worldbuilding skills in this FF.
Hope you enjoy the chapter~
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The infamous Jack the Ripper.
Known for his acts of murder back in the late 1800's he had five known cases of murder…
But now in the modern age, he has long since died…
With his hand covering his mouth, he reminisced about his role model.
Of course even for him, a gold rank, he had limitations about acts of murder.
Back in the 'Dark Ages of 1900's' when Technician had revolted against the flimsy rules, he was one of the people who revolted.
This not only disrupted the international Spy Association, but also the European, Asian, and Western branches of the world.
He luckily found someone who 'helped' him into a better path.
"ARGH!!"
His first victim.
"Ah~ I forgot to mention but if I find you, I can take one limb off your body~ Don't worry with modern medicine and medical knowledge your limb will be as good as new."
'This is boring…'
His sharp eyes wandered over to his next target.
'If they're this shabby then they'll need to try harder than that…'
'Jack' grabbed the camo covering within a moment. The cover fluttered as the trap inside activated.
Pop!
Small colorful pieces of paper covered his body sticking onto it.
The blood soaked on his body made the rainbow colored paper stick to his body.
"Pu…"
The distinct noise of muffled laughter came from behind him. He swiftly threw a hidden dagger without looking.
Psh!
"ARGH!!"
His target's left ankle was completely pierced.
"You are disqualified."
'Jack' had a cold look, a far cry from his fake gentlemanly personality from before.
He clutched the small note and crumpled it up.
Once he found the spy who committed this 'crime' he quickly put them in their place.
"Codename: Smiley Man…" 'Jack' now had bloodshot eyes staring deep into the smiling man's eyes, "What should I do with you~?"
"N-No… P-Please-!"
"AHH!!!"
*
*
*
…
I think I understand why those people left…
My second best friend, blood, joined me, making this bright park into a horror scene.
I'm not scared per say… but what is up with all the examiners so far being crazy?
I thought about my past experiences.
Technician… Makoto… Maybe the Yozakura Family?
…
That's a lot of crazy people…
I sat still on the bench just thinking.
The large timer above the entrance ticked down each second.
I seem to have an uncanny attraction towards crazy people… or am I the outlier?
Random thoughts overtook my mind since I had nothing to do, but in the back of my mind were the thoughts that slowly took over my outer thoughts…
'I should tear Technician's limbs apart… Hm? Is that too humane?'
The sounds of screams, blood pouring and flesh being ripped, sometimes by hand or tool, resonated in the air.
This reminded me of that one time I had to go to a war stricken country to find a sturdy enough material for my coat.
Ding!
Beep!
Beep!
"...All those who have survived now may come out."
I twisted my body from the bench to see the Englishman covered in blood, occasionally dripping into his tea cup but was as elegant as ever.
This was the true definition of a two faced person.
There was something amiss about this man. He reminded me of Technician, always hiding something…
I caught sight of the initials on the sole of his expensive but drenched leather shoe.
'JP'
"I now see you all, this is a feat worth noting." He exclaimed, searching for all the moving people, "The next test is right over there, I wish you the best of luck~"
Yet again, one of the walls opened up to reveal a room, almost pitch black.
He waved us off, almost mechanically…
From the initial hundred or two, now there were just twenty of us left.
Bang!
Without the light coming from the artificial park, the room turned dreary.
"Hah…"
I gave out a sigh.
Pressing a button on my neck, my helmet fashioned itself and lit up the room with night vision tech.
Bzzst!
"What the…" My vision filled with static.
"My~ You won't let me even get a word in, how cruel."
The female voice reverberated all around the room, almost lasting for an eternity.
"Welcome examinees, this is your third test, it's much more simple than the other two. All you need to do is to put on a blindfold and get to the other side of this room. This is a test for your senses."
Chik!
Chik!
Chik!
Chik!
Four lights lit up the room.
"The rules are simple, no running or using the walls, no using your hands on the wire, no taking the blindfold off and finally no usage whatsoever of any type of technology."
She stood on an intricate array of wires, with a fur coat and a dress that not many could afford. She was the definition of 'prestige' and 'perfection'.
I spotted a device that she held that made my eyes widen.
'...Made by Virus!?'
"This is an electric jammer, it's here to ensure that you don't cheat during the exam. Pick up the white blindfold and tie it over your eyes to begin the test."
In the middle of the circle were white cloths, blindfolds.
'I wouldn't have expected my first clue to come from here…'
The soft fabric was thin but just thin enough to be a blindfold.
I tied the knot and my vision went dark.
"...Good, I think everyone is done, yes?"
Snap!
After the proctor's fingers snapped the lights turned back off.
Twip!
The sharp sounds of wires flying in the air were caught by my ears.
"To your left is a wire, to test your senses you'll be balancing on them and getting to the other side in order to pass, you have ten seconds."
I heard the faint click of a stopwatch.
The wire was thin, like the [Steel Spider]. Its tensile strength was good but I could feel that if I applied too much force then it would break.
I steadily got on and balanced myself out.
Just my body weight alone is making the wire on the verge of breaking.
"...Alright then examinees~ Good luck~!"
The low rumbling of the platform shook my balance a bit.
"Hu…"
This reminds me of my training in my mind.
One step.
Everything in there felt hyperrealistic.
Two steps.
I sometimes miss the miasma, it was a nice way to train my mind.
Three steps.
Four…
Five…
Si-
…
Skrr!!
'Is someone holding onto my wire?'
My balance shook up.
Snap!
One of the threads snapped as the vibrations shook my balance even more.
'Should I run for it?'
I could, with my training with [Silent Steps] I had to have almost perfect body control. But the risk of the wire snapping because of the force applied made me take a slow pace.
'Or…'
I quickly adjusted to the wires snapping and felt the wire next to me.
Even if I got rid of my competitor, my wire can't support my weight.
'One… no two meters behind.'
My face beamed as I thought of a crazy plan.
'One attempt…'
"Haa…"
I took in oxygen as I made my wire dip into an arc.
Woosh!
The wind in my ears felt cold.
Snap!
Once the wire snapped I fell back down towards the 'ground'.
'Right… here!'
I blindly kicked into the air and met with a sudden force.
Bang!
"Ahhh!!!"
'Now the last part…'
The screams grew dim as I fell back onto a much thicker wire, trembling, from the man from before trying to keep his balance before ultimately falling.
I waited before the wire stopped shaking and ran all the way through to the end.
"We have our first winner~!"
"Huu…"
I nimbly undid the knot and saw the door for the next test opened up.
The posh woman just gave me a smile before looking at the rest of the examinees either failing or coming to the end.
'He's still here huh?'
I thought before I headed into the next room.
*
*
*
He prayed that the madman couldn't find him.
His disguise was good, excellent even but his lack of self esteem almost got him caught on several different events before the man found some new prey to play with.
James P Rawlings.
He was a Gold Rank spy 'stationed' in England. He was also a member of the 'Round Table' an agency more specified for the true Royal Family and the entirety of England itself.
'Why is he here!?' Fujikawa Noburu said in his mind.
He was the failure of the clan.
Even though his father loved him, to a certain extent, love doesn't dictate who controlled the clan.
Because of his unique appearance he was shunned by his family, never given the privileges his brothers and sisters were given.
His training was mostly done by him and watching others.
Two years ago he got the bronze rank license.
He wanted to prove his family wrong.
Turning his eyes towards the counter, there was still a minute left.
He wasn't scared of the graphic scene, rather he was scared about what the man would do to him.
He wasn't a stranger to pain but… the absolute gruesome things that the man did in the past were worthy of his fright.
Knives flew, screams deafened, limbs cut off. But in the end, he still survived.
The next test wasn't hard.
Using his kunai, he simply cut the two wires next to him and walked steadily to the exit.
'Oh, he's here as well.'
The red haired boy was in front of him, looking at the man in the corner with a journal.
"Hello, you also made it this far?"
He shifted his body to him.
"Yeah… by the way that's Alexandryu… right?"
His gaze seemed distant like he was looking at something further beyond.
"The Gold Rank? Yes he is, why?"
"No… it's nothing…"
'This person is strange…'
They waited in silence as the other contestants finished the test.
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God… this chapter is short.
I'll try to make up for it in the upcoming chapters…
Peace~
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