Exodia 187: Countdown to Zero (1)

"I-I'm sorry! Please! I have a daughter!"

A man begged for his life while crying, worthlessly. Multiple men laughed as he grovelled the best he could.

In this situation, one would think that the one being beaten is some sort of innocent guy and the ones beating him were gangsters, however, it's the opposite here.

The one being beaten is a man sent to gather dirt on a man named Yukihira Yamakura. He's a politician that often clashes with the SSB. The men beating the man to death were the bodyguards of Yukihira Yamakura.

"So, you act tough when you're alright but pathetic when you're beaten? Some spineless guy."

"You should've thought twice before following Mr Yamakura out here to his safe house."

"Let's just finish him off and dispose of him."

One of the men raised a steel pipe and sliced down at him.

"Stop!"

The bodyguard stopped short. They all turned, displaying nervous expressions.

"M-Mr Yamakura..."

A man walked into the room. He was, without a doubt, a politician. He was handsome, and tall, wore glasses and had slant eyes. The man appeared calculative, calm and manipulative. He had a cigarette in his mouth.

"Don't kill him. Not yet."

He added on.

Yamakura approached the man. He crouched down and stared at him. He pushed his forehead with his finger, causing him to drop.

"What a sorry sight. He doesn't even have enough strength to hold himself up."

Yamakura exhaled, putting out the cigarette on the man's arm.

"Argh!"

"Your name is?"

The half-dead man stayed silent, groaning in pain. Yamakura kicked him to gain his attention.

"Your name is?!"

"M-Mikoto!"

He shouted desperately.

"Now, Mikoto, if you tell me who sent you—"

He lit a cigarette and began smoking it.

"—I'll let you out alive, how does that sound?"

Mikoto was mulling over the proposal. Yamakura smiled, gracefully, while smoking. It was clear that he was doing his best to appeal to the man, instead of frightening him. If he had frightened him, he would be too afraid to even think.

Mikoto faced up at Yamakura. The politician set his hand out.

"What will it be?"

He slowly moved his hand forward before...

"Fuck you."

He stuck his middle finger up at Yamakura with a proud smile.

The politician kicked his face, spewing more blood from his wounds.

"You little—!"

He kept beating him mercilessly with his leg. Yamakura straightened his suit once he finished with Mikoto. He was not dead but knocked out cold from countless beatings.

"You guys go back to guarding the place. I'm in a bad mood."

"Yes!"

And so, the bodyguards returned to their assigned guard posts.

One of them sighed.

"What's wrong?"

Another asked.

"Working for Mr Yamakura pays like hell but it sure is stressful. He's like a ticking time bomb. He could go off at you at any moment and if he does, you could get fired."

"You're right. He could change emotional states so quickly that someone would think he's a different person."

They both nodded in agreement with each other.

"Sounds like you two are having a lovely time. Why don't I help you two?"

A voice asked.

Before they knew it, their heads clashed with each other. Faith appeared from behind the two.

"Have a nice nap!"

The other bodyguards heard the collision and rushed over.

"Intruder!"

They alerted the other bodyguards.

"Aw, all for me? You shouldn't have?"

Around 7 bodyguards surrounded Faith. She equipped her guns and aimed the guns opposite each other.

"Ouroboros."

As she pulled the trigger, two transparent snakes burst out, punishing the bodyguards before forming a circle around Faith. Some were dead and others fainted. The snakes gorged through them with a single bite.

More guards rushed toward her.

"Oh, more fun for me."

A blur appeared. It swiftly took out the guards with a single slash to the throat, carotid artery, or heart. All vital points. The guards were killed within seconds.

"Aww... Boring, you stole everything, Ophelia."

"Let's finish these underlings then join up with Master."

"Sure. I bet I can get more kills than you."

She bragged. Ophelia smiled.

"Are you sure about that?"

The guards that came rushing in were mercilessly slaughtered by the two maids as they fought in a contest.

Meanwhile, inside, Yamakura put out his cigarette, staring outside.

"Is that good?"

As Yamakura exhaled, the cigarette was taken out of his hand. He turned to see a white-haired man, smoking his cigar.

"Who're you?!"

The cigarette dissolved into thin air. Yamakura edged backwards.

"Guards! Guards!"

A silver-haired boy landed near Regulus. Nobody answered Yamakura's calls.

"Did you get everyone?"

"Everyone in the back. The rest of them are being slaughtered by Ophelia and Faith."

Regulus had a pleased look on his face.

"M-my guards! What happened to my guards?!"

The politician panicked. He attempted to run from the two, however, his body froze in place. He could not budge his body even an inch.

"Good work, Argent. I'll interrogate him now."

He patted the boy's head. He blushed.

"Y-yes..."

"Now, I could make you talk with Forced Confession but that would be boring."

Regulus crouched to match Yamakura's eye level. He brandished his palm, where a huge ball of wind floated above his hand. He shot it at Yamakura's leg, erasing it.

A blood-curdling scream filled the air before Regulus put his hand over his mouth.

"Sh... Now, tell me all about the secret entrance to Altria. I mean, as the former principal, I know all sorts of routes but it's impossible to get in without being detected. Well, that was until I heard you have the way in."

The politician began crying from the searing pain in his leg. He shivered from the sadistic expression that appeared on Regulus' face.

"I-If I tell you, t-then you'll let me go, right?"

Saliva was dripping from his mouth as he attempted to hold in his groans. Regulus smiled insidiously.

"No."

Yamakura stared at him blankly as Regulus laughed uncontrollably. He calmed himself down before speaking once more.

"So, will you tell me?"

Yamakura did not answer. The Mortal Sin sighed.

"It's fine... I'll just use Forced Confession then..."

He put his hand on the politician's head and activated one of his many Singularities.

"Night night, sleep tight."