Chapter 127: Chapter 126 – Reasons Why

“Uh, sure,” Jackie replied to Yuki’s question. “I wouldn’t mind joining. I’m sure Abel doesn’t either, right?” She glanced over at the man sitting next to her. He nodded. “Yeah, he doesn’t mind either. But, like, what do you guys even do?”

“Good question,” Yuki said. “We’re basically a group of vigilantes as well. Just on a larger scale. And with a little less killing.”

“Okay. What do you fight against then?”

“That’s still in flux. I’m watching what’s happening in the world and reacting as such,” Yuki said. “However, the main thing that our little group is against is a dark guild that you may have heard of. You know the Shikaku, correct?”

“Of course. Everyone knows them.”

“You’ll be surprised. But anyway, that’s our main target if you will. They are the reason why you are here and why this place exists in the first place. They basically control Mason Inc. and use their power to manipulate the police to do some work for them. Most of the policemen that arrested the people that were in here were given trumped up charges.”

“Okay. So what do you do to them? You kill them?”

“No. Not right now,” Yuki answered. “We are in a transitional phase where we are changing tactics from annoying them to pissing them off. Your expertise would be very useful in doing this.”

“So you want a hitman basically,” Jackal smiled. “I can do that. Just as long as you tell who the target is. If I say no then you have to respect that though.”

“That’s fair enough,” he shrugged. “If you say no then I’ll just get someone else to do it or I’ll do it myself. But a quick question. If I ask Abel to do something that you refused to do, will that be fine? I hope he isn’t blindly following you.”

“He makes his own decisions. Just ask him and he’ll give you a nod or something to reply. For more complex questions, might want to call me. Or give him something to write on.”

“Good to know. So what do you say? You want to help us?”

“If I can get back at the people that put me here and do the things I’ve been doing before, I don’t see why not,” she said. She reached out with her right hand. “I’m on board.”

“I hope our work together will be fruitful,” Yuki replied, shaking the hand. He looked over at Abel who was still sitting. “How about you?”

Abel gave Yuki a nod and gave him a shake as well.

“Well then. I’ll introduce you real quick to the others. Then we have to leave,” Yuki said, turning around. “From left to right is Erica, Yuna, and Akira. Sarah was the one that left earlier.”

“Hey everyone,” Jackie waved. “I’ll be working with you for now.”

“Welcome,” Akira smiled. “I hope we can get along.”

“Hi,” Erica said, waving back.

“Hello,” Yuna said slowly. She turned her head toward Yuki. “Boss, I wanted to ask you something but didn’t want to interrupt. Why are you letting them join? Aren’t they criminals?”

“I let them join because they can help us,” Yuki answered. “I don’t particularly care if they’re a criminal or not. I just need to know why your one in the first place. Jackie and Abel are criminals because they broke the law. Not because they’re ideas were wrong.”

“Not to be rude, but isn’t recruiting murderers not a good idea in general?” she asked. “They seem very apathetic towards their victims. And what stops them from killing guild members?”

“They’re apathetic, not psychotic,” Yuki clarified. “Those are different things, Yuna. They operate on a different set of ideals that make them look evil to the eyes of the public.”

“I...see.” She looked troubled as she spoke.

“Yuna,” Yuki said softly. “We’re a dark guild. We’re already criminals in the eyes of the public. Nothing we do short of becoming a legal guild is going to convince them otherwise. So recruiting a few capable people isn’t going to hurt us.”

“Still.”

You are reading story The Hidden World at novel35.com

“I don’t want to make you uncomfortable Yuna. I know that you don’t find the idea of working with a murderer appealing and, to be honest, your completely justified. In fact, most people would agree with you. But when I hear about a murderer, I don’t write them off immediately. I try to find why. Why they did what they did. I don’t look at what they did.”

“I know but killing people and not feeling a thing isn’t normal,” Yuna said. “I. I just don’t know.”

“Yes, it’s not normal. But that doesn’t make the person evil,” Yuki explained. “If the person killed was completely innocent then I would say that the murderer is a psychopath and should be killed or put in prison. However, if the person killed was a horrible person then I couldn’t care any less. There’s a reason why I asked all those questions before I gave them my offer.”

“I thought you were trying to see whether or not you could release them.”

“I was. I was seeing if I could recruit them or release them or if I had to kill them. If they felt regret then I would have dug to find out why they felt regret. If they had truly felt regret about killing a person and not regret because of their position now, then I would have released them. If not, I would probably have killed them.”

“Not recruit them?” Yuna asked, her eyebrows drawing together. 

“No. I have no use for someone that regrets their actions for the wrong reasons,” he said. “They are trash and shouldn’t be given another chance. Either you own up to what you’ve done and accept it, or you try to make up for it. Not cry about the consequences that came after.”

“But you’re fine with cold killers?”

“Not cold killers. That would imply that they have no emotions whatsoever. I want someone that can carry out a task without letting their emotions get in the way. Regret or guilt causes doubt. Doubt can get you killed.”

“I would also like to say something,” Jackie butted in. “I’m actually a pretty nice person if you’re not some criminal or douche.”

“They also aren’t evil,” Yuki continued. “They are just seen as such because of their mode of operation is considered immoral to society. Yuna, I understand where you are coming from. But it’s important to consider the person rather than just their actions. Be open. Things that you once thought you understood could be wrong.”

“I don’t think I can trust them though,” Yuna replied. “I just can’t.”

“I’m not asking you to,” he said, shaking his head. “I don’t trust them. No one here trusts them. All I’m asking you to do is work with them. Make them gain your trust. Can you do that?”

“I can do that,” Yuna nodded after a long pause. 

“Good. Now before we go, I need to do one more thing,” Yuki said. “Yuna, I’m going to have to kill the other three in those cells.”

“Why?” she frowned. “Because they’re criminals?”

“No. Because they might say something. And they’re suffering. Two of them are starving themselves to death. They’re trying to die. The pain is gnawing at them and hunger is all they can think about. The other one’s mind has shattered. He’s been confined for too long.”

“But that’s murder.”

“Yuna, you thought nothing when I killed those guards. Why would you think is wrong when I’m trying to help them?”

“I—,” she started. Then she stopped, her face strikened.

“Murder is murder. But it’s the results, the consequences, that determine whether that murder was right or wrong,” Yuki said softly. “You didn’t think because it was necessary. And now you think because you believe it is not. Death can be a mercy, Yuna. Two of them already want to die. One of them can’t even think. You understand.”

She said nothing. Yuki faced the last three occupied cells and placed his hand onto his earpiece.

“Uriel. Open their doors.”

“Understood.”

The glass entrances slid up silently. Yuki walked through them, his footsteps echoing. He stopped in front of the broken man who was still staring at the air. Gently, he wrapped his arms around the man’s head. Then with a sharp jerk, a crack resonated in the air and the man became limp.