4 Pain Cuts Deeper Than a Knife

Both of them went silent, eyes locked on one another, the atmosphere was one of enticing conflict.

- Hahaha, you're quite funny, but only one person can call me names!

- Why do you scream so much, damn, I was just here, minding my own business and then a big dumb oaf started yelling out of nowhere. You should clean your ears once in a while, you pig.

- Am I a cow or a pig?! Just decide already!

- Why not both?

- Well, you got a point there… Wait, no, no, I am none of those things. I'm done with you!

Suddenly, the tiki mask's mouth opened and spewed living hot fire onto his hands, but instead of burning them to a crisp they absorbed the immense heat and increased their own temperature, releasing an inconsiderate amount of steam.

- I can expel fire from my mouth but that's not the most important characteristic of my talent! I can increase the temperature of any of my body parts to the point that I can melt everything on direct contact! Unfortunately, both my tongue and my throat feel like I have drunk a bowl of boiled water. This only lasts for a couple of minutes after usage, but it makes me want to scream my ass off every single time to the point that I have developed the habit of screaming every time I talk.

- Is this cooked pork or cow, I never get the difference - his stomach growled - I'm really hungry, I haven't eaten since I got here…

Stray didn't listen to a single word of his explanation, turning his back on his opponent.

- ENOUGH!

Enraged by the incessant provocation coming from Stray the tiki masked man lunged himself forwards, arms at the ready to strike his adversary down.

- Cooked pig usually comes with an apple in its mouth…

The tiki masked man turned his head lightly to the left, realizing that his opponent was standing behind him mid-mid lunge with a black katana in his hand.

He thought - "What the hell, when did he…"

- Even an animal would know that…

Out of nowhere he saw his arms flying alongside him, leaving a spray of blood in the air. He was so confused until he saw that they had been sliced clean while he was still a few centimeters above the ground.

Moments shortly he bashed head first onto a wall, opening a huge gap in it.

He was drowning in a sea of brick and dust, his mind dizzy from the impact. After he regained some of his senses he remembered that his arms had been cut off while he was in the air, but he didn't see or fill any of it. When he looked at his wounded limbs he saw a waterfall of blood emanating from them, ending in massive puddles on the dirt. Luckily the adrenaline refused him of his pain until the shock of seeing the gore released it all.

Looking at the oni masked man, he shouted - But how?!

Stray approached him with sword in hand, making it more easy to spot its details. Its blade was black with a distinct pattern along its edge, reaching the black circular hand guard with some blue diamonds going along it. The cord wrap was blackish as the rest of the sword, covering most of the blue handle underneath it.

"He cut me alright, but I didn't feel any intent nor the attack itself. And he was behind me, but not even a second went by, who the hell is this guy?!" - the tiki masked man thought, ignoring the agonizing pain for a split second.

- Now, let's see who's for dinner… - Stray said while reaching for his opponent's tattered and shattered mask. After removing it, it came to light that the person behind the mask was - Souko… - he said, disappointed for knowing that he's assumption was correct - Why?

- I was… following my orders… - Souko replied, lacking the strength to answer with his normal tone of voice.

- Your orders were to hurt your friend?

- At first I didn't really care for her, but now… still, I can't turn my back on… - he didn't finish his train of thought. Stray thought that he couldn't because of the pain but in truth Souko didn't want to betray Seda.

Luna couldn't hear a thing but the at the sight of Souko's battered face she wondered why he had done such a thing, to her of all people. Well, he was never truly the one in charge of his actions, just a follower of Seda.

- Seda… - Luna whispered, gasping for air as she was to weak to even move her lips.

Stray wanted to help her, but pressing matters were in order. Souko, the man that had gone against his friend still had to spit out more of his plan, or the plan he was following.

- Why were you sent here to hurt and attempt to kidnap her? Who is the one in charge?

- I won't say more, if I say more I will put Seda at risk and I won't allow that…

- If she is in trouble I will save her, so what is going on?! - Stray said, whilst grabbing Souko by the collar.

- She isn't in danger, hmph…

Souko's wounds were taking their toll on him and he wasn't willing to speak anymore, even he wanted to in the first place.

- You're here to kill us, aren't you, assassin of your kind?

- I was only sent here to kill one person, I don't even know if you are connected to him, you were just a fiend that couldn't save. Another one….

- Haha, don't be sad, I'm not a very good person to walk freely… all I wanted was to protect her from him but she doesn't want to let him go… not even for love.

- "Being in love sucks, don't do it." is one of my golden rules.

- To tell the truth I always thought you were going to come back one day, for her…

Stray looked at him surprised.

- Though it pains me to say it, I too thought about it many times. But thinking that she was happier with him made me opt not to.

- Hmm, if you are going after Seda… please, don't kill her.

- Like I said, I am only here for one person, I don't kill for free. "Nor for money as it turned out". - he thought.

- Good… I'm ready.

Upon seeing that Souko had already said what he needed to say, Stray stood up and held his katana to the side, showing it to Souko. It was a beautiful sight to behold, at least it was a remarkable way of dying. At least that's what he thought until Stray loosened his right hand from the weapon, leaving it gliding in the air. As the sword was slowly soaring to the ground a very peculiar phenomenon occurred, a flare stemming from its guard, developing into a bright blue flame that end up engulfing it in mid-air, reducing it to mere particles of metal ash in less than a second. The ashes were soon lost to the cold breeze.

- You're not going to kill me? After losing this much blood there is no way I get out of here alive.

- Oh I will, but first, but not with my pain.

- What… - Souko was perplexed.

"What did he mean with "his pain"?

Stray then reached for Souko's chest with right hand, keen on doing something.

Souko decided to stare at the sky, trying to make the beautiful scenery its last memory, though all he could think about was Seda, staring at him with her annoyed smile, both mad and happy to deal with one of his regular tantrums.

To go against his expectations, Stray stopped after grabbing something. When he did so a clicking noise was made, sounding like a metal of some sort.

Looking down to inspect the mysterious noise he saw a sword impaling his chest. Yet, he didn't feel anything there. It was as if he served as the scabbard of the iconic weapon.

It had the same features as the katana Stray was holding before but that one had been scorched till it was nothing but metallic sand. Even if he had another one hidden somewhere he still didn't feel anything.

"When did he… but I didn't…" - he thought, yet again confounded.

Maybe it was the adrenaline rush or maybe his body went numb after acknowledging his demise.

- This pain has been stuck here for quite a long time. - Stray announced, removing the sword almost immediately, with a burst of blue flames after fully taking it off.

The moment that the sword fully left his chest, Souko felt a burst of emotions finally being released from his heart, making him feel lighter than ever before, his soul rend free from the shackles of his past torment.

- So, how does it feel to let your pain go? - Stray asked him.

- What? - he couldn't comprehend his question.

- This is my talent. I can materialize the pain in people's souls into katanas. This is your pain, Souko.

He was astonished. Everybody feels pain. Sure it may leave a scar but in time the pain should go away.

- People don't tend to realize this, but the pain never leaves someone's soul. It forces itself into it, constantly pressuring it, making it change till the person is no longer who she was before that certain traumatic incident. You might think that the pain would be gone in time yet it never leaves, because you are what you overcome. But now, I've removed it. How do you feel?

- I feel amazing, despite the physical pain…

- The setback of my talent is that after releasing the handle of the sword from my hand it returns to the soul from whence it came. You would feel the pain all over again. Even worse, you would feel it all at the same time.

- For an assassin you kinda don't seem like you want to hurt people...

- Despite knowing pain I don't want to forget it. It made me into what I am and it led me to my path, I can't deny its lessons, so, I learn them every day. Every time I see myself in the mirror, I remember. Every time I use it in a fight, I remember. Every time I kill a target, I remember. The past is a part of me and I use it to protect that which I hold dear.

- You almost make it look like it is the only reason but I know… I know you don't like to see others suffer.

- Maybe, or maybe I am a fucking masochist, who knows.

- Who knows, haha.

Even laughing was painful but he could withstand it, somehow.

- Can you end me now, please?

Stray nodded at his request. He walked to his left side, sword in both hands. Souko leaned forward, presenting his neck to Stray's merciful blade. He prepared his sword, raising it above Souko's head for the killing blow.

- You did make her happy, you know? - Souko said, tilting his head a bit to where Luna's location. - She just didn't know what to do.

- I know… I have seen her pain…

- If you see Seda…

- I'll try my best.

- Thank you… - his eyes started to get a little watery.

- You're welcome. - Stay said, cutting Souko's neck in a fell swoop.

After performing the gruesome but painless deed the sword started to burn like before, only this time it was slower, which made it possible to witness its beautiful process.

Her head was spinning. She couldn't stay awake any longer but she wanted to see it, she wanted to see Souko's ashes spreading in the wind.

- Goodbye Souko... - she said, crying for her late friend.

After that, she started looking for the other person there but she could see nothing but a dot walking towards her. She also wanted to know who that man was but her eyelids started slowly closing, ultimately fainting from the head trauma.