Manuke FPS

After I killed 3 of the 5 assassins while capturing one alive, I then reported back to the Pavillion and Laptiricia-ama. I let the last one escape only after I’d attached a GPS tracker to them with my VMB Original Gun. Now, I dragged the captured one by the neck as I returned to the detached house. Both his hands had been tied and the leg I’d severed with my tomahawk had been mended. 

As I approached, I could see guards patrolling around the house. They noticed me approaching with a prisoner and three of them rushed to me. 

“Shaft-san! Is that one of the attackers?”

“I went out on the northern side and killed three people. I also managed to leave one alive. For now, let’s see if this one would be willing to tell us something.”

After informing them of the situation and what to do next, I left the man to them and went inside. Upon entering, I could feel that everyone still had their guard up. Once in the living room, Ashley and the escort commander approached me. 

“Shaft, were you injured?”

“Shaft-dono, you seemed to have returned safely. What happened to the attackers?”

“I am uninjured. I encountered 5 assassins. I captured one and let another escape.”

“You let one escape on purpose? Why did you do that?”

“To find the whereabouts of their hideout and plan on our next course of action. I’d also like to ask the commander to continue keeping watch of everyone for now. I’ve handed the prisoner to the escort team for interrogation. 

“It is our duty to guard everyone, so you don’t need to ask. But will you be alright going on your own?”

“That’s right. It would be easier for me to move and fighting style suits solo work. Ashley and Laptiricia-sama should rest now. There probably won’t be any more attacks soon. And tomorrow’s schedule would be hindered if you didn’t rest properly.”

“Okay, but Shaft, if it involves an aristocrat, be sure to turn back and not recklessly attack, okay?”

“Would it be troublesome if a noble were involved?”

“That is so. After all, the Royal Family and high-ranked nobles can punish other nobles. It’d be considered legal self-defense if they attacked first, but outright attacking them is no good.”

“ – –  Got it. I’ll be sure to remember that.”

Blowing up the entire mansion if the raider went to a noble to report – that was my first thought to solving the problem. But it seems it’d be too troublesome for me to aim directly at nobles… I remember the people I’ve attacked before, and even though they were high profiled, none of them were nobles. After I reported what happened to the captain, and the girls, I prepared myself before I gave chase to the escaping assassin. 

I wanted to crush those that were aiming for us quickly rather than not know when they’d attack again. 

After entering my room, I opened the TSS and took out the FMG9 along with its magazines and suppressor. Of course, my current loadout probably wouldn’t be enough when it came to an infiltration after all. I then checked my map to see the current location of the transmitter. The GPS dot had stopped moving, but it was somewhere I hadn’t mapped yet. 

After my preparations, I left towards the dot’s location. It was around midnight and I ran through the dark cityscape while avoiding others to avoid being seen. That bandit should’ve been around here, but there was only the blip on the map. It was also the place where the GPS was currently transmitting from. 

I pulled out the Welrod from my wait and held it with both hands. Ready to fire at a moment’s notice as I approached. On my map, the GPS tracker was coming from the light, but the map couldn’t display anything else. 

After all, there weren’t any other light sources or sounds for the sensors to pick up. After closing in, a stone building appeared in place of where both the GPS and blip was at… Was this a bar or an inn? Even bars were supposed to close at this time. However, I could faintly hear the panting of both men and women coming from the building’s… Second floor… 

The sounds made my body tense up, but I cleared my mind. I ran up to the roof of the building while ignoring the noise.

The marker was still not moving from its spot. There ‘s only one thing I could do now. While I hid on the roof, I looked at the spot where the GPS pointed to – something like a stockyard where bricks and planks were placed. 

I could see the silhouette of a person where the GPS pointed to. I looked around to see if there were others, but it seemed like there was no one else. Just in case, I activated my NG and FLIR to make sure. 

As I descended from the roof of the building and approached the silhouette, I found the attacker laying there. It seemed like he’d been disposed of by whomever they came to meet. A small circular GPS transmitter – approximately 1cm in diameter – blinked a dull red against the person’s black attire. 

Well, who in this world would ever know about what a GPS was? In other words, either the employer or members of the dark guild might’ve already intended to dispose of them regardless of if the attack had been successful or not. 

With the circumstances at hand, I touched the GPS on the map and disabled its blip using the TSS. After doing so, the transmitter on the person’s corpse disintegrated into small light particles. 

Even though I’d let him escape on purpose to track the culprits, I returned to the Pavillion with the thought that I’d wasted my time. I would have to inform the commander of what happened along with informing the one left behind. I wonder if they’d change their minds if they knew this. 

It can’t be helped. And even if Laptiricia-sama didn’t want to, might need to even torture the prisoner to extract information… It seemed like they were interrogating the assassin in one of the main building’s room.

I entered the room with the commander. The attacker sat tied in a chair with a noose. His hood had been removed and he faced the floor as if depressed.

“So, did he finally start speaking?”

“Shaft-san, Commander, this guy is quite tough. He still has not spoken a word.”

“Commander, please prepare someone who can use healing magic. If we can’t let him speak with his mouth, then I wonder if his body would answer.”

“That’s right, let’s bring in two of them. If they take turns, they won’t even be that worn-out even if we go until the morning.” 

Hearing this, I saw the attacker’s body respond to our conversation. It seemed like he’d reach his limit soon.

“Hey you, do you know me?”

I crouched down in front of the assassin and turned him towards me. What he saw in front of him was my kevlar mask of course.

“… Shaft.”

“Hou, it seems like my name has been known in this city too. Yet, you still tried attacking Laptiricia-sama, despite knowing I’m here?”

The man’s facial structure closely resembled one with Asian characteristics. The hair was cut short and dark brown, but it was long enough for me to grab. His eyes were panicked as if he tried not to look directly at me. 

“Starting now, we will be using healing magic while peeling off your skin. Especially your face, and this will continue until morning. Well, you don’t really have to say anything. After all, you don’t know anything, right?”

I heard the attack gulp. I could hear his heart rate increase; it sounded as if it were going to pop out of his chest.

“I don’t want to hear anything anymore. We’ll be tearing you apart until morning. Then display your body parts for all of Veneer to see. I’ll let you feel what it’s like to receive the judgement of Laptiricia-sama’s escort.

The assassin’s eyes had a terrified look in them. A terrified look that suggested I was some kind of horrible monster.

“What is it? Don’t worry, we won’t kill you yet. The healers will be here to ensure that you live – -”

As I said so, I took off my kevlar mask. With my zombie face exposed, I stared at the assassin. 

“I wonder – will your face look like this after everything is said and done…”

With cheeks of exposed muscles, eyeballs that were nearly popped out and a swollen red forehead, the assassin saw this horrifying face in front of him. He grabbed my hand and I could feel his hand shaking as I held his hair.

“Pl-please, don’t! I’ll speak! Ask me anything, I’ll answer it! Please, I’m begging you – I will definitely answer it – I swear!”

And he broke.