“Does this place have another exit?”

“Midas will know.” Delphie draws her knife from her belt. With an annoyed look at the window, she ducks down with me and calls out. “Owner! Can we get some help?!” The other patrons in the store have already begun to throw down System Coins and leave. They sense the trouble incoming. The portly shopkeeper returns surprisingly quickly. It seems he was already aware that something was going to happen because he has what appears to be a mop in his hand. However, when he touches the top, it comes off to reveal a wicked black blade on the end. Hold on a minute…that thing doesn’t look normal. I’ve heard of hidden cane blades but who the hell puts one in a mop?

“Out the back. Take a left at the counter. Hurry on, now.” Midas goes over to the window and closes the shutters. As he walks to the front door, he waves us behind the counter. There’s a small door in the corner. “Don’t mind my room, it’s a bit messy.”

“You sure you’ll be okay?” Delphie asks, but he just laughs.

“You really think I would have any trouble with a couple of the Rose’s Fallens? My joints might hurt but have a little faith in your mother’s abilities.”

“Okay, let me just pay…” The girl rummages around her pockets and fiddles in the air with her other hand. However, her ears quickly turn almost the same shade as her air. Midas quickly grabs her and steers her to the back.

“It’s fine! It’s fine I say, damnit, Girl! You can pay next time! Just get out of here!” He yells, throwing increasingly worried looks out the door. However, Delphie seems to have some sort of complex. She continues rummaging around until finally, she can only turn to me.

“Hei…I’m really sorry to ask a guest, but do you have any money? I’ll pay you back, promise!” Her eyes tear up with embarrassment as she quietly asks me under her breath. Feeling quite bad for her, I whisper back.

“Relax, I owe you a lot more than a few System Coins for saving me out there. Here…” I manifest a random amount of stored System Coins and drop them into Midas’s hands. After killing Belziarde, I’m not exactly poor. “Let’s get out of here.” There’s a funny shine in Delphie’s eyes as she sees how many System Coins I give to Midas.

“Hey w-wait this too much!” Midas suddenly changes his tune as he realizes how much I’ve given him, but I’m already hustling Delphie out the back. Passing through a short, dark corridor, we find the shopkeeper’s room behind it. With the exception of a dirty smock thrown across a chair, it’s really not that bad for a guy’s room. Going to the window, I tug it open and beckon Delphie over. Suddenly, from the main room, the tingle of bells comes.

*Ting*

*Ting*

*Ting*

“Hiya, Customers! How can I help you?” The nice shopkeeper’s voice could be mistaken as a polite greeting. But the tone is different from before. Underneath, there is a tense undercurrent of steel. This man…he has a surprisingly strong killing intent. A hidden expert?

“Shut up, Old Man! No one cares about your crappy shop!” Dark voices break through the cheery atmosphere of the shop and turn it rancid. “Where are they? Both of them. We know Miss Rose warned you.”

“I’m sorry, but the dish you’re looking for is not on the menu. We have noodles though. I’d be happy to find you a bowl. But it doesn’t seem like you’re the kind of customers to enjoy an easy dish. Be careful what you order next. You might find some of the things here a bit hard to chew.” Suddenly Midas’s voice drops several octaves until it begins to sound almost fiendish. “You going to order, or are you going to get the hell out of my shop?”

“Ugh, you know who he is, right? Let’s just get out of here. They must have gone out the back!” The voices sound like they’re leaving, but then the bells ring again.

*Ting*

*Ting*

*Ting*

I’m helping Delphie out the window when I hear a pot of water begin to shrill nastily from the kitchen.

“Customers! One more thing!”

“The hell you want old man?”

“Actually, I forgot to mention something. This is a strange kind of shop. See, we have an unusual rule here.”

“Screw your crap, Old Man! Let’s go!”

“No, no, that won’t do. See, the rule is…people I don’t like…the prices are different for every person. I’m afraid your price is going to be very steep.”

“What the hell, hold on, let me teach this crazy old man a lesson! You go find them, I’ll be out with you a minute!” One of the voices begins to grow louder again as the bells jingle and the door closes. The last thing I hear before I go out the back window is the sound of someone rolling their sleeves up. “Alright, Old Man. You got my attention. Let’s see what exactly were you saying? Come on then! Say it to my face!”

“Dining and dashing…that’s a serious offense. Some people might call the police for that. It’s okay though, I think…I’ll settle for a hand.”

“I didn’t order anything! Do you even know who you’re messing with!”

*BANG*

Things begin to fly about as I shut the window and we hustle away from the shop which has devolved into a strange cacophony of noises from the scuffle inside. Sneaking off into the city, I let Delphie lead me wherever she wants to go.

“Are we going back to your manor? Won’t your brother be there?” I ask. However, the Nephilim girl just shakes her head.

“No, I don’t want to see him right now. Besides, Midas might have tied up one of them, but that will only enrage the Roses. They’ll send more fallen to the shop.” She explains. Wait, isn’t that bad?

“Hold on, shouldn’t we go back and help him then?” I ask but the girl stubbornly pushes on through the crowds without worrying too much. Her elegant dress swishes as she powerwalks with otherworld grace.

“Nah, Midas knows what he’s doing. He used to be a general in my mom’s army. He’s purposely drawing the Fallen’s attention to give us some time to get away. But they’ll figure it out before long. We’re going to Sophie’s hideout.” Suddenly the tips of her ears become violet again. I act like I don’t notice.

“Why would she shelter us? Isn’t she part of the family that your brother paid to hunt us down?” I ask with a bit of incredulousness. At this, her ears grow even more red and I narrow my eyes. Ah…so it’s like that.

“Well, you see, um, we have an arrangement.” Delphie stammers and I cock my head. Is that what hooking up is called down here?

“Cool cool. Got it!” I square it away as we duck into a side-alley. A prickly sensation fills the back of my neck and I remember that one of them might still be after us. However, Delphie is still on the other topic.

“N-No! It’s just I needed some cash, okay! My family has a lot of debts and Sophie offered to help out. I mean it’s okay cuz we’re both nobles, but it was a purely cash transaction! Nothing serious or emotional, got it?!” She explains as if it’s a big deal. Wait something’s wrong with this. What exactly are you saying is going on??

“Um, what-?”

*Shing*

Something flickers from out of sight. My Basic Prescience slows it down, this whirling wheel of steel flipping end over end at us.

A throwing star?

My hand instinctively goes up to block, but I quickly see that my Agility Stat is too low to block in time. Though both the star and my hand are moving, the shuriken is coming much faster than I can move. Changing tactics, I lean backwards. Calculating the trajectory, it seems it won’t hit either Delphie or me. To my surprise, the Nephilim has a trick of her own. Immediately upon sensing danger, her dagger shoots out and a second later, bats away the shuriken.

*Clank*

“Eke!”

Then a second later she disappears from right next me.

A concealment technique? Stealth? Is she already a Thief Class? No, I can’t even see a bit of her, this is beyond that. Almost invisibility, maybe camouflage. Must be a unique ability?

*Clack*

A second later the shuriken, Delphie deflected, smashes into the ebony brick wall beside us. Looking towards the thrower, I find a Nephilim covered head to toe in bloody black robes with crimson ribbons fluttering from his elbows. Another shuriken comes at us while he charges us to bring his short sword into range. Reaching into my pocket for my cleaver, I grunt as I realize that Delphie never gave it back to me. Ah crap!

“Delphie! You still there?!” I dance back and sway sideways like a sapling in the wind as the Fallen’s blade comes for my neck. Judging on the rough speed, his Agility Stat has definitely been leveled several times above mine. Damnit, I’m still Lvl. 12? Even with every point possible in Agility, I can’t keep up! Sometimes I wish the System would freaking tell us what level people are!

*Swish*

A short sword flashes beside my head, but I notice that the Fallen’s kaleidoscope eyes are not on me. Instead, he abruptly pulls back his strike at the last moment as a dagger appears from nowhere.

*Clank*

“…” He silently mumbles something as their blades meet. Delphie reappears behind him to my right. The assassin presses hard against her dagger, and it becomes apparent that his strength stat is slightly higher even with the superior leverage of her shorter blade. However, he has forgotten about one very important thing. There’re two of us here!

I lunge forwards, not even bothering to go for his sword. Instead, I duck down inside his reach and tackle him, bringing us to the ground. His superior speed is not enough against the element of surprise and grappling. Once atop him, I use an old trick from my underground fighting days and jam two fingers into his eyes. His sword is sent skittering away by one of Delphie’s boots.

“ARRRGH!” He screams and I feel a morbid sense of satisfaction from showing someone else my pain. However, then a palm flashes out and though I lean back once more, this range is just too close

*Thud*

Simultaneously whiplash hits my neck while a car crashes into my chest.

Ow!

Sent flipping back into the wall, I turn my head and see the shuriken, Delphie knocked into it, just centimeters from my head. As the stars in my vision fade away, I notice that she is standing over the Fallen, her dagger raised up high. In a moment she will finish our assailant. However, from my angle I can also see his hand drawing a hidden dagger from behind his back. A suicide attack?

“Wait!” I call out, but she’s already gone for the kill without hesitation. A decisive scoff covers her lips as she lunges down for the black-robed figure on the ground.

*Snick*

Two blades accelerate to meet each other’s owners. One high, one low. I can’t move over here, only watch. Pull back! But my warning comes too late. They cross the threshold where there’s no going back and I see just the faintest trace of hesitation on Delphie’s face as she senses something is wrong. Instinctively, she turns stealthy and invisible again, but I can vaguely see a blurry outline still falling towards the knife on the ground. No!

My right eye stings and the world illuminates itself into bright orange fire as I see the lifeforce inside the two Nephilim in front of me. Suddenly I can even see Delphie’s flickering inner-fire as she tries to twist out of the way of the waiting knife in the Fallen’s hand.

[System Skill: The Lonely’s Hell

The Eye Of Sin Can Extract Vengeance For Those Who Sin Against The Lonely.

Question: Activate?

Cost Type: Sin Points

Current Sin Points: .25]

There is no explanation besides that, as if the System has not been properly prepared to display the information. Some items are like that, but this message is strange indeed. An instant later, it feels like a needle has pricked my right eye and suddenly, the flaming ball of fire in the center of the assassin’s chest changes color. The glowing red and orange ball flashes as a snake-like tendril of black fire invades its heart.

[Current Sin Points: 0]