Anything in italics is what Acaryus is thinking.
Toshi Noguchi had seen this too many times. The exact same thing, every time. The word 先 drawn on the wall in the victim's blood. The marking was thin, meaning it was drawn with a blood-tipped kunai, which was usually found laying on the ground nearby. The actual victim was sprawled in their own pool of blood, on the floor of a dark alley in Kaminarigakure. A different alley each time.
"Hey boss," Oda Kikkawa motioned towards the right arm of the victim. "You see how he's pointing? What does it mean? Why is he pointing towards a wall?" Oda asked.
"Maybe if you actually did something, we could answer those questions." Toshi replied, giving Oda a cold look. Oda looked hurt, but realized his boss was just disappointed that this serial killer was beyond his capability.
"C'mon kid, let's go." Toshi grumbled, disgruntled at the lack of evidence to find the murderer.
Everyone had a motive, so what was Destination's? (先)
Acaryus opened his eyes, barely able to see anything. He was laying on the couch in the den of the Yugure's base. He could hear the voices of the fodder in the Member section of the base loudly conversing. However, Acaryus found his current situation odd. He didn't fall asleep on the couch last night. He fell asleep in..... The Yugure Meeting.
"Well, I'm sure my opinion wouldn't have made a difference." Sloth reasoned. Acaryus swung his right foot onto the floor, followed quickly by his left. As he stood up, he noticed a presence moving quickly towards his right side. He quickly looked at the door to the member commons.The door is still locked. It's a Yugure. My right side. Rooms on that side? Hiwaka's, my own and Ayame's. It's Hiwaka, for sure. Motive? Sleeping at meeting? Probably. But that isn't enough to invoke Hiwaka's wrath.
Acaryus would've liked to say he was just too lazy to move out of the way, but in reality, he was just too slow. Hiwaka wasn't as fast as Hao, but he still could move much quicker than Sloth. Shoulder to shoulder impact knocked Acaryus flat off his feet, landing a few feet left of his original position. Acaryus propped himself up on his left elbow, turning his head to look into Hiwaka's eyes. True anger. Something happened to a passion of Hiwaka's. He isn't angry about Sanashi's death, so what wa-oh.
"You. You lo-" Hiwaka started, only to be cut off by Acaryus.
"I lost you the vote to your god summoning plan because I was asleep. Instead of reviving Sanashi with the summoned god, we have to replace him with one of his Umbra." Acaryus guessed.
"Y'know, I'd be impressed by your deduction if I wasn't so FUCKING PISSED AT YOU." Hiwaka raised his voice, cracking his knuckles.
"It's a stupid plan. Learn the difference between fantasy and reality. Even if there truly was a god, you wouldn't be able to enslave it." Acaryus said as he slowly rose to his feet. "Of course, you would've forced me to vote for you, even if I don't truly believe in the plan." He brushed the dirt off his robe.
Hiwaka slowly advanced towards Sloth, preparing to fight. Acaryus looked around the dark room, looking for anything to gain an advantage. Hao. Pride sat at the table on the raised platform, watching the fight. Even if we aren't the greatest friends, he won't let me die. Bait out a kunai from Hiwaka, and Hao will jump in to stop the fight. Acaryus dodged the first punch Hiwaka threw, ducking under his extended right arm and trying to land a hit for himself. Sloth's meager attempts to strike Hiwaka obviously failed. Take a few hits now.
Acaryus slowed down, blocking select punches and kicks, purposely taking others and of course, still getting hit by the ones he couldn't dodge even if he was trying.
"Weak. Have you been doing your push-ups, buddy?" Acaryus taunted. As the brawl continued, various insults kept coming.
"C'mon brobeans, you punch like Ayame."
That was it. With that comment, Hiwaka snapped. One last powerful punch sent Acaryus sliding a few feet backwards on his feet. Wrath reached into the pouch on his backside, pulling out a kunai.
"I hope you have no regrets in this life. I'm done with your shit, you fucking psycho." Wrath gritted his teeth and his kunai starting humming with wind chakra. Hiwaka hasn't even noticed Hao.
Hiwaka flew towards Acaryus, kunai in hand and killing intent in mind. Hao wasn't moving.
Mere centimeters away from Sloth's face, a large smirk formed on Wrath's face. Pride still hadn't moved.
Millimeters now.
Sloth didn't even see it. There was a boom and a huge cloud of dust that covered one part of the room, coming from the wall on Acaryus' left.
Pride had moved all the way from one side of the room to the other in a few milliseconds, slamming Wrath's head into the wall. The solid wall of the cave cracked around the site of impact, leaving a meter wide indent.
Wrath was unconscious, bleeding out his head.
"He's tough, he'll live." Pride said, lighting a cigarette. He walked up to Lust's room and knocked on the door.
Just as planned. You never disappoint, Hao.
Tell me if there is anything that needs to be fixed.
Opinions are welcome.
Follow @SLO_MMORPG