Samael felt strong. Stronger than what was supposed to be possible. Like he could crush a boulder with his bare hands. Yet he couldn't help but focus on what that ethereal voice had said. Something like this was supposed to be completely outside the realm of possibility, yet it had happened. He got up from the floor and looked around. Books lay strewn about the cracked flooring as the dust settled. Miscellaneous items such as paper, pieces of debris and office supplies covered the floor. All the walls had cracked, and some even had gaping holes, allowing him to look out into the bookstore. Still in shock, Samael didnt know whether an earthquake or other natural disaster had struck, but he was sure that voice he had heard was behind it. He got out of the bookstore and it was only then he got a clear view of the pandemonium happening outside. As far as the eye could see, not a single building was undamaged. Large cracks snaked up a nearby skyscraper, pieces of it falling down nearly hitting a group of people. Violence was abundant as he looked around. Everyone seemed hellbent on getting any resource they could, no matter the lives it cost. It was pure, unadulterated chaos. Samael began to move through the ruined city. He surveyed his surroundings with extreme vigilance as he moved towards his temporary apartment. For years he had been on the move, constantly switching apartments and cities to avoid those that were after him. Through the chaos, he could see a group of men, 5 or so strong, following him. He had no doubt in his mind that they were grunts looking to collect on his debt. They didn't have any weapons visible, but if they truly were after him, they definitely had them. He continued to live in the direction of his apartment, making sure he never lost track of the group. Even in the bloody chaos erupting around them, the grunts didn't dare attack him in the open.
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Boss! We have to move in now or we'll lose him.One of the grunts said hurriedly. If you want to die so badly, go ahead and attack him, Darrel, but know this; attack him alone, and you will die. The grunt, whose name is Darrel, shrunk back in fear. Yes, Boss. He said dejectedly. That man isn't someone to be messed with. He's managed to survive the full might of the Guild alone since he was just a kid. The Boss, Adriel, said. The Guild's operations spanned the entire world. They were the ones who controlled everything behind the scenes. Though the common populace had no idea of their existence, they held the entire world in a chokehold. The group continued to observe their target from afar, documenting his every move. When whatever had destroyed the city had ceased and the chaos that came after erupted, they had been caught off guard by the sheer violence of the people around them. It didn't seem natural. Like something was influencing them to be more violent and aggressive. Despite incapacitating multiple groups of people they cus kept attacking. What's worse, they seemed significantly stronger than they were supposed to be. If they didn't have weapons they'd most likely not survive the encounters. It was like fighting superhumans.
~~~
Samael soon reached his apartment. As soon as he entered through the door, he closed it and pulled the lock as fast as he could. He then moved the nearby cabinet in front of the door, blocking it and creating a further barrier between himself and the grunts of the Guild, as well as the strangly behaving people outside. The young man had barely managed to get a few meters away from the door before it was blown off its hinges. Shrapnel and debris flew everywhere within the small studio apartment. The concussive force flung Samael across the room and knocked the air out of his lungs. Blood dripped across his face as he looked towards the ruined doorframe. Even with a muddled mind, Samael could tell that it was the minions of the Guild that had broken in. Smoke shielded his movements from the group for just long enough that he could grab the kitchen knife that had landed next to him. Getting up on his feet, he put the knife in front of him and bent his knees slightly, ready to lunge the moment he saw one of them. Through the smoke, a shadowy figure loomed, just a few meters away. Samael extended his legs and pushed forward with all his might. He moved the knife towards the shadowy figure's throat, aiming for a clean kill. The man stepped to the side, barely avoiding death, but the knife still cut the side of his neck causing blood to pour out from the wound. A small puddle grew at the man's feet as he continued to try and avoid Samael's slashes and stabs. The two continued to be locked in intense combat for several minutes, but the attacker was growing weaker by the second. Intense blood loss was beginning to affect the man as the puddle on the floor had grown to cover a large portion of the apartment floor. The man slipped on the wet floor, falling backwards as a sickening crunch could be heard. The man's elbow had been bent completely the wrong way. A grunt of pain escaped the man's mouth as he desperately tried to get back up. Samael didn't give him the chance, driving his blade deep into the man's skull through the eye socket and killing him. The corpse hit the floor with a deep thud. It was only then, at that moment, that Samael had a moment to breathe. Despite being unsure where the other men that had been following him were, he allowed himself to relax for just a few moments.
Samael approached the corpse and began looking through the pockets on its clothing. The man wore all black, highly utilitarian clothing. It covered any identifying features including a black facemask to cover his face. As he was moving the body around he noticed the man was wearing a stabproof vest and had several explosives holstered on a belt hidden under the jacket. Samael was lucky he went for the throat and not the body of his attacker, or things would have gone very differently. The more he searched the body, the more weapons he found, including guns, ammunition, knives and even more explosives. Luckily Samael had caught him by surprise by attacking so aggressively. He grabbed any weapons he could fit on his person and began gathering supplies from his apartment in a duffle bag. He then took off running through the chaos of the ruined city.