Chapter 160: Chapter 159 – 33 Gaw: A Murder of Crows

You know that feeling, where you’ve slept for an entire day and your mind and body refuses to wake up? I hate it. It’s even worse at night, when my circadian rhythm feels like it was slapped, beaten, and then thoroughly molested.

“Coffeeeee…” I mumble.

“Ahh, you are awake.”

I open my eyes slowly and turn my head towards the sound. One of the [Gentlemen] greets me with a relaxed smile.

I blink away some of the sleepiness. “Twenty-seven hours.”

“Hm?”

“I slept for twenty-seven hours, give or take a few minutes. Not sure about that part.”

The [Gentleman] looks at me curiously. “You are able to keep track of how long you sleep?”

I shrug and move the covers off of me. I then slowly sit up.

“When you live long enough, you get a sense for these things. Temperature and air pressure can change from day to night, though they aren’t always reliable. The feeling of your body and how tired you feel tends to be a bit better, but magic tends to fuck with it. But the best reference is… I need to pee.”

With an annoyed groan, I shift my legs over the side of the bed and stand.

“You seem to have recovered some,” he comments.

I move my arms and legs, stretching and testing their range of motion.

“Yeah, I lost a pretty sizable amount of bone mass. It’ll take a while to recover that…” I frown. “Huh… I’m actually not hungry.”

The [Gentleman] nods. “Yes, per Jessica’s instructions, she made sure that we fed you while you were unconscious. She said it would help you recover sooner.”

Huh. Well, that saves me some time.

“So, where’s Jess now?”

“Sleeping alongside her two new companions. There were some… problems that she ran into.”

I frown at his words. I shift the mana in my body, searching for changes. Then I notice my connection to Joker; he is currently stationed in Jessica’s room on defensive mode.

“She was attacked.”

The [Gentleman] nods.

“Yes, by a most unsavory group. If we’d known she was a target, then we would have been more pressing with our offer of an escort.”

I suppress my rising anger and keep my cool. Blind fury won’t help me right now.

“What is this unsavory group?”

“The Assassins’ Guild,” he spits out. “Treacherous and dangerous, they hide in the shadows, killing men for money. Us [Gentlemen] have no love for such villains.”

Us… Oh, right. Guess I’m part of the guild now. That’s what the old man said right before I passed out.

“Well,” I look around, find my clothes on a nightstand. “I think I should find out why the guild targeted her.” I move to my clothes and begin dressing.

“I would encourage you not to. The guild’s members are waiting outside the mansion.”

I snort. “Good, that’ll make things easier.”

“They are dangerous,” he adds when I put my coat on.

“They attacked my friend and are still targeting her.” I smile and doff my hat. Style! “As a [Gentleman], I am beholden to defend her and her honor.”

The [Gentleman] copies my smile. “Well spoken, brother, well spoken.”

I’m stepping through the doorway when I stop. I really need to pee.

 

_____________________________________________

 

By the hat in the foyer, I take a moment to check my [Gentleman] class’s new level.

 

 

When I finished my symphony, I gained more levels in it than ever before. I don’t get it. What does making music have to do with being a [Gentleman]? Ugh, this doesn’t make sense! I need to talk to the old man.

I don my mask and walk out the mansion’s front door. Several [Gentleman] are sitting outside at a table, playing cards beneath the starlit sky. The old man is one of them.

I look past them. Bodies lie right outside the gate, corpses according to one of my skills. They probably belong to the Assassins’ Guild.

Past them, on buildings farther away, I can see a dozen dark shapes milling about on the rooftops. More members from the guild. Very wary members too. It seems they attempted to enter the mansion… and the [Gentlemen] did not take kindly to their intrusion.

I scoff. Look at those amateurs! You don’t just stand around where anyone can see you! Over-reliance on skills must have rendered them incapable of sneaking around. Even hidden by their skills, I can notice them without my own skills aiding me. Their incompetence makes me sick.

I walk to the table, getting many annoyed looks from the [Gentlemen].

“Brother, why must you wear that mask? It is unbecoming of a [Gentleman],” one of them says as he idly plays a card.

I smile beneath my mask.

“The mask is not to hide my face, but is a symbol of what I strive for. Just as my hat and cane are the symbols of a proper man of culture…” I look to the old man who has been silent. “Well, you know my class and stigmas.”

The old man chuckles. “Regardless of who you are and what you do, you are now part of our family. Do let us know if you run into a spot of trouble, and keep an eye out for us as well. The gents have your back.”

The old man inclines his hat, as do all of the other men.

Huh. Blind loyalty. That’s… irritating. It’s making me all warm and fuzzy inside.

“Well, I’ll be stepping out for a short while. Good evening.”

All of the [Gentleman] start to stand, but I stop them with an open hand.

“No need to trouble yourselves, but I should not impugn upon you any longer…” I pause. Something seemed off about what I just said. “I only ask that you keep my companion safe while I take care of our little… issue.”

The men retake their seats.

“Go,” the old man says, “and take care of those loiterers, will you? It really is too late for this kind of nonsense.”

I nod and walk through the garden. The path is still as long and circuitous as it was when I entered, but the night sky adds a new beauty that wasn’t there a day ago. Starlit flowers and long shadows bring a mystique to the air, and I find myself appreciating the artistry on my amble.

I exit the premises and walk into the bloody street. I step past the bodies and around the blood puddles. Someone else will clear up the gutter trash soon enough. Shadows shift around as eyes focus on me.

I walk through the dimly lit streets with the full intention of having a relaxing, cathartic circumambulation beneath the stars.

 

_______________________________________________________

 

The Assassins’ Guild was, unsurprisingly, unhappy. Annoyed, some might call them; dissatisfied, others would quibble, but however they felt, they had cause.

An entire regiment was wiped out by three girls and some kind of summon. A major loss, but one which could have been replaced if not for the death of Spider. Named members are among the strongest of the guild, the ones that always get the job done. They are the equivalent to the Thieves’ Guild’s Ears. Deadly, powerful, and not easily replaced.

Vengeance must be dealt, and swiftly, or else the guild’s credibility will fall further. Unfortunately, Crow now has to deal with some serious complications to that plan.

He was notified of Spider’s death and was quickly dispatched to hunt down and end the killers. It wasn’t difficult to find the culprits. Three girls, all of whom had chosen to hide in a mansion.

Which mansion just happens to be the Guildhall of the fucking [Gentlemen]! He’s heard enough to know not to press that group; they’ve brought lesser and greater guilds to their knees. The top brass have even sent explicit orders to not touch the guild, but they also still want the girls dead.

Crow really should have listened to the rumors.

The [Assassin] stares at the corpses of a dozen of his regiment. They died entering the garden, easily taken down by the [Gentlemen]. They killed his men, carried them out into the street and dumped them in the gutter. Then they carried on as though it was just a normal evening, tidying up the garden and trimming the hedges. They even went so far as to wipe the blood off of the leaves.

The real problem, though, was the old man. For whatever reason, whenever the man moves, all of the Crow’s crows die, despite being hidden against the night sky. Not one has managed to reach the mansion.

He notified the leaders of his current predicament, and now he remains on standby. Either they will abandon their current plan, or they will send several more named members. For now, he just needs to wait.

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Thankfully, his patience finally bears fruit as a masked [Gentleman] leaves the guild. Crow frowns. The masked man is almost certainly not one of his targets, but he may have information Crow can use. Also, he’s lost a lot of members. He’s just a little bit pissed off.

Crow waits, watching as the man walks further and further from the guild, spinning his cane without a care in the world. Thanks to it being the dead of night, few people are about at this time, so he need not put much effort into remaining unseen.

Once the man is far enough, Crow calls his murder.

________________________________________________________________________

 

Six dark figures leap from rooftop to rooftop. They move quickly and silently, following a single individual who’s kept his pace slow enough that the lower ranked members can keep up.

Then, above him, the leader stops and crouches down. Those following do the same.

He heard it; a distinctive noise, a crow’s caw.

“What's wrong, Ear Momochi?”

The [Ninja] frowns behind his mask as he continues glancing about. He raises his finger to his mouth and looks back at his six students.

“Speak softly. It seems a name is nearby.”

“Name?” one of them asks.

“Softly.” Momochi admonishes her. “Yes. Crow of the Assassins guild. We should avoid getting his attention.”

“But, you’re an Ear,” one of the students whispers.

“And Crow is a named member from a guild specialized in killing.”

The other five quietly digest his words. After some time, Momochi returns to following the blood prints on the rooftop. The group follows Momochi’s now slowed pace. As they move, the number of crows around increases; perched on fences, roofs, and windowsills, waiting. Eventually, they are so numerous that Momochi must slow down further.

“Should we keep going?” one of his students asks.

“A Voice asked us to discover who killed Spider, and that is what we will do.”

“But Crow-”

“-Is a problem, yes. His presence makes sense here. The guild does not suffer the death of their elite members without repercussions. Crow is probably also hunting whatever killed Spider as we speak.” Momochi explains. As the highest leveled in the group, it is his job to teach the young [thieves] and keep them alive. But, sometimes that goal is at odds with the mission.

Eventually, he sighs and turns towards where the crows are most concentrated. He runs in that direction.

As he approaches, the nearby crows turn in his direction, more than likely giving his location to the [Assassin].

Hopefully, the [Assassin] will ignore them as they always do.

Momochi arrives at a building overlooking a clearing. His students arrive with him. Everyone watches with baited breath as Crow jumps off the top of a building and floats down surrounded by crows. He lands softly in the path of a masked man.

“It can't be,” Momochi whispers.

Crow breaks his gaze at the masked individual to glance at Momochi before shifting back to the masked man.

“The Assassins’ Guild has some questions for you.”

The masked man perks up.

“Momochi, what's happening? Are they about to fight?”

Momochi nods slowly.

“Shit, then that masked guy is dead,” one of his students curses.

“That masked man is called Bone. He is one of the Voices,” Momochi replies.

“A Voice? Shouldn't we help him then?”

“Yeah, we should protect our members,” one of his younger students stands up from a crouch while grabbing for his dagger.

Momochi holds up his hand quickly, stopping the foolhardy child.

“The rank of Voice is not a rank the Thieves’ Guild gives lightly. Those who have the title also have the weight of the guild on their shoulders.” Momochi smiles. “Only those with the strength may carry it.”

“Sir?”

“Just watch. You will understand soon.”

 

_________________________________________________________________________

 

The murder flocks around me, they caw and flutter through the sky, informing me of the thieves guild operatives. Seven of them, but only one of the seven can even be considered a threat. Regardless, I am not here for them. I am here for information.

“Take off your mask.” I order the man who has yet to move. It's not the first time my prey has been frozen from fear.

“Are you serious? That's the best you got?” The man shakes his head. “You fucking float down in a bunch of birds and you tell me to take off my mask like you’re some kind of hot shit? Like seriously, where's your pose? Your flare? You immediately ruined whatever vibe you were going for as soon as you opened your mouth, dumbass. Seriously, that’s like preparing a candlelit dinner, pouring the wine, and then asking your date to fuck you before you even eat. You can't do that, not unless you muscle burst your clothes and reveal a body chiseled by the gods themselves alongside a pulsing rock hard erection,” he points, “only then can you demand sex before salad.”

I stare at the masked man in confusion.

“What the fuck are you talking about?”

He leans forward and sighs. His hands go to his hips. “You fucked up. You fucked up real bad. All that effort to make a badass entrance, and you couldn’t stick the fucking landing. Just,” he waves his hand, “leave. You’re a disgrace. Go back to fucking crows, or whatever you do. It’s probably the only thing you’re good at anyway.”

Did he just…?

“How dare you insult me, you worm! Have you any idea who I am!?”

“Must I learn more than your penchant for cloaca?”

I call to the murder. They take to the skies, hundreds of them taking flight. They swarm in the air, circling above me, ready to attack and kill at a mere thought. The masked man snorts and shakes his head.

“Really? That's it? All style but no substance. Weak.”

Before I can comprehend his words, I sense an influx of mana which causes the hairs on my neck to stand up. My [Danger Sense] goes off as I watch the man’s shadow stretch out behind him. The darkness begins to radiate a dark purple. Then, from the shadow, a pigeon with glowing purple eyes takes flight.

First one, then five, then ten.

“What?” I say surprised.

The shadow expands further, releasing hundreds of doves in a stream that engulfs the man's body.

I frown and take a step back. I pause as I hear laughter from within the constant spew of birds.

As the man laughs, the shadow expands further, and then the swarm coming from his feet begins to cover the night sky, drastically outnumbering my own and any that I could possibly control.

I fall to my knees as I feel my crows dying in droves. They panic and scream for guidance, for me to save them, but I lack any ability to help. Their corpses rain down, striking the ground with wet flops near me.

As the last crow dies, the laughter instantly and abruptly subsides. The masked man walks towards me, stopping less than a foot from my face. He slowly removes his mask. Glowing amaranthine eyes meet my own.

His hand reaches out and grabs my throat. He lifts me up into the air.

“Your guild almost killed a friend of mine. Where are they?”

I give the man a smile before activating the enchanted tooth in my mouth. The enchant activates and my heart explodes.

“Fuck you!” I exclaim.

My mind slows and vision gets blurry. It all seems to grow distant very quickly.

Everything goes dark…

…

…

…

“Suicide? How quaint."

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