Chapter 28
Third Floor: Electronics Department
"So... these guys are mixed in with the regular staff on every floor," Nagumo muttered, tightening the telephone cord around an unfortunate target's neck. "Plus, some of them are acting as customers. This is tricky."
"Huh? Really?" Sakamoto raised a brow. ' I thought everyone here was an assassin. Well, that saves me some trouble. '
"Hey, there's no one working the register," a customer called out, glancing around.
Nagumo stood up from his hiding spot, quickly scanning the items at the register.
BEEP.
"That'll be 1,300 yen," he said with a polite smile.
"Ah, thanks!" the customer replied, handing over the money.
Sakamoto blinked. "You know how to work a register?"
Nagumo grinned. "Hah! No need for you to learn, Sakamoto. You'll never work retail in your life."
A deep voice cut through the conversation. "Not good, kid. You won't become a top-notch assassin with just killing skills."
The two turned toward the voice. A man sat in a massage chair, the faint hum of its motors filling the space.
"You kids are from the JCC, huh?" the man continued, stretching his arms. "How's Satoda? And how's that big kid ...what was his name again ?.. oh yeah katsumi?"
Nagumo tilted his head. "who are you gramps ? You know Sensei and Kasumi?" ' Nice work hiding that bloodlust' he thought.
The man smirked, shutting off the chair. "Yes. Invited both to my organization, and both turned me down."
"Are you the Steel Dragon?" Sakamoto asked, shifting into his stance, ready to lunge at any moment.
The red-haired old man cracked his back with an audible pop. "Ah! Steel Dragon—cool name, right?"
"No," both Sakamoto and Nagumo said at the same time.
Hearing their response, he sighed. "Well... the name's Kindaka. I lead a team known as The Order." He lazily pointed at them. "So, which one of you is the strongest?"
' this looks like it gonna be a hassle ' nagumo thought he then pointed his finger toward sakamoto " him "
" yeh ..me "
"And who's more popular with the ladies?" Kindaka asked with a smirk.
"he is ..duh " Sakamoto said, pointing at Nagumo, who simply smiled in response.
Ignoring the banter, Sakamoto leaned in and whispered to Nagumo, "The Order... do you know what kind of organization that is? And is this guy even our target? He looks different."
"Nope, never heard of it," Nagumo replied, pulling out the picture of the Steel Dragon that the school had given him. He studied it for a moment before tapping specific areas on the face. "Frontal bone, eye socket, nasal bone, ethmoid bone... If you really want to change your identity, you have to start with your bone structure."
"Oh? That's an old picture of mine... And hiding? Why would i hide from a bunch of teenagers who probably didn't even hit puberty ?" he said, his hand still tucked in his pocket.
Then, in an instant, Nagumo blurred from his spot, reappearing behind Kindaka. With a swift motion, he yanked the back strap of Kindaka's bulletproof vest, pulling him off balance—just enough to give Sakamoto an opening.
"Let's finish this, Sakamoto!" Nagumo called out.
Kindaka lifted his head just in time to see Sakamoto charging at him. He moved to strike—
But in an instant, Kindaka vanished.
And Before they could react, both Nagumo and Sakamoto were sent flipping through the air.
!?
They landed on their feet, hands skidding against the ground to stop themselves.
"You see him?" Nagumo asked, wiping the blood trickling from his nose.
"Nope," Sakamoto replied, blood running down his forehead.
"I'm very fast," came Kindaka's voice from behind them.
Both quickly turned—nothing.
"I'm the fastest assassin alive... A couple of slowpokes like you don't stand a chance," his voice taunted again, this time from right in front of them.
Without hesitation, they both struck Nagumo with a cutter, Sakamoto with a pen.
But Kindaka was already moving. He ducked effortlessly, tightening the Velcro on his shoes mid-motion, his body language making one thing clear ,he wasn't taking them seriously.
Nagumo's eyes widened in shock and confusion. How can a human move that fast?
"Heh, if you wanna run fast, you'll need these" Kindaka said with a smirk, glancing down at his shoes.
"Oh, so he's got some kind of special shoes… that explains it," Sakamoto muttered, both he and Nagumo looking at Kindaka in disappointment.
"My trusty partner—Light Speed Shoes!" Kindaka declared, flexing his foot. The motion made the closure pop open.
Behind him, a random kid gasped. "Mama, I want those!"
"You're too old for those kinds of shoes," his mother replied flatly.
"Satoda told me about you. I'll give you a nice workout, so come at me ready to die, punks," he said, lifting his sunglasses.
"Hah? What's with this assignment? Did our teacher set us up?" Nagumo muttered. Then, turning to Sakamoto, he added, "This isn't the first time they've done this. We really need to do something about it."
Sakamoto, completely ignoring him, stared at Kindaka's shoes. "Those shoes are kinda cool." Then, turning to Nagumo, he asked, "Hmm? You say something?"
Nagumo's only response was to suddenly jump away.
Before Sakamoto could react, his eyes widened in shock as a heavy blow struck his chest. The impact sent him flying out of the electronics shop, crashing through the air before plummeting from the third floor.
"You're hopeless, kids," Kindaka exclaimed, leaping after him.
"Your movements…" he said, grabbing Sakamoto by the back of his collar, "are as boring as a kid's roller coaster."
With a smile, he hurled Sakamoto to the ground. The impact sent him crashing through the first escalator—then the second—then the third, shattering each one on the way down.
"You should use the stage more widely and freely," he said, still smiling.
Shuddering, Kindaka looked up and noticed a blue-haired girl standing on the ledge two floors above him. Her eyes flickered rapidly as she scanned him, her gaze sharp and calculating.
'Oho! She's analyzing my weak points,' Kindaka thought, glancing at her from the corner of his eye.
Rion lunged, her knife aiming straight for his bicep. Kindaka instinctively raised his arm to block, bracing for impact—
At the last second, she shifted her attack, redirecting her blade toward his neck instead.
Kindaka barely managed to jump back, narrowly avoiding the strike.
Midair, Rion pulled out a gun and fired straight at his face.
Swoosh.
Kindaka's hand shot up, catching the bullet midair. His expression twisted slightly as a fragment of it lodged into his palm
' Her killing pathway has zero wasted movement... Can't believe she actually put me on the defensive '
'What does this girl see? 'Kindaka wondered, a small smile creeping onto his face as he observed her.
"Gotcha," Rion said, her eyes glinting with triumph.
"Huh!?"
PLUNK!
Kindaka's vision went black.
A washing machine had slammed over his head, completely covering his sight.
Before he could react, a brutal impact followed—Nagumo and Sakamoto kicked the machine simultaneously, denting the metal beyond recognition with Kindaka still trapped inside.
BANG!
The washing machine crashed down onto the first floor, sending dust and debris into the air.
"Who was that guy?" Rion asked, glancing at Sakamoto and Nagumo, who were still staring at the wreckage.
Even after all that, Kindaka still got up, shoving the broken appliance off himself. Blood dripped from his nose and mouth, and his cracked sunglasses barely clung to his face.
"You little punks..." He spat blood onto the ground, then grinned. "Wanna join the Order?"
"Who are you, mister?" Rion asked, eyeing him warily.
"I just kicked you really hard ,how are you still standing?" Nagumo added, his brows furrowed.
Kindaka didn't respond. He simply stretched his leg muscles, rolling his shoulders like he was warming up. "You can give me your answer after I beat you."
Rion's eyes narrowed as she caught the subtle twitch in Kindaka's legs. "Here he comes" she muttered.
At her warning, everyone leaped out of Kindaka's path
In a blur, Kindaka lunged forward, his hand clamping around Nagumo's leg.
"You kids think you can just jump away randomly?" Kindaka chuckled, his grip tightening. "That's cute. What if I told you that when I'm in running mode, everything else moves in slow motion?"
Nagumo swung his free leg, trying to land a kick to loosen Kindaka's grip even slightly, but kindaka effortlessly dodged by lowering his head. "Give me a break, kid" he muttered.
"Here! Nagumo! Catch!"
Rion's voice cut through the chaos as she tossed a knife toward him. Nagumo snatched it out of the air and immediately drove it down toward Kindaka's head.
"Didn't you hear me earlier? That wont work."
Before the blade could make contact, Kindaka lunged forward with sudden speed. The sheer force wrenched the knife from Nagumo's grasp, leaving it suspended in midair for a split second. Then, with a sharp motion, Kindaka hurled Nagumo across the other side of the floor
Then, as if nothing had happened, he returned to his previous spot, seamlessly catching Nagumo's knife that was still in the air and hurling it toward Rion's face.
' What ?!' Rion's thoughts froze as she instinctively caught the knife just inches from her face.Her mind struggled to process what had just happened...one moment, he was gripping Nagumo's leg, and in the blink of an eye, Nagumo was gone, and he was standing there as if he had never moved.
Think… What can I do? He moves like a fly… Wait—like a fly.
Rion tightened her grip on the knife, then suddenly hurled it at Kindaka.
Seeing the attack, heleaptd back to evade it—just as she expected.
Before he could land, Rion dashed to the other side, her foot already swinging toward the spot he was about to touch down on.
"Oh-ho! That's smart," Kindaka smirked, twisting his body mid-air jumped back this time a bit father to gain distance from her and Sakamoto that was right behind her
The force of rionkickedd the pillar that was on it way
' tsk didn't work ' she said taking her knife from the ground , then she saw silhouette coming out of the food shelves behind her toward her back " oh no you dont "rion twisted slashing what she assumed was Kindaka
"Oh..."
She realized her mistake too late. The thing she had just slashed in half wasn't Kindaka—it was a vinegar bottle.
"Aaack!"
The sharp sting hit her eyes instantly, burning as she instinctively rubbed them, only making it worse.
"Those with good eyes will react to anything" he said, looking down at her with a smile.
"Umm... excuse me, sir, do you know how much these costs?" A frail voice came from behind him.
"Hmm? I don't work here... now where is that oth—"
"Oh? Is that so? Because I heard a red-haired old man is about to get his head impaled by it right now. " His voice suddenly shifted to a much younger when saying the last part
Wha—?! Kindaka twisted his head just in time to see a fish spear inches from his face.
His head jerked back violently, and pain shot through his body. 'Argh, my back... I thought it was a civilian.
That killing intent... No, it wasn't just controlled it was nonexistent... It's like he's not even there '
"Long time no see, my boy Katsumi," Kindaka said, eyeing the guy in front of him.
He wore a tight jacket that looked like it was seconds away from bursting at the chest part, paired with mismatched green shorts. A cigarette hung lazily from his mouth, his expression one of complete disinterest with the fishing spear still in his hand
Kindaka's gaze flicked to the price tag still dangling from the jacket. He smirked. "Look, I'm not trying to embarrass you, but I think that jacket you stole is for girls."
"I know," Kasumi said with a shrug.
"…" Kindaka stared at him blankly before his eyes widened. ' Where are my glasses—oh.
His thoughts halted when he spotted Kasumi casually putting them on.
"Oh… this is unfair—ooh, no, never mind, I'm about to puke." He quickly put the glasses away, shaking his head." You use these to see the world in slow motion, right? Well, they're mine now. "
Stretching, Kindaka cracked his back. " You think I'd be powerless without them? Only second-rate assassins overly rely on their weapons… and I'm at the top of the—"
Before he could finish, Sakamoto grabbed his shoulder and wordlessly dragged him toward the elevator. Kasumi watched him go dumbfounded.
"Gaaah! Kasumi! Pleease! Look at my eyes!" Rion, still rolling on the ground, called out to him.
Kasumi glanced down at her hands. "Oh, they're beautiful, just like the sea and the sky—"
"WHY ARE YOU FLIRTING WITH ME NOW? GODDAMMIT!" she yelled, her voice rising in frustration.
"Okay, okay, my bad..." Kasumi said quickly, holding his hands up in defence. "Let me see."
"I can't. It hurts too much!" she pushed him away, wincing.
"It's gonna hurt more if you keep rubbing it," Kasumi replied calmly. "Just let me take a quick look. I'll help."
"Ugh, fine, but please hurry and tell if it infected," she relented, slowly pulling her hands away.
Kasumi, in a move that surprised her, spat into her eyes. "Now it'll rehydrate."
The next thing he knew, a sharp kick landed right into his face, sending him crashing through the food court tables.
BANG!
He tumbled into the kitchen, knocking over a stack of trays as he hit the floor.
"Etete…" That was harsh. What's with her? I was just trying to help" he muttered, pushing himself up—only to feel a sharp, unfamiliar pain in his butt.
"…Huh?"
Slowly, he turned his head to look behind him.
His expression froze as he lowered his gaze
There, lodged in his butthole, was a knife.
" Oh no," kasumi poking the knife to see how deep it was
And yes, it was very deep
________
Sakamoto shoved Kindaka into the elevator and pressed the button to close the doors. As the space tightened around them, his usual calm expression didn't waver.
"In a confined space speed doesn't matter," he said
Kindaka cracked his neck, a smirk playing on his lips. "Try me," he said, beckoning Sakamoto with a finger.
Sakamoto threw a jab at him, which Kindaka easily evade , he then kept spinning around Sakamoto. " Didn't I tell you ? You'll never get me with your wimpy moves
In an instant, Sakamoto twisted, driving the side of his fist toward where Kindaka was about to appear.
"Ah… a hit."
Kindaka clicked his tongue, barely avoiding the strike.
"I'm starting to get used to you… You're not that strong without your glasses."
DING
The elevator doors slid open.
"Is that so? Hah! You're so fun," Kindaka grinned, but his expression quickly shifted, his eyes sharpening. "Time to shift to max gear."
Then, in the blink of an eye, Kindaka vanished, his movements blurring as he darted from every possible angle, making it impossible for Sakamoto to predict where the next strike would come from.
"What are you looking at? If you just stand there staring like an idiot, you're gonna get bulldozed," he said, lunging at Sakamoto from behind.
Out of nowhere, a white-haired guy casually stepped into Kindaka's path.
"Huh!?" Kindaka's eyes widened as he abruptly twisted his body to avoid crashing into him, barely managing to stop himself with a sharp turn. He winced as he felt the strain in his muscles. 'Damn, that emergency stop nearly broke my back...'
Rion walked up to Uzuki, rubbing her eyes. "Hey, Uzuki, how did you even see him? And why are you suddenly helping?"
"You don't follow a fast target with your eyes—you anticipate their movements based on the surroundings," Uzuki replied coolly. "And as for helping... I just don't want you telling the teachers about me slacking off."
Hearing this, Rion laughed. "Hah! Why the hell would I snitch on you? What a dumb thing to worry about."
"Nice work!."
From the floor above, Nagumo leaned against the glass railing, looking down at them with his usual easygoing smile.
"Hurry up and get down here!" Rion called up to him.
Meanwhile, Kindaka analyzed uzuki.' He's sharp. He read the situation instantly and jumped right in front of me without hesitation… Now that's what I call an ambush '
Then something rolled onto him.
"Huh?" He glanced down—it was an advertisement banner.
Before Kindaka could react, Sakamoto spun him into the air using the same banner he had wrapped around him earlier.
Then, with a swift motion, he slammed Kindaka down on the second floor, the impact shattering the floor beneath them and sending him crashing through to the level below.
' My spine is officially disintegrated,' Kindaka thought, smiling in defeat. "Not bad, kids... not bad at all."
"Mission accomplished! Geez, I'm tired," Nagumo said with a stretch.
"You didn't even do anything," Rion shot back, exasperated. "Well, at least we won't get expelled now."
Kindaka let out a strained chuckle, forcing himself up despite his injuries. "You kids really don't know anything, do you?"
Everyone turned to him.
"He's still alive?" Sakamoto muttered, eyeing Kindaka in disbelief.
"Whatcha talking bout pops?" Rion asked.
Seeing their clueless expressions, Kindaka smirked. "Even if you kill me now, you're not going back to school. You were sent here to die."
"To die?" Nagumo repeated. "Well... wouldn't be the first time they pulled something like this."
"This time is different," Kindaka said, his tone grave. "They sent you to me to see if you're useful. If you survived, I was supposed to recruit you. It's a win-win agreement ...we're always short-handed in this field."
"I once asked your fri—"
"Yeah, yeah, you already said that," Sakamoto interrupted, his voice flat.
Clicking his tongue, Kindaka scratched his head. "Well, I figured if I convinced his friend first, he might join too. To not feel left out... Anyway, going back to school isn't an option. If you think I'm lying, go ahead and call them. You're probably not even on the attendance list anymore."
Nagumo frowned but pulled out his phone and dialled.
Vrrrr... click.
"Uh, sensei? We're done with the assignment," Nagumo said.
"Wha—!? How are you alive?! Vice principal!! Vice princip—"
Click.
Nagumo stared at his phone blankly.
"Huh?! Does that mean we're expelled?" Rion panicked, her voice rising.
"But without a diploma, we can't get a Type two license..." Nagumo muttered
"Listen, kids," Kindaka cut in, his tone casual yet firm. "If you wanna go back to school, how about we make a deal?"
"You can get us readmitted?" Sakamoto asked, sceptical.
. "You know Yotsumura? The professor at your school?"
"Who?" Sakamoto frowned.
"Oh, you mean that old guy who shows up once a year for special lectures?" Nagumo said.
"Yeah, the super tough-looking dude," Rion added.
Kindaka grinned. "Between you and me, Yotsumura's in the Order too. He and I are the founders."
Nagumo's eyes narrowed. "So you could negotiate with him for us, right?"
Rion crossed her arms. "Hold on. What even is the order?"
"It's a special organization that reports directly to the JAA… We're the JAA's strongest fighters. Right now, there are only four of us in Japan," Kindaka explained, his voice brimming with pride.
"Whoa," Sakamoto muttered.
"Huh?! Act more impressed!" Kindaka huffed.
Before he could continue, a voice interrupted from behind.
"Is there a short old man with a katana in that organization of yours?"
Everyone turned. It was Kasumi—walking toward them, his expression unreadable. And, still lodged in his backside, was the knife.
"Hmm… You mean Mister Takamura?" Kindaka began, but then his eyes widened. "Gasp—What's up, Katsumi?!"
Sakamoto barely reacted to his back. "Where were you? You missed all the fun."
"Oh, you know… In the toilet. Trying to get this damn thing out," Kasumi said flatly, gesturing at the knife. "But I was too terrified of what might happen if I did… All thanks to a certain bitch." He threw a sharp side-eye at Rion.
"Jeez, what a pussy," Rion scoffed, stepping closer. "It's just a knife, and it's not even that deep... what's the worst that could happen?"
Without hesitation, she yanked the knife out aggressively—only for her eyes to widen in shock.
It wasn't a normal blade. It was a serrated bread knife, its edges jagged and covered in blood.
"...Sorry," she muttered, hesitating before awkwardly placing the knife back.
"Oh, that's a cool knife. Should I add it to my collection?" Nagumo yanked it out again. "Ugh... it smells awful." Grimacing, he shoved it back in.
"Hey, that's not how you do it," Sakamoto chimed in. "To minimize blood loss, you should twist it before pulling it out." He casually pulled the knife again and shoved it in again for no reason
On the other side, Kindaka convulsed while Uzuki's face paled, sweat dripping down his temple. "Uh... g-guys, Kasumi is—"
Hearing the tremor in his voice, they all turned to where he was pointing.
Kasumi stood still, gazing upward with a smile on his face, a single tear trailing down his cheek.
Kasumi has died .