Chapter 188: Down Payment
The dark mist violently erupted in the physical world, tearing a hole in the damp, smog-filled night air of Area 17. The smoke rapidly condensed, knitting Hide’s physical body back together in a fraction of a second. He stepped fully out of the shadows, his boots hitting the solid, polished cobblestone with a soft, authoritative thud.
Instantly, the serene silence of the Sihue Clan’s towering main gates was shattered.
Click. Clack. Vrrrm.
A dozen high-powered laser sights painted Hide’s chest in a grid of lethal red dots. Ten armed, elite guards materialized from the shadows of the intricately carved stone walls and decorative pillars.
The security here never disappointed. They moved with lethal precision of a syndicate.
Hide was still, his hands resting lazily in the pockets of his jacket. His glowing blue eyes, ringed with a faint, dangerous violet hue, swept over the perimeter. A ghost of a smirk tugged at the corner of his mouth.
It was only his second time standing in this exact situation. The first time he had been here, he had summoned Zenith and slaughtered the guards without a second thought. He supposed he wasn’t exactly in a position to critique their current hostility.
"Your Identity and purpose?"
The voice didn’t come from the mechanical dragon speakers this time. It came directly from the Head Guard standing ten feet away, something in his hand aimed squarely at Hide’s forehead. The guard’s hands were completely steady, but through True Sight, Hide could see the man’s mana violently fluctuating with terror.
The guards recognized the silver hair. They recognized the monster who had killed two of them months ago.
"I am Hide Volter," Hide answered, his voice completely deadpan, yet carrying a heavy resonance that easily cut through the tense night air. "Friend of Risa. Tell the clan head I am here. He shall know why."
The Head Guard’s eyes narrowed behind his mask. He didn’t lower his weapon, but he tilted his head slightly, speaking in rapid, hushed codes into the integrated comms unit on his wrist.
A few seconds of heavy silence passed. The guard listened to the earpiece, his posture stiffening before he finally looked back at Hide.
"Sorry, kid," the guard said, his tone devoid of sympathy. "Young master Enji has declined letting you in."
Hide blinked, his brow furrowing in confusion. "Enji?"
"I told you to ask the clan head, Ren Sihue. Not Enji," Hide refuted, a spark of irritation bleeding into his voice. He had made a deal with the old master assassin. He had three months to bring back a cure, and he had delivered. He didn’t have the patience to deal with the arrogant heir’s bruised ego right now.
The Head Guard looked at him and blinked back in visible confusion, adjusting his grip on his weapon. "Young master Enji is the clan head in the absence of his father."
Hide froze. His eyes narrowed into sharp, slits. ’In the absence of his father? ’
Where did Ren Sihue go? Hide’s mind reeled and he came to a conclusion that after the old man’s death, he must be the one going to handle the top secret missions so it made sense that he was not here.
Hide let out a slow, exhausted sigh. "Fine. Relay a message directly to Enji for me."
The Head Guard hesitated, but the crushing confidence radiating from the silver-haired boy compelled him to comply. He spoke into his wrist again. This time, the response was immediate. The guard flinched, tapping his earpiece before lowering his weapon. With a sharp hand signal, the other nine guards simultaneously powered down their weapons and stepped back into the shadows.
"You are granted entry," the Head Guard muttered, stepping aside and gesturing toward the massive wooden doors. "Follow me."
Hide was escorted through the winding, heavily trapped corridors of the main estate. The atmosphere inside was noticeably different from his first visit. It felt hollow. The omnipresent pressure of the elder assassins was gone, leaving behind a sprawling mansion that felt more like a tomb than a stronghold.
They eventually stopped in front of a traditional sliding door. The guard opened it, gesturing for Hide to step inside, before immediately shutting it behind him.
The room was dimly lit, illuminated only by a single paper lantern in the corner. Sitting alone at the center of the room, staring blankly at a low wooden table, was Enji Sihue.
The young assassin looked entirely different. The arrogant, laid-back malice that had defined him months ago was completely gone. He looked exhausted, burdened by a weight far too heavy for his shoulders. Dark bags hung under his eyes, and his posture was slumped.
"Leave us," Enji commanded, his voice raspy and quiet.
Hide heard the faint rustle of the hidden shadow guards immediately vacating the perimeter of the room. Hide stepped forward, his eyes instantly catching the stark white bandages wrapped thickly around Enji’s left hand. The thumb was completely missing. A permanent, brutal reminder of their last encounter.
Hide stopped across the table. For a moment, neither of them spoke.
"You actually came back," Enji finally whispered, his gaze locked on the wooden grain of the table. "What do you want?"
"I told you I would find a cure," Hide replied flatly, taking a seat opposite the young master. "Where is your father, Enji? Why are you sitting in the clan head’s seat?"
Enji let out a bitter, hollow laugh. He looked up, his dark eyes red-rimmed and bloodshot. "He’s gone. Grandfather is dead and father went to Tarita," he continued, his voice trembling slightly before he forced it steady. "He left three weeks ago to investigate my grandfather’s death. He called me into his study, told me everything he knew about the estate, and then left. I haven’t received a single transmission from him since he crossed the border. He left me this entire clan. A house full of vipers, expecting me to lead them with a crippled hand."
Enji looked down at his bandaged stump, a self-deprecating smile touching his lips.
Hide stared at him, the hostility he had harbored for Enji slowly evaporating. Hide realized that Enji wasn’t actually a cruel monster. With the sudden death of his grandfather and his father gone, he was just a lonely, isolated boy thrust into leading an empire of killers.
"I always thought you were just a heartless bastard," Hide said quietly.
Enji sighed, leaning back against the wall, the heavy facade of the assassin finally breaking. "I had to be," Enji murmured, staring up at the ceiling. "From the day I could walk, I was trained to be a weapon. Grandfather drilled it into me every single day, to suppress my emotions, to cut out my heart. ’Sentiment is a blade pointed at your own throat,’ he used to say."
Enji closed his eyes. "But I’ve been failing at it. I’ve been failing ever since my mother died. Father only took Risa and me to see her once a month when she was sick. We barely had any interaction with her before she was put in the ground. After that... Risa was all I had left and then she was also taken away. I had to pretend she was just a failed, unawakened burden. Because if Grandfather knew how much I loved her, he would have used her to control me. Or he would have disposed of her just to ’harden’ my resolve."
Hide listened in complete silence. He saw a broken brother who had sacrificed his own humanity just to keep his sister safely off the clan’s radar.
"Give me your hand," Hide said softly.
Enji frowned, opening his eyes in confusion. "What?"
"I said, give me your hand."
Hesitantly, Enji extended his bandaged left arm across the table. Hide reached out, his grip firm as he held Enji’s wrist. Hide closed his eyes. Abyssal Healing. A profound, brilliant green and violet light erupted from Hide’s palm.
Enji gasped, his eyes going wide as a searing, painless warmth flooded his stump. Beneath the bandages, bone, muscle tissue, and nerves miraculously knitted themselves back together in a matter of seconds.
Hide let go. Enji frantically tore the bandages off with his other hand. He stared, completely dumbfounded, at a flawless, perfectly reconstructed left thumb.
"Consider it a down payment," Hide said casually, standing up from the table. "Now. Take me to Risa."