* * * *

After sending his own daughter home, Kenji decided to go to the guild.

[ Huh? Where are you going dad?! ] ( Ichika )

( Author's note: To buy some milk! XD )

Ichika asked her father the moment she noticed that he wasn't going inside the mansion as well.

[ I have something urgent to do at the guild but don't worry I won't be late. ] ( Kenji )

He replied to Ichika with a smile on his face.

[ Hurry up then! ] ( Ichika )

She couldn't wait too long! She wanted to show her improved powers and be acknowledged by her father.

...

.

At the guild, Kenji went to the manager's room.

In that room, as always was the manager who was looking at something on his computer.

[ Oh, Boss! ]

The manager got up the moment he noticed that Kenji had entered the room.

[ Are they back? ] ( Kenji )

He asked the manager.

But the manager's expression didn't change at all.

[ You won't be receiving any information from them anymore... ]

The manager calmly responded.

Kenji's mood changed when he heard that kind of response.

[ What do you mean by that? ] ( Kenji )

Even the atmosphere around the room became heavy as Kenji asked that.

[ Because...they died! ]

"Impossible! They died?!"

Kenji thought.

He was shocked but Kenji didn't want to show it on the outside.

[ How did they die?! ] ( Kenji )

He asked the manager.

Different thoughts were running around Kenji's mind.

"How did they die? Is he lying to me?!

No! There is no need for him to lie to me!

I'm even paying him!

Maybe it was some kind of powerful monster?

No! Not only that their whole squad can become more powerful than me, but they also were masters at hiding their presence.

I also have seen it with my own eyes! Finding their position is impossible unless you can track!

Even powerful monsters can't possibly detect their presence!

What caused them to die?

Did they abandon their mission and ran away with the money I prepaid them?

I doubt they would do that!

The "Black Squad" is known for being one of the best employers someone can trust!

Right! They had cameras with them! They must have recorded something!"

Kenji thought.

[ What about their cameras? There must be some kind of recording?! ] ( Kenji )

He asked the manager.

[ We couldn't find their bodies— ]

The manager started explaining.

[ —Then how do you know they are dead?! ] ( Kenji )

But before the manager could finish talking, his words were cut off from Kenji's impatient self.

[ About that...A live video was sent to us some hours ago... ]

The manager said as he turned the monitor of his computer towards Kenji. On the monitor, a paused video was shown.

The manager pressed the space bar on the keyboard and the video started playing.

{

{ [ Number five! Respond to me!! ] }

On the video was shown a first-person perspective recorded video. The quality was really bad and the surroundings could barely be seen.

{ [ Number Five!! ] }

*Rustle* The tension on the video was rising as anything was barely visible.

{ [ Number three! Go and check on number five! ] }

{ [ Roger! ] }

After a minute of a silent moment, a muffled voice was heard from the distance.

{ [ I don't [email protected]#nk they will re#$%@% to you [email protected]%re! ] }

That person's voice was lagging on the shown video, making it hard to understand what was happening.

Number two turned around and saw the shadow of a person coming towards him.

Number two took his position and prepared himself for the worst.

{ [ What do you mean by that?

—Number three! Number five!! Respond to me! ] }

Number two was waiting for a response while that shadow was slowly approaching him.

But from the radio all that was heard was...

{ [ Number two, their signal was lost! ] }

{ [ What do we do, number two? ] }

Number two didn't have time to respond to the other members.

{ [ What did you do to them? ] }

Number two asked at that dark shadow.

That shadow's eyes were glowing in the darkness of that place.

{ [ I$n't it [email protected]%#$? ] }

That shadow responded.

His voice lagged again.

{ [ You MotherFucker!! ] }

Number two pulled out his enchanted gun and pointed it towards that shadow.

*Bang* *Bang* *Bang* *Bang*

That shadow wasn't even flinching from the bullets.

*Bang* *Bang*

{ [ What the fuck!? Just die alrea— ] }

His voice was cut in half the moment that shadow disappeared from that position.

{ [ Number two? What happened? ] — }

}

And that's where the video ended.

[ That's all the video... ]

The manager said as he fixed back the monitor to its original position.

Kenji was speechless from what he was shown.

This was the first time he didn't know what to do.

But he knew that what killed the "Dark squad" wasn't a normal monster.

Kenji went back to the mansion.

His thoughts were running wild from that video.

[ Oh dad you're back! ] ( Ichika )

He was greeted by his daughter.

[ Yeah.. ] ( Kenji )

But he didn't smile back at his daughter like usual. That's when Ichika noticed that something was not okay.

[ Did something happen? ] ( Ichika )

She asked her father as they were walking in the hallways of their house.

That's when Kenji stopped walking. He started at Ichikas eyes.

[ Dad? ] ( Ichika )

[ Ichika, when you were outside the city with Hatsuko... Did you notice something weird— No, was he with you the whole time?! ] ( Kenji )

Ichika became excited once again when she heard this question. Her eyes were sparkling.

[ Yes!! He was teaching me how to use my powers this whole time!!

You know it was so amazing!! I can do this and that! And you know my heart couldn't stop racing from that!! It was so exciting!! ] ( Ichika )

She said all that at an incredible speed

Kenji could understand that his daughter was really happy.

[ Haaa... Is that so? ] ( Kenji )

He said that with a relieved voice. His voice sounded as if something heavy was released from his chest.

[ YES! ] ( Ichika)

She happily replied.

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