The Ace and The Four kings

XJ's POV

"NOOOOOOO!"

"Shit."

I covered my right ear with my hand.

"P-please, have mercy..." he begged, trembling. "Whoever you are, p-please let me live! I promise, I'll change my life! If you want, I'll donate all my wealth to charity, to the less fortunate, to the —"

"I don't like noise," I cut off his long plea.

"P-please, let me —"

"What did I say?" This time, I was already holding the trigger of my gun. In the dead silence around us, I could almost hear him swallowing several times.

"How old was the one you raped?" I asked emotionlessly.

"I-I didn't rape anyone. Please! Believe me. I didn't!" Without hesitation, I aimed my revolver at his left leg and fired.

"Ahhhh! Damn it!" he cried out.

I shook my head as blood splattered on my cheek. "How old?" I asked, running out of patience.

"F-five years old," he answered, trembling.

I felt my blood boil at what I heard. I gripped my gun tightly and pointed it at his temple.

"Why?" I asked.

"W-why?" he asked back, prompting me to grit my teeth.

I pulled the trigger and pointed the gun toward the sky. "Next time you ask again, my bullet will go through your head next."

I felt liquid pooling at his feet after what I said.

"P-please... have mercy," he swallowed several times. "L-let me live."

The corner of my mouth curved up. "Mercy?" I repeated his words, wondering if he truly understands the weight of the words he just said. "I have something to ask you. How did you feel while raping that child?" I stared at him intensely. "Did you feel any mercy?"

He sobbed at what I said, but I was dubmfounded when he suddenly laughed.

'Crazy.'

"Yes! I admit it! It felt good! It was different having s*x with a child! There's nothing quite like —"

I didn't wait for his word to be finish, my vision turned black. I dropped my revolver, threw the katana from my back into the air, caught it without blinking, and swiftly sliced off his head.

"Monster." I wiped the blood off that splattered on my face.

[CLAP! CLAP!]

"What are you doing here?" I asked the man who had just arrived while sheathing my katana.

"Watching how the youngest assassin of Black Brother kills," he said, with amusement in his voice.

"Is there any difference in how you guys kill?" I asked emotionlessly.

"Well, compared to the heartless assassins of BBO, your killings have a trace of emotion," he answered, furrowing my brow.

"Why did you kill this one? He wasn't part of our mission, right? Why didn't you just hand him over to the police?"

I pulled out my katana again and pointed it at his neck. "You wanna know something?" I buried my katana in his neck. "There's justice that can't be served in prison because some justice is better done with your own hands." I quickly withdrew my katana and placed it back in its sheath.

"Woah! Woah! Chill. You're too high-strung for a 19-year-old. When did you come back to the country?" he asked, changing the subject.

"Earlier at dawn. The old man wanted me here."

"Oohh, why? I thought he assigned you permanently internationally?"

"I don't know," I answered lazily. "Let's just meet later at the headquarters," I added.

"Wait a second."

I irritably looked at him, waiting for what he would say next.

He grinned. "It seems you've gotten even prettier." He laughed like a madman.

I just glared at him and walked away. "What a nonsense," I muttered.

I have no time to waste on him. I have more important things to face.

It's time to face hell.

I stared at the massive door in front of me. The door to hell. The Headquarters of the Black Brother Assassination Group.

I took a deep breath. "I missed this," I whispered. As soon as I opened the door, a dark and terrifying aura greeted me.

'What else can you expect from the headquarters of notorious people like us?'

I hadn't even blinked when I felt something approaching me.

"Psh! It seems they've become more cautious now," I whispered with a grin while wiping the blood off my cheek.

I hadn't stood up yet when someone pointed a knife at my neck from behind. "How are you, XJ?" a man asked, then buried the double-blade into my neck. I frowned as I felt blood.

"It seems you didn't like the welcoming —" THUD!

I didn't let him finish as I slammed him to the ground.

"XJ!" Just as I turned, another double-blade flew towards me.

I grinned as I felt more blood trickle down my cheek.

"Long time no see, Princess."

"It seems all of you here are not getting rusty," I snickered. 

"Of course." They arrogantly answered in unison.

"Well, let's see."

I swiftly slid a nearby pipe up my leg, kicked it, caught it in mid-air, and ran towards Lee when Justin and Ranz blocked my way.

I didn't know why, but I just smiled. "Fools!" I smirked. "All of you, die!" I shouted.

I was already running towards them when the black door near us suddenly opened.

"Everyone. Stop!"

I was in killing mode when a man in his mid-50s emerged from the door, causing all of us to stop.

The founder of the Black Brother Assassination.

Julio Guevara.

"XJ, follow me," the old man commanded in a cold voice with a blank face.

Well, with that expression, I had no choice but to follow him.

"I'll be back," was all I said before leaving the foolish members of BBO.

"What happened in the US?" he asked as soon as we reached the office.

"I failed," I answered proudly.

"Hah. What happened to the most notorious and youngest female assassin of my brotherhood?"

"I was caught by a damn Blue Eagle agent. But don't worry, I can make it up again," I retorted.

"Make it up again? Or maybe you need a break?" His serious remarks made me look at him.

"It's been 13 years since you've been part of this organization. You were just six years old back then. I think it's time for you to have a break."

'So, it's already been 13 years, huh?'

'You heard it right. I became an assassin at the age of six. Thirteen years have passed, and I'm still an assassin.'

'A notorious one.'

"What do you mean?" I finally asked.

"Quit the assassination and get enrolled this year at Montreal University."

I looked at him in disbelief, I almost feel my jaw on the floor. "W-what?!"

'Is he joking? After 13 years of being his assassin, he suddenly says this? Is he out of his mind? And Montreal at that? That's insane.'

"Why Montreal?" I blurted out. "He fucking owns that school, you know that! Is this some kind of joke or what? Are you punishing me? Okay, suspend me all you want, but please don't joke about this kind of stuff."

"Why does it look like you're still bothered by his name?" He lit a cigarette. "It doesn't matter to me if he owns that university. All I want is for you to experience a normal life again."

"To make the record straight, I don't care about him! It's just that, you know, it's too late now." I lowered my head and took a deep breath. "Uncle, please, change your decision."

"Hah. You only call me 'uncle' at times like this," he puffed smoke.

"Okay, let's make a deal. If one year passes and you survive, I will accept you." 

 "That is, if you still want to be an assassin."

"This is ridiculous!" I exclaimed firmly.

"It's final. Later, someone will pick you up, and I want you to go with them."

"But, Uncle––"

"You may leave," he commanded with full authority. I had no choice but to follow him and leave the office.

'An assassin? Enrolled? Montreal University? Am I dreaming or what? 'An assassin suddenly becomes a student? That's absurd!'

As I walked out of the office, my mind was in turmoil. The thought of leaving the life I had known for 13 years felt surreal, almost like a cruel joke.

I wandered down the dimly lit hallway of the Black Brother Assassination Group's headquarters, my footsteps echoing in the silence. The familiar scent of gunpowder and metal lingered in the air, a reminder of the life I was supposedly leaving behind.

"Montreal University..." I muttered under my breath. The name sent a shiver down my spine. It wasn't just any school; it was his school. The man who owned it had a past entwined with mine in ways I wished I could forget.

"XJ!"

I turned to see one of my comrades, Lee, rushing toward me. His expression was a mix of confusion and concern.

"What's going on? Why did the old man call you in?" he asked, panting slightly.

I sighed, "Nothing."

Lee placed a hand on my shoulder, his grip firm. "Whatever happens, just remember, we're your family. We're here for you."

'Brotherhood, they say.'

I nodded, appreciating the sentiment, even though it felt like I was being exiled from the only family I had ever known.

Later that evening, I stood outside the headquarters, waiting for my supposed escort. The cool night air did little to calm my restless mind. A sleek black car pulled up, and a man in a suit stepped out, his expression impassive.

"Miss XJ," he addressed me with a slight bow. "I am here to escort you."

I hesitated for a moment, my instincts screaming at me to turn and run back inside. But I knew there was no turning back now. With a resigned sigh, I nodded and stepped into the car, the door closing behind me with a soft thud.

As the car drove away from the headquarters, I couldn't help but feel a sense of foreboding. This was just the beginning of a new chapter, one that I wasn't sure I was ready for.

But one thing was certain—life as I knew it was about to change forever.