[??? POV]
The full moon and a star shower adorn the night sky tonight, making me inevitably remember memories with my Father when I was still small.
I was born into one of the branch families of the Ashina Clan, famous as the best assassins on this continent. This is due to the special techniques passed down generation after generation from our ancestor—Hattori Ashina, who came to this continent 400 years ago from the far eastern continent.
It is still a mystery why Hattori Ashina left his hometown and settled on this western continent. However, it is certain that Hattori was a child of one of the Daimyos on the Eastern Continent. After marrying a daughter of a nobleman from the Kingdom of Pulisha, Hattori then settled and built a village near the Carpathian mountains.
Currently, our Clan has reached ten generations and is very famous in the dark world. Many hire our services as bodyguards, scouts, spies, or to conduct assassination missions. However, doing dirty work like this does not mean it is without risk. Many hold grudges against us, one of which is a family that was previously a target of an Ashina Clan assassination.
20 years ago, a family in the Republic of Venetia hired a Warlock to place a curse spell upon us. A Warlock is a dark mage capable of using curse magic that is known to be very dangerous. Different from ordinary magic, curse magic has a broad scale with long-term effects, even lasting up to hundreds of years.
Even though we succeeded in killing the family and their hired Warlock, that dark mage succeeded in placing an Esteril curse that made all men and women in the Ashina Clan sterile and unable to have offspring. This curse is marked by a 'Mark' that exists on the body of every Clan member. The curse Mark of a man appears on their shoulder, while for women it is below the stomach area—precisely where the womb is located.
I was just born when that curse befell our Clan, making me have the same fate as them. After receiving this curse, the Ashina Clan population, which originally numbered around 400, declined to around 150 people. If left alone, then our Clan will go extinct from this continent. Because of that, all members of the Ashina Clan currently are trying to find a way to release this curse by any means.
Five years ago, my father made a deal with a Noble from the Empire. He said he knew how to remove our curse. He would tell him on the condition that our family must serve him for ten years. My father agreed to it and performed a Blood Pact with that Noble.
A Blood Pact is an oath Ritual where whoever breaks the agreed-upon agreement will die. Although it looks very binding, the Blood Pact Ritual can still be outsmarted. Because of that, father agreed to this deal.
Last year, that noble ordered me to watch his son and report every activity he does outside the academy. So far, I have twice reported the activities of that noble's son. The first was when he formed an organization and the second was when he fought the Vampires one month ago.
Now, he is closing his eyes alone in a dark and quiet place. I do not know his reason for being here, but my job is not to find his motivation but only to give reports on his movements. Not long after, that black-haired man opened his eyes then jumped to the roof of a building, leaving this area.
Hmm... This is strange; why is he suddenly like he is in a hurry like that?
Activating the Featherstep technique, I began to follow him from afar. This technique allows the user to run without making any sound at all and can only be learned at the Village Training Camp where the Ashina Clan resides.
I slowed my run on top of these buildings; that was because I lost the track of that black-haired man. The parkour ability and speed he possesses are not bad either. Activating one of my Profound Codices—Foot Trail—I can see clearly the traces of that man's footsteps within a hundred-meter radius. I again jumped from one building to another following his traces that I could already read.
However, his traces suddenly disappeared onto a tall building. I tried to climb to the top of that building to be able to see his traces again. However, when reaching the peak, suddenly that black-haired man dashed toward me and launched a thrust attack using his sword.
But, with my fast reflexes, I could avoid it by a hair's breadth.
"You can avoid it, it turns out," said that black-haired man. "As expected from an Ashina Clan assassin."
My identity has been exposed and he also seems to realize I have always been following him lately. If so, could it be that earlier he wanted to lure me out?
Unsheathing my sword, I began to focus on conducting a fight with him. My other order was to immediately finish him off if my existence was uncovered by this man.
"Did he order you to kill me if your action was known by me?" asked that man while pointing the sword I gripped. "He is a bad Father, isn't he? What father has the heart to hire an assassin to finish off his child."
To be honest, I do not care what happened to the relationship between this Father and Son. I only care about completing my mission.
Activating Accel magic, I dashed toward that man then launched two diagonal slashes, but that man succeeded in parrying my attacks with his sword. Not stopping there, I spun my body to strengthen the momentum then again launched a slash aimed at him.
— Clang!
He again succeeded in holding it. However, this time, his body was pushed backward and he almost fell from this tall building. That man stared at me sharply; it was seen his stance was getting steadier; it seems the real fight will begin.
But unexpectedly, he instead jumped backward, diving from this tall building.
Damn, he wants to run away!
I hurried to follow; it was seen he several times stabbed and pulled his sword from the building wall to dampen his falling speed. I do not need to do that trick if I want to go down.
Focusing mana in both legs, I then walked down this building easily. That man looked amazed when both my legs ran sticking to this building.
How is it? This is one of the greatnesses of our Clan!
I then threw three Shuriken toward him, but that man could parry them well. He then landed on a shorter building then again ran fleeing from me. For several minutes, we played cat-and-mouse in this city fortress. Actually, what is he planning?
That man again jumped from a building then grabbed a hanging rope; he then swung flying over the city citizens. I looked for an alternative way to get ahead of him. Passing a narrow alley, I then jumped to the building where he would land.
— Clang! I conducted an attack when he was about to land but he again parried it.
"Until when do you want to keep running continuously like this!?" I asked him.
"Ah, finally you opened your voice too," said that man. "That is the first step if we are to cooperate after this."
"What do you mean cooperate? Currently my task is to kill you!"
I again dashed toward him and conducted an eight-attack combo named Cherry Blossom Dance. However, that man could read all my attack patterns easily.
Did he ever see this attack combo? But, only assassins from the Ashina Clan can master this attack. Could it be he ever met one of us before?
However, at the moment I was guessing about that man, he again fled away from me.
Cih, I am lazy to chase him continuously; I will use my other Profound Codex, which is Beast Instinct, then break his legs for me to interrogate. My body brought out a red-colored magic aura; my body felt much stronger than before and without wasting time, I immediately chased that man.
He looked back; it was seen his face still looked calm. But, I will change it into a fear of death not long from now.
— Clang!
He paery my slash with his sword, however, his body was still thrown as a result of my strength which increased because of using Beast Instinct. That man hit the building wall; I did not give him breath and again attacked him with my sword swipes. That man tried to avoid it, however, my sword was faster and succeeded in slashing his stomach.
"It is no use running; both speed and strength increase when in this mode," I said to him.
It was seen that man was holding his left stomach which was hit by my sword slash. Beast Instinct not only increases strength and speed, but also body reaction and my attack precision.
Time to activate the ability of this sword.
I again dashed toward that man; this time he did not run but instead served me in playing swords. A horizontal slash I aimed at that man's right stomach, but he still could avoid it by a hair's breadth. However, his face was seen shocked when the blood that was on his wound was sucked by my sword.
Yes...
This sword of mine has a special power to absorb and consume someone's blood if close to them. It was seen the color of the tip of the sword I gripped changed to become reddish.
"Your sword is quite troublesome too," said that man lowly.
Curse Sword—Sengo Muramasa... This sword can consume someone's blood to strengthen its attack power when the color of this sword has already changed to become completely red. Besides that, the enemy will slowly become weak if too much blood is sucked by this sword.
"I will not have a chance of winning currently!"
He fled again.
I again chased him with full speed then appeared behind him in an instant.
— Clang!
He held my Vertical slash, making him fall into a narrow alley and hit the ground. Besides that, Muramasa also had time to suck his blood that came out from that man's slash wound.
He got up standing then again ran trying to run from me.
"You know your effort is in vain!" I shouted at him.
Currently, Muramasa is already completely red. I will release the other ability of this sword. Preparing a stance, I took a deep breath then released it slowly.
"Target Lock..."
I aimed at that man who was jumping to the top of a building.
"Bloody Fang!"
Instantly I slashed this sword toward that man; the blood that was collected inside my sword then formed dozens of blood knives that dashed toward the target I had already locked.
That man turned, then tried to parry one by one those blood knives when in the air. However, he could not hold all of them; several succeeded in slashing his hands and legs.
The color of Muramasa returned to how it was before; the red-colored magic aura that enveloped my body also already disappeared because the time of its use had already run out.
I walked approaching toward the man who currently was lying on the ground. He tried to get up, however, his body looked already not strong and began shaking as a result of the injuries gotten from the previous attack.
The attack earlier was not ordinary blood knives; the blood that had been absorbed by this sword will become poisonous, because of that when hit by the attack earlier, that man's body will slowly weaken.
"..."
Suddenly, he raised his hands up as if he already surrendered.
"Isn't it a bit too late to surrender now? Moreover, you will die by this last attack of mine," I said to him.
However, that man only smiled and laughed hearing those words of mine. He then dropped the sword he gripped. My heart throbbed very fast when feeling a cold sensation from a knife that was stuck to my neck.
— Clang!
The sword that he just dropped had just hit the ground.
"You have already lost..." Suddenly a whispering voice appeared beside my ear.
How could he suddenly disappear then appear behind my body? Is this one of his abilities?
"Let's talk, Akane Ashina..."
My eyes opened wide because of shock hearing him call my real name. We assassins from the Ashina Clan always use aliases when doing our work and only when in the village do the other members call me by my real name.
This man... not only knows about our techniques but also my name which is impossible to be known by people outside the village.
I tried to move but that man suddenly pushed his knife more onto my neck, making blood slightly come out as a result of the slash wound from that knife.
"Don't do anything stupid, Akane," whispered that man in my ear. "Listen to what I will say first."
"Don't ever call my real name directly, Bastard," I quipped with a cold tone.
"Is that so? Should I call you, Red Viper?" whispered back that man. I could feel his breath which was warm and ticklish in a distance this close.
"What do you want?" I asked curiously about what this man wanted.
"You are looking for a way to remove the curse that befell your Clan, aren't you?"
As I suspected, he knows very well about our Clan even though this information is only known by the members.
"I can remove your curse in a period of two years," he whispered back. "I know you guys have made a deal with my father, but you all should not believe him too much."
I was quite shocked hearing those words of his. What did he mean, actually?
"It is true that my father later will remove your curse in the agreed time," revealed that man. "However, the problem he brings toward your Clan will be much greater than this curse if you all still want to keep cooperating with him."
Problem? Actually, what does he know? However, I must be careful here. Let's hear what he will offer first.
"Then, are you going to give a better deal than him?" I asked him.
Responding to my question, that man moved away the knife he stuck on my neck. I turned then saw his face which was already turning blue because of the poison effect of the Muramasa sword. His expression that was holding back pain was very funny right now.
"I want you to give false reports to my Father," answered that man. "In exchange, then I will free the Ashina Clan from the curse they have in a period of two years."
Two years, huh? However, this deal will be very risky if his father smells an anomaly in my report.
"How will you free this curse from us?" I asked to better ensure.
"A curse can be extremely strong and last for a long period because it is reinforced by several artifacts belonging to the Warlock," answered that man. "I will look for the Warlock artifacts that cursed your Clan then destroy them so that the curse does not work again."
It is indeed true; this way is safer than what was offered by his father to us. However, searching for a Warlock's artifact is very difficult, like searching for a needle in a haystack.
"Alright, if you perform a Blood Pact ritual with me, then I will agree to this deal," I said to him.
That man smiled then began to collapse leaning to my body.
"Emm... do you have the anti-poison from that sword of yours?"
And just like that, my cooperation with Raul de Garcia to remove my family Clan's curse was formed starting from now.