Chapter 4: Fear

A man retrieved his sword from the wall with his right hand and simultaneously reached for his coat on the opposite side. Securing the sword on his left waist, fastened to his belt, he donned the coat, concealing an ancient black kimono beneath.

Exiting his dwelling, he paused just beyond the front door, eyes locked on the cerulean sky and the sun. A sigh escaped, a fleeting moment of reflection, before he raised his right hand. Suddenly, a vibrant red mask materialized, covering his face as his eyes shifted from brown to an ominous red. With a breath, he vanished into the unseen.

Minutes later, he materialized within the heart of the Capital, navigating through guards who cast suspicious glares his way. Undeterred, he strode towards a room, the gazes of the sentinels unable to pierce his enigmatic purpose. Opening the door, he was met by an unfamiliar face.

"Welcome, welcome! I'm Kingston, the head of the West Nation! Just in case you've forgotten my name after all these years!" Kingston greeted with a nervous giggle. The man stood, discerning Kingston's underlying intent. "Well, have a seat over there."

In the expansive room, four figures surrounded a round table. The arriving unknown took a chair, exhaling audibly. Kingston reclined, awaiting the impending discourse.

"You need not entertain me; I'm here for something specific," the unknown declared, producing a scroll that found its way onto the table.

Another figure in the room observed as Kingston unrolled the scroll, revealing ominous words. "Fear is rising again, and I cannot allow that. If you can tell me where that thing is, I will owe you a favor, Kingston," the unknown asserted, hands clasped together.

Kingston sighed, placing the scroll on the table. "What do you think your goal is? That thing is heavily guarded by skilled hidden assassins. No one will ever get past them, mark my words," he warned, a threatening undertone in his voice.

"Marked, marked, marked! Do you know what Fear is? What caused it, Kingston?" The unknown rose, locking eyes with Kingston across the table.

"Calm down. I understand your anger, that kind of fear. But going in there? That is a no, no! You've been retired for many years, relieved of your duty as an assassin. Please, be at peace. Those assassins won't be killed easily; they protect that precious stone with their lives!" Kingston exclaimed, plunging the room into an abrupt silence, the other two unknowns mere spectators to this enigmatic confrontation.

"Relieved from duty? Do you want to see my wrath? My anger? I just want to make sure those gems won't be in the enemies' hands! What I'm guessing is your team has gone soft, too relaxed that they've forgotten they will be fighting Deities! Stronger than them, these deities are powerful, and one of them can solo your entire group of assassins guarding that stone!" He exclaimed once more, tapping the table in front of him, urging Kingston to reveal the location of the precious stone.

"They are safe! And the same goes for that damn gem we've been protecting for the past hundred years! Do not underestimate these assassins, old man!" Kingston retorted furiously, his gaze fixed on the unknown man at the other side of the round table.

Suddenly, the unknown pulled out a kunai from his pocket, fixing a menacing glare on Kingston without a single blink. In an instant, two shadowy figures materialized behind him, their eyes glowing white as they stood silently, swords in hand.

The two unknowns beside Kingston trembled with fear but remained in their seats. The shadowy figures behind the unknown man held their swords with an air of ominous readiness.

"If you kill me or them, you know you won't gain anything. Even through torture, you'll extract nothing from us. Stand down, or you'll meet your end right here. You're threatening the heads of this nation, violating a code that should have cost you your life. They've shown you respect, sparing yours," Kingston warned, his expression taking on a more threatening demeanor.

"You will regret this, Kingston. As I see it, you're too relaxed. All of you! If they manage to seize that gem, their power will surge, instigating fear once again. Remember, we're up against Deities who claimed twenty human lives, superior beings, well-trained, yet defeated by a single deity," the unknown man remarked. Abruptly, he transformed into flames, vanishing into thin air. The two shadowy figures behind him also dissipated without uttering a single word, leaving an eerie silence in their wake.

Outside the colossal walls of the West Nation stood an enigmatic figure atop the tallest tree, eclipsing even the imposing walls. With a rapier in hand, the unknown being, draped in a dark coat and hood, sported a fox mask emanating an eerie glow.

Leaping from the towering tree, he aimed the rapier skyward, its tip sparking with a small light. In seconds, it transformed into a colossal lightning rapier, twice the size of its wielder. Its intense glow hinted at the impending storm.

With a bright smile concealed behind the mask, he thrust the lightning rapier forward, sending it hurtling towards the giant gate of the West. Guards below watched in mesmerized horror as their world crumbled in an instant. Silence fell, shattered only by the thunderous explosion that engulfed the gate, leaving nothing but ashes and a crater in its wake.

The unknown figure touched down, moving forward amidst the debris, his destructive path evident. At the Capital, Kingston, alerted by the lightning explosion, rose from his chair, hastening to the window. Sweat beaded on his forehead, and tremors shook him as he witnessed the distant spectacle—the giant gate soaring into the air, then crashing down, accompanied by the haunting silhouette of a lightning dragon that sent chills down his spine.

"Tell the guards! Assassins! Swordsmen! Every man we have! The army! Evacuate the civilians and fight whoever did that! Don't let any—" Kingston exclaimed, but before he could finish, the room erupted in blinding light, and an overwhelming heat enveloped him. The two shadow unknowns materialized at their sides, interrupting their response.

A colossal explosion razed the entire capital within seconds, leaving the civilians in shock, kneeling amidst the wreckage. Kingston and the others found themselves outside, bewildered by the sudden turn of events.

"We managed to save them all in seconds! We teleported each one of them here, yet that cost us almost ourselves. Our energy is depleted, we might not be of use anymore," the two shadow swordsmen declared in unison, drawing their swords as the onlookers remained paralyzed with fear.

"Who could've done this madness?" Kingston seethed, clenching his fists while staring at the ruined capital. Above them, the sky lit up once again, three giant lightning rapiers forming, more than twice the size of a human, aiming towards Kingston.

The shadow swordsmen positioned themselves in front of Kingston, ready for an impending threat. The civilians scattered in fear, shouting. Despite the dire situation, Kingston remained resolute. Suddenly, footsteps approached from behind him.

"Kingston, I gave you a fine warning! Now, fear rose everywhere as you can see. Civilians whining in fear, the gate destroyed, and the whole capital building is turned into ashes," an unknown man whispered behind him, making him turn around only to see the man he talked to a while ago.

His fox mask was glowing bright orange, same as his eyes. His expression was solemn, and he didn't even catch a sweat. He simply drew his sword with his right hand and stood behind him menacingly.

"What can you do in a situation like this? Against something that annihilated an entire building and a reinforced gate, just leave. Protect the civilians at all costs," Kingston stated. It made the unknown assassin smile and shake his head left and right menacingly.

"You still think of the others instead of yourself? Death is in front of you, yet you're still thinking of saving the others?! That's the Kingston I know! That's very admirable!" The unknown assassin exclaimed furiously as all of a sudden, three giant lightning rapiers flew down to the ground towards them.

Out of nowhere, five unknown assassins appeared behind the man wearing the fox mask. The six of them threw Kunai, sharp knives, towards the three giant lightning rapiers.

The Kunai hit the giant lightning rapiers, and suddenly, they vanished into thin air. A sudden silence occurred as Kingston's sweat dripped down to the ground from his chin, and he sighed in relief. He was about to move a finger when all of a sudden, the sky grumbled. Three thunder strikes occurred in the sky above them. It made them all look up, including the unknown being who looked confused. He was in the air, floating, holding a rapier in his left hand.

"Wow, they teleported it with their sharp knives, and those knives up there got disintegrated by my technique. Then, those knives are not that well made," thought the unknown being. He lowered his head and stared at them, seeing a few unknowns glaring at him.

"Kingston! We need to get out of here! Assassins! Get the other heads to safety, same as the other workers! Evacuate every civilian around! Don't let them die! That's the head's order!" The two shadow swordsmen shouted in unison. A few assassins arrived suddenly around them, grabbed the workers, and the other two heads of the nation near Kingston, and vanished.

Kingston was about to be grabbed by one of the assassins, but he signaled to stop. He raised his head and looked at the sky, seeing the unknown being beginning to descend to the ground.

Eight figures lingered on the ground, their presence juxtaposed with the enigmatic silhouette in the distance. With a sinister grin, the mysterious entity gracefully descended upon the wreckage of the capital building.

Kingston's left foot tapped the ground in frustration, a silent declaration of his desire to take matters into his own hands. However, he knew his limitations, a mere mortal facing a formidable adversary. He was no match, despite the extraordinary individuals accompanying him.

"Who the hell are you?!" Kingston demanded, his tone a blend of defiance and anticipation, the unspoken hope for a revealing answer. The six mysterious assassins maintained their vigilant stance behind Kingston, while the two shadowy swordsmen, their blades pointed menacingly, guarded him against the enigmatic presence.

"My apologies for walking into your precious nation and immediately destroying the Main Gate and the Capital. I was surprised that no one was killed over here, except for the guards at the gate. Oh wait, I killed two over here, the two guards right outside the door. They're quite the unfortunate beings, but oh well, answering your question. I'm a Deity, I won't bother your nation if you answer what I asked you," the unknown apologized and introduced himself menacingly, glaring at each one of them. The Deity's presence alone made them feel fear.

"And what is that question exactly?" The unknown assassin wearing the mask asked menacingly. He appeared in front of the two unknown shadow swordsmen, wanting to take the spotlight. The two unknown shadow swordsmen could clearly see he's trying to show off.

"Hmm? Human, I don't see the reason talking to you. As far as I can see, the heavily guarded man here is that man behind those two swordsmen, what I'm guessing the two shadow guard swordsmen of the heads which every nation has, so I may suggest you step aside. I don't have time for peasants like you," the Deity stated menacingly with a motionless face. He then pointed his index finger towards the assassin, making him tremble in fear.

"Huh? You have the audacity to talk like that? After destroying the whole building and the gate? How dare you!" he exclaimed as Kingston stood, scared of what's gonna happen next. The Deity didn't speak out a single word and chose to ignore the assassin.

"Those are facts, you damn deity. What questions are you asking since we definitely don't have the time for that! You attack our land and we will make sure you will pay! You cause fear to our people! Don't make them think they'll let this pass!" Kingston exclaimed. All of a sudden, the whole capital building was surrounded by countless soldiers, the army of the west gathered around in one place.

"I just like to ask if you people know the location of one of the lost gems. I've heard that these gems are guarded, some of it are living legends, myths I supposed, and the other, humans capable of handling us. Now I wonder what's that about... It made me think, how can a human, handle us deity, if our power can go above you all, huh?" the Deity exclaimed. All of a sudden, the rapier he's holding began to light up brightly, same as his eyes.

"I'm Riyoshu Warakure! The assassin who will kill you!" an unknown assassin shouted, the one wearing the fox mask. He introduced himself as he began taking steps forward towards the Deity. The deity, in turn, started descending towards him. A sudden silence occurred, and lightning crackled in the air.

The whole area lit up bright white, and they were buffeted by the wind. Kingston immediately kneeled, fearing it might be his end. A single thunder strike occurred, destroying the ground the Deity was standing on. Riyoshu appeared, kneeling and smoking on the ground.

"Hahaha! You're pathetic!" exclaimed the Deity in front of Riyoshu. He raised his right arm, about to thrust his rapier into Riyoshu's chest. It seemed Riyoshu was about to meet his end when suddenly, he appeared behind the Deity, stabbing him in the arm and making him grunt.

The Deity turned and smiled as soon as he managed to stab, but all of a sudden, Riyoshu was slammed to the ground, creating giant cracks and rendering him unconscious. Lightning appeared in the air, striking him in the chest, leaving him paralyzed and on the brink of death. Blood dripped from the side of his mouth as the Deity began laughing out loud.

"Riyoshu! Come on! Riyoshu! Get a grip of yourself! Wake up!" Kingston shouted furiously. Suddenly, the Deity appeared in front of him in thin air and kicked the two shadow guard swordsmen away before they could react. Terrified, Kingston took immediate steps back, horrified by what he had just witnessed.

A single assassin arrived behind him and tapped him on the shoulder. He was about to teleport him out of danger when, all of a sudden, the Deity grabbed the assassin's hand, used to tap him. The Deity smiled menacingly, crushing the assassin's hand. He screamed violently as Kingston sat on the ground, horrified. Then, with merciless intentions, the Deity thrust his rapier into the assassin's chest, ending his life.

Then the Deity proceeded his left hand towards Kingston. He was about to grab him when, all of a sudden, his left hand got cut. It fell to the ground, and the Deity's eyes widened in shock as he stood and looked. He blinked once, and suddenly, Kingston in front of him was gone. The Deity smiled like a demon, realizing there's a human faster than him.

"I've figured, there's always someone in every nation who stands out from the rest. Powerful enough that it can overwhelm a deity, show yourself! Warrior!" exclaimed the Deity while giggling.

Suddenly, an unknown assassin appeared in the distance, holding a sword in his right hand. He appeared to be wearing a cape, a coat, and a uniform, showing his back to the deity. He slowly turned around, revealing his calm presence. He then raised his left hand and signaled to the armies that were advancing to hold their positions.

"You're no match for me; I suggest you leave before I make you pay," the unknown man said while stroking his sword menacingly. This made the Deity laugh out loud and shake his head left and right, finding the statement hilarious.

"You're funny! Ooh! That's a good one, assassin!" the Deity exclaimed while smiling. The assassin began taking steps forward with a calm presence that startled the Deity. The deity raised his rapier and thrust it in the air in front of the unknown assassin, and suddenly lightning appeared on top of the assassin's head, and thunder struck him.

The Deity took a step back, shocked at what he had just witnessed. The assassin appeared to be smoking but continued taking steps forward. He took a thunder strike like it was nothing, and it didn't even make him flinch.

"Your thunder strike is weak, weaker than a child," said the unknown assassin menacingly, taunting the Deity and making him angry. Suddenly, the assassin took another step back when he saw the Deity's eyes glowing for a moment. For the first time, the deity felt fear.