章 45: Auction (1)
At a remote location in Kyoto, a man with tanned skin with a scar in his right eye was waiting in front of a building. His black hair swaying the same way as the wind, the sky was dark and there was a downpour of rain. His umbrella covering him from any rain. He brought out a cigarette lighting it before taking a puff letting the white smoke come out of his mouth.
He was Masuru, the man who worked with Arai for two years in the underworld.
'Is he late? That's surprising since he is always a punctual guy.' Masuru thought before taking another smoke. 'Yeah, from the start he was always an organized man.'
He remembered the day he met Isao, Masuru had a small scale war going on with other gangs. Back then, he was the right hand man of the org he was now in charge of. Their organization before was much less humane. They did all they could to gain power and territory, their actions involved kidnapping, murder and torture. All to the cause that they would live a better life. It was risky yes, but to gain more power, this was a great way.
That was until one day, they had heard about a certain piece of info going around. A girl having the ability to control earth, everyone back then was joking around saying that 'It was dumb rumor, nobody would believe it.' But their boss was intrigued by this, no more than intrigued. He had eyes full of greed.
Their group had no ties to the sorcerer world back then. Only after did Masuru learn of it, as to why their boss was so keen on this. He ordered a group to go kidnap the girl, that night still seemed so vivid to Masuru.
A group of 25 people were in this mission. Everyone thought it was overkill, that was almost a quarter of all their people just for a girl that isn't even old enough to know what she wants to do in her life. Now, knowing that a sorcerer was there guarding that very girl, 25 ordinary men were definitely not enough.
Isao Arai was there on the roof of the girl's house. He wore sunglasses in the dark night with a black suit. The next thing that happened was evident, the group stormed the house but before they could even take a step, all of them were brutally massacred. As if invisible monsters were devouring his men. Though the boss seemed to be the only able to see them, he fought hard but against Isao his struggle was futile. Before his very eyes, the boss disappeared as if he was never there. Even to this day, he did not know what happened to him.
In the end only he remained.
He remembered asking why Isao would spare him.
"I need someone to clean the blood up. You're a janitor, no?"
Yes, he was indeed the janitor. Always cleaning up his boss' mess. A yakuza janitor, but never in his life did he think he would actually clean the dirty streets off blood and worse was that it's his comrades blood. All he could do was obey, not wanting to be killed.
Delivering the news to their organization that the boss was dead. He took over and was now a great power in the underworld. Though that day left him a clear message, there are far greater powers that a human can ever comprehend.
"What are you doing in the rain?" A voice woke him from his thoughts. As he looked up, he saw the eyes devoid of any color in them. The sunglasses on the head with an umbrella covering him. The very man he just thought of was now in front of him. He had seen Isao so many times and every time he had the same train of thought.
'Should I kill him? He has to pay for killing them.' But that thought quickly fades away and turns into 'Is he going to kill me? How is he going to do that? Are those monsters going to devour me? Or am I going to disappear just like the boss did and go to god nowhere?'
Forcing a smile, he lowered his head lightly. "I was just waiting for you, Isao."
The two continued on and entered the building not saying anything to one another. The moment they entered, the bright lights inside shined brightly illuminating the party. Chandeliers that were bigger than three grown men, carpets that were elegantly crafted and people simply chatting with one another whilst consuming the service offered.
This was the party before the auction began. One could immediately tell that all people here were from high-positions. From politicians to CEOs, there was a wide variety of everyone's origin.
Arai who noticed this frowned and turned to Masuru. "I thought the people here were going to be sorcerers? They certainly don't like one, in fact I can't sense a single one in this place."
Masuru heard this and chuckled. "Of course there isn't. This is a normal auction house, it is just that there is going to be the cursed tool that you brought and sorcerers are in further, they tend to not like to mingle with us normal folks."
"You've got that right."
Arai ignored the party that was happening and entered the back with Masuru. Together they entered a booth and sat down. They had to wait for 30 minutes before the auction finally began as the guests started coming. This place felt more like a stadium as every guest was in a booth. All facing the stage as light shined, illuminating the woman on the stage. The woman wore a typical suit adopted by men, black suit and black pants with a white shirt underneath. Her face covered by a mask that was half green and half grey making it an odd look.
She tapped lightly on the microphone making a loud ringing sound catching everyone's attention to her. The woman coughed clearing her throat and smiled.
"Welcome honored guests to our humble accommodation, I officially announce this year's auction to begin!"
["^_(9^ 1§{€2£¥7$}8%->4@*#'6~'...\!?04@*#'6~'...\!?0]
"This is boring." Arai commented while munching on the snacks the auction offered.
"Ha! That's normal, items in this place aren't cursed tools remember. All but the one you stole for me that is." Masuru said while sipping some wine.
"Yeah, but that single item brought a little attention didn't it?"
"Hm? What do you mean?"
Arai looked around at the other booths. "There are other sorcerers here. In total, I can confirm there are seven sorcerers in the auction though I don't know if there are outside since it's out of my range. Quite more than I anticipated."
Masuru began tapping his chin as he contemplated. "If there are as many as 7, I hope they will at least not try to fight it out here. There are way too many civilians here and outside, hopefully at least one of them will put a veil to block the outside world."
"They will, that is if they want someone like Gojo to come up here and beat their ass. Nobody is that dumb nowadays. Sorcerers might all be crazy but crazy does not beget logical thinking. There are sorcerers that are smart even if they are crazy."
Masuru smirked before lighting up a cigar. "Does that included you?"
"Which part?"
"The two of them."
Arai took another bite of his snack before answering.
"Hm... I'd say I am crazy in the way that my sense of morality isn't really all there. I'm the type of person who would kill if it is the most optional way without remorse. In that sense, I am crazy but if I had to say whether or not I am a logical thinker. Then I'd say I am, don't you agree with me?"
"In that I do."
The auction continued, it lasted for hours as people bid after bid incredible amounts of money for these items who only held symbolic and historical value. Arai had recognized some items as those that had been stolen or had been long lost but somehow they had found their way here, in the auction. But Arai had noticed it, the sorcerers that were dispersed around had not made their move yet and that is because none of the items had actual cursed energy in them making them useless in the sorcerers eyes.
"Now for the second last item, we have The Great Wave off Kanagawa!" The auctioneer exclaimed as gasps and murmurs were made in the crowd. Everyone was surprised even Arai who held no attention towards these things. The painting was infamous even outside of Japan.
The Great Wave off Kanagawa is a woodblock print by artist Hokusai, it was painted in 183 and depicted three boats moving through a storm-tossed sea, with a large wave forming a spiral in the center and Mount Fuji visible in the background.
"The bid will be starting with 1 million$!" The presenter said before starting the bidding.
"1.2 million!"
"1.4 million!"
Bids after bids were placed while Arai and Masuru were watching the ordeal.
"Hoho! Now that is surprising, who knew the famous painting from the Edo period was here. I heard that it was stolen in 2008, still to think the robbers actually brought it to this auction. The one who wins the bidding will really need to hide this well, else the government finds it or some powerful rich folk." Masuru leaned down to see the painting closer.
"Or it could be a sorcerer." Arai said attracting Masuru's attention.
"Why would a sorcerer want that?"
"They need money like everyone else, they can't just go around and take someone's food and lodging. Sorcerers don't live on the street and since it's just stealing a painting, I bet one of the sorcerers here will try to steal it from the winner. Trust me sorcerers are as greedy as any other living being if not greedier. Our literal power comes from negative thoughts and emotions, it's no wonder so many sorcerers are crazy."
The final bid was over and the final price was that of 2.7 million$.
Arai who looked at the other sorcerers in the area smirked. He knew they were going to make a move for this painting. Looking to the side he saw Masuru clinging to the window while drooling. "Damn it, if only I could get that painting!"
"That's what you get for being poor." Arai said nonchalantly while eating a sundae. "Besides you should stop focusing on that, the real show is about to begin. Tonight's going to be a shitshow for everyone. Well at least I am going to have a show to look at."
"And now at last we have arrived at our final item." The presenter stated as two man brought out a carriage covering the item in a red cloth.
"For the final item, we have-"
Revealing the item behind a case of glass, it was the needle that Arai had stolen. A needle with a beautiful red, jade and golden color to it with an engravings written upon it.
"Originated from Mongolia during the reign of Genghis Khan, it is said that to stitch the wounds on the battlefield Genghis Khan had made a solemn oath to only use this one needle and none other. The loop of thread attached to that needle represented his duration of lifespan, until it runs out he would not die. Now only the needle remains originally a bright jade color, it is said after its owner had passed away the needle turned into a dark crimson red. For now only the needle is left as the threads were had long disappeared."
"We will now begin the final item. The bid will be starting with 1 million$!"
The bidding ensued as it finally ended with someone placing 3.1 million$, Arai looked at the reaction of the sorcerers knowing that they were perhaps going to make their move.
"They aren't moving yet?" Masuru asked as he finished his glass of wine.
Arai shook his head. "Not yet, right now so many non-sorcerers are here. Even if they're reckless, they wouldn't show themselves to the public world."
"Is that a rule that all sorcerers follow?"
Arai was about to confirm it but he remembered that a certain white haired man existed.
"Only those weak enough to be unable to fight against the world."
Indeed, only Gojo could fit the criteria that Arai had set, well that was from the people he knew. But his reminiscent about his past colleagues was cut short as he had noticed something. He immediately stood up as he turned his attention to the ceiling which had a large glass window showing the sky, that was if only the observer was a normal person. If they were a sorcerer, they would notice the barrier forming outside covering the entire auction house.
"Masuru."
Masuru who had noticed Arai frown became serious. "Hm... what is it?"
"Get yourself out of here, a barrier has been formed trapping us all. I don't doubt that there will be a battle here. If you don't want to get caught in the crossfire then you better get as far away from here. Well that is if there is even a place inside this veil."
He nodded not questioning its authenticity and left the room calling his bodyguards with him. Arai turned his attention to the sorcerers inside the auction and saw them moving erratically clearly surprised at the barrier that had just been formed.
'So none of them are apart of the force that had formed the barrier? Attacking seven sorcerers with citizens on top of that, the person in question must be confident in fighting these sorcerers and beating them.' Arai deduced as he stayed inside the booth waiting for something to happen and that he didn't wait long as his sense of danger warned him of an enormous amount of cursed spirits crashing through the window.
They were all in the form of butterflies, colorful ones at that but the main color that they all possessed was the fiery red in their wings.
The people who were leaving were shocked at the frightened glass but not the butterflies as they could not see them.
'I don't know what the intruder wants but it's better if I just hide, at least until I find out what's going on.' Arai thought before lunging back into his chair.
'Hm?' His eyes darted to the people leaving the auction house without care as they did not know what was happening. Arai expected them to be blocked by the barrier but then something odd happened. When the people came in contact with it, nothing happened and they passed through.
Arai's eyes widened in surprise. 'The barrier's function isn't to block people? What can the purpose of the veil be?'
He narrowed down his eyes as he saw the flood of butterflies completely enveloping the stadium but now that he looked at them carefully. They didn't seem like most cursed spirits, having all cursed spirits be butterflies was odd. Arai quickly concluded that the enemy must have a technique to make butterfly shikigami.
Their crimson wings and golden body flapped through the entire hall of auction but he noticed the butterflies focusing on the sorcerers more so than the people.
'No those aren't all, I'm noticing a lot of butterflies outside the auction house but they aren't making their move yet. Are they waiting for some kind of signal?' Arai was beginning to be frustrated but stayed calm and pulled out his phone. 'There's still signal on my phone, well it's not like I have anyone to call so that won't help me.'
Just then the building began to shake, not enough to make him lose balance but enough for him to compel him to look outside. There he found the butterflies destroying the pillars holding the building together.
He sported a nervous look and chuckled. "Oh you've got to be-"
His sentence could not be ended before the entire building collapsed taking with it an enormous amount of lives.
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