Reverse Hierophant

Okay…let me take a look back for a moment because if I don't, I'm pretty sure that I would declare myself insane and lock myself up for the foreseeable future.

After having a boring-yet-shitty day at school thanks to some nightmare that would have made me think I had taken drugs the previous night if I didn't know better, I was stalked by some thug and was nearly killed or worse, only to be saved by a mysterious voice that came from a mask I had received as a gift. Then I somehow managed to kill the thug with a throwing knife despite having never used a weapon before. Oh, and the mysterious voice is actually the spirit of the centuries-deceased founder of the Assassin Order.

Yeah, not crazy at all.

Now, one would think "there's no way anything could get worse after that", but apparently daring the universe – or was it God? Or Allah, as Hassan says? – was like screaming for trouble, because no sooner than a few minutes after my conversation with Hassan…

"I told you, I'm fine!"

"And I'm telling you, you're not! Now, drink up before you collapse!"

I try and complain again but the "glare that could stop a raging oni in its tracks" made me swallow it and drink up the tea that was handed to me. I wince at the bitter taste, but my headache did clear up.

"So, are you going to tell me exactly what happened?"

I raised my head and met the stern gaze of my mother, Asuka Ogawa, a rather tall woman with waist-length black hair (tied into a ponytail) and blue eyes the same as my own, now narrowed at me. She was wearing a pressed suit and tie and was holding a cold rag.

"Well?" she asked as she crossed her arms.

I bit my lip. How do I approach this…?

"I…don't really know. I woke up feeling dizzy, and it just got worse during school. I thought that it would get better over time but…when I came home I just…" I gesture to myself. "Wham."

She raised an eyebrow. Eh, didn't really think she would buy it. She's not a lawyer for her looks.

"Where were you yesterday?"

"I was at the Collection, but I came home right after, I swear!" That much was true. She kept staring at me for a few seconds before slightly softening her gaze.

"Is that where you got that mask from?" she gestured to my bedroom and I suppressed a wince. Yeah, seeing your son unconscious and wearing a creepy skull mask must be very unsettling.

"Mm-hm. I met the owner of the museum and he gave it to me as a gift. He said that he appreciated me visiting so often."

"Strange gift for a kid like yourself."

"Hey, it's an antique!"

"What exactly you were doing with an 'antique' on your face?"

"I…I just wanted to try it out. It looked really cool."

Ugh. That statement was so 'typical teenager' that I had to resist cringing. Even my mom gave me a funny look before she sighed.

"And you're sure you didn't eat or have anything weird?"

"Mm-hm. Just some ice-cream and the dinner you made me. Although, I think the beef tasted funny when I ate it…"

She bopped me on the head with a bemused smile. "Oh, hush you. I'll have you know that I put extra care in making that beef. Maybe I should cut your allowance so you'll stop eating that much ice-cream-"

"NO!" I shoot a fierce glare at her. My beloved ice-cream has nothing to do with this! How dare you insinuate that!

Mother just stared back before a few giggles escaped our lips. Yeah, we had this little dynamic between us. We would throw some petty insults and threats at each other before dropping it and reconciling. I never had a real fight with my mother, a claim I'm sure 95% of the students in my school didn't hold.

"But seriously…" she placed the rag on my forehead. "You don't have a fever or anything, so how did this happen?"

"I wish I knew. Fainting isn't fun, let me tell you that."

She snorted and removed the rag from my forehead before placing it on the kitchen table. "So, other than this little episode, how was school?"

"Eh, it was fine. Nothing out of the ordinary, the teachers trying to teach, half of the students trying to learn, and the rest just drool into oblivion."

"Really? Nothing new with that teacher of yours, Makoto? I know she likes you."

I ignore her teasing tone while biting my lip. First of all, ew, I don't have a crush on my teacher. Doujins are not real life, no matter what people try to claim, even in our bizarre-enough reality. Second…I don't think that my little essay should be brought up.

"…no, and please stop that. What about you?"

"Oh, nothing new. Just a few cases that we had to do an emergency look-over, that's why I came home late last night."

"Really? Anything interesting?"

"Just some divorce settlement claim. Nothing brand-new; he cheated on her, she cheated on him…honestly, sometimes I feel like people want to drive us nuts."

"…I will refrain from commenting, Miss Lawyer."

She shot me a mock-glare and grumbled. "What a cheeky child I have…" She shook her head and then headed to the kitchen. "Well, if you really feel like you're fine, then the best thing I can tell you is to get some rest. I'll whip something up in a minute, then you go straight to sleep." She sharply turned around. "No video games, mister!"

"…yes, mom."

With a nod and a smile, she set off to cooking. I just leaned back against the sofa and sighed. That was…the words had a hard time forming in my mind. I really should have expected my mother to come home and find me. Maybe place a note on the kitchen counter saying I was asleep. Not that I was in the most stable of mindsets at the time to make such a decision, but still!

…damn. I hate this feeling.

'Thy matriarch is an impressive woman, contractor.'

I nearly jump out of the couch in shock. What was – oh, right. The invisible elephant in the room. Not wanting my mom to think I'm hallucinating I somehow manage to turn the conversation inwards. Let me tell you, it feels weird; like talking in a cave but echoes bounce inside your head, not outside it.

'A little warning next time!'

"…"

'Sorry…it's just been a long day.'

"I understand. Still, consider this thy first lesson; always be aware of your surroundings."

My first lesson, huh?

…this is going to take some time getting used to.

'How exactly are we going to do this?'

"…" I hear Hassan's breath quietly rumble in my head.

As I said, this will take time to get used to.

"As I have said before, we shall wait until tomorrow to continue this. Thou art exhausted, disoriented, and in no condition to pay attention now. Let us start tomorrow, with a clean mind and clean body."

…makes sense. I still have a nasty headache. 'Okay. See you tomorrow.'

"Hn." With that, he went silent. I looked down and scratched my leg. What do I do now? Mom's still cooking, and I can't go on the computer so –

"Ritsu! Dinner's ready!"

Huh, that was fast. I get up from the couch and walk over to the table. My mom comes over and hands me a steaming bowl of soup. Smells great.

I place the bowl on the table after mumbling a 'thank you' and start eating. The soup's nice and hot, but it calms me down nicely. It helps that it wasn't too salty.

After I finish the bowl, I place it in the dishwasher and head over to my room, but mom calls out to me before I enter.

"I'll be done with the case soon, so I'll be home earlier than usual from now. Tell me if anything like this happens again, okay?"

…

"…okay."

I take off my clothes and hit the futon like a sack of rice. As the familiar sensation of sleep overtakes me, I try to brace myself for whatever my new mentor has planned for tomorrow.

'Assassin, huh?

...*sigh*'

To my great relief, my sleep was peaceful devoid of dreams, so I woke up only having to wash off the morning breath. After giving myself a small rinse of water, I walk to the kitchen where my mom is frying something in a pan, wearing an apron over casual clothes.

Mm…smells like bacon. American or British breakfast today?

She briefly turns around at the sound of my footsteps and greets me. "Morning, sleepyhead! How are you feeling?"

I rub my eyes. "Just fine, thanks."

"That's good to hear. Breakfast is ready, so sit down." I do so and she puts a plate of bacon and eggs in front of me. Bless this woman.

Muttering a quick 'Itadakimasu', I munch on the meal, the morning haze slowly drifting from my mind. This is precisely why I never skip out on breakfast. At the sound of another clink, I see my mother sitting down and eating from an identical plate.

"How's the meal?"

"Not too burnt, not too raw, great work on the bacon. The eggs might need a little more frying though…"

"I think you haven't woken up properly yet. Why don't you start drinking coffee?"

"Because, mother of mine, coffee tastes disgusting and is for drudges."

"Watch it mister, or you might find out that your ice-cream is replaced with Mocha."

My head shoots up in alarm, only for me to meet my mother's smirk. I grumble and return to my meal, catching the slight snicker from her mouth. Seriously woman, never joke about that! Do you have any idea of the horror of eating cookies and cream, only for the bitter taste of coffee to spring up in your mouth!?

Why people, why? Why ruin a perfectly good flavor with coffee!?

"So, any plans for today?"

Plans? Well, I should be going to school soon –

Wait.

"…what day is it?"

She gives me a weird look. "That dizzy bout must have really messed up your head. It's Saturday."

…oh.

Wow, was I that tired to not notice a weekend?

Who am I kidding, of course I was.

I would normally laze around in my room on a weekend, but…

"…I think I'll take a walk. Maybe stretch my legs a little."

Mom tilts her head in curiosity and then shrugs. "Maybe a walk will help you. Just make sure to tell me if you're coming home for lunch or dinner."

"Sure" With that, I clear my plate and head back to my room, where I put on some jeans, a blue shirt with black zigzags and a black hoodie. The autumn air was starting to settle, so it was best to take precautions. I'm about to leave when my eyes drift to the corner of my room.

Right. The mask. Better take the dagger too.

I empty my bag of my school supplies and put the two items in, along with my phone and wallet. After saying a 'bye' to mom, I step outside and take a deep breath.

Okay, first I need to go somewhere quiet. I think of the Collection, but I remind myself it's a weekend. Where else?

…I should go out more.

With a sigh, I head down the street to the train station. At least from there, I can maybe think of where to go next. After I pass by a few houses, a very familiar sight to my right stops me.

It was the alley, and in it, the corpse of the criminal lay face-down, though with noticeably more flies.

I power-walk out of there while cupping my face to avoid the smell. Damn it, why now? Why can't I have at least a few moments of peace before this? The fact that the police haven't found the corpse niggles at the back of my head, but I ignore it.

Okay Ritsu, calm down. You've gone this far without flipping out, you can keep doing it.

Thankfully, I arrive at the station without any further issues. I pass through the automatic gates and descend to the platform where, like always, people idly lounged waiting for the next train. There was less rush since it was a weekend, but the high number matched the hour. According to the sign, the next train would arrive in five minutes, so I just sit down on an empty bench, hands in my pockets.

…huh, I'm really doing this. I am actually going through with this utterly…bizarre idea. got half a mind to scream internally at the sheer insanity of this situation. Luckily, saner heads prevail and I once more take a deep breath.

"Having second thoughts, contractor?"

I flinch at the deep voice. 'Uh...well…I don't know…I guess I'm still trying to take it all in.'

The wraith lets out a deep hum. "I suppose that even in a time of such oddity, a meeting like ours would be disconcerting to thee. Nevertheless, we shall find out if thou have the resolve."

Hm. Even when one's accustomed to living in a world of superheroes, life can get really weird. 'I would like to think so.'

"Many men say, but not many can." He pauses for a moment. "Where art thou heading now?"

'…well, if I'm really going to do this, then we need a place to train or at least a hideout. My apartment's too small, and I really don't want my mother to find out about this.'

"Dost thou know of such a place?"

'…not really, no.'

He goes silent. Yeah, I sounded stupid just then. I call out to the wraith, but he doesn't reply. The rumbling under my feet gets my attention, and I see that the train is arriving. I wait for the people to exit, then I enter and quickly take a seat. After the rest of the people got on, the doors closed with a buzz and the train sped off.

Several stations later, I get off. I pass through the gates and step out into the street.

What I said before was correct; I, who had rarely stepped outside the house for anything other than school, vacation, or the Collection, had not even the slightest clue of where to find such a place. Better yet, no-one would advertise anything like that. It would defeat the purpose of a hideout.

But…let it not be said that I'm not observant.

I start walking down the street and look at the buildings flanking the road. Unlike my neighborhood, they look worn and dusty. The pavement is cracked and the roads, while in okay condition, don't look like they've seen a cement paver in the past decade or so. Overall, it wasn't a place one would consider living in.

And that just what made Hosu Ward an ideal place to start looking.

"Hm…I see, I see. It seems that my contractor is not utterly clueless to the art of observation as I had thought."

A small blush warms my cheeks for a moment. 'It's nothing. Just simply paying attention.'

"Elaborate."

I'm sure he knew what I was talking about, but okay. 'You would be surprised what people would talk about when they think no-one's listening, especially if they're the gossip machines known as high-schoolers.'

Speaking of…

"Please, I'll be there in just a second, I promise you…"

"Did you see the latest Uwabami shampoo? I swear she makes it shinier every time…"

"And then he wiggles his eyebrows at me. Uh! Seriously, what do people watch these days!?"

"Hi there! How ya doin'?"

"Did you catch the newest episode of All Might Adventures? It was amazing when he…"

Heh. The things people talk about…not that I do this often, but with the number of pranks I've avoided, I do it enough. Listening is naturally difficult in crowded areas, and I have to –

"STOP!"

"HOOOOONK!"

My body freezes right as I was about to cross the road, and step right into the path of a truck. It drove past me and I let out a relieved sigh.

"As useful as thy ability is," remarks Hassan. "As I have stated yesterday, thou should always pay attention to thy surroundings. An assassin who lets his guard down is ripe for the taking."

Yeah…you don't need to tell me twice.

"Good, because I do not like telling thee the same lesson twice."

Ouch.

I shake my head and turn off my super-hearing, making sure there are no cars before I cross the road. I keep walking down the streets, this time turning my Quirk on and off at moments. I do not want to end up in the hospital, thank you. I catch only snippets of conversation this time, but it's better than the alternatives.

Some time passes as I make my way around the Ward. The view rarely changes – still buildings, roads, and the occasional mall. I hear nothing that can help me with finding what I'm looking for. At some point, I realize that with the way I'm going at it, it's gonna take a while to find a hideout. It's not like people were going to talk about a place like that, even with my Quirk. Something like that would only be spoken indoors or in more…discreet locations.

Hassan kept quiet in the meantime. Whether he was watching me work or doing something else, I don't know. What is there to do in such a desolate place?

I shiver as I recall the memory of my experience in the…Valley. It was…harrowing, to say the least, and I'm still amazed at how I didn't freak out…completely, that is. A place where the souls of the dead travel…I couldn't think of a more fitting description.

My grim thoughts were interrupted by the rumbling of my stomach. But I already had breakfast!

...and I was still hungry, and I walked through a city block. I should remedy this.

I look around and spot a nice-looking café across the street. I cross the road and enter before finding myself a seat. The menu lists several pastries, both Japanese and Western. A waitress with a bee-like uniform and insect antennae comes up to me with a notepad.

"What would you like?"

"Just a croissant and some water, please."

She jots down my order and nods before leaving. I huff and stare outside the window next to me. I have to admit, this place didn't look so bad. Sure, the infrastructure wasn't great, but it was no slum. If I hadn't known, I would've assumed this was just another Ward of Tokyo.

Finding a hideout is gonna be harder than expected. Oh well, at least I went out today.

I passively stare at the streets until something catches my eye. I turn around a bit and I see a building. What was interesting about it was the fact that a few costumed people went in and out of it. There's a sign on one of the windows, but I can't quite make it out.

I try to see what's written in the sign when someone taps my shoulder. I turn and see that the waitress was holding a plate with a pastry on it and a cup of water.

"Oh…sorry about that."

The waitress looks behind me a bit and her eyes widen. "I get it, seeing a Pro Hero's agency is something."

"Pro Hero agency?" I ask, accepting the croissant and cup from her.

"Yeah, that's Manual's agency. He was just caught taking down a small gang, so he's been really popular around these parts lately."

Manual, huh? Never heard of him. Then again, I'm not a hero fanboy like some of my classmates.

"Not just that, but the way he's so humble just makes a girl want to squeal, you know?" she sighs dreamily. "I'm really lucky we have a Hero like him. One of these days I'm gonna invite him to the café!"

She pumps her fist in determination before she spots me looking at her and blushes. "Ah, sorry about that. Do you need anything else?"

"Uh…no, thank you." She quickly walks away.

I take a bite of my croissant – good taste, a little too crunchy – and spare a glance to the now-identified agency. 'Heroes…'

…If I really am going to do this, I need to think of a way to deal with the Heroes. If I'm successful, then one of them will come after me. I really don't think I could deal with one of them. They have either really strong Quirks, or they're very resourceful with them; not to mention the years of training they have under their belt. Fighting them head-on won't work.

"I share thy concern, but I do not believe we should be worried."

This time I barely jumped out of my seat. I need to get used to that. 'What do you mean?'

"From what I have seen from the Valley and thy thoughts, these Heroes like fame and attention. They prefer a spectacle, a grand battle. They wouldn't pay attention to anything slithering in the shadows, at least not until it creates a large enough mess."

'So…we lay low, be discreet, and if the Heroes start chasing us…we'll cross that bridge when we get to it.'

"In a manner."

'Hmm. Good point.' I open my mouth to take another bite when I notice there's nothing in my hand. Wow, that croissant was small. I drink from the cup and catch the waitress's eye.

"Thanks for that, can I have the bill?"

"Sure thing." She pulls out a slip of paper and I look it over. Huh, real cheap here. That's good. I pull out some yen from my wallet and she gives me back the change.

"Thank you, come again!"

I wave to her as I step back out. I stare again at the agency building and sigh. Time to keep looking again.

"Perhaps thou art doing this wrong, contractor."

'…how so?'

"While your ability is impressive, thou are correct with the fact that no-one will simply spout the location of a suitable roost."

Roost?

"Which is why I suggest this: instead of trying to focus on what thou art hearing, try to focus on what thou art not hearing."

…okay, what? 'Try to focus on what I'm not hearing? What do you mean?'

"Think for a moment and thou will understand."

I 'tsk' and look around. Okay, what am I not hearing? People in buildings? Maybe, but I'm not about to enter every building here. People's phone texts? Of course not, that's idiotic. What could it be?

I rub my chin. What am I not hearing? The only thing that will help me is hearing what people say, so there's nothing else that…

…

…

…

…wait.

People? What if…?

'If I find I place where I don't hear any people, then…that's it!'

I have been searching all wrong!

I grin as I set out to the streets. Instead of searching in places filled with people, I should be looking in places where there are no people!

I walk for a couple of minutes and soon enough, an alley appears to my right. I take a quick look to make sure no-one sees me, and I slip inside.

Ugh…I can't help but feel a shudder as I stare down the dark alley. This is already giving me bad vibes. I inhale and exhale a few times to relax.

Let's go.

And so begins my trek down the alleyways of Hosu. These looked like places one would think of when they hear 'run-down neighborhood' – garbage strewn all over, cracked walls, even the occasional rat. I was struck by how quieter everything was in these alleys, even with my Quirk making out the faint noises in the background. It's like I stepped into a completely different city.

Disturbing.

But…despite my correct assumptions, I didn't see anything that could serve as a hideout. Everything was either garbage bins or backdoors to major buildings.

An hour or two passed (I didn't really look at my phone) and I was getting frustrated. Sure, I shouldn't expect to find anything on the first try, but still!

I let out a sigh and lean against a wall. I'm not too sure where I am now, maybe the outskirts of the Ward; I barely hear any noises and the walls look filthier.

Mmm…maybe I should just-

Clank. Step. Step. Step.

I sharply turned my head. Something was coming from the back of the alley. I sidestep and take a peek from behind the corner.

Oh shit.

Both of them wore dirty leather jackets and scarves over their faces. One of them was a beefy character, with arms covered with rocks. The other one was thinner, stocky build, and no outer characteristics, but I swore I could hear buzzing coming from behind his scarf. Chains dangled from their belts and the second one had something sticking out of his pocket. They looked like something the dumpster spit out and covered in biker gang trash.

Not the type of guys I would like to meet.

I pulled back and pressed myself to the wall. Oh crap, I did not need to be dealing with this right now!

"Breathe, contractor."

GAH!

"We will have to work on thy reaction, but for now, relax."

Relax? Now!? When I have two shmucks coming toward me!?

"Remember yesterday. Calm thyself, and let thy form sink into the shadows."

Sink into the–!? Oh. Right.

The thug from yesterday didn't see me when he walked past me. I take another deep breath and keep myself pressed to the wall. The footstep's pace didn't change. That was good. Okay, how do I do this?

"Think of darkness. Of silence. Let those thoughts be at the forefront of thy mind. Allow thyself to let the shadows cover you."

Darkness…silence…maybe a place? My room? No, too distracting? The Collection? Same, and too bright. The alley? Not exactly quiet. So what –

The sky was a dull gray, with only the feeblest of sunlight seemingly penetrating the clouds.

Oh…that could work.

I allow my mind to clear and focus on the image of that desolate place. It might sound hard, but to me, it's kind of like focus on a voice, only with an image.

I don't feel anything different. I look down at myself and I don't see anything strange. Did it work?

The steps finally reach the corner. Okay, the moment of truth.

The two thugs walk past the alley, their eyes darting in every direction. The thin one stopped for a moment at the mouth of my alley, and my breath nearly hitches. Calm down Ritsu, don't panic until he starts chasing you. He can't see you.

If he chases you, then panic – and run.

The thug looks down the alley with grey, narrowed eyes before shaking his head and grunting – there definitely was buzzing! – to his comrade. The big one nodded, and they headed away in silence.

I listen to their steps echoing down the alley until they fade. I let out another breath. Okay, now I –

"Wait."

…what now?

"I want thee to keep searching, but maintain thy Concealment."

Maintain my what? Is that what it's called? Concealment?

He didn't answer.

I let out a frustrated sigh. Okay…keep the Concealment. I keep the image of the Valley of Death in my mind, slightly scrunching my forehead. I take a step. One. Two. Three. Hm, maybe it's not as hard as I –

AAH!

I recoil as a stinging sensation enters my brain, like a red-hot needle.

"Focus."

What the hell!? What was that for!?

"Motivation."

What kind of motivation is that!? AAH! I grasp my head and draw in a sharp breath. Okay, okay, just…stop.

"Maintain thy focus. If thou consider that pinprick pain, I lament for thy future."

…okay, red flag.

I focus on the image again and clench my teeth, taking a few more steps. What's the problem here – AAH! Fine! I keep walking and clear my head. I take a turn and try to activate my Quirk, but I feel my mental image fading. Damn it, why is this so difficult!?

"Do not expect to succeed on the first try, contractor. Thine ability requires focus, which thou art dedicating to the Concealment. For now, I shall act as thy ears."

…okay, first you're helping me, next torturing me, then helping me again. Make up your mind!

No response. Great.

I grumble and keep walking, keeping the image in my mind. What felt like another hour passed by, and it was one of the most stressful hours I had ever experienced. I felt like I was walking through water sometimes, and every time I lost focus, I got another mental sting, leaving me to swear again.

I didn't have any direct encounters with thugs like before, but I did sometimes see a few shadows passing by – they paid me no mind.

I must have been going in circles because at some point I saw the entrance to another alley I swore I passed by. Okay, that's it.

"GAH! Stupid, freakin' – what the hell am I looking for, huh!?" I yell as I smack the wall. I was losing my concentration, but I was too cranky to care.

"Great job Ritsu, really great job! You're chasing ghosts, really fits you, and you don't even know what they look like! What were you thinking, just wander around a shady town and hope that some –

CLANG.

I look up to see that my fist had hit a rusty door. I blink dumbfounded at it.

…okay, if God/Allah was real, he was bullshitting me.

The building that it was attached to looked like an office building, though I had no idea which one. I stare at the dust-covered handle with trepidation. There was no lock to be seen. It couldn't be that simple, could it?

I push down the handle (ugh, that feels horrible) and try to pull the door. It didn't budge. I try pushing next, only to get a slight wiggling, but no more. I bite my lip as I try pushing harder. I did not slog through an entire city just to return home empty-handed!

The door creaks under my pushing, which was surprising in hindsight considering my pathetic strength. I press my entire body against it and push harder. Come on!

Damn it. Let's try something else. I take a few steps backward, inhale and dash at the door…

…only to fall onside the moment I hit.

"Uugh…" I nurse my aching head. "Fuck my life."

"Language. Now get up and let us see the fruits of thy labor."

I grunt as I push myself up. I turn around to see that the door had thankfully not flown off its hinges. Great. I stare into the darkness and cover my nose at the amount of dust. Doesn't look like anyone's been here in years. I pull out my phone and turn on the flashlight, letting it illuminate the dark space. A flight of stairs lay before me, leading to further darkness.

…

…

…heh.

I'm insane. This is the only way I can explain today.

'As you stare into the abyss, the abyss stares back…'

"Indeed. Art thou ready?"

Am I ready? No.

Out of my mind? Possibly.

Excited? …Yes.

With a step, I head into the abyss.

The stairs creak and groan under my feet. The darkness seems to close in on me, dimming the flashlight. I soon reach the bottom of the stairs.

I shine my light around the room I'm in. I make out a few items - a chair and a desk among them - but the sheer darkness of the room barely lets me form a complete picture.

"Put on the mask, contractor."

I blink. Now? I shrug and set down my backpack, pulling the mask from it and gently placing it on my face. Like in the Valley, it doesn't fall off.

I draw in a surprised breath. I saw everything. The room was big, a little bigger than Mom's conference room at work. Indeed, a desk and chair were in one part of the room. A worn-out sofa lay on the opposite wall. A small coffee table was strewn on the floor, missing a limb. The floor was no-doubt as dusty as a tomb, but there were no cracks or shards to speak. In front of me was a door with a faded 'exit' sign. Amazing.

Only…the outlines of everything were blue, sometimes green.

I stare at the room, taking in my new sight when I notice a small vent on the ceiling. I wonder if…?

Damn it all. Faint voices from the vent. I can't figure out what they're saying, they seem to be a few stories up. But this place is used, so I can't stay –

"No. This place shall be suitable for our needs."

'…did you not hear the voices?'

"Yes, and I care not. In fact, this shalt be thy new regimen."

With those words, a black mist suddenly appeared and swirled in front of me, seemingly drawing in the shadows of the room…no, it was making shadows. I hear the door upstairs shut itself with a clang. Like from behind a sinister curtain, the terrifying visage of Hassan i-Sabbah formed in front of me.

"Before we proceed, mine contractor, I ask thee one more time: do thou wish to walk the path of the shadows and take on the mantle of a Hashashin, and all that it entails?"

I clench my fist and bite my lip, hidden behind the mask. Do I?

Do I really want to gaze into the abyss? Do I really want it to stare back at me?

I could walk out. He won't punish me. He'll understand.

'We have to be better than the criminals, Ogawa-kun.'

If he was willing to target a high-schooler like me, what else could he do? And to who?

He fell to the ground. Blood leaked from his back.

I felt nothing.

…

…

…

…heh, I take it back; I really am insane.

"…yes."

"Until we find a more suitable location, this shall be our Alamut. Here I shalt train thee in the arts of the fida'i, and this is thy first task" he tapped his enormous sword on the ground. "As long as we are here, thou will maintain thy Concelament at all times. Be it in combat, meditation, or otherwise, thou shalt conceal thyself until thou can do it without thinking. Falter…and I trust thou know what will happen."

…I gulp. This was really gonna hurt.

"Hurt?" A low, menacing chuckle seemed to echo in the room. "Oh, foolish contractor, when I am done with thee…

…you will long for pain."

-x-

Ritsu Ogawa (Assassin - Hassan-i Sabbah)

Stats: Too human to be measured.

Skills:

Presence Concealment D: The ability to hide from others. A poor level for any Assassin.

Throwing (Dagger) B and Throwing (Retrieval) B: The expertise for throwing projectile weapons; in this case, daggers. His daggers have the same destructive power as firearms when thrown, typically spelling certain death for human targets. He can retrieve them to his hand with but a mere gesture

Information Erasure D: Erases all traces of the user's identity, physical or digital, after leaving a scene of assassination. It does not hide the user's identity in any other situation, and clues can be pieced together to deduce identity. If the user's identity is discovered, then the effects of the skill vanish.

Noble Phantasm: ?