_____________
Kaiser POV
5:10 AM
Knock!
Knock!
Knock!
Kaiser: "In a…*yawn*….minute…"
Click!
Whoosh
Splash!
Awakening to cold water in the morning is for sure something I don't ever want to experience again, so I promptly wake up and see Cresht standing ontop of my chest with a large empty bucket, large for his small frame, and I sighed.
Kaiser: "H-how long has it been…"
Squeak…
Kaiser: "Only 2 hours of sleep…? Oh how wonderful it is not worry about sleeping Cresht…"
Squeak!
Kaiser: "It is the best to simply go ahead and finish the damn contracts early and then get the fixer rank promotion on the afternoon…"
While I wanted to sleep more than waking up around 5 in the fooking morning, we do need the money and the Night Sweepers have now cleaned through the entirety of the damn city.
I groggily got up and put on my suit and tie and got up from the sofa within the room where the smelter and machines lay resting.
Walking towards the crafting tables I stared at Ochita and carefully held on its scorched steel sheath and felt that same connection from last night.
I put it near my waist and left the door before locking it and stared at the ready and prepared to go fight trio of Mo, Arnold, and Consta.
Kaiser: "Well then, I hope you all are prepared for a hellish two weeks of fighting"
Mo: "We are all prepared to support and raise enough funds to pay off the debt…."
I smiled and threw Mo an Combat knife with the molten obsidian as its base material and then told Arnold to prepare to have his prosthetic chainsaw arm removed and switch it with a protected arm guard that had spikes at the end of his prosthetic knuckles.
Arnold had simply nodded and with Cresht going within his body to remove the smaller yet complex parts did we finally remove his prosthetic chainsaw arm after twenty long minutes.
Swiftly myself and Cresht put on his new protected arm guard on his right arm and knowing just the Trenchur revolver itself was not enough, I gave him the last Combat knife and told him to avoid being cornered and rely on his teammates.
Arnold: "Yes, I will keep it in mind"
I nodded and so we left my apartment after locking the door and seperated into two groups with the ex-Brotherhood of Iron trio going to do simple tasks and if possible get a rank up promotion in the following days.
Cresht and myself swiftly moved to our first contract which was a small syndicate in the west of the district who killed three Nest Employee's.
2 Hours later
Once we arrived at the place, we saw numerous thugs patrolling around the place and I told Cresht to deal with this small syndicate and I will go deal with the missing people reports nearby.
Squeak!
Kaiser: "If you don't see me in a few hours on our agreed spot get the trio and keep them safe"
Squeak!?
Kaiser: "Well, it means there's something even stronger than you"
Squeak!
I sighed and told him to hurry up and finish his task within 4 hours or less to do our rank up as official grade 7 fixers but maybe with the Art gallery raid tomorrow it can reach grade 6 if we manage to defeat the Ring Students.
I thought about it but decided to ultimately leave it up to fate but I do want to try and defeat a strong opponent.
Sighing, I continued walking around where the local dissapearances kept happening and looked for some shady people but found no one at the moment.
30 minutes later
Having found nothing near the alleys, I was about to leave the area to go find the other Small syndicate elimination contract but In the corner of my eye, I saw shining red eyes in the deepest part of one of the alleys.
Once our eyes met, the red piercing eyes had swiftly disappeared into the shadows and my hand clenched around Ochita's sheath and rather than follow them to an ambush, climbed up one of the buildings and was careful not to break anything.
Once ontop I was careful not to make much noise looking from above at the alleyways down below for a good while.
30 Minutes later
After some time passed, I almost decided to leave until I caught a pair of two, a gentleman and a lady walking into the alleyway speaking candidly and laughing.
Once no one saw them enter, the male had suddenly bit the unsuspecting females neck as he held her mouth shut with his hand her very body becoming paler and paler as her body dried up into an carcass.
Whoosh
Crackle!
Spark!
Crackle!
Jumping down from the rooftop I unsheathed Ochita and with a side horizontal sweeping slash, burning embers sparked before orange flames ignited and a wave of flames burst forward burning the ground and the blood soaked man who threw away the carcass of the woman.
As the man started running at unnatural speed I sprinted forward and sheathed Ochita before pulling out my revolver and aimed at the figure and pulled the trigger hitting him on his chest but that didn't seem to make him stop.
Whoosh
Step!
Step!
Step!
I continued running and aimed at his legs and pulled the trigger twice. The first shot missed as he jumped over a trash bin and the second bullet managed to hit his legs as he fell down.
???: "Hiss! Damn you! Help me you bastards!"
Whoosh
Tumble!
Thud!
As we managed to make it into a slightly larger open space the man shouted out as he had tripped and stumbled onto a trashbin.
Hearing his shout for help I ducked an diagonal slash from the left and aimed my revolver straight at the red eyed attackers skull and pulled the trigger.
Whoosh
Bang!
Crack!
Tear!
I exhaled a breath of compressed heated air
as I dodged the sudden strike that cracked the ground beneath my previous position and holstered my revolver.
Whoosh
Crackle!
Swiftly unsheathing Ochita I had slashed horizontally as a wave of orange flames was launched engulfing the figure in flames before moving forth and swung Ochita thrice as I aimed for vitals in the storm of flames.
Whoosh
Tear!
Cut!
Whoosh
Tear!
Cut!
Whoosh
Tear!
Cut!
Whoosh
Bam!
The first swing sliced his left arm off, the second swing cut off his right leg and the third swing decapitated his head but the man I chased from earlier swiftly attacked from my left hitting me in my ribs and I exhaled compressed heat in my body.
Whoosh
Bam!
Crack!
Whoosh
Thud!
I felt an intense pain in my ribs, maybe a fractured rib but as I was launched into the brick wall I managed to get out of the way as the man launched himself at me with his elongated claws.
Whoosh
Clang!
Whoosh
Clang!
Whoosh
Clang!
Rolling to the right I raised my scorched steel sheath blocking his next swing as we both clashed then backed off before I swung Ochita in a diagonal slash and the man raised his claws clashing once more.
I kept swiftly being backed into a corner with every corner and I couldn't help but grin and laugh before I exhaled a trail of compressed heated air from my body.
I kept holding my position but knowing there might be others watching or waiting to strike I leaned back and let the man snarl as Ochita lit up in flames and engulfed the man as he hissed in pain.
Whoosh
Hiss!
Thrust!
Tear!
Exhaling another breath of compressed heated air I sprinted after him and my guess was right as from the shadows another figure lunged at me but I reeled back my arm before thrusting Ochita forward with my palm as Ochita lit up in scorching orange flames and engulfed the feminine figure through her open mouth.
Whoosh
Clang!
I pulled back Ochita and raised the blade in defense again the red eyed man's wild attacks and I held on as I used Ochita's sheath to thrust its burning heated metal into the red eyed man's figure as he hissed in pain and I pushed him off me.
Before he could retreat, I had exhaled another trail of compressed heat and felt my body start to get… fired up.
Ochita was suddenly engulfed in orange flames but this time they didn't extinguish with a single swing as I rushed forwards as another two more red eyed figured lunged from the shadows.
Albeit weaker than the red eyed man with a tophat, I swung Ochita horizontally in a wide sweeping slash and they were engulfed in burning flames and I focused like never before and slashed five times at both figures who's skin started bubbled up before exploding in orange flames.
I exhaled compressed heated air from my body once more and focused as I saw the man run away as numerous weaker men and women ran at me from the alleyways but thwir bodies were paler and their eyes were dull.
Kaiser: "So you were the one responsible for their dissapearences…if only Cresht were here I could have known just what the hell these things are..!"
Blocking a lunging blow from a nearby man with a broken pipe I smacked him with Ochita's sheath that released orange flames and while surprising me I used to my advantage.
I backed off and jumped onto a trash bin before jumping onto one of the rushing vampire like figures head over and over again until I jumped towards where I saw the man run off to.
Seeing more appear in my path I sheathed
Orachi and pulled out my Trenchur revolver and as the random follower or subordinate tried lunging, I raised my right leg and kicked the man into a wall before pulling the trigger and killing him.
Sprinting forwards I tried focusing on where he had escaped to but with the rushing crowd behind me and the endless interconnected alleys it appeared I had lost him as I sighed and exhaled a trail of compressed heated air before turning to the rushing crowd of vampires or whatever they are.
I placed my hand on Ochita's handle and tightly held onto it as I read the final skill of Ochita once conditions were met.
Kaiser: "Bellowing Scorched Embers: Fallen Embers Fivefold Slash…"
Whoosh
Crackle!
Burn!
Hiss!
Crackle!
Once the rushing group of 7 vampires had neared Ochitas range I unsheathed Ochita as scorched flames engulfed Ochita's blade and performed an upward diagonal slash burning the group as they shrieked and hissed in agony.
Whoosh
Crackle
Tear!
Burn!
Crackle!
I swiftly swung Ochita in a wide sweeping attack that hit those who weren't staggered as their burns increased and saw the orange flames increase in size but I exhaled a breath of compressed air as I prepared my third attack.
Whoosh
Crackle!
Burn!
Crackle!
Burn!
Bam!
I raised Ochita high preparing for an downward swing as I felt the heat within me build up and the orange flames on Ochita's blade become even larger before I swung downwards splitting the group in half.
Whoosh
Seeing only one person left I exhaled another breath of compressed heat from within my body and looked at the scorched ground and falling embers from the orange flames that lingered on their charred corpses.
Kaiser: "Well guess that was a nice surprise for me…if only they were strong enough to let me use the final strike…"
Sighing, I sheathed Ochita and walked out of the damn interconnected alleys into the open plaza before heading out to the place Cresht was to meet up with me.
30 minutes later
Squeak!
As I looked around for Cresht, I wanted to go look for Cresht but I heard an all familiar squeak and I looked down at my feet to see Cresht with small stack of papers.
Kaiser: "Ah! Nice to see you are fine Cresht!"
Squeak?
Kaiser: "aWell I ran into some strange people for the kidnapping case as they can drain blood from others that of a vampires but are weak to flames"
Squeak!
Kaiser: "Hmm? Bloodfiends? Bloodbags? What the hell is the difference if they both need blood?"
Squeak…
Kaiser: "Hey! Stop shaking your head like a disappointed dad! Well the bloodbags that you said are eerily similar to the missing people…"
Squeak!
Kaiser: "Yeah, I will leave it to you to write the report but the Bloodfiend left quickly and escaped into the alleyways"
Squeak!
Kaiser: "So you finished yours huh? Well at least these contracts are finished and we got 2 hours before the scheduled fixer rank up"
Squeak…
Kaiser: "Yeah you're taking yours too Cresht, also before Arnold turns in his contracts make sure they are worded perfectly and get them to rank up in the same day…"
Squeak?
Kaiser: "Yeah it's for tomorrow's raid and I am guessing we will be contacted soon about a proper meeting on how to deal with the Ring and their leading Docent…"
I sighed thinking about it but decided to simply think about it once the Seven and Liu Associations had made a plan we could think about it later…
1.5 Hours Later
After a long walk we had made it just in time with ten minutes left and as we headed inside to the front desk where the clerk from last time waited I caught a glimpse of Constatine talking with a man in full white clothing that of the Hana Association.
In that moment our eyes crossed paths and I simply smiled before submitting my own reports and the one Cresht helped due to my limited knowledge of Bloodfiends.
Constaine simply turned to look back at the man in white who gave a surprised look at me but I gave it no mind and waited a couple of minutes as the lovely clerk was verifying my contract and soon enough the clerk gave me a confirmation that the funds were sended my way.
I nodded and let Cresht submit his as the Clerk had simply made sign language and Cresht did the same and I simply watched in surprise like I always do seeing how fast they both make hand sign and not long after Cresht gives me a thumbs up with his small paw.
Kaiser: "We are also here for the Fixer rank reevaluation into fixer rank 7"
Clerk: "Very well then, follow my colleague to the designated room for re evaluation of your rank up…"
I nodded and once Cresht climbed onto my shoulder followed the man she called colleague to a rather large room where other fixers were waiting but we went right ahead before stopping at a man in white suit writing down notes on an clipboard.
???: "Sorry to bother you Mr. Victor, but these are the fixers who have their appointment at this time…"
Victor: "That is fine, I am your examiner for today and for your basic evaluation you simply need to pass a few common tests"
The older looking gentleman had brought us in deeper into the building as it was an open area similar to a white room but given the impacts and scorched areas this will be a physical exam.
Victor: "For this we simply need you both to come at me and give me your best shot within a timer of one minute and I will judge wether you pass your physical"
While I am confused on why we are simply skipping past the basic strength tests like stamina, endurance, writing reports, and judgement tests I simply nodded.
Victor: "Time starts now…"
_______________
Narrator POV
Once the man known as Victor finished speaking, Cresht had wasted no time as he unsheathed his rapier and thrusted his rapier thrice at the figure who simply flicked their hand and a black ink like liquid spear formed in their palms.
Clang!
Clang!
Clang!
Victor had simply parried all three swift strikes with every swing of the spear made from the strange black liquid that while surprising Kaiser, had unexpectedly planted an idea in his mind wether or not it would be beneficial or detrimental for him to further explore the city.
Whoosh
Crackle!
Whoosh
Crackle!
Seeing Cresht's probing attack fail, Kaiser unsheathed Ochita and let out a breath of compressed heated steam before he had rushed forwards and raising Ochita up high Kaiser had suddenly brought down upon the examiner a wave of burning orange flames with his vertical downward slash.
Whoosh
Crackle!
Whoosh!
Crackle!
Victor: "Now thats…quite the surprise from a rank 8 fixer…"
BAM!!!
Victor dematerialized the black ink spear and waved his hand as a tall shield of black ink sprouted up from the ground and protected him from the inferno of orange flames that made impact with the shield.
The once clean white flooring now had become charred black with orange flames yet Victor remained standing as his shield had dematerialized back into a black inked long spear.
Victor: "I must say impressive, but time is till ticking…"
Whoosh
Clang!
Clang!
Clang!
Hearing his words, Kaiser grinned as he rushed forwards swinging Ochita with wide sweeping attacks as Cresht jumped onto Ochita's steaming hot blade and tried striking Victor while he blocked but he would raise his left hand and black ink would solidify and block his small yet impactful rapiers thrusts.
Whoosh
Clang!
Clang!
Clang!
Squeak!
Kaiser had exhaled a trail of compressed heated air and clashed once more against the emotionless face of Victor and faint smile before he began counterattacking as his left foot became encased in black ink.
Whoosh
Clang!
Clang!
Whoosh
BAM!!!
Crack!
Crack!
Once Victor parried Cresht's swift barrage of thrust attacks with his rapier he pushed both Kaiser and Cresht off him with ease and raised his left foot before slamming it down as Kaiser raised Ochita to block but found himself kneeling as the ground beneath him cracked with the heavy impact of his kick.
Victor backed away as Cresht tried striking once more and swiftly delivered a heavy roundhouse kick that sent Kaiser flying as his bones cracked from the impact, making him exhale a breath of compressed heated air.
Squeak!
Cresht rushed forward thrusting fivefold at Victor who materialized a shield in his arm before Cresht sidestepped Victors wide diagonal slash.
Now back to Kaiser, as hewas sent flying into the wall and slid down he exhaled a breath of compressed heated air and a grin couldn't help but appear on his face as deep within his eyes a burning glint appeared.
Kaiser rose up from the ground and began staring at Cresht and Victor whom both were clashing steel against steel at incredible speeds one could not fanthom.
Kaiser: "Hah, so only Cresht can keep up…? No…I won't let Cresht protect me for my own mindless wishes…guess I should get serious too…"
Whoosh
Crackle!
Whoosh
Crackle!
Whoosh
Crackle!
As Kaiser whispered to himself, at the other side of the room were both Cresht and Victor clashing sparks flying everywhere until they felt the room's temperature had suddenly increased and looked back at where Kaiser now stood with burning orange flames wrapping around him as if alive.
Whoosh
Crackle!
Whoosh
Crackle!
Kaiser exhaled a breath of compressed heated air as he gripped Ochita's handle tightly before he started walking towards Victor that slowly began to turn into full blown sprinting as orange flames gathered within Ochita's blade.
Whoosh
Crackle!
Whoosh
Crackle!
Victor: "Hmm…you have 20 seconds remaining before the examination ends… so show me you strength…"
Kaiser: "…Bellowing Scorched Embers: Fallen Embers Fivefold Slash…"
Once Kaiser had approached, he held Ochita as scorched flames engulfed Ochita's blade expanding further and performed an upward diagonal slash that Victor created a black inked shield to block.
Whoosh
Crackle
Clang!
Burn!
Crackle!
Kaiser had swiftly swung Ochita in a wide sweeping and saw the burning orange flames increase in size and he exhaled a breath of compressed air as Kaiser began preparing his third attack.
Victor kept blocking Creshts sudden rapier thrusts with his black inked spear and seeing Kaisers incoming attack he lifted his leg as black ink coated his leg before he stomped down onto the white tiled ground before it cracked and a mass of white and black rose upwards blocking Kaisers attack.
Whoosh
Crackle!
Burn!
Crackle!
Burn!
Bam!
Kaiser raised Ochita high preparing for an downward swing and felt the heat within the room elevate and the orange flames on Ochita's blade became even larger before he swung downwards splitting the ground in half as the tiles ended up charred and Kaiser exhaled another breath of compressed heated air from his lungs.
Whoosh
Crackle
Whoosh
Burn!
Crackle!
Burn!
Seeing Victor still standing with sweat on his brows, Kaiser exhaled another breath of compressed heat from within his body and looked at the scorched ground and falling embers from the orange flames that lingered on the white tiles.
Victor: "10 more seconds…show me your strength…"
_____________
Kaiser POV
One more time…while I remembered from last time wanting to finish the last slash yet I couldn't because they were weak…
Whoosh
Crackle!
Whoosh
Crackle!
So seeing such a strong opponent I can't help myself but try my best as this is can be considered an actual test of my skill at this moment…and with that in mind, I exhaled a trail of compressed heated air.
The moment I had exhaled that last breath of compressed heated air, the orange flames surrounding me suddenly retreated back into my body and as I raised Ochita high I stared at my examiner Victor straight in his eyes as I panted from the overwhelming pain burning through my body but I jumped high into the smoldering air.
Kaiser: "I hope you find this last slash satisfactory…"
As I raised Ochita high above my head, I held onto the handle tightly with both hands along with the burning sensation throughout my body, the orange flames had suddenly burst out wildly as they merged into numerous flames on my back transforming into wings.
Victor: "Hah…it appears I need to get serious too…hey little rat…I hope you don't mind if your boss gets injured with the threat level he is radiating…"
Squeak!
Victor: "That so…then come at me…"
I forcibly pushed through the throbbing pain throughout my entire body as my flaming wings flapped downwards and orange flames started expanding as I finally swung down at Victor whose spear had transformed into an black lance made of ink and a black trigram now occupied his white suits right shoulder.
Whoosh
Clang!
Crackle!
Whoosh
Crackle!
Whoosh
Crackle!
BOOOOOOMMM!!!
Within the very room, a loud booming noise could be heard all of a sudden surprising many within the Hana Branch Building and those outside as the very temperature increased dramatically and the Crackling of burning flames could be heard if one were close to the Examination rooms.
Crackle!
Burn!
Crackle!
Burn!
The very room itself was an living inferno of pure unfiltered red and orange flames that kept everything hidden within if an observer tried looking inside.
Whoosh
Crackle!
Burn!
Crackle!
Yet within the very dephs of the once white room that had been engulfed in flames there stood a man in his charred white suit bleeding from his hands as he held his black lance made of ink that dripped down onto the burning ground from the intense heat.
Whoosh
Drip
Crackle!
Whoosh
Drip
Crackle!
Opposite of him stood Kaiser who with trembling hands coughed up blood from the spear embedded in his right shoulder as Ochita had cut through his black shield and cut into Victor's own shoulder as the burning blade cauterized his flesh.
Whoosh
Crackle!
Crackle!
Slowly Kaiser fell down and Victor pulled out his embedded spear from his shoulder and the orange flames soon stopped blocking the reinforced glass with their flames, allowing the observers and other Hana fixers to swiftly enter to detain the examiner and examinee for thwir actions and question the sudden escalation of an regular evaluation.
???: "Victor!? Hey you alright!?
Victor: "Me? I'm fine, its the young kid who you need to worry about…"
???: "Wh- did he cause the sudden flames…?"
Victor: "Yeah but he had something to prove and if you see the passion in someones eyes you don't stomp it out but let them grow stronger…"
???: "Thats…did you just read some random quote? Aren't you an musclebrained idiot…?"
Victor: "Hah!? Whatever, just check up on the kid and his companion…once he wakes up tell him he passed his fixer rank evaluation to a fixer rank 4 or 3…"
???: "…But he was just here to do his fixer rank 7 evaluation…."
Victor: "Yeah his fixer rank 7….wait… fixer rank 7…Hah!?!?"
Victor: "Thats no fixer rank 7 type of strength!?!? The kid even managed to slice my arm too!!! Give me his damn report you rascal!"
As Victor took a look at Kaisers report file, a familiar face appeared and stared at the charred walls that were once white tiles, the injury on the shocked Victors shoulder, and lastly at the unconscious Kaiser who refused to let go of his grip on Ochita's handle.
Victor: "Hah!?!? He really is just a rank 8 fixer not a high ranking one!?"
As Victor went on a long rant about how the Hana Association didn't notice his strength and potential growth Constaine watched Kaiser closely as if observing his flaws.
Constaine: "Sigh…based on your sudden appearance the Liu Association would most likely recruit both you and your office…"
Constaine: "But you don't appear to be a person who would use their influence to join them and settle your debts…"
Constaine: "What an interesting individual you are… no criminal records and no known previous sightings yet you deal with your enemies effectively…"
As Constaine talked to himself, his fellow subordinate behind him couldn't help but speak about the current situation.
???: "Mr. Constaine, if you would let me speak…"
Constaine: "No need to be so formal Schefreide, speak your mind freely with me"
Schefreide: "It appears you are interested in Mr. Kaiser's information and his history, but are we not going to charge him extra for the damages inflicted on the Hana Associations examination room?"
Constaine: "If we do, either the Hana or Liu Association would pay it for him"
Schefreide: "Because of his sudden potential and strength as an rank 7 fixer…?"
Constaine: "Correct, but I would switch the fixer rank to atleast an 5 or 6 until he has beaten an high level opponent…that reminds me that he is part of an raid for tomorrow against one of the Rings Art Exhibit's…"
Schefreide: "Indeed Mr. Constaine, judging by his current power he can most definitely fight against an Docent and if he manages to win it would secure his spot as a new rank 5 or even 4 fixer"
Constaine: "Well let's head back to see who comes first but I believe the Liu would be the last to find out…"
Once the two figures left the Hana fixers swiftly moved other examinees out of the rooms blocking out the area.
Victor: "Hah, to think we would come across a strong fixer who just began!"
Once Kaiser and Cresht were lifted to a stretcher and sent to their branch's healing wing with Ochita slowly pulsating with trails of heat being released slowly.
Yet deep within Kaisers mind there was a faint glowing ember that slowly grew from a small thumb-sized ember to an palm-sized ember before stopping as it dimmed once again.
.
.
.
.
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To Be Continued