Vengeance Upon Fate 8 ? The Start of a New Beginning ?

An hour passed and Kurogane was already back at the city, eager for answers or clues.

He didn't care if people were unwilling to talk to him, nor did it matter if they despised him for who they thought he was. Even if he had to break that barrier, his resolve would very much allow it at this point.

He spent hours upon hours asking anyone he found on the streets in hopes of gaining even a little bit of information towards the person he saw in the forest. Pestered individuals, parties, going after anyone who seemed like they might know something helpful. Combined with the hunger and his appearance, it was enough to make him look insane.

{Pant Pant Pant...}

(I'll find someone who knows about them... somewhere in this damn city.. I don't care how long it takes.)

Kurogane sprinted through yet another alley. Sweat rolled down on countless regions of his tiresome face.

{Hurghh}

As Kurogane crossed through the darkness into a brighter, open path of the city, he tripped and fell, desperately pulling himself together right after. This startled nearby individuals who turned to see what was going on.

"Suspicious black robed figures roaming the jungle... do you know anything about them?"

Upon getting up, he immediately asked a couple who stood nearby, still attempting to catch his breath. They seemed wealthy and knowledgeable, which lit a small amount of hope that they would know something useful.

"Huh? Why would we know anything about something as petty as that? If anything, someone dangerous like you would know better. Stay away from us and get lost!"

His supposed fiance backed away behind him, frightened as Kurogane's seemingly crazed, murky face swelled out of helplessness.

As Kurogane slowly backed away and turned around, more uncomfortable glances addressed him. He took a step towards a mother and her child, who took a step back out of fear. The same occurred a few seconds later when he turned to reach his hand forward, attempting to approach a business man near his stall.

"Help me... anyone.. please!"

"Y-You're that Satsujin person, aren't you..? Leave us alone," said the business man in a low, terrified tone.

Kurogane looked down, tightly gritting his teeth out of despair.

(God damnit... this isn't-)

"That one kid's been causing trouble, best we take him in for questioning. Spread out and find him!"

To his abrupt surprise, the sound of marching guards emitted from a nearby alley. Kurogane immediately knew that he was a potential target, which urged him to make an escape, as they only needed a few seconds to leave the alley they were patrolling through.

(Shit, did someone call for them? I have to move before things escalate..)

Kurogane slipped into an opposing alley momentarily before the guards came through. After throwing his hood on, he continued to move towards a different district of the city as quick as he could, since the surrounding witnesses pointed towards his escape route upon the arrival of the guards.

It was now early into the evening and Kurogane was starting to lose confidence in himself. The apathetic experiences had drained most of his eagerness at this point.

(Is there really no one here who knows about those people?)

He was now walking through a less populated portion of the city. The type of individuals that would lurk around typically varied from thugs, dealers of illegal possessions and gang members.

(The city folk have gotten me nowhere. If I'm lucky, I could find someone amongst the lower class citizens. I won't know for sure unless I try.)

After a minute or so, Kurogane found two male individuals sitting on wooden crates with a fire before them. One of them was an average-sized man with a blackish buzz cut and a brown, long-sleeved tunic with dark red pants.

The other one was a large, heavy individual who looked like he was bald with a red bandana tied to his head. He wore a dark blue vest that wasn't buttoned, which revealed his chest and had light blue pants that went down till a little above his ankles… not very approachable appearance-wise.

"Can we help you with something?" asked the smaller man, removing a toothpick from his mouth which he was biting on.

"I'm looking for suspicious, black robed individual who's been roaming around the outer forests of this city. Do either of you know anything?

"Ah, the city folks are spreading rumors that you're going around looking for those people. Coming to us was a smart move." replied the larger man.

"So you're telling me that you know something which would be of use to me?"

"Why of course! We wouldn't want to waste your time if we didn't know," added the smaller man.

"And for what reason should I even bother trusting you two?"

"Ironic for you to ask us such a thing, since you're the one who came to us," said the larger individual, chuckling to himself.

"Do you know anything or not? I don't have time to lose if you don't have what I'm looking for," replied Kurogane, now in a more annoyed tone.

"Look, toss us some change, and we'll tell you things that no one will come close to knowing in this city." said the smaller man.

Kurogane raised an eyebrow, unsure of what to do in response.

(This is nonsense. I don't have any money, especially after losing my bounty from the last quest I tried completing.)

"You want my money in exchange for mere information?"

"You'll get what you want if you do as we say," said the larger man, now standing up from his seat with his partner.

"And what if I refuse? I'm the one asking, so you should comply to what I say."

"Heh, you're just digging your own grave now, Satsujin," said the smaller man, slowly clapping his hands a few times.

From Kurogane's left appeared four thugs, followed by another four that emerged from his right, each originating from the crossing alleys as they blocked off the path. They were decently built with tank tops and trousers, armed with different weapons ranging from maces and axes to daggers and scimitars.

(You have to be shitting me..)

"Didn't your mom ever educate you to not talk to strangers?" said the smaller man.

"Yeah, especially with such disrespect. You brought yourself to the wrong people." added the larger one.

"I guess we could do the city a favor and exterminate you right here."

The smaller man grinned as he said this.

Kurogane stepped back, until he was a few feet away from a boarded building.

(I can't let it end this way... these guys look like they want to kill me.)

Kurogane then spoke out loudly, doing what he could to avoid conflict.

"I don't want to fight anyone, just let me go and we can pretend this never happened."

"We didn't ask if you wanted to," said one of the thugs from his left side.

"It seems he did the last bit of talking," snarked the larger man, cracking his knuckles until drawing out his spiky, steel maul while his partner also drew out a long, polished dagger. Collectively, they all began to slowly corner Kurogane.

(If I even get out of here alive, my reputation will be at its worst, especially if I injure or kill any of them... Tsk, that's assuming if I can even get past these criminals.)

The surrounding thugs were now getting closer, with very little time for Kurogane to spare. All he could see were their murderous, bloodthirsty grins, eager to break anything they could get their weapons on.

.....

(Am I.. going to die here? Is this it for me?)
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