The Hidden World

The thief ran faster than Yuki had expected. He was gaining on the man because Yuki was able to cut through the swerving path the man took to shorten the distance but the pace was too slow. At the rate he was running now, it would take Yuki hours for him to reach the man.

‘Then I just need to speed things up,’ he thought.

Yuki splayed his right hand as he ran and with it he poured out mana. With a little mental command it formed a magic circle and glowed a dull blue.

‘Enhance speed,’ Yuki thought, using the magic tongue.

The circle flashed a bright blue and then disappeared. Then Yuki felt his body lighten and strength rush into his legs. With a kick, he accelerated into speeds well past that of a normal human and even the average elf. He started to rapidly catch up with the fleeing thief and within a couple minutes Yuki could see the fluttering black cloak that the man wore.

‘Stealing my fashion,’ Yuki thought, twitching his wrists. Twin daggers appeared from their sheathes and their hilts nestled into Yuki’s palms.

The thief seemed to sense his presence and turned around, stopping when he spotted Yuki. Yuki didn’t stop and rushed straight at the man who raised his sword to met his daggers. The impact created a blast of wind that blew Yuki’s cloak, making it flutter in the air. Yuki jumped back and watched the man’s movements with narrowed eyes behind his mask. This was not going to be a quick fight.

“Who are you?” the man asked, his voice still distorted with the voice changer. “And how did you follow me?”

Yuki didn’t reply. Answering such meaningless questions were a waste of time and pointless.

“Fine, then I’ll just have to dispose of you,” the man announced.

Then he swung at Yuki, a blast of magic coming out from the blade of his sword. Yuki spun his body and avoided it before ducking down to avoid another pulse.

‘He’s different from the students,’ Yuki analyzed. ‘He actually knows how to fight.’

Yuki emptied his mind and refocused on his enemy, allowing his blank mind to absorb every detail of the man’s movements. The way the man swung his blade and moved his feet. The shape, speed, and density of the magic strike that was emitted.

‘But he’s from the Academy,’ Yuki observed, contorting his body to dodge a wave. ‘That is the same footwork taught there, just more polished and experienced.’

He adjusted his grip on his blades, flipping one so that it was in a reverse grip. It was time to attack.

With a mental command, Yuki amplified his speed again and shot toward the thief. While he did this, he carefully watched the pattern of attacks the man did. Nothing was going to escape his eyes.

The man struck down in a slash, Yuki stopping and leaning back in one graceful move to dodge it. Then Yuki spun to the side to avoid the follow up. With the dagger he held in reverse, he hit aside a thrust and bent sideways, a counter grazing past him.

‘Third combo,’ Yuki thought as he avoided the last attack. ‘Forward slash, back slash, thrust and if blocked counter with a horizontal slash. Transitions into combo four: Backslash to the main chest, horizontal slash to the neck, followed by a forward slash at the head.’

As predicted, the main pulled up his sword from his counter and struck upwards. Yuki didn’t dodge it. Instead, he reached under the rising sword with the reversed dagger and helped push it up. The sword accelerated faster than his opponent anticipated and his arm flew past his head. Immediately, Yuki stabbed with his other blade and pierced the stomach of his enemy.

The man bent over at the sudden impact and Yuki took that opportunity to deliver a quick slash to the man’s sword arm, slicing through the tendons that connected the elbow to the forearm. The thief’s sword fell from his hand and Yuki swiftly batted it with his foot, bending over to do so. After he did this, Yuki transitioned into a series of attacks that cut both of the ankles. The man fell next.

Yuki stopped and reached down to grab the mask covering the thief’s face. The other unimpaired arm of the man moved to stop him and Yuki swiftly stabbed it.

“I have a few questions for you,” Yuki said the man. “How quickly you answer them will affect your immediate future.”

“You,” the man replied, recognition in his voice. “I know you.”

“And I don’t know you,” Yuki said. “Let’s fix that shall we.”

Yuki grabbed the mask and tore it off the man, tossing it aside. And what laid before him was the face of someone very familiar.

“Hello, Nataru,” Yuki asked. “I didn’t expect that you were part of the Shikaku. I thought you only partnered with them.”

“I don’t know what you mean,” he hissed, squinting his eyes.

“Mhmm,” Yuki replied. “Let’s see how truthful you were.”

He searched the body of Nataru who was struggling with all his might but to no avail. What he found was a golden pendant that hung from a chain of silver. A gold pendant formed into the shape of a snake.

“Seems like you were lying, how unfortunate,” Yuki said.

Then he took on of his knives and jammed the blade into the right knee of Nataru. Ignoring Nataru’s screaming, Yuki continued to speak.

“Now, let me ask you. Why did you join the Shikaku?” he said in a voice the resembled that of an interviewer rather than a interrogator.

Nataru only groaned in response. Yuki promptly stabbed his hand.

“GAH!” he screamed. “I joined because my family is crap, okay?”

“Oh, how so?” Yuki said, leaving the blade in Nataru’s hand.

“They’re bastards, that’s all they are,” he spat.

“That’s not an answer,” Yuki replied. He twisted the dagger.

“Ahhh! They’re always pushing me!” Nataru quickly said.

“Go on,” Yuki said, stopping.

“They push me to keep working, taking on more and more because they’re too lazy to do any work of their own,” he glowered. “Then they start yelling and screaming at how inadequate I am after they take all of the money I earned.”

“And why the Shikaku?”

“The new head was from them and he offered me a position, a way out,” Nataru said. “I won’t say anymore.”

“Aww, no more talking?” Yuki pouted. “That’s unfortunate.”

Yuki proceeded to stabbed the area between the shoulder and the arm, twisting the blade as he did so.

“You sure~?” he asked.

“Fine,” Nataru said, gasping. “What do you want?”

“Who made the golem?”

“I don’t know. The Shikaku don’t have anyone that can make one as far as I know. Is that it?”

“How many have infiltrated the school?”

“Three, from what I’m told,” Nataru said.

“Who?”

Nataru stayed quiet. Yuki rose his dagger once more.

“Ludwig! Ludwig is one of them,” Nataru rushed. “The other two, I don’t know. Believe me!”

“Do you know where else the Shikaku have infiltrated?” Yuki questioned.

“I don’t know it all,” he replied, shaking his head. Yuki could see tears forming. “I just wanted to be part of something. I wasn’t with them long. Please.”

“Just tell me what you know,” Yuki replied shortly.

“Please.”

“Oh, I’m sorry. Was I not saying please? How rude of me,” Yuki said.

His hand went to his face and head removed his mask, revealing two cold grey eyes.

“Let me say it again then,” he said in a low voice, a thin smile on his face. “Just tell me what you know. Please~?”

He punctuated his last word with another stab.

“The government! Businesses!” Nataru yelled. “Entertainment. A lot of places.”

“And you don’t know the specifics,” Yuki stated.

“No, I don’t. Please believe me.”

“I do, my unfortunate friend. You were being played like a fiddle,” Yuki said. “But now you can rest in peace. This is no longer your concern.”

“Thank you,” Nataru replied, tears rolling down his face.

“No need,” Yuki answered, slashing Nataru’s throat and stabbing his chest.

Then he stood up, his cloak splattered with blood. His hands and arms had droplets of red flowing down them.

‘I need to wash up soon. The blood will stain,’ he thought. ‘And this mess needs to be cleaned up.’

Yuki grabbed the cloak that the now dead Nataru wore, being careful not to touch anything else. Then he use the cloak to grabbed the pendant and polish it before returning the gold snake back to its owner. He finished by burning the cloak and scattering the remains around.

‘Now what to do about this.’

What he was referring to was the Blazing Jewel that laid on the ground next to the body. Yuki knew that if he took it, then it may cause an uproar and led to many people trying to find it. He also knew that he could just leave something so valuable laying around. He knelt down and picked up the eraser sized jewel, caressing it.

‘It really is beautiful.’

Yuki watched it as it glowed softly in his hands, a certain feeling of warmth being given off by it. As he looked on, he became more and more entranced as his eyes followed the sharp lines that marked where the jewel had been cut. Then without a single thought, he pocketed the gem. He stood up. And then ran off towards the Dormitory, never looking back the bloody scene behind him.