No mercy

After taking a life once, it becomes easier to do it. The first time may plague a normal person with nightmares, regret, and grief. But for a person like her who is already empty. A person who lives through a daily battle called 'life' every day.

Her target easily followed her into the rooms upstairs in the casino. It was clear from his heavy breathing and casual advances of putting his arms around her waist that he was getting stupid ideas in his head.

"Foolish man," Sumire uttered.

"What was that beautiful?"

Sumire smiled and clapped her hands. "I was thinking how handsome you are, sir. I hit the jackpot."

"Oh, you have a way with words. But I like my women submissive." He grinned. "Could you do that for me?"

"Of course."

He is going to be dead before he even so much puts his hands on her anyway. After a few more disturbing conversations, they finally reached the room she had booked beforehand.

If this man was a little wiser, he would realize that this room was in a strange location. It is at the furthest end of the corridor, and there are no other rooms nearby, nor is there any camera surveillance.

It is not a hotel room at all. Sumire opened the door, and the moment they got inside, she pinned the man to the ground.

"Your so eager, baby, but where is the bed? Did they forget to put one?"

The man was half drunk and did not realize that the room had stone-cold walls and not even a window. What stood out were the chains on the walls and rows of torture devices, and the heavy scent of blood.

Sumire simply smiled, and he took that as a sign to lean forward, but before he could touch her. She cut his hands off in a single swift motion.

"M-my hands-"

She chuckled as he moved away from her quickly.

"W-who- are you bitch?"

Sumire's gaze dimmed. "Oh? But weren't you calling me baby just a few seconds ago? How cold, Mr. Rodrigeo, your the one who has been making trouble for us."

"Y-you, you're the demon princess." Recognition flashed through his eyes. "Damn, Aki."

"That troubles me, sir, people who learn my identity cannot walk out of this alive. But relax." Sumire's lips curve to a bright and devious smile. "I will torture you in the same manner as your other victims. While I keep you half-dead and kill you slowly. Maybe you will remember what you did to those poor women and children?"

The best way to torture somebody is to keep them half dead. This is something she learned after being in this industry for many years. After a few minutes of torture, the man's body fell and no longer moved.

'How dull, only-' Sumire's gaze fell on her watch. Only five minutes have passed; couldn't he have lasted longer?

Sumire wiped the blood from her hands and sighed deeply as she looked back at the man she had just killed. The crimes on this person's head are too much for her to list.

'Bribery, arson, and worst of all, rape.' One of the victim's sons, a teenage boy of no more than fifteen years old, only a year younger than herself, came to her a few days ago.

'Please, please kill him. Please kill him in the same manner as he did my sister and mother.'

Recalling the details, Sumire did not hesitate to raise her knife again and chopped the body into small pieces.

She would have handed this man over to the police if it were just the first two. However, she clearly recalled the pain behind the victim's relative. She cannot allow people like this to live.

To rid the world of darkness and this murky black color, she must take the matter into her own hands. She decided this after the case that took her parents' lives.

The burning of the Ibuki family manor three years ago was a case people were all too familiar with. As the lone survivor, she gained much attention from the media. So even if we're not for her upcoming idol debut, many people know of her existence.

Sumire closed her eyes as the images of the manor burning remained firm in her mind and the voice she heard. The voice overlapped with her parent's pained cries.

'-you will soon belong to me.'

….

A young woman scurried through the empty alleyways of star town. Her long brunette-colored hair swayed back and forth due to the strong wind as she panted heavily, briefly placing her hand on the wound forming on her left side.

'I shouldn't have left Asahi's side for one second. They only did this because I was alone.' Sumire sighed deeply. There is no doubt that her friend is worried about her right now, but she knew better than to take her phone out.

Instead of stopping to rest, she continued to run; she was not running from the people who stabbed her but chasing after them. Do they truly think they can escape from her?

She slowed her pace as she approached a corner and quickly hid behind a wall; her gaze fell onto a building nearby. Did he go there?

Sumire straightened her posture and placed her hand on the bandaged wound. It should be fine, even though she only managed to patch herself quickly. She took a deep breath as she peeked behind the wall only to see a large and dark silhouette.

That should be him, right? He won't get away this time.

She quickly sprinted towards the silhouette and raised her fist; she kicked the man's lower abdomen causing him to lose balance and fall to the ground. Sumire used that chance to climb on top of him and proceeded to punch him, but surprisingly he grabbed hold of her wrist.

Sumire blinked, startled. Huh? Was he this strong earlier? If she recalled correctly, he could not block a single attack of hers.

It took her a moment before she realized it was a different person, but it was far too late to process that thought.

A man with silver-colored hair and golden-colored eyes.

"You know, miss, if you're going to pin somebody down, you should probably research your target." In that next second, he switched their positions until she was the one below him.

Sumire, however, was not frightened and continued to glare at him. "Who are you?"

He isn't the one who attacked her earlier, and he isn't wearing a strange cloak like the rest. He looks like a normal person, but why would he be in this area during this time?