The Redheaded Assassin

“The Redheaded Assassin”
Chapter3: The Secret of the Basement


“I’ll stay. It’s the least I can do for her.”

Silently, Yukina left the cavern, following her brother’s order. She glanced back for the last time before starting up the stairs.


The city of Gandara: the most advanced city in the Makai (equaling if not surpassing the technology of the Ningenkai); ruled once by one of the strongest, intelligent and feared youkai, Lord Yomi. Once restless and ambitious, as restless and as ambitious as its ruler, it is now a surprisingly peaceful and quiet land, a haven for those exceptionally intelligent and talented youkai. Sometimes called “the city of knowledge” Gandara is home to Makai’s best doctors, surgeons, scientist, inventors, engineers, tacticians, advisors and scholars. Why shouldn’t it be here that Makai’s biggest library, and most advance facilities and tools, could be found?

The city is now ruled by Yomi’s only son and heir, Shura. Young Lord Shura, though not as wise as his father but as strong in will and power and, unsurprisingly enough, in looks, has yet to prove himself. By nurturing the land, following the example of his late father, Gandara has become the most important city in the Makai – the epicenter of information and technology.

Yet everyone has a skeleton in the closet. Deep within this famous city, an underground prison cells can be found. This prison cells were specially made for extraordinary criminals or creatures: for interrogation, or to experiment upon, or both. Down here, within a special cell separated from the others, is where he can be found.

Poor creature! Six sensitive and precise ears, almost seven feet in height, and though skeletal now, one can be sure that he was once beautiful, judging by the broad yet bony shoulder, long black hair that once was shiny and soft as silk as well as still handsome face. Wearing nothing but a dirty piece of cloth tied around his waist, his whole body emaciated and covered in festering wounds, he lay in his cell. His dull gray eyes (the result of having been blinded in his younger years), cry yet no tears are shed for there is no more fluid left within his body aside from the blood still pumping through his veins. And every day for the last one hundred years he has been incarcerated in that four-walled, accursed place, he has ceaselessly uttered the same phrase…


“I’m sorry…. I’m so sorry…” he sobs uncontrollably.
“Please forgive… please forgive…” and bangs his head on the floor or on the walls hard enough that the room seems to vibrate from the impact.
“Kill me…kill me now…” he moans and scratches his sickening wounds, bleeding them again, or using the same long, sharp, yellowish nails, he will open a new wound. And then he will laugh…loud, long, and wickedly.

~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O

“How is he?” Shura asked Youda, both walking toward the secret passage leading to the city’s underground prison cell.

“Worse my lord… we’ve done everything we can yet to no avail. He’s gone mad, my lord… It would be better if we just k-”

“SHUT-UP, Youda! Speak those words again and I will see to it that you never utter another!” Rage can be seen and felt as the young prince glared at the petite old man in his right; his ki rising with his emotions.

“Your pardon, my lord.” The old man jumped back, bowing his head; his body trembling from his master’s fury.

“He is my FATHER, your Master as well… keep it in that tiny brain of yours”

“Hai!”

~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O

The two reach their destination. Youda enters the security code in the small box-like machine in the corner of the large metal door. It opens and through the glass wall both clearly see the pitiful state of the creature, doing nothing other than what he usually does – crying and laughing while uttering the same words again and again but never saying the name of the one from whom he seeks forgiveness.

The creature seems to notice their presence and suddenly rushes toward them, banging his head on the thick glass wall continuously until blood spatters his forehead and glass. The demons outside look at the creature with both shock and pity written on their faces. On the other side of the glass, the creature’s lifeless gray eyes silently plead for death. He seems to be begging to be given his rest, his freedom, and his death from whoever is out there.

“Father, please stop… stop hurting yourself already and come back to your senses.” Shura bowed his head; unable to bear the sight of his father any longer.

~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~


“Ah, such a touching scene. The son wanting to help his father yet unable to do anything but watch. I never thought Shura would prove to be such a good puppet. You have yourself a capable son, don’t you old friend?” A smirk formed at the corner of the redheaded shadow’s luscious lips as he hid within the dense forest surrounding the city of knowledge.

He continues to gaze upon the large mirror-like flower in the ground beneath his feet, observing the happenings in that hidden, underground prison.


~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~

“Young lord! What are you doing!? You can’t enter the room…it’s too dangerous! M-master… please…” Youda is in a panic.

Shura ignores the old man’s pleas. He locks himself inside and walks slowly to his father.

“…Father…”

There is no answer as the creature continues to bang his head, now against one of the cell’s stonewalls.

~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~

“Such a brave son you’ve have! How can such a greedy traitor as you have such luck?” the redhead muses loudly, intently watching the scene.

~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~

“…Father..”

The creature growls at sensing another being nearby, shifting his head left and right as he tries to locate the intruder. Faster than any normal eye can see, and without warning, he suddenly lunges at the intruder – a predator attacking his prey.

“Young master!” Youda watches in horror as the creature slaughters the young lord.

~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~

“Ahh… what a pity! The son killed by his own father. The seeds of distress and madness are too much for you to handle, ne? Such a waste to kill someone who’s already near death, but you’ve proven to be worth the wait, Yomi.” A devilish grin forms again upon those tempting lips, and the redheaded figure slowly raises his ki, directing it to the ground.

~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~

The creature devouring his fallen prey suddenly stiffens, and then his whole body trembles as he cries in agony. He collapses to the floor with his blood spreading across the whole room. Upon his corpse a bed of lovely, fully-bloomed white and purple flowers, reminiscent of the ningen world’s stargazer lily with green and purple vines and leaves sprouts.

Youda is frozen – both from witnessing the horrible scene and feeling the weak yet familiar youki spread and then dissipate. After a few heartbreaking moments, he manages to come to his sense and opens the door using the security code. He walks toward his two fallen masters, never taking his eyes away from that lovely bed of flowers. Why are there flowers here? Where have they come from and who owns the youki I am feeling? It feels so familiar, but his head is too clouded at present and he is unable to think clearly. Plucking a flower or two he kneels down beside the bodies and silently cries for the loss of his masters. Unbeknownst a tiny glowing flower hidden in the far corner of that room suddenly sank in the earth.

~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O


“… Farewell, old friend, selfish lover…”

And once again the redheaded assassin disappears into the shadows.

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Yay! Chapter 4 is lot bloodier ne? Am I cruel? Hehehe… for those who hadn’t already figured it out, yep, Yomi didn’t die 100 years ago… he was kept in that isolated cell for that long because he’d gone mad… he just dies after killing his own son… dark ne? To keep the reputation of Gandara untainted, Shura put him there at Youda’s advice. The twist will be unfold one by one… continue to read and review! Thanks!
Again, thanks KyoHana!! Your my lifesaver