Hi! It's been a while since I've written anything about Vesemir's adventures.
I'll try to divide my time between my fanfics, but I'll write the ones I feel like writing. The next chapter will be for the "Avatar of UA" fanfic.
Let me know in the comments if you like it and what might happen in the next chapters.
Chapter 44
Three days later. Late evening.
Himiko watched Vesemir put on his gear. She didn't understand how he could heal so quickly from a gunshot wound.
He told her he was a witcher. That he was different. That he healed faster than normal people. That he could create potions that only witchers could safely drink.
She knew he wouldn't take her with him. Yesterday he had spoken with Letho. That big, bald guy with scars. She couldn't hear what they were saying, but she assumed he was going on a similar mission to the one on the ship.
She didn't ask why.
Yesterday, Letho had brought back his motorcycle, which had been hidden in the harbor. Neither the police nor the Pro Heroes had found it.
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That night was far from peaceful. Media helicopters, police helicopters, and even Pro Heroes were flying overhead. Riots erupted everywhere. They were in front of politicians' apartments, City Hall, the University of Applied Sciences, and police stations, where the officers are corrupt.
The chaos disrupted law enforcement efforts, although ambulances and firefighters passed through without incident. In one district, firefighters armed with axes and other tools even broke into the home of a police officer and carried out a citizen's arrest. This could have ended much worse, as the police officer had taken large bribes from the kidnappers, and the crowd was ready to burn down his house with him inside.
The chaos allowed Vesemir to reach his destination without any problems. He avoided the Pro Heroes patrolling the streets, sneaking through side streets.
The few people who saw him recognized him immediately. Old people bowed in respect. Young people were throwing their fists in the air in a symbol of rebellion against the degenerate elites. But no one was recording. No one called the police.
Posters adorned the surrounding buildings. They bore images of Vesemir. After all, he was a wanted man. Young people took them down and took them home to hang in their rooms. Street artists used them in graffiti. The street was on his side.
Vesemir, too, was on the side of the common people. For many knights, the vows they made were quickly forgotten, but not for him. He remembered the moment when the sword touched his shoulder.
He would not hide. He would let the people in the building go free... except for the eight he had come for. They will die.
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Omori Agihito was prepared. He and his friends barricaded themselves on the top floor and cut off all the elevators except one. They were waiting for a helicopter, which they had jointly paid for. Tonight, they would escape Japan to Vietnam. A peaceful retirement awaited them there.
He had made a lot of money in his career. He also wisely invested his money abroad in places where the government didn't question the source of the money. He also carried several bags of cash and valuables from his boss... or rather, his former boss. The chaos was so bad that he didn't even know if he was still alive.
He and his friends stripped the small treasury bare of everything. They already had new identities. In about 10 years, they would return to Japan with new, strong documents as citizens and businessmen from Vietnam, Laos, Thailand, or Indonesia.
After arriving, he would split the money with his men and then separate for a while.
Just two more hours... two more hours and he'd be in the helicopter.
"Omori-sama. We're in trouble."
He was woken from his trance by one of the security guards. He showed him a phone with a camera view. At the hotel entrance stood a white-haired teenager with two swords on his back and a wolf-shaped medialion on his chest.
"SEND EVERYONE DOWN! KILL HIM! WHOEVER BRINGS HIS HEAD TO ME WILL BE A MILLIONAIRE!"
The security guard bowed and ran to the others, forming a strike force. One of them was practicing kendo. The boy stood no chance against them... or at least he tried to convince himself otherwise.
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Vesemir stood before the glass entrance. The automatic doors, however, were disabled. Inside, he saw about ten opponents with swords or quirks that allowed them to use them in a similar manner.
They wouldn't come to him, so he would come to them.
*Aard*
The impact of the witcher's spell not only shattered the glass but also sent shards of glass flying through the room. The glass shards didn't hurt anyone. Vesemir didn't want to kill them without giving them a chance to leave in peace.
He calmly entered, imposing his presence on the thugs. He was meant to inspire fear and respect. Two of them moved to the flank to get around him... then fled.
The remaining eight looked alternately at Vesemir and their leader.
Vesemir stopped. His swords were sheathed on his back. The knives strapped to his chest enhanced his status as a versatile warrior, but it was his armor that impressed them most.
No one in this world had ever seen the armor of a witcher from the Wolf School. The aura of menace emanating from the boy took their breath away. No one dared to say anything. Some of the bandits regretted now that they hadn't joined their colleagues in fleeing.
Vesemir took his time. He allowed himself to build the tension. He calmly looked at all the enemies, who avoided his gaze. Sweat was visible on their faces and hands. Some were constantly adjusting their grip on their swords.
And then Vesemir made a gesture that showed he had already decided on their continued existence.
He nodded in a way that showed them the way out. He showed mercy. He didn't recognize any of them among the eight he would kill that night.
This wordless mental game worked better than many a spell.
Those holding weapons dropped them to the floor. There were gasps of relief. One by one, the guards began to emerge. Some were shaking... some walked like robots.
Once outside, they gasped for air. Each went their separate ways. To their homes, to their families... The coming days would reveal whether they had abandoned crime, or whether Vesemir would have to seek them out in the future.
The elevator ahead of him beeped, and the doors opened. Before Vesemir could say anything, he heard a voice from inside.
"Kill him!"
He didn't wait, for what reason. They had chosen their fate. He closed the distance and gestured to his opponents.
*Aard*
The first two unfortunates to emerge from the elevator crashed headlong into their companions behind them. The magical impact was so powerful that everyone inside was stunned.
Screams of pain and terror could be heard. In such a cramped space, Aard proved remarkably effective. Several people were sure to have broken something. Perhaps an arm, a rib, or a finger... Vesemir decided not to waste any more time on these men.
He went to the door marked with stairs. A long climb awaited him. He glanced back. One by one, people began exiting the elevator. Some were bleeding from their ears. Almost everyone was holding their heads.
No one dared to raise a weapon in his direction. He grabbed the doorknob and opened the door.
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Not self-control, not reason, but fear.... Fear dictated Omori Agihito's actions.
He knew what the teenager had done. He was a murderer, just like him. A group of bodyguards rushed to the stairwell in panic... not to fight at all.
He and his seven companions remained upstairs.
They tried to convince each other that they were better. That they could handle some teenager.
Fear turned into madness. And why would Vesemir want to kill them? For some loser who couldn't repay a debt? For the woman they had fun with before killing her?
No... that was impossible. Omori was certain Vesemir was building a new empire. But what would be the main source of profit? Vesemir rejected slavery, protection money, and similar activities.
Perhaps he would create a system based on illegal casinos and prostitution. He would go for entertaining people, not exploiting their stupidity...
Yes. Omori was sure that was the case. Nobody would go to such lengths to destroy an entire organization... Vesemir wasn't a pro hero, after all. He wasn't even a vigilante. He killed, and he did it en masse. That's what people do when they take over businesses, not destroy them.
In that case, he would definitely be able to come to an agreement with him. They would fake their own deaths to support his legend, and then lay the foundations for a new group... and when the time was right, they would kill the boy and seize power themselves.
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Vesemir stood calmly as the unarmed men passed him by, fear in their eyes. He let them go. He wondered if he was doing the right thing. Wouldn't it be better to kill them all?
A true knight knows what pardon is. Mercy can change a person. Sometimes they return to evil... but sometimes they turn away and begin to repair the damage they caused.
Of course, there were also things Vesemir would never forgive anyone.
The murder of innocents. Rape. Here lies the limit of the Prince of Nilfgaard's mercy. The blood debt would be paid, and the oath fulfilled.
Before killing someone, Vesemir asked himself one simple question:
Will the world be a better place without this man?
The answer was often affirmative.
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Omori heard footsteps. Slow... but distinct. His quirk gave him perfect pitch. He could even hear someone's heartbeat.
He watched with poorly masked fear as the source of all his problems entered the large room.
His men were already waiting. They were experts in their craft... They would fight if necessary. They had no choice. He had them by the balls. He was the one who knew where their wealth was. Without him, they would return to the streets empty-handed.
Omori looked at the boy's sword, which was stained with blood and had strange markings on it.
He then looked into the boy's cold, green eyes. He didn't understand how someone so young could be so calm. A natural-born killer. A man without remorse.
"I think I know why you came here."
The boy cocked his head to the side, observing his surroundings. He didn't reply. Omori continued.
"Let's be honest with each other. You need us. You're building your own group. You've created nationwide chaos, which you intend to exploit. Your rules may be different, but we will adapt. As always, it's about money and influence. My group and I can guarantee the foundations of your new system."
Vesemir listened. He didn't care what this bandit was presenting to him... but he was curious about what he was imagining. He let him continue.
"It will be months, maybe even years, before the situation in the country calms down... in the meantime, you will destroy large, well-known groups, and absorb smaller ones into your organization. You will create the largest group in the Japanese criminal world... We both know that politicians have been using our services. I know you have information on who exactly. I know you haven't leaked them all to the media... just enough to create chaos... but even you can't do everything alone. You need people. My group will provide you with the foundations of this system. Together, we can bring all the groups under your leadership... and destroy those who oppose us."
Omori listened... the boy's heartbeat was steady... meaning he was right. Vesemir had arrived here with a ready-made plan to take over his group. He smiled. He began slowly walking towards his new 'boss'... but then came the words that shattered his plan.
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"I despise people like you. You're the reason people like me exist. For the first time, you're standing before someone you can't bribe, intimidate, or kill."
*Aard*
Vesemir attacked. The man in front of him was thrown back, slamming his back against the piano. The others charged into battle.
He didn't wait. He leaped at the nearest opponent before they surrounded him. The man aimed his fists at him, and bone darts shot from them.
Half turn, cut, cut.
The bone darts struck the wall behind the young witcher. The first slash aimed at his knee. The man lost his balance and fell. The second slash decapitated him. Blood sprayed onto the next two approaching opponents.
For a heartbeat, they stood stunned, drenched in their comrade's blood. They were the ones who were supposed to kill... they always killed those weaker than themselves... but this time was different.
Through the gushing blood, Vesemir's thrown knife flashed. The blade plunged directly into the solar plexus of one of them. Shock paralyzed the man's body. The blade penetrated halfway.
The second enemy looked at the blade sticking out of his friend's chest and that was his mistake. Vesemir closed the distance and slashed diagonally across his exposed stomach.
Intestines spilled onto the floor, mixing with the blood of the first man killed.
Vesemir grabbed the embedded knife, given to him by Letho, and yanked the blade free. With a quick movement, he shook off the blood and sheathed it.
The four enemies pressed against him.
*Yrden*
Suddenly, they slowed. Their bodies moved in slow motion. They could only watch as death approached them.
Vesemir surged forward, performing a sequence known as the 'Whirl.'
He slashed one enemy in the thigh. Another lost a hand. A third was slashed deep across the back. The blade robbed him of the use of his legs forever.
The sword slashed the first unfortunate man again, robbing him of his ability to breathe properly, slicing his throat.
This deadly dance lasted only a moment.
They thought they were the elite. They thought no one could compare to them. They thought they were untouchable. But they had never had to fight anyone better... someone prepared... someone who had trained their whole lives.
Their victims were ordinary, normal people who were unable to repay their debts. They killed to spread terror among other creditors. They kidnapped and raped because they felt they could.
They lived like monsters... so they died like monsters.
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Omori was stunned by the strange blow. When he regained his senses, his men were already dead. How could this happen? He knelt and stared in horror at the boy's back... listening to his heart.
Calm... the pulse was... calm.
He had played his cards wrong... he should have fled the city from the start... after all, he had enough money to live in luxury... Greed and overconfidence had ruined him.
The truth is... he's no warrior. He doesn't know how to fight. His weapon was fear. He used other people to fight... and with his quirk, he could simply manipulate his victims with ease.
He encountered a man he couldn't scare... couldn't manipulate... couldn't defeat.
He looked at the assassin approaching him. He extended his hand toward him.
"Wait! I..."
The sword's slash cut through his hand first, then severed his head from his body.
The head rolled across the floor, leaving a trail of blood behind it. It finally stopped... and its dead gaze was directed toward the large window...
Vesemir looked in the same direction... he noticed the silhouette of a man... approaching him at great speed.
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The window shattered under the pressure of his power.
'I AM HERE!'
All Might exclaimed... He glanced around the room and froze, his mouth hanging open. What he saw was a massacre... He was too late... He had failed to arrest those villains... He was too slow...
He looked at the boy he had recently thought might be the next symbol of peace...
"Young Vesemir... What have you done..."
The pale boy breathed slowly... He closed his eyes and inhaled through his nose...
"I did what was necessary. I kept my oath..."
"This is not the way of a hero! Heroes don't kill!"
Vesemir looked straight into All Might's eyes. He was tired... but some things needed to be clarified now.
"I am not a hero."
All Might blinked. He felt he had to have a conversation with the boy... he wouldn't let him go... he would have to arrest him... but perhaps not all was lost yet.
"So who are you, Vesemir?"
Vesemir fell silent, considering his answer.
"A knight who made a promise... which he has now fulfilled."
"Are you telling me you did it out of honor?"
"No. I did it because it was the right thing to do. Honor bound me to keep my word."
"Then... what do you call what happened here?"
"It's not important."
"Why...?"
"Because you've already decided. I know I have no chance against you in a fight. I can tell you that I did it in the name of honor, revenge, justice... but the truth is, you've already decided that what I did was wrong."
Midnight and Eraserhead burst into the room. They looked at the massacre. Nemuri stood in shock. Aizawa looked at his son, intending to stop him.
All Might frowned, but his smile never left his face.
"Why do you think I've already decided? I want to understand you, young Vesemir! Heroes fight for justice, but not like this. We are on the side of the law, not against it."
"You're wrong. Pro Heroes are on the side of the authorities, not justice... and I've seen firsthand how corrupt your elites are.
Aizawa clenched his fists.
"Son... you have to stop..."
"I'm not your son."
Midnight took a few steps forward.
"Vesemir... we can't let you go..."
The young witcher nodded in agreement.
"I know."
"Please... don't fight us, Vesemir."
He looked at Midnight. Her face was pale... she was scared... but ready to fight...
"I don't want to fight you, Lady Midnight... I once stood up for you... what would it look like if I fought you now..."
"In that case... at least... surrender and..."
"So what? Will I be judged by people who are part of this corrupt system?" Am I supposed to expect a fair trial?"
All Might interjected.
"Young Vesemir. You must face the consequences of your actions... but we will ensure your trial is fair. I know the system is broken. You've proven that to us in recent days, but change comes from within... I want you to be part of that change. There are lawyers, there are judges who are honest. We can ensure you a fair trial."
"No, All Might. You can't... you may be number one... but you have no real power..."
"Young Vesemir... you're wrong. I have influence. I am the Symbol of Peace not only through strength, but because I inspire change. If you surrender, I will use that influence to ensure justice for you. You are not alone in this fight."
Vesemir looked at him, then at Aizawa and Midnight. The weariness in his eyes was mixed with doubt.
"What about those who participated in... kidnappings, rapes, murders... I'm talking about members of the government."
Midnight interjected.
"Justice will not pass them by... but it won't be your justice... there will be trials... there will be punishments... perhaps even the death penalty... but they will face the consequences."
"Hmm... if it's not a secret... I'd like to know how you found me."
Aizawa replied.
"Your motorcycle. We found it at the port and hoped you'd come back for it... so we placed a transmitter in it."
Vesemir thought of Letho and what he'd said... that this would be Vesemir's last such action and he'd have to surrender... but Letho was supposed to catch him.
"I see... clever... I wouldn't have thought something like this existed... truly, the technology of this world is astonishing..."
Midnight breathed a sigh of relief.
"Then you'll surrender?"
"Yes... but not to you."
All Might stood like a rock. Aizawa twitched dangerously and said.
"What do you mean, not to us?"
"What you heard... I can't trust any of you. I will surrender to Letho..."
All Might asked.
"And why him?"
"Because he is both part of the system and doesn't trust the system like you do."
Aizawa took a step forward.
"And if we refuse?"
Vesemir pointed his blade at his father.
"Then we will fight. I will lose. I know it... I will not harm Lady Midnight... but I never made such a promise to you."
End of Chapter 44