Rangers Endgame

Chapter 113: An Assassin’s Regret

YUUREI:

'Why does this feel...wrong?' He wondered after plunging his blade into something soft.

It was flesh. That much he was certain of. He'd been hunting for years, so he was familiar with the texture of it. But after burying his blade into the object, a familiar scream filtered through the older girl's voice and echoed through the cluttered chamber.

Was he still not fast enough? The young woman—he could tell by her voice, the angle of her attacks, and the heavier steps she took compared to the Sentinel—did put up a surprisingly tough fight, but he wasn't expecting her to throw herself in front of his blade for her comrade. At least that's what he assumed.

"Are you...okay?" She winced.

But there was no response. He heard a small gasp of apparent realization and felt her form tremble through his dagger, even more so than before. Had he actually succeeded? He didn't hear movement from the Sentinel, so perhaps. All that was left was to bring this rather tedious skirmish to an end.

Even as he pulled his dagger out of the young woman, she didn't react. Using his honed senses, he found where her neck would be with practiced estimation and raised his blade for the final time. Before he could drive it down, however, a sense of unease prickled at the edge of his consciousness. Then, a sudden chill crept over him, a cold pressure that slithered across his skin.

'What is this?' He tried to move, but the icy tendrils of something unknown held him in place.

The feeling of dread weighed down on him, disrupting his sense of awareness. He could only manage to jerk his head around, scanning for the source. The familiar sounds and scents of the cavern seemed to shift just out of reach. The soft touch of the artifact's radiant signature grew distant as the frigid air snuffed out its warmth.

This was a feeling similar to the Savior's intense aura, even if it wasn't directed towards Yuurei.

He'd always been the Savior's shadow, his silent blade, eliminating targets that were of no use to him or were an outright threat to his plan. He was supposed to be the hunter, a quiet apex predator waiting for the opportune moment to pounce.

He had the intruder cornered and injured. He had the Savior's gift coursing through his veins. Like every other prey, he should've felt the hopelessness in her breath, tasted the despair in her movements.

'So why...?' He asked himself, feeling the sweat slide down his cheek. 'Why do ? feel like the prey?'

The sound of metal scraping against the floor, coupled with feet shuffling calmly to presumably lift herself, sent a wave of fear that gnawed at his resolve.

"You..." The single word was burning with a bestial bloodlust barely contained beneath her composure. "Your remains will be unrecognizable when I'm done."

Commanding his radiance, he felt its power flare and wrap around him to conceal his presence. Despite his body urging him to flee, he didn't cloak himself out of fright. If he was going to kill his target, he needed to stay clear of her bloodlust.

He pushed down his fear, barely able to clamp down on it and keep it in check. There was no indication of surprise or dread from her, unlike the first time she'd seen him disappear. She was unfazed.

For a split second, he detected a strong radiant signature before it hurled into the stonework beside him with a resounding crash. His hand reflexively jumped to his ringing ear to shield it, but it soon stopped. He heard nothing afterwards, but he'd already kept a mental note on her position and flanked her. When he swung, however, his blade didn't carve through flesh and tissue like he'd expected but met air.

Had he miscalculated? No, he'd been in tune with his heightened senses for years, trained to sharpen them into assets capable of painting a rough picture of the world around him. Gauging his opponents' general whereabouts was child's play at that point. And yet he lost track of her?

A sudden burst of pain ripped through his side as something sharp whipped through it. It was her. He recognized the agonizing sensation of her apparent serrated blade. There was another signature, and then a painful ringing from a collision nearby to his right. He ground his teeth and swung again in the direction where she should've been, judging from the brief signature. But there was nothing.

Another gash opened in his leg, and he stumbled back. He realized she was using signatures as feints and loud sounds to mask her movements. He couldn't get a proper read on her. Fear crept back up to grip his throat as he'd never encountered anyone with enough awareness to exploit his senses. Was it a byproduct of her focused rage?

He could feel his cloak struggling against the pain of his wounds. In desperation, he rerouted his focus to mend his camouflage, but this only left him more defenseless. Her blade sliced across the back of his legs, and he howled before dropping to his knees.

His radiance finally released, and his camouflage failed as it hissed away. He turned his ear up, and fear began to overtake him. Each step the woman took echoed with suppressed fury as she drew closer. He tilted his head up as if he could see her, and his blood ran cold. Piercing through the vast void of nothingness, an unbridled rage took the shape of two icy blue eyes.

He couldn't move. Even as he felt her raise her blade. The shifting stone in the background where the Sentinel would've been barely registered to him, but he realized he'd failed anyway. He would die, and they would escape.

He felt his hair, likely caked with dirt, fall over his face as his head drooped in defeat. There was nothing more he could do except wait for his impending demise.

"Papa?"

His senses stirred as that single word instantly melted away the shroud of bloodlust weighing on him. His head immediately snapped to the sound of the familiar voice.

"El?"

FUYUMI:

Fuyumi's rage simmered down as Ella's voice called out from behind. She looked back at the kid, now awake. The thin trail of blood seeping from somewhere within her hair still sent a wave of guilt through Fuyumi. Although she'd pushed her out of the way to take the blow, Ella was still hurt in the process. But it was what the girl said that sobered Fuyumi.

"What did you just say?" She asked hesitantly.

Ella rubbed her eyes as if believing they were deceiving her, but they widened further when seeing Yuurei in the faint light of Fuyumi's imbued dagger. She returned her now tearful eyes to Fuyumi. "Papa, you were..."

Fuyumi looked at the assassin, the man who'd tried so desperately to eliminate the girl, who she now knew was his own daughter. The simple motion felt strenuous.

Something began to rise within her, something she couldn't quite describe that began to clash with her rage. No, Ella had to have been mistaken. The man before her was ruthless, only caring about the hunt. Even after she'd tried telling him the truth, he was heedless. Tunnel visioned. Just like any other monster, and should've been treated as such.

Although he called out to her with familiarity, he could've been mistaken as well...right? Fuyumi reached for any reason to slay him where he stood. Yet she couldn't rip free from the firm grip of hesitation.

Ella's home was attacked, her mother taken from her, and the terror and helplessness she must've felt. Though not exact circumstances, Fuyumi couldn't ignore the parallels. And now she stood before her loved one, prepared to take him from her as she watched.

"Please..." Yuurei begged, extending a pleading hand to Fuyumi. "Not in front of her."

Her gaze went back to Ella, the child's eyes swimming with unshed tears. Mia's words started echoing in her head.

"?'? ??? ???? ????? ?ℎ?? ??? ???? ???????. ??? ??? ?ℎ? ??????? ?? ?ℎ??? ?????? ???."

With some difficulty, she could acknowledge that those words now held meaning to her. Fuyumi's anger dwindled and, with immense reluctance, lowered her dagger. She was living a life of hate and cold detachment. If she could help it, she wasn't going to hurl Ella down that miserable path too.

Yuurei breathed a grateful sigh when hearing her dagger return to its sheath. "Thank you..."

"I'm not doing this for you." She responded sharply.

He dropped his weapon and stood slowly to make his way to Ella. The girl flinched back, his earlier intentions likely rushing through her head. He stopped for a moment and raised his nonthreatening hands as he knelt in front of her, waiting patiently. Swallowing, she inched closer with her trembling hands clasped. He gently wrapped his arms around her.

"I'm sorry," his apology came out quivering. "I'm so sorry."

Ella's form quaked with uncertainty, but she eased into his embrace as he stroked her hair. Yuurei's breathing was sporadic, as if he wanted to cry but lacked the glands to do so. Fuyumi dropped to the floor, the pain from her wounds becoming more apparent as the rageful adrenaline wore off. She waited in pained silence so as not to interrupt their moment.

After several minutes, Yuurei pulled back and felt for wounds he might've inflicted, the guilt still evident on his features. His thumb smeared the blood from her cheek, and his face dropped further. "This is...are you hurt, El?"

Ella rubbed her head where the wound was likely hidden. "It hurts a little bit."

Fuyumi tightened her lips and stumbled to her feet before making her way over. Reaching into her satchel, she pulled out the health elixir she'd saved when ending up in the underground caverns.

"Here." She opened the vial for Ella.

The kid wiped her eyes and examined the green substance. "What is this?"

"It's for your head. Drink." She offered it to her.

Ella took it and put it to her mouth, allowing a droplet to fall on her tongue. After tasting it, she carefully drank the rest. In seconds, the wound on her head sealed and let out a contented breath.

Yuurei opened his mouth to say something, stopped to seemingly consider his words, and then spoke. "I shouldn't be letting you go, but..." His thumb rubbed Ella's cheek tenderly. "You watched over my little girl. In exchange, I'm willing to return the favor."

Fuyumi looked back at the talisman, its glow now snuffed out.

"You can start by showing us the exit." She said, getting up to retrieve the dagger she'd dropped earlier.

Yuurei nodded. "Of course."

He wobbled to his feet and felt around Ella's neck for something. Feeling the flower-shaped pendant in his fingers, he gave a satisfied breath, then took her by the hand. He led them through the caverns, his hand sliding along the familiar stone walls to navigate while Fuyumi followed close behind with her dagger at the ready in case he tried something sneaky. It only took about ten minutes to arrive at a seemingly ordinary wall.

He felt around for a moment before his hand caught on one of the stones and pushed. The wall before them let out a dry moan as the stones slid inward to create a staircase and the ceiling above them opened up. Rays of sunshine poured into the opening and filled the tunnel with its beckoning light. Ella and Fuyumi shielded their eyes until they could adjust.

Yuurei listened out for anything outside, his ears perking. She figured he must've heard the faint sounds of shuffling feet and voices, but it didn't sound like there was any fighting.

"Go," Fuyumi demanded. "Even if you're surrounded by rangers, they're nowhere near as savage as your people." She sheathed her dagger and staggered to Ella's side, placing a hand on her shoulder. "But if we somehow end up surrounded by your people..." Her tone insinuated the worst as she looked down at Ella.

Yuurei's jaw tightened, but he didn't argue. Turning to the stairs, he climbed. Fuyumi's hand squeezed Ella's shoulder softly, communicating to stay put.

"What's going to happen to Papa?" She asked, looking up at Fuyumi, worried.

"He's going to make sure it's safe for you to come out."

Yuurei passed the threshold, his form fading from sight into the light. A few seconds passed, and the distant voices grew louder, progressing into demanding shouts.

"—he come from?"

"—are you? State your name and—"

"—not one of us. He must be—"

"—on the ground! Don't resist, or we'll—"

Ella clung to Fuyumi tighter, jolting her senses. The sharp and throbbing pain from her untreated injuries was beginning to intensify.

"Let's go." She took Ella's hand and led her up the stairs.

Each step became more laborious than the last as her body protested. Even when the light embraced them, wrapping them with its warmth, it did nothing to soothe her pain. The musty air gradually purified as they ascended, and the rolling winds whistled in her ear.

Blurred figures came into view, and suddenly she found herself on her knees. Ella's concerned pleas were lost within the incomprehensible shouts of the figures gathering around them. One particular silhouette hurried over, the fox charm on his katana's hilt dangling, and caught her before she could hit the ground.

Her body hurt too much to right herself. He looked her over, reached for his hip, and pulled out a green vial. Opening the top, he gently pressed it to her lips while supporting her head. In moments, her pain receded. The wound in her shoulder where Yuurei had stabbed her when she saved Ella closed along with the gashes in her legs, while the bruises littering her body faded.

The darkening world began to fill with color again, and the figures around her took shape. She looked up at the one who'd aided her, his features sharpening into a familiar face, his dark hair billowing past his cool yet gentle eyes.

"Better?" Yakeru asked.