The fear in the hearts of those in the hall mixed with hatred and resentment the moment Yamikage entered, with the exception of Greid and Shader, who held no grudge against him. Among those who hated Yamikage with a burning passion was Koji, who didn't even want to look at the bright light emanating from Yamikage's glove; he merely spoke to himself.
'Since he brought that sword, he has become extremely arrogant...'
The sound of rapid footsteps interrupted his thoughts. A woman from among them broke rank toward Yamikage; her clothes were stained with mud, and her face showed the horror of the life she lived. Her eyes were vacant with dark circles hovering around them, her hair was messy and matted, and her yellow teeth ground against each other in fear. Once she got close enough to see Yamikage amidst that brilliant glow, she knelt immediately, lowering her head, and without warning, tears began to flow profusely from her dry eyes.
"Please forgive me… I couldn't gather the full amount, but I will pay double next time!"
Despite her tears and moans, the killing intent burning in Yamikage's eyes did not fade. He soon advanced toward her with heavy steps, saying:
"The rules were clear from the beginning: failure equals death."
The woman raised her head high to show her face covered in scattered tears. Before she could try to plead for her life again, Yamikage swung the sword with extreme speed, tearing through half of her slender neck. Blood splattered from her neck toward the luxurious tiles, and she fell directly on her face, leaving an example of the punishment awaiting anyone who fell short in the gang.
As soon as Yamikage adjusted his stance, his bloodthirsty features changed into serious and calm ones—not out of regret for killing the girl, but for another reason. He looked at Takeshi's sword, which reflected the light of the glove directly toward his face, and thought to himself:
'It's impossible for this sword to be this weak; in the hands of that brat, it was stronger. I could feel the intensity of his strike using this sword—or was it his physical strength that compensated for all this weakness?'
With use, Yamikage realized the sword was weak in his hand, which created many other questions. Most importantly: why did Takeshi want to retrieve a weapon this weak? Was it truly weak, or was it only weak in Yamikage's hand? However, overthinking was not an option now since he was currently at work. Yamikage had become the gang's official executioner since bringing the sword two weeks ago, executing every defiant and negligent member with Takeshi's sword. This thought made him clear his mind and continue his new job.
***
Clouds began to emerge in the sky, attempting to cover the prominent moon in the dark, star-studded sky. The white moonlight reflected off the mountain adjacent to the abandoned buildings area, highlighting what lay hidden beneath the dense trees. On its peak stood two men face to face. One wore a mask hiding his identity, and the other was a massive man riding a colossal black horse. They were Rastan, leader of the Royal Skull gang, and Korsh, the great slave trader who had previously wanted to sell the inhabitants of Eldra village. There was enough distance between them to indicate their mutual lack of trust; their relationship was not friendly, or at least, it was not hostile at the same time.
"So, he is headed here..."
Rastan spoke without moving his eyes. Korsh, in turn, soon spoke.
"Eldra village would have been one of the abandoned villages if not for his intervention. I didn't harm him because Shader, one of your followers, told me about him, and because I don't like to touch valuable people like him whom I can benefit from as much as possible."
A light wind blew as Korsh finished his words.
"I don't understand your love for money."
Korsh raised his left hand, pointing his finger at his forehead, and replied to Rastan:
"You want to reach glory. Not just you, but most of your followers as well, especially from that lowly gang of yours. The ideal way to reach the highest levels of ideals is money, earned through the mind."
Rastan moved his hand and extended it beside him; the place suddenly shook as several iron pillars erupted from the fertile ground, smashing the trees nearby. They surrounded both Korsh and Rastan, who said:
"The money you hallucinate about isn't everything..."
Rastan clenched his fist and raised it to the level of his face, saying:
"The word 'glory' cannot describe my ultimate goal. My goal requires money, mind, and power. Power is what I lack in such a cruel world, and once a man can make his world more cruel, he will realize the meaning of the power he needs, slave trader!"
From beneath his green robe fluttering with the fierce winds, Korsh pulled out the blade of a sharp, shimmering halberd. Soon, the tough, crimson-red handle of the halberd extended. With a single swing, Korsh tore the iron pillars surrounding him in half without looking away from the man before him.
One supported money and the mind, and the other supported glory and power. Thus, the two were not in complete agreement. Their true goals might have a single essence, but their beliefs were completely different, and their path was backed by evil, as people claimed. One was a slave trader who kidnapped people from their homes and sold them for a pittance, and the other owned the largest gang in the south of the country, which relied on theft and murder. Both were a nightmare people did not want to see in the day or night.
Korsh lowered his savage halberd and said:
"Our topic has turned to this nonsense again. That boy, at best, will arrive tomorrow or the day after, provided some Rivarg monsters don't cross his path—"
"What do you mean?"
Korsh pulled the horse's rope with one hand, turning his back to Rastan, saying:
"A hunting trip made the monsters lose their nerves."
Rastan, in turn, turned away, causing the iron pillars he had summoned to shatter and vanish immediately. He said:
"Human hunting?"
Both disappeared into the desolate darkness, with Korsh leaving his final words for their meeting.
"Rather, monster hunting for my next step..."
***
Below the mountain in the abandoned buildings area, a few minutes later, the lower-tier gang members were already outside, having made it through this cursed night with three deaths this time. Everyone soon scattered throughout the city before anyone could see them; seeing this number of people in a famous area was suspicious. This wasn't the only reason; some wanted to celebrate surviving another day with a drink or a dinner befitting their low status, and some had to work now to start gathering for the next Delivery Day in ten days.
The last person remaining in that empty place was Koji, who was reassured since he already had the sufficient amount. Suddenly, the sound of his hungry stomach erupted to fill the empty area.
'What should I eat...'
Just as he tried to leave, he noticed out of the corner of his eye someone sitting atop one of the old buildings. Looking closely into that darkness, Koji was able to recognize the person's identity; it was Shinya, the new member of the gang. Koji advanced toward that building, and once he realized Shinya had noticed him, he spoke:
"Aren't you afraid of staying here alone?"
Shinya did not reply at first; he kept staring at the moonlight, trying to rid his heart of the fear within. After a few seconds, he spoke.
"Are all your gang members like your leader and the blue-haired one?"
He meant Rastan and Greid, who had pressured him and shown him the agony that would accompany him throughout his life for joining this gang. He had initially believed that after finding the thread through someone he knew to reach this gang, he would secure a good future or end up dead—which, to him, was a better option than his current situation.
"No, everyone like us is kinder than them. It's true that among those wearing the white robe, only Shader is kind, but at least you won't be killed by the others if you behave well and take your work seriously."
Shinya recognized Shader immediately. Among those he had seen in white robes, he was the calmest; even before they entered the hall, he noticed Shader was very much in harmony with the rest of the gang.
"Are you doing all this for money?"
"If I wanted money, I would have ended up like those who came with you."
Shinya's mood soured even more.
"I wish I had ended up like them. I was able to conclude from the blue-haired man's words that if I tried to commit suicide, my mother would end up dead too..."
"Don't think in this negative way... So you joined for your mother. Everyone in the gang like us has similar reasons."
Shinya stood up, shifting his gaze toward Koji, saying:
"So, for whom did you join this gang?"
Koji smiled, lowering his eyes toward the ground, saying:
"For my sister."