Arc 2: The Tower of Power
The Twelve Stärkeren
Asura wasn't scared or surprised—she was just wondering why he was doing something like that without caring about who might be around.
[Jay Another: Number 8 of the Stärkeren]
"Kingdom guards or even guardians could've come here and caught you," Asura said as she stared at the dismantled body of the elf lying on the ground. "What are you going to do with the body?"
"Don't worry, I'm being as fast as I can. And as for your second question, well... Elves live for two hundred years. It's hard to get elven bodies since they don't usually die of illness," Jay answered while tying the elf's feet, when he suddenly heard footsteps.
Jay turned around, gripping a medium-sized knife with a white handle tightly.
"Relax, you two... Is something making you nervous? Or are you hiding something?" A hooded figure had just stepped out of the alley to the left of Asura and Jay. Slowly, the person pulled back their black hood, revealing the angelic face of a beautiful woman.
[Samantha Shisui: Number 12 of the Stärkeren and Asura's cousin]
Samantha was a sweet and gentle young woman, different from the rest of her family. At just over five feet tall, her height didn't stop her from being intimidating and ruthless in battle. Interestingly, she didn't belong to any class within the organization—a mystery no one had managed to explain. Because of this, her uniform was always solid black, with no tribal markings.
"Samantha, it's been a while, hasn't it?" Asura said with a warm smile toward her cousin.
"That corpse stench is spreading. Wrap it up, Jay," Samantha said, glancing at the tied-up elf.
"Done... Happy now?" Jay replied, then extended his right arm forward and opened a turquoise-blue portal where he placed his belongings. He lifted the elf's tied body and threw it inside the portal, which instantly vanished in a burst of glowing mana particles.
"Don't you two have anything better to do than test my patience?" Jay muttered, feeling like he was being underestimated—even though he was on the same level as both women.
"Don't get me wrong. I was just passing by. But let me warn you—today, you're allowed to do as you please. However, the day will come when you lose your value. And when that happens, I'll hunt you down," Asura said, glaring at Jay. Her killing intent was so strong that her mana looked blood-red. The pressure in that narrow alley was so intense it made Samantha suffocate.
[Cough, cough]
Samantha coughed, overwhelmed by Asura's deadly aura. The mana polluting the air was stabbing into her lungs, making it hard to breathe. Turning around, she hurried to get out of the alley.
"I'm heading to Alta Luz City. The meeting starts in two hours, so don't be late. If you run into the others, let them know."
Immediately, Asura withdrew her mana and followed behind her cousin.
"I have something to discuss with you."
Samantha glanced back at her and replied, "Then let's go."
Jay simply watched the two walk away and gave a command to his shadow.
"Come out, my companion."
Jay's shadow turned humanoid—a faceless, formless figure of pure darkness, materialized from his own shadow.
"Find me more specimens. Try to locate a beastman—I need a few 'parts' from that species."
Asura and Samantha walked through the alleyways toward a garden near the town square.
"I need to find a specific tree," Asura said. "It's further north in this district, near the small cherry blossom gardens."
"What's so special about this tree?" Samantha asked, curious—after all, their original goal was Alta Luz.
"The leaves make a tea that can cure diseases."
"Hm... You, saving someone?"
Asura closed her eyes slightly and answered, "I don't kill for fun. Only for duty, for what I believe is right. I'm not the kind of person you think I am—I just follow the orders I'm given."
"I see..." Samantha glanced at Asura and sensed that maybe she carried a burden far heavier than anyone realized.
"But what did you want to talk about?"
By now, they had exited the alleys and entered the square, where the cherry blossom garden was located. The streets were crowded with merchants shouting out their goods and spices.
"I want you to gather the leaves and seeds of the cherry blossom tree and take them to the doctor in our family's kingdom. I trust only you with this task," Asura said gravely.
"Leave it to me. But it'll take time—I'll have to cross three continents to reach Ynadril." Samantha didn't ask why; she just accepted the mission.
They walked for about ten minutes until they reached the entrance to the square.
"We're here."
"What does the tree look like, exactly?" Samantha asked—she'd never seen a cherry blossom before.
"It's tall and the only one with pink leaves."
"Then it's that one," Samantha pointed to a tall tree in the distance with vibrant pink leaves.
"Let's go!!"
It was beautiful—tall, with branches stretching in all directions and stunning pink foliage.
"Help me collect the leaves, please." Asura pulled two plastic bags from her pocket, kept one, and handed the other to Samantha.
"Let's fill the whole bag," Samantha said.
"You're right—the more, the better."
While crouched, picking up leaves without looking, Samantha accidentally bumped into something soft.
[Boing... boing]
"A-ah, I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to... My fault," Samantha looked up and realized she had bumped into the chest of Sana Vesper.
[Sana Vesper: Number 4 of the Stärkeren]
Standing in front of her, touching the leaves of the tree and meeting her gaze with quiet confusion, was one of the most feared and lethal women in the world.
"Lady Vesper, I-I didn't mean—" Samantha stuttered, unable to find the right words.
Sana was a stunning woman around twenty-six years old, standing about five-foot-seven. She always wore a violet kimono embroidered with flowers, and strangely, she always kept her soul materialized at her waist. This should have caused a huge drain on her mana—but for some unknown reason, it didn't.
"It's alright, my dear. Don't worry, accidents happen," Sana said with a gentle smile as Samantha trembled with nerves.
To be continued...