A male was running away, blood dripping down their forehead as they ran to their base. Most of the people were surprised upon seeing a person all injured although it didn't stop them from preparing themselves while activating their prowess.
"Get ready-" one of them couldn't even finish their sentence as they were immediately decapitated.
All seemed to be shocked upon seeing the black tendril that emitted in a black wisp as their faces turned from confidence to horror after realising why the man from earlier was injured.
"Shadow Reaper!"
They shouted as they immediately tried to flee on their life although all were futile as the tendrils had already killed most of them by either decapitation or stabbing them right at their hearts. However, one survived as the tendrils had grabbed them by their ankles before pulling them towards the hooded figure dressed in all black while their eyes glowed bright red.
"There's a straggler that tried to run from the emergency. A mother and a child. What should we do?" A female officer that stood next to the hooded figure asked while holding the mother and a child.
The hooded figure had pulled down their hood, a straight black hair male who was wearing rounded glasses. Their eyes glowing a familiar red hue. "Didn't I tell you already? If they don't have any worthwhile information about our case. Then exterminate them." The male said as the female officer could only nod their head, "Alright. Rei Nishimura."
...…
Jinwoo had arrived back at the headquarters a few hours after meeting up with the headmaster although the intern arrived later than him as he immediately deduced what the latter was doing out so late. "Rei. He's accepting extermination missions again…" The male uttered to himself before walking towards the latter's office.
"Mr. Sung? What's the matter?" Rei asked as he was removing his coat before crossing a list on the board. A long list of what seemed to be a group of what the male was investigating that was related to Sylvie's loss of prowess or at least a lead from the cold case after William's death.
"Just wanting to tell you to clock off for today." Jinwoo said as Rei nodded his head. "Alright, I'll just wrap things up real quick. Should I hand in the progress before clocking off?" He asked as the Korean male nodded his head in agreement.
"Alright. I'll be handing things up." Rei said as he focused on tidying up his office while Jinwoo left to his own office.
The male was packing things up before Keith talked to him through their mental link connection. "Brat. You're doing much better with that shadow manipulation than I expected." He complimented him as Rei just sighed before responding back, "Negative emotions is what I'm good at. Especially with my anger issues, trauma then depression."
Keith scoffed at the latter's sarcasm, "You know what I meant." The ancient being said as Rei understood his implications. The way he controlled the shadows to immediately apprehend or execute the people without any hesitation and wavering within himself had improved to such a monstrous level.
"I have to. After all, if I only protect Sylvie without getting rid of one problem then they'll just keep coming back for more." Rei said as Keith could only respond with a grunt.
"You and your obsession with Sylvie. Really says a lot about you. Possessive brat." Keith scoffed, remembering how the latter became defensive during their training when he mocked him about the time manipulation brat while Rei became serious to the point he started chanting her name as if it was something to motivate himself.
"Hypocrite." Rei retorted back, "As if you don't do the same with senior Eunji."
Keith smirked, liking the fact that Rei hit the mark. "Cheeky brat. Keep that up and I might start increasing your training regime both physically and mentally."
Rei chuckled before managing to tidy up his office as he grabbed a couple of documents and files to submit to Jinwoo while he was going on his way to the latter's office after talking with Keith.
It's been weeks since he started his internship yet he has adapted to the harsh environment of the dark reality of being a sorcerer. The third day was the event that Jinwoo introduced him to underground work by doing dirty work such as extermination from bounty requests or authority officials that had put someone on the wanted list as dead or alive.
His senior or supposedly mentor had tried to help him to understand the cruelty of the work as a sorcerer that either goes in the main lines or the work of the underground. Rei had proved himself to be worthy after exterminating a group of stragglers that managed to slip through Jinwoo's grasp.
His first kill felt depressing and overwhelming, although that feeling would soon vanish the moment he steeled himself. Rei had reminded himself that if he didn't have this type of mindset then he would likely get Sylvie into danger from his hesitation just like the day of the incident where he hesitated with making his decision of how to fight and when to retreat.
...…
Jinwoo was having a headache, not from underground work but rather from the report and investigation that Rei had submitted to him especially with today's hunt apparently. To the intern's finding, there was more evidence that could be found that could lead to the main culprit of the incident or the connection of the cold case of people losing their prowess especially in the high-tier or mid-tier division.
"Jeez… This brat… He's already making a huge leap?" Jinwoo sighed, reading Rei's report especially with the hunt that he had done today.
It was no surprise for Rei to be ruthlessly killing them when the connections had no lead to Sylvie's case although some were left alive for him to interrogate when needed. Jinwoo felt uneasy about how Rei was growing, especially with both physical and mental aspects.
Compared to what he has dealt with before, especially with the former junior, Eunji Jeong. The Korean girl was rather hesitant when taking one's life that made her spiral down for a week, taking a long break before resuming back after understanding why some situations had to be made.
On the other hand, Rei Nishimura was entirely different as after his first kill, the latter was rather detached than thinking too deeply about it. Jinwoo assumed it could be due to the trauma, resentment and depression that the male was going through.
Except, it was fifty percent true as the reason for Rei's detachment was to get stronger physically and mentally for that Sylvie girl that he had heard from the latter's muttering whenever he passed by him.
Some would find it intriguing and sweet that someone was caring for their girl but Jinwoo found it to be the exact opposite. After all, the way he muttered her name especially with those cold eyes speaks out of obsession and possessiveness.
"Looks like the reaper has struck again…" Jinwoo uttered to himself after reading Rei's report.
It was ironic of the nickname, Jinwoo was close to the reaper since people mostly relate those in the shadows or related to necromancers to death itself due to the darkness. Yet, Rei earned the name as the reaper due to his ruthless nature of taking one's life without any hesitation.
Jinwoo was much merciful despite his cruel beatings and aggressive behaviour as an underground sorcerer yet the latter was more ruthless and cold much to his expectations if Rei was no long attached that made him human.
"I gotta report this to the headmaster…" The Korean male sighed before dialing his phone as he reported everything to them.
...…
Rei was supposed to be taking a break, however, he was currently doing his investigation while training at the same time. Meditation in quick moments to have a quick spar with Keith either with or without using their prowess.
"Any progress with that technique that I taught you?" Keith asked through their mental link after the spar as Rei was already doing his own investigation towards Sylvie's loss of prowess.
"You may say it's ten percent but it's five percent for me since it's not very efficient for both output, reserves and execution." Rei responded after putting an image of Tengen on his board of investigation.
"Very humble of you. It's understandable that I say ten since you're a mortal… but for you to say it's five? Way too humble from what I expected from you." Keith uttered before noticing the investigation that Rei was doing as he contributed to it.
"Brat. There's more things you should add such as the way they also suppressed me from taking control over you when needed."
It was a valid point since the 'Fallen' would've done anything to protect their vessel and heal them when damage is sustained yet wasn't able to help them until gaining their power again especially from the entity that carried one of the ancient being's relics.
"I'll add that then." Rei uttered before writing it down, everything seemed to be in place except for any evidence that the white haired male was the one behind it. "As much as I suspect this bastard to be behind everything, there's not much of anything to it other than the suspicious look that he had during the results of the internship that we were applying for."
He wasn't stupid when it came to people looking at him, especially when he had those before during his time in Sir Ellis Kadoorie High. He briefly saw the white haired male's eye surveying him before focusing on Haru and Neon as they left.
Rei wondered who the man other than the one he heard from the hall was until he searched up online after arriving in Korea. Tengen Nagasaki, the number one sorcerer of Ethereal who had contributed to the continent.
While he did sound nice to the posts and blogs about him, Rei knew there was something more to that upon stumbling across a hidden forum that spoke out of the man's cruel intention.
Total control freak for things to go on his way. Rumours of how he wanted to implement the clan restoration act as a way for certain males to choose females for their benefits to breed stronger individuals.
It wasn't a surprise when he saw Tengen's suggestion for Eunji and Neon to be arranged for fixed marriage although the headmaster had denied them from going further which could be the reason why the green haired male had ridiculed him from the beginning.
After all, Rei was much more tolerable than the green haired male to the supposedly Ice Queen of Kamigami Academy. The nickname that he had learned upon seeing the old posts of the academy, labelling her the nickname for her cold personality and ruthlessness when it came to professional work.
"Looks like I gotta work harder…" Rei muttered to himself after gauging his spiritual energy reserves, his mind reminiscing from how he almost saw Sylvie get assaulted while Neon pinned him while making him watch everything.
"So, that I could return the favour…" He uttered with bloodlust behind his eyes while Keith just smirked at how the male was reminding him of a certain memory that kept on running in his mind.
The days of how he thirsted for a bloodbath…
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