***[1]
Note: Regarding the events that have taken place on the subsequently stated date, the urban myth ''Nosferatu'' is currently pending for a reavaluation of its threat level as decided by Hana Asociation West Section 4 Director Dong-Hyeon.
March 5th, 984. 17:54 PM (20:06 Remaining)
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3 pairs of footsteps marched trough the backstreets on this particular evening, swords at their hips, tatoos covering their torsos and forearms, all of them, belonged to the Kurokumo clan, strolling as if they owned the place, because well, they quite literaly did
The silk had been received without much issue, something that was to be expected, although still a source of worry to some members thanks to a particular incident regarding what would later become an ensemble of distortions.
Regardless of the sucess of that little operation, there were still debts to be repayed, wether it be trough dismemberement or extortion, and in the case where neither is sufficient enough, clean ups to be done.
The scabbards of two of the wakashu were already thoroughly drenched in blood, to a passerby, a sign at a prime gut harvesting opportunity if one merely decided to walk in the opposite direction as they did.
A tall and broad man was at the front, hands cassualy in his pockets like he was taking a light stroll, with noticably more tatoos on his body, cigarrete in mouth, smoking lazily, the other two behind him following obediently.
''Say uhhhhhhhhhhh...tch-fuckin- whatchamacallit.....'' The words were forced out in a grumble.
''Uh....problem, mister enforcer?'' One of the men behind him asked.
''Nono is just uhh....who're we collectin' debt from again..kinda forgot.....my head hurts like a motherfucker from yesterday....''
''Maybe cause you drank 5 bottles of sake.'' The other stated bluntly.
''Nah nah, can't be it...my liver's uh....hic made of tough stuff...''
''Which is the reason why you didn't die from alcohol poisoning and only got a hangover. -_-''
''Oh yeaaaaaaaaaah, that's why.....heh, you two shoulda seen me in my prime, cap'n gathered all the enforcers for a party, forgot why though....anyway, lines up like....pffft- 10 bottles infronta me, hehehehe~, child's play, i chugged em all down in 10 seconds flat, a second for each bottle, aint that cooolll~''
''Wait Seriously!!??! That's so aweso-''
''Don't encourage him.'' The less impressionable of the two covered his mouth before he could say anything further.
''Hehe, yeah, was awesome, now seriously, who're we extorting here again?''
''Oh, yeah! I think it's uhh...''
The wakashu stopped moving, reaching into his pocket for a shoddy looking checklist, precisely 23 names and adresses written down onto it, of those 23 names and adresses, 2 have of course been crossed off, one with a red, and the other with a black colored pen.
''Mister.....Thomas? At building 232A which is-'' He blinked twice whilst taking in his surroundings, the building was quite literaly down the street.
''Right about there!'' He pointed with enthusiasm.
''Kay, lets go then.''
''Haah~ Sooner we get done with this ole' thing the better...''
A short walk later, the trio had arrived to the large apartment building, each of them standing infront of the metal door at the entrance.
''So uh...mister enforcer how exactly are we gonna get i-''
BANG
The broad shouldered man at the front had already kicked the door straight off its hinges before the more naive of the wakashu could even finish his sentence, reeling his leg backwards with a deep yawn.
It's interior was, unexpected however.
Pitch black, the corridor was in complete darkness, astrange mettalic scent filled the air, pungent and strong, like a sucker punch to one's nostrils with each intake of breath,the window at the end of the hallway had been covered with makeshift curtains, most of them assembled from dusty carpet that had clearly been removed from the floor not too long ago, patchworked together along with various table cloths, resulting in not a single ray of light getting in.
''Uhm...'' The naiver of the two fidgeted.
''I don't....think that's normal?'' The wakashu whispered into the ear of the other, to which he only responded with ''You think? -_-''
The enforcer took a sharp breath, almost like a hiss, slightly clicking his tounge whilst sticking his head in, looking around with a squint to try pinpoint anything.
'' 'Spose i never did get any of the more normal collection jobs....'' He scratched at the back of his head. ''Why'd anyone ever do this though...might be a distortion...'' His hand moved from the back of his head to the wall, feeling around in the darkness until his hand met the distinct texture of plastic, a little more prodding let to him finding the light switch.
CLICK
CLICK CLICK CLICK
CLICK CLICK CLICK CLICK
Nothing happened.
''Fuckers broke the lightbulb too...'' The theory was confirmed as his shoes crunched against broken shards of glass on the floor ''...Damn...''
''Uh....are you sure you should be entering this place....it seems.....''
''Scary as shit? I can tell, toss me a lighter.''
The wakashu seemed hesitant, but a reassuring hand on his shoulder followed up by a nod was enough to convince him, he reached into his pocket for a lighter, subsequently tossing it at the enforcer, easily caught.
''Goodie....now lets see 'ere...''
The warm glow of the lighter illuminated a small circle of light around the broad shouldered man, just enough for him to see in the hallway.
''Now wheres that window'' He muttered to himself ''Oh, and you two better come in too, don't be pussies, a little dark aint enough of an excuse as to why a debt's uncollected, cmon.''
''But-''
''He's right for once, i have no idea what you're even scared of''
''I-IT SMELLS LIKE BLOOD IN HERE THOUGH!''
''And? It's the backstreets, everything's gonna smell like blood, now come on, lets go.''
A protest died in the wakashu's throat as he was dragged forward by his hand, the other wakashu gripping it tightly enough to bruise, both of them slowly closing in on the light down the hallway that signified the enforcer's position.
''....Now wheres that damn window...'' The afforementioned enforcer muttered to himself again, beginning to ascend a staircase.
''Did you find it?'' A wakashu piped up from behind.
''Nah nah not ye-'' He cut himself off as he felt his forearm brush against a rough surface ''...Spoke too soon i guess, was wonderin' where the carpet went.....''
The lighter was lowered downwards, being placed into the hands of the less cowardly wakashu, the other one was currently holding onto the shoulders of that wakashu for dear life.
''Fuckin finnaly, lets get some light in e're.''
The carpet, and makeshift cloth attached to it we're easily yanked off by the enforcer, finnaly letting in some much needed natural light into the building, tossing the fabric into the wakashu's arms again, the enforcer continued making his trek up the stairs as this was done.
''Tch- Always get the annoying wo-hm?''
Once he eyed it closer....was when he noticed that the saying the table cloth had been ''sown'' onto the carpet would be a horrific overestimation of just how well the two had been connected, instead, they had been patchworked using an array of sharp red crystalline objects.
''...What are these...?'' One of them was plucked from the cloth and into the wakashu's fingers, being brought up to his eyes for inspection.
He took a tentative lick.
''.....Mettalic....''
''Uh, are you...s-s-sure you should be drinking that?''
''....Damn the enforcer's right you really are a pussy....''
''S-S-Shut up! It's perfectly reasonable to be scared here! I mean haven't you heard what happened to to those three who went debt collecting a few hours ago-''
DRIP
Something had dripped onto his finger....a....liquid...viscous and thick....warm too.
''Huh...that's wierd...it didn't rain in a whi-''
Above him it hung.
The enforcer's lifeless body.
A scene that made no sense, for by all conceivable metrics, such an act of raw unfiltered violence should not have been possible trough the deafening silence.
That body was mangled beyond all recognition,held aloft over the heads of the two wakashu by a bloodied tangle of insides, a glint of pale fangs we're what kept it suspensed midair, plunged deep into the captain's still beating heart that connected to the lungs, then intenstines, and finnaly the main body.
''Ptui-''
The figure spat it out, organs and flesh splaying themselves across the stairwell with a noise so sickening it made even the more hardened of the two wakashu almost want to throw up.
...As for the other wakashu, well.
''-A-AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH-''
SHINK.
He could've made it, in some other faraway mirror world maybe, but in this one, it just wasn't his luck it seems, a massive crescent blade had been thrown straight at his skull the moment he took a single step in the opposite direction.
His brains were spilling on the floor within seconds.
''Haah~ Feels good, maybe it'l get you lot to learn not to interrupt father's beauty sleep with your vile tounges.''
''Ngh-'' The other wakashu grit his teeth, fight or flight was the most basic of human reactions, and in this instance, every cell in his body was screaming at him to pick flight, but...a single glance sideways revealed what would happen if he followed trough.
''I can tell you're scared yknow.'' A soft voice piped up from the darkness above. ''I can hear the way you're breathing.''
A pale hand was stretched outwards, the scythe that had embedded itself into the head of the other wakashu, made from the same material as the crystals used to sow the carpet and table cloth together, dissolved into a puddle of blood, which climbed upwards in a small mound until it reached the hand.
''Yknow, that messanger was right, such a thing as a content backstreets rat doesn't exsist....i was playing pretend.''
''But now.''
The sound heard from upstairs was strange...like something crystalizing as another hand began to shape the blood into an apropriate shape.
Soft feet padded against the bare wooden floor as the figure finnaly came into view, wearing nothing but a robe.
''I finnaly get to be the one making up all the rules.''
The hardblood scythe glinted in the light as it was pointed downwards towards a sweat ridden wakashu.
''Now, i've got some questions you'l have to answer.''
''Do that, and i might, just let you live.''
[1] Kindly play "[SCP-5000] Suppress, Cleanse, Purge (SCP Foundation Theme)" On youtube for optimal reading experience.