NABC Chapter 211 – Burning Heart
Chapter 211 – Burning Heart
Chapter 211 - Burning HeartThe meeting with Alba was completed, and they hadn’t seen each other since. Syrus had been active, continuing with collecting supplies and planning their next goal. They hadn’t just been looking into Abe. There were also other suspects. Was Abe still likely the mastermind or within that group? Likely yes, and that was the thought they were going with. But there could always be weak points in other spots.
The city had been getting slightly busy; there weren't any events upcoming from what they knew, but there had been more boxes moving around. They did check some of these crates because they were curious, but it was all normal supplies. Luna wondered if it was a part of the culture and if they stockpiled more supplies this time of year. Eva apologised as she wasn’t much of a help, as she didn’t know much about the overarching business side of the country. Within her area, it was more about the individual items, which were determined by the growing season.
[Sigh…] Syrus angrily sighed as she heard more people stare down from the buildings in the alley they walked through near the edge of the city. They were in this spot to check a certain politician's business venture to see if there were any… interesting aspects about it.
This was an empty alley. These buildings were supposed to be empty since work was closed on this day of the work, and from the noise, it was clear they weren’t employees who had come to just stop by.
They had been attacked a lot. In most cases, it wasn’t a group effort, and only one person tried to assassinate them before escaping. They had stopped trying to kill them since they just did that themselves if caught, and it wasn’t worth the hassle, and in most cases, it would require chasing someone through the city.
Syrus had debated with the other two about more lethal approaches, but they held her back, since killing someone seemed to be a way the country had been trying to catch them with. Syrus understood the reasoning and relented since it was a two-to-one vote, but every attack, which totalled sixteen, worsened her mood.
[Everyone, we have at least five attackers.] (Syrus)
[Is that too many to non-lethally dispatch them all?] (Luna)
[We could probably do it, but that would be riskier.] (Syrus)
[I figured so. Lilly, I don’t think we can hold back for our own safety.] (Luna)
[I understand.] Eva replied calmly. The most important life was their own. If they stumbled into a trap now, it just meant it was time to end this trip as Syrus. Running away was potentially an option, but Syrus could tell their escape routes were blocked off. There had to be some fighting involved, and Syrus wanted to send a message.
Within moments, their walk was interrupted as sharp bolts flew down from the windows and the ends of the street. Syrus perfectly dodged them as they embedded themselves deep into the ground. There was also a faint liquid on the tip of the bolts. Eva picked up one of the bolts with her wire and threw it into a vial for later study. The motion was quick as she picked up while they were standing directly over, and the vial was one she was keeping in her pocket.
Poison had been used on them so many times, but they hadn’t had a good opportunity to examine what type of poison it was. So, the potion vial that Eva used contained a substance that should keep the poison from decaying, giving them enough time to study it later.
After the first wave of ranged attacks, many more came raining down as the group continued to rapidly fire, but Syrus had no trouble dodging them. Even when out of sight, the sound of the trigger and the bolts flying was far too noticeable. With the surprise round failing, the group jumped to corner the target.
Wind began to surge from two of the individuals, while the rest simply readied their weapons and charged. Syrus pulled out two daggers and began combat, her blades ready to cut right through the hearts of her enemies.
The organised group tried to surround and attack in a group combination, but they couldn't break through Syrus's defence, and one had to be pulled back by a friend as Syrus’s dagger nearly split their throat. With each swing, Syrus wished she had a sword, or even a spear. She liked the reach of those weapons, and a dagger never felt right. If she needed to attack someone that close, then her fist would usually do enough.
Eva wires joined the fray and tripped up one of them, which Syrus managed to stab directly in the chest. He managed to move in time to miss the heart, but it should still be fatal. But then, in the next seconds as she was gaining ground on the rest of the group, she noticed the man beginning to heal.
[A self-healing ability, and you are still in this field?] Such an ability felt wasted on a vermin who had entered this line of work. [Eva, let's try what we practised.]
[On it!] (Eva)
Syrus flames began to slowly cover her body in a mantle. The regal vestige appeared almost ominous as the flame coating flickered towards her enemies.
Then, flames were extending from Syrus’s form along the wires. The two metal devices transformed into bewitching trails of flames as they almost involved the image of two large feathers. Syrus flicked her arms, and the two metal strings lashed out like a whip and crackled across the air.
The constant attacks from assassins had been getting Syrus. It was bringing back memories.
Hunters weren’t expected to deal with assassins, and in truth, the same was held for mercenaries. To be killed within one’s sleep was not an act anyone would ever expect.
So, it was so shocking that seemingly one day. That rule changed.
“Again, and again. You never learn.” Syrus's words were cold with rage. “Every death is just a reason to try again.”
Her flames soared through the group as they burned her opposition and left deep scorching lashes.
Assassins… Syrus knew that term well, and it held a few different meanings for her.
She parried the attacks, and Eva caught a projectile with the wire and flung it at someone else out of sight.
The first term shared the connotation with traitor. Those who backstabbed another away from the scene of conflict for greed or pride. It was a term given to the worst mercenaries because of their actions, and for the longest time–in Syrus’s first life–there had been no modern example. Then that changed. The first one who chose to betray nearly all the simple rules mercenaries followed to keep everything working acted.
Then, hell broke loose. The story spread, and now, if someone performed the action, they wouldn't forever be known as the breaker of the pact.
Memories of seeing a colleague enter her room with a knife after working together on a job resurfaced in Syrus’s mind. She had always been a cautious individual. It was part of nature to always be ready, as one never knew one when conflict may arise. Though if someone broke into a room, it was usually to steal, not murder.
Whispers of greed and rewards from those who knew how to manipulate people sent far too many mercenaries to their graves.
Far too many…
For those people. For most of those people. Syrus held a mixture of pity, disgust, and anger. The only solace was these people, knew exactly what they were doing and never complained when they died by her hands. Choosing the path of disgrace, even after sharing struggles. There was something pitiful within that.
Seeing Levi hadn’t brought back these memories, but her days within this city. Among ordinary people, an innocent mother and child were targeted because of their blood. It re-ignited a rage within her.
Eva wanted to stay to save her home and the children who had been harmed by this city. Luna shared similar sentiments, but more impersonal and knew that allowing this country to be influenced by people who utilised tragedies for their benefits would only bring ruin to many more lives than it already had.
Syrus understood those feelings and shared them on a much smaller level. In the end, though, she was here for two reasons. Eva and Luna wanted to help people within the city, and it was her job to protect Mary and Max. The best way to the latter was to make sure the people who were willing to harm them were no longer in the picture.
Her words echoed across the large alley. “I won’t be demanding answers from any of you. I actually prefer it if you stay alive, so you can return a message for me.” Syrus dodged a strike and kneed the attacker in the stomach before sending them flying. “That is your only worth.”
The other common term of Assassins was more in line with what was depicted in stories. Groups who worked under a certain government or organisation whose prime purpose was to eliminate individuals on a list.
Unlike some of the fantasy stories Jen read to them, all assassins belonged to someone. Usually trained for that role, they were the personal hired weapon. They didn’t exist to protect, defend, conquer, no, only to eliminate. The guilty, the innocent, it didn’t matter, besides getting in and out without being caught.
Those people here didn’t know any respect for true violence against men. Syrus held no distaste for those who lived in peace. However, these insects who kept following around them, vermin who could only sneak and strike, who would never stand in the front of any battle, and made the choice to kill purely on the order of another.
Syrus didn’t find the act of killing a threat silently, the problem. She had wished many times she could do that to those who had caused so much death. But the people, who are assassins primarily. Time and again, they had proven to be the type of people she despised.
Mercenaries killed people on orders, but the rule was always that the mercenary chose the contract.
An assassin would only question the when and how.
One of the masked individuals was trapped beneath her foot as the flaming leg burned through the man’s armour and slowly clothes.
“I. Don’t care about most things,” Syrus warned. “The only reason I am choosing not to burn down this country to find those you work with is that there are people who don’t want me to harm the people of the city, and there are those who have their own plans for you, and they are likely to be far more successful than I.”
Perhaps someone would say her thinking was wrong, or even partially hypocritical. Syrus didn’t care. She had stopped listening to most people’s opinions long ago.
The flame feathers wrapped around the area as their colour burned brighter and the temperature increased. The power of all their abilities continued to increase after their fusion and finally being healed. The latter had been a massive limitation in their learning as it constantly held them back. Even when techniques that didn’t seem to use the body, as always, mana still needed to move at least partially through the body with every use of their Attributes.
“However…” Her eyes glowed with the ferocity of a woman who had killed so many people in the act of war that if anyone heard the number that would assume it was a lie. She was no great magician, and her magic was far weaker in her previous life than the current. The one that bore the title of the Crimson Lion was, in the end, a warrior, which made people fear and respect her even more. “If this keeps up, tell your puppy master that I will burn it all to the ground. It doesn’t matter where you hide, my flames will reach you. That is my promise.”
An assassin jumped from behind, empowered by an ally’s wind, and he soared quickly towards Syrus, who was interacting with the person on the ground. His poison weapon ready, but Syrus spun and kicked him away, and the wires quickly wrapped around him
The assassin, who had been completely healed and looked perfectly fine to fight again after taking even more–lighter injuries–was captured.
Everyone else was either dying on the ground or underneath her foot.
It was time for her warning.
The wire wrapped around the assassin, and Syrus gripped her hand as the wire transformed into a deep red.
“Argh!”
[The wire can’t hold…!] Eva warned, the wire wasn’t as durable as Syrus's swords and would be damaged if maintained for much longer.
“This is my last warning.” The red wires exploded in a torrent of flames that quickly vanished, flashing the whole area in a deep red light. The body underwent a painful melt as the charred corpse fell to the ground.
Eva distracted herself from the action by focusing on performing them rather than the actual actions. That death was far too cruel of a killing for her, and they could have executed him far more humanely. But Eva understood that it was meant to be a spectacle, and there was something else. She felt the rage within Syrus, and allowing Syrus to release it was far more important than demanding that they listen to her morals at this moment.
She hadn't felt Syrus truly angry often, and this wasn’t on the level of the worst case where they shared the same anger. But something within the last few days had sparked something within her.
Luna and Eva both assumed that something about these assassinations triggered a bad memory for Syrus. Noether knew what the mercenary world was like for Syrus, and came to some wrong conclusions
Syrus began to walk away from the crime scene. The people on the ground weren’t dead yet, and she knew someone else was nearby watching. That person raised their weapon from a long distance away, but Syrus turned her head to stare at them, almost telling them to try.
She figured she would find out later if any died from the injuries or poison. Her last showing wasn’t quiet, and anyone who was in the area was likely alerted. But that didn’t matter; soon, Anlesa had completely vanished.
[We are going to go into deep hiding now.] Syrus said there was no need for this form of theirs to be used. If anyone asked, they had left the city.
[That is fine, are we still going to go ahead with the other plan?] (Luna)
[Yes, no reason to change that, and it still fits even if ‘Syrus’ vanishes for a while.] (Syrus)