I look at the drunk men seated quietly to see if they had witnessed the whole thing. They all look dead drunk. I shake my head at them.
"Did you see that?" Shigaraki asks.
I say nothing. Is there no way to kill them? Are they inextinguishable?
"All I know, is that we're fighting blind".
I agree, but say nothing.
"We need to learn more about them".
I raise an eyebrow.
"What do you suggest?"
"I know a guy that knows all about dark stuff. He might be able to help".
I roll my eyes and swat my forehead.
"With what exactly?"
"We won't find out by staying here. Besides, it's better than nothing.
"Where is this man?"
"I have no idea. We have to track him down".
I shake my head with apparent lack of interest.
"I have to get back to my daughter". I say and turn to leave.
"Let me give you a ride". He quickly offers.
"No. The last thing I need is for you to know where I stay".
"Fair enough".
I start walking. He falls in step with me.
"I didn't know you had a daughter".
"There's plenty you don't know. It's none of your business".
"I can tell."
I don't like the curious tone in his voice. He gives me the impression of someone that pays acute attention to detail and never misses anything.
I watch him unlock his car with one flick of his fingers over the car's key.
"Until we meet again. Hey, don't you want my number?"
I turn back and spare him a glance.
"I know where to find you if I need your help".
He throws me a skeptical glance and drives past me into the empty street.
I walk down quietly. The street lights cast a warm glow over the area, leaving shadows over the sides of the road.
It is incredibly silent. Even the crickets seem subdued. The wind is dry and cold over my face. Everything seems to have lost its usual vigour.
I pass through the beautiful stone houses which never fail to remind me of the ancient cities.
I shove my hands into my pockets and walk down slowly. Furuno Shigaraki. He has found me. I always knew he would be trouble right from the beginning. Arya had dismissed my fears with the most romantic thing I had ever heard her say, but, that never stopped me from worrying.
I am not even sure if I can trust his eagerness to rid our world of these monsters.
They came through Arya's portal. If only we could open one and chase them out.
A few weeks ago, I would have laughed at anyone who claimed that magic is real. I never believed in it. I'm not sure what I believe in anymore. I have been confronted with the most absurd things that would make any normal man run mad.
But, I'm not any normal man. I'm a top tier assasin. Still, my nocturnal lifestyle did not prepare me for a necromancer wife, an adopted daughter and a man eater apocalypse.
Arya. Where the hell is she?
Would I ever see her again? What if she is enslaved? That woman was clearly torturing her.
I close my eyes to block out the gruesome memory.
Now, there is Clara to worry about. Me alone with a child. Nothing worse could befall me.
I reach the terrace of the hotel and nod at the security officer standing there.
I walk past the doorman and nod. After being on the negative side of the radar most times I am in a setting such as this, it is a pleasure to be walking in for pleasure rather than a mission.
Only hotel employees are lingering in the reception area.
I enter the elevator and press the button to the top floor.
Once the elevator dings open, I walk into the elegant hallway. When I reach our suite, I stop with my hand on the knob.
I can hear the sound of clanging objects coming from within the room. I feels the hairs at the back of my neck rise and a prickle of sweat trickles down my back.
Taking a deep breath, I open the door.
To my amazement, I find Clara with my sword. Half the room is in shambles. The only thing that is not damaged is the bed.
I would have scolded her, believe me. The sharp words are already lingering on the tip of my tongue, but I swallow them back. It's not everyday you get to see a child interested in wielding a sword, as heavy as it is.
The entire decor that laid on the side table is in bits and pieces on the floor. My mind is already trying to sum up the charges I would have to pay for the damages.
"I'm sorry". She chokes out, like she's on the verge of tears.
I am not good in the way of consoling others, but I try not to keep a stern face.
I look at my usually locked case that now lays open. The lock is a very rare and expensive one and I carried the key with me. How had she opened it?
I just got them from a private dealer here in Lisbon. I already have a similar collection, but it did not deter my voracious appetite for collecting such treasures.
"How did you open it?" I ask with interest.
She watches me warily as if she expects me to go off on her like a tea pot without a fitting lid.
"You can tell me". I try to coax.
Heavens! Where is Arya at times like this?
She bends down and retrieves something from the floor.
She hands it to me. I stare at a piece of wire guaze constructed into a pryer.
This alone would not be able to pry the lock open.
Then she hands me a bread knife. I quickly work the math in my head and discover that it is actually very possible.
"Where did you learn to do this kind of thing?"
She quickly looks away. Not tears, I hope.
"I used to break out of the room daddy used to lock me in".
That explains the lock triffling habit, but not how she became so skilled.
I decide to let the five year old rest.
"Have you eaten?"
She shakes her head and her soft curls bounce lightly.
I go to the telephone to call room service. She clearly had been too busy with my lock to notice the note I had left for her.
My phone chimes.
I look at the glowing lockscreen. A message from Furuno Shigaraki. How the hell did he get my number?
I found our guy. He knows more than I would have expected. Meet me at the Black Sheep strip club.
This is getting interesting.