With hundreds of shuriken raining in violence. Nobody was safe in this colorless environment, as a slew of yells and screams came from the patrons who were in a complete frenzy. Women, children, men, it didn't matter as they were unable to escape, being mowed down in an instant.
"Music to my ears."
Fox smirked, ushering in a deathly silence. Among this massacre, the only thing that could be heard was the faint, excruciating moans of those who were gasping their final breaths.
" Jeez, don't you think this was a bit of an overkill on your part?"
444 casually asked Fox while rubbing his sore wrist in a seated position. Never leaving his chair, Fox made sure to avoid his airspace while he remained nearby. Soon, the shuriken that leveled this place phased out of existence.
" No need to worry, my Echo Chamber closes off anything inside here from the outside world. So, I'll get someone to clean this mess, and it'll be like nothing ever happened."
Fox reassured. Knowing that from any unsuspecting eye on the streets. "Heaven in Hell" would appear peaceful, like it was closed for the day. Being sealed off to anyone who tried to enter.
"If you say so, but before we leave, I need to make sure to collect 55's badge from her corpse. Since she's my last target after all."
444 grinned. Revealing his ulterior motive for inviting Liz out to lunch. However, he soon carried a look of disgust, scanning the unnaturally grey environment chock-full of dead bodies. Being scattered around trampled food, broken plates, knocked over tables, and wasted drinks
" Ugh, how am I supposed to find her in all this garbage. 320 go and bring 55 for me."
He quickly ordered his companion, who was more like his lapdog, as he didn't hesitate to do the bidding of 444.
" Oh, and don't forget to fetch 00 as well. Rumor has it that his head comes with extra benefits."
444 added as 320 began searching. After some time had passed, he finished clearing the bottom floor with no luck.
" I don't see them anywhere down here. I'm going to check upstairs."
Getting a nod of approval, 320 made his way up the steps. Ruthlessly repeating the same routine of combing through the lifeless bystanders with no remorse. Seeing some yellow fledglings associated with the Three Reapers caught in the crossfire as well. Inching towards the back. He soon came across a heap of the dead that seemed out of place.
"Why is this pile so unnaturally large? Not only that, but why do they look like dried grapes?"
Distracted by this peculiar sight, a kunai swept across the grey void, aimed at the back of his noggin. Noticing at the last second, 320 spun around while parrying the sneak attack with a swift chop. Able to coat his forearm and hand in reinforced Qi.
However, a short blade simultaneously skewered his heart like a shish kabab from behind. Dying instantly without seeing the face of his killer. The assailant smoothly dislodged his blade from 320's chest. Kicking him as he went flying through the air over the upstairs railing, crashing onto 444's table.
"What? Who goes there?"
" Don't be so shocked, 444, didn't you just send for your mangy dog to go 'fetch' me?"
Zekes' voice came from all corners as he stayed hidden.
"00! Fox, why is he still alive?"
" Slipped through the cracks, but he won't remain so for much longer."
Fox remarked through gritted teeth, clenching his fists. Confident that he could easily smoke out this inexperienced youngster without a problem. Unexpectedly, a rapid sense of danger scratched away at his nerves, forcing him to take immediate action. In the next instant, a bloody explosion bloomed from the corpse of 320. Impacting a third of the first floor, in destruction. Inside this space, devoid of color. A large cloud of mist that was supposed to be red flooded the entire place in its wake.
Fox narrowly escaped onto the furthest side. Having only a short moment beforehand to push 444 in the opposite direction. In the thick fog, he was forced to use something other than sight to perceive this chained attack. Getting a taste of his own medicine while a hefty wave of shuriken tried to corner him into submission.
' Tsk, Amateur.'
He thought, quickly activating his specialty, WeaponizeBlacksmith. Deflecting the onslaught with an overwhelming number of kunai that projected from thin air. Promptly neutering the once potent flurry.
At Stage 3, Disciple, this bandanaed, patched-eyed, man was the standard for those who made it as a black ranked assassin. Hailing from a background of blacksmiths, Fox was able to materialize any weapon he ever forged into and out of battle, effortlessly.
Over the decades, he perfected this generational technique. Accumulating thousands of personalized weapons in his arsenal.
' What's the status on your end, 444?'
Fox communicated by using voice transmission instead of yelling across the room.
' Hurry, I'm under heavy fire!'
' Hang in there. I'll handle this.'
Meanwhile, 444 purposely cut his thumb as his blood formed into an acidic snake gently coiled around him. Melting the divided slew of shuriken on contact. In the thick of things, a blood-like scythe suddenly appeared, spinning fiercely from 444's blind spot. On impact, it instantly dissipated within the snake's translucent body, actively protecting him before he even noticed himself.
"You dirty bastard!"
The long-haired male reacted late, frantically trying to see where the surprise assault originated from. Soon, with a strong gust, the blood mist cleared out. However, the situation that lay before 444 and Fox was anything but clear.
" What kind of absurd illusion is this?"
Both 444's said in unison as they pointed incredulously at each other in shock.
" Calm yourself. This petty trick is a simple matter to deal..."
Stopping their sentence short. Now it was the two identical instructors' turn to experience this uncanny feeling of repeating one another. The true Fox, who was a veteran warrior assassin, couldn't help but be somewhat impressed by 00's performance thus far.
' I see. It's no wonder that the usual fickle Reaper Lee has taken such an uncharacteristic liking to this fledgling.'
Fox admitted to himself that if left unchecked, 00 had the potential to wreak some havoc once matured. Yet, it was an undeniable fact that Fox still held the upper hand, being at a higher stage than Zeke. He sought to exploit this charade with pure skill and strength.
Taking a hopping sidestep, both launched a chained sickle aimed at their ankles, but came up short. Manipulating the extended chain, they redirected the sickle upward. However, it resulted in another stalemate, landing on the littered canvas afterwards. Not relenting, these synchronized attacks of multiple deadly weapons and techniques went on for several more exchanges.
On the opposite end. The separate pair unleashed a poisonous whip, which quickly became entangled, attempting to strike down the other. Ensnared in a high-risk game of tug of war as they tried to pull their opponent off balance. Standing their ground, using the free hand, they conjured up a charging rhino made entirely of venomous Qi. Colliding in mutual destruction, the toxic shockwave trickled into Fox's vicinity.
Aware of this situation. The apparent twins warily dragged their battle elsewhere. Looking for an opportunity to use its poisonous fumes to their advantage while on the move.
Even though 444 was only at a Stage 2 Master. With the infamous Venomous physique, his poison arts were capable of harming him. Failing to enact "friendly fire", they eventually blew a hole through the restaurant's wall. Crashing near the Echo Chambers' boundary.
Inside, where the noxious gas lingered, the real 444 was reaching his mental boiling point.
" This can't be. Everything I do, he does as well? Impossible! It's all just an illusory gimmick! I'm truly one of a kind! Nobody else can compare to me and my grand future!"
His usual dark, serene eyes began to rattle with stress, becoming bloodshot. He stared over at his counterpart, who also had a snake form with venomous qi wrapped around them. Unable to stomach the sight any longer. 444 snapped as his internal energy fluctuated out of control into a berserker state.
" I'll show you and everyone else that my absolute genius can't be matched!"
444's long hair rose along his terrifying, growing, toxic aura, profusely pouring out. The guardian snake soon fused into his body. Contaminating the surrounding area with a deadly gas.
"What's the matter, phony? I don't see you copying me anymore!"
He maniacally cackled, overdosing on his power. Across from him, the copycat showed a new look of worry, unable to mimic this unique show of force. Trying to cover up their mouth and nostrils was futile as they collapsed onto the floor. This joyous occurrence only made him rage on, with no signs of stopping, whether friend or foe.
Noticing this disturbance, Fox knew if he didn't get 444 back under control, this entire place would be at risk of getting caught in his crossfire. Understanding the dire consequences, he had to maintain the echo chamber. Fearing that this chaos could snowball into a disaster that would be impossible to ignore.
'444 snap out of it! 444?444!'
Fox continuously attempted to get his attention through voice transmission. Receiving no response. Only able to hear his crazed laugh from a distance. Sighing to himself, Fox decided that enough was enough. Jumping high into the air, nearly touching the chamber's ceiling.
" Forged Dragon "
Amid a battle with his doppelganger, Fox's entire smithed collection combined to form a makeshift metallic dragon. Letting it off the leash, roaring out an army of various weapons from above, leaving no room for error. Not able to mirror the same attack, the copy was forced to defend instead.
Using this opportunity, Fox leapt back inside "Heaven in Hell". Struggling to withstand the noxious fumes. He surmised he had less than a minute before succumbing to the poison. Glancing at the fake, who was lying on the floor, had reverted to a young woman.
Soon, Fox initiated the move to knock him unconscious. However, before he could do anything, 444 Qi died down almost instantly. Falling to his knees as he vomited a puddle of blood in agony and confusion.
" How? Am I dying? Why does it feel like my stomach is being eaten away from the inside?"
444 hysterically questioned in pain, fear, and disbelief after feeling like he was on top of the world just a moment ago. Desperately repeating that he didn't want to die while blood seeped through his pores in this grey void.
With the potency of the poison weakening around him, Fox rushed in to ascertain the problem. Placing a hand on his back, he channeled his senses into 444's inner framework. Making a startling discovery of a blood centipede, gorging out at the host's expense.
' Why is the blood centipede that should only be in Master Taki's control, going on a rampage now?'
Before Fox had a chance to make head or tail of this anomaly, 444 flatlined as his dark eyes were wide open, mixed with murky blood and salted tears.
" Damnit!"
Fox yelled in grief and anger, more so for himself than 444, as his life was directly tied to the now deceased "teacher pet". Trapped in a cycle of when it rains, it pours. He had no time to manage his turbulent emotions, immediately thwarting a sneak attack by a familiar face. Worst for the ware, covered in deep gashes after withstanding the Forged Dragon onslaught.
Standing toe to toe. Aiming for his chest but missing, he twisted the short blade that punctured the actual Fox's defending open palm. While being countered with a blade that pierced through his right hand and thigh, coming to a deadlock.
" What kind of a monster are you?"
Fox shouted as a dagger slyly flashed from his mouth. However, Fox's head went flying cleanly into the air while his body remained upright as a fountain of blood squirted from his sliced neck. A drawn Qi-imbued katana rose from the copy's shadow, with Zeke eventually revealing himself.
" The vengeful kind."