Shadows and Guns

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WARNING: This chapter contains DARK and MATURE themes. 

Reader discretion is advised.

Please continue reading only if you are comfortable with such themes.

Do not worry my works DON'T CONTAIN NTR, MIND BREAK, or any other things like that.

You can safely read it, without the potential causes of depression. 

I repeat NO NTR, NO MIND BREAK, or any other things like that.

  Happy reading :) 

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"I expect great results from you, Akira,"

"Yes, My Lord I will not disappoint you. I shall leave right away," he said immediately and formed a group of 12. With that, they bowed and left, in search of a worthy candidate.

With my plans for the future set in motion, I returned to the garden and resumed my moon gazing, appreciating the serene night.

In a grimy corner of New York City,

The echoing sounds of screams and gunshots reverberated through the dimly lit corridors of a sprawling, decrepit building. A figure, masked and clad in black and red attire, moved with deadly purpose. In each hand, the masked figure gripped a gun, and the mobsters in expensive suits and armed to the teeth had little chance against this relentless assailant.

The masked vigilante dispatched them with brutal efficiency, each shot finding its mark, and every blade strike aimed at vital points. Lifeless bodies piled up in his wake, their blood painting a macabre path along the corridor. The figure, with an eerie calmness, retrieved spare ammunition from the fallen gangsters before reloading both of his guns.

Approaching the end of the hallway, he reached a heavy, imposing door. Pushing it open, he entered a dimly lit room. At its center, a mob boss sat trembling, terror evident in his eyes. He began to beg, tears streaming down his face, pleading for his life.

However, the masked figure, his gaze unwavering behind the half mask, raised one of his guns and pointed it at the boss's head. In a deep, distorted voice, he uttered a chilling phrase, "It's nothing personal." With a single, cold-blooded shot, he ended the mobster's life, leaving him slumped in his chair, a growing pool of blood beneath him.

After this ruthless act, the vigilante retrieved a smartphone from his pocket. This device contained only three applications: a camera, a messaging platform, and one titled "Work." He snapped a quick photo of the lifeless mob boss and sent it through the messaging platform, accompanied by a stark message: "It's done."

With a final, emotionless glance around the room, he left as silently as he had arrived. Following him to a small, nondescript house, we watched as he cleaned himself up, his tense demeanor slightly easing. Checking his bank account, he found that the promised payment had been deposited, a sense of relief washing over him.

With a whispered word, he broke the silence, "Sister."

The name held profound significance, a tether to a past he was determined to protect and a future he was ready to secure.

As I was about to lay down on the creaky old bed, my phone rang, piercing the silence of the dimly lit room. It was an unremarkable-looking phone, far from the sophisticated gadgets used in the criminal world. I picked it up, and my heart skipped a beat as I read the message that had just come in: "Max, I'll be arriving tomorrow at noon. Can you pick me up at the airport?" It was a message from my sister, the one person I had fought so hard to protect and who I yearned to see again.

'Sis...!' I exclaimed in my mind, a rush of emotions surging through me. She was finally coming home, and the prospect of reuniting with her filled me with both relief and determination. It was time to leave this wretched life behind, to escape the clutches of the criminal world that had consumed us for so long.

"Yeah, I'll be there," I replied to her message, my fingers tapping out the words with a mix of anticipation and excitement. I envisioned the moment when I would see her again, safe and sound.

With my phone set aside, I lay back on the worn-out bed, my eyes fixated on the creaky old ceiling fan above. It spun lazily, its faded blades slicing through the stagnant air. As the room's ambiance settled, I couldn't help but drift into memories of our past, a time when our family was intact and life was simpler.

Our parents had been hardworking individuals, struggling to make ends meet. Dad was an honest construction worker, while Mom took on various shifts and odd jobs to help pay the bills. It was a modest life, but it was filled with love and togetherness. We were a close-knit family, cherishing the moments we spent together.

But that all changed one fateful day. Our neighborhood erupted into chaos as a violent gang shootout unfolded. It was a battle between rival factions, and our parents were caught in the crossfire. In an instant, our world crumbled, and we lost the two pillars that had supported us throughout our lives.

I tried to seek justice, to bring those responsible to account for their actions. I went to the authorities, naively believing that justice would prevail. But the truth was harsh and unforgiving. The gang had powerful connections, and my efforts were in vain. The case was swept under the rug, and I learned a brutal lesson about the harsh reality of our society.

In the aftermath, I realized that survival in this cruel world required more than just determination—it demanded power and influence. I began my journey into the criminal underworld, gradually honing my skills and acquiring knowledge of the art of killing. I navigated the murky waters of the criminal world, becoming a bounty hunter to earn enough money to support both my sister and myself.

My sister, my twin, shared my burden willingly. She yearned for a life free from the darkness that had enveloped us, a life where we could escape our painful past. She harbored a dream, a dream of attending a prestigious all-girls school in Japan, in a relatively well-known city. It was her chance to start anew, to leave behind the horrors of our previous life.

To join that school, we needed a substantial sum of money in our bank account as proof of financial stability. It was a daunting goal, but my sister was determined to make it happen. In her pursuit of this dream, she decided to join the church, enrolling in a special nun training program that spanned two years. Despite her enrollment, she held no belief in a higher power.

In her eyes, no god would come to the aid of people like us, those who had been abandoned by society and left to fend for themselves. She firmly believed that one could only rely on themselves, and it was a philosophy that had sustained us through our darkest days.

As the last day of her program arrived, she prepared to return to our small home to reunite with me. Little did she know that I had managed to accumulate enough money to secure her registration at the Kuoh Academy in Kuoh Town, Japan—a step toward the fresh start she had so ardently desired.

As the sun climbed higher in the sky, casting its radiant warmth upon the world, 

I woke up with a sense of anticipation that I hadn't felt in years. Today was the day, the day when my sister would finally return home, and we could leave this wretched place behind. Excitement coursed through my veins as I hastily began packing the few belongings that remained with us.

By the time the clock struck noon, I was already in the car that had once belonged to my father. It was a beat-up old vehicle, a relic from better times, but it still ran, and that's all that mattered. I gripped the steering wheel tightly, my heart pounding with a mixture of hope and anxiety, as I made my way to the airport.

At the airport, I waited with bated breath, scanning the faces of the arriving passengers for any sign of my sister. Minutes turned into an agonizing wait, and worry began to gnaw at the edges of my excitement. The flight she was supposed to be on had landed some time ago, and there was no sign of her. Panic threatened to overtake me as I reached for my phone, intending to call her and make sure she was all right.

My fingers trembled as I dialed her number, but before I could hit the call button, a sinking feeling gripped my chest. Her phone was switched off. A sense of foreboding washed over me as I ended the call, my mind racing with terrifying possibilities.

Just as despair threatened to consume me, a notification chimed on my other phone—the one I used for my illicit work in the criminal underworld.

  It was from a group of sadistic lunatics who called themselves the Cult of Astaroth, notorious for their vile and heinous acts.

In the criminal world, we were no strangers to darkness, but even among the shadows, these cultists were considered abominable. They were infamous for live-streaming their gruesome acts, particularly the abduction and brutalization of nuns, both physically and sexually. The broadcasts culminated in the gruesome dismemberment of their victims in pieces, alive,  only to send them to the highest donors.

All in the name of their malevolent deity, Astaroth. Their crimes were unspeakable, and if there was ever a target deserving of retribution, it was them.

I opened the notification, and a picture accompanied the chilling message: "Tonight's special—a beautiful soon-to-be nun shall be cleansed in the blood of our Lord Astaroth for today's episode of Unholy Week. Don't miss it!!"

The world seemed to collapse around me as I stared at the message and the horrifying image. The ground shifted beneath my feet, and my heart hammered in my chest. "Sis...!" I whispered in panicked despair.

Without a second thought, I knew what I had to do. I had to find her, to save her from these monsters who reveled in their sadistic acts. I couldn't lose my sister to this darkness. The car roared to life, and I sped away from the airport, racing against time to rescue her from the clutches of the Cult of Astaroth, even if it meant descending deeper into the abyss of the criminal world.

With the information I had gathered from my acquaintances in the criminal underworld, I quickly located the base of operations belonging to the Cult of Astaroth. There was no time to waste. I changed into my bounty hunter attire, a grim reminder of the life I had chosen, and retrieved my weapons from the house.

Driving to their base, I moved with stealth and purpose, determined to find my sister. As I navigated the dimly lit corridors of the building, my heart pounded in my chest with a potent mix of fear and rage. Then, I saw it—a room encased in glass panes. Through those panes, I caught sight of my sister. She was suspended in the air, bound and unconscious.

The sight of her in such a dire situation ignited a burning fury within me, but I had to remain composed. I needed to rescue her. Silently, I made my way to the power room I had spotted earlier, carefully severing the power supply. Darkness engulfed the building, and emergency red lights flickered to life, casting eerie shadows.

I moved with ruthless efficiency, eliminating anyone who dared cross my path as I made my way closer to my sister. The body count in that wing of the building rose rapidly. Finally, I reached the confinement room and shattered the chains that bound my sister.

"Emily, Emily, wake up," I urged, my voice laced with urgency. Her eyes fluttered open. "...Max? Is that you?" she asked, her voice weak. "Yeah, it's me, Sis. Let's get you out of here, okay?" I reassured her, but before she could reply, the tranquility was shattered by a thunderous explosion, unlike any gunshot.

Pain seared through me, and I crumpled to the floor. "MAX!!" Emily cried out, rushing to my side. Blood oozed from my wound as I slowly turned to face the source of the shot.

"Well, well, well, what a touching reunion. But I must say, I never expected to have kidnapped the sister of the infamous 'BLOOD MASK' himself. It appears I've struck gold today," a man clad in a dark priest's robe remarked, approaching us with a sinister grin.

What sent shivers down our spines was the sight of his glowing hand and the structure on his back that eerily resembled bat-like wings.

The sinister priest approached us, his malicious intentions clear in his malevolent gaze. He gripped Emily by the neck and callously flung her aside, visibly injuring her but stopping short of delivering a killing blow. Then, his cold eyes fixated on me, and with inhuman strength, he launched a brutal kick into my gut, the sheer force behind it sending waves of agony through my body.

"You pathetic human," he hissed, a cruel grin playing on his lips. "You think you can stand against me, a devil?"

He yanked me toward him, an unseen force pulling me like a marionette on strings. As he caught me, he shattered my kneecaps with a viciousness that defied human comprehension, and I collapsed to the ground, my pain-numbed senses overwhelmed by anger, helplessness, and a consuming worry for my sister's fate.

In the midst of my torment, The sinister priest's voice dripped with malevolence " human," he said with sadistic relish, "your precious sister, Emily, was chosen for a very special purpose. A virgin sacrifice, if you will." He chuckled darkly, savoring the cruelty of his words.

"She's been deemed worthy by the cultists of the Astaroth family, loyal followers of the illustrious Diodora Astaroth." His words slithered through the air, oozing with venom. "Oh, the beauty of her innocence, the purity of her devotion, all will be tarnished."

The devil's malicious grin widened as he described the horrors that awaited Emily. "I shall subject her to unspeakable atrocities, both physical and emotional. I will defile your sweet sister along with the remaining members of the cult one by one in front of your eyes until she is 'broken'. And you, his brother, will bear witness to her torment, powerless to do anything. Just lying there in your anguish. hahahahaha!" laughing in his sick and twisted joy.

"You see, human," the devil taunted, "you could never hope to defeat the likes of me. I am a devil, and you are nothing but a weak, insignificant human."

Amid this nightmarish ordeal, Emily weakened and strained, spoke my name in a voice filled with despair and hope.

"...max..."

She had witnessed the unspeakable unfolding before her, and her heart ached for her beloved brother. The dreams they had nurtured together lay shattered, replaced by a grim reality that neither of them deserved. The siblings stood alone in this cruel world, abandoned by society and bereft of any saviors.

As my world crumbled, I was not strong enough again, just as I had been powerless to prevent my parents' deaths. All the training, all the sacrifices, had left me feeling like nothing. In this cruel world, we were still alone, with no one to turn to.

Then, in the midst of this heart-wrenching moment, a voice shattered the suffocating silence. As the world seemed to freeze around me,

"Do you desire power?" it inquired, each word cutting through the despair. 

"A chance to change your fate?"

"What are you willing to sacrifice for it?"

"How far will you go, Max?"

These questions hung in the air, like a lifeline cast into the abyss, offering a glimmer of hope in this darkest hour.

My sister's life hung in the balance, and the overwhelming tide of powerlessness threatened to drown me. It was in that desperate, heart-wrenching moment that I made a choice, one born of a fierce determination to secure my sister's happiness at any cost. I agreed to whatever I had to give.

In that critical moment, I was granted temporary shadowy-like powers, a dark and ominous gift that surged through my very being. It was a power born from desperation, one that would enable me to confront the vile cultists and save my beloved sister, Emily.

Empowered by this newfound dark gift, I transformed into an avenging force, a relentless entity determined to protect Emily at all costs. I unleashed my wrath upon the devil who had dared to threaten her, and his pained screams were nothing but pitiful cries to my ears as I tore him apart, piece by piece.

With a sickening squelch, I gouged out his eyes, eyes once filled with lust and malice, now empty and lifeless. He writhed in agony, his wails filling the air, but I felt no remorse.

However, as I reveled in his torment, I began to realize the path I was treading. The malevolent power surging within me threatened to consume my very soul. It sought to control my anger and bloodlust, urging me to succumb to its dark desires. With a deep breath, I steeled my resolve and, with one final, decisive act, ended his miserable existence.

Emily, my dear sister, stood there in astonishment, her wide eyes reflecting a mixture of fear, awe, and disbelief. She watched as her once-ordinary brother harnessed these mysterious and formidable powers, a transformation that left her both amazed and terrified.

In the midst of the chaos and the lingering scent of blood, Dark figure, the enigmatic mastermind behind my transformation, approached us. He spoke in his low, cryptic tone, his words laden with both promise and mystery.

"A choice awaits you," he began, his voice carrying an eerie weight. 

"A chance to alter the course of your destiny, Max. If you are prepared to embrace it, I shall guide you to my master, Eclipse. There, your path will be unveiled, and the darkness within you shall find purpose."

As his words hung in the air, I couldn't help but feel a shiver down my spine. The gravity of his offer weighed heavily on my mind, and I knew that accepting it would thrust me into a world where power, ambition, and unyielding loyalty would shape the very core of my existence.

The night descended upon us, casting a faint, silvery glow beneath the crescent moon.

Emily and I stood resolute, our decision crystallized and unwavering. This was the opportunity we had yearned for our entire lives—a chance to prove our worth, to seize control of our destinies, and to secure the happiness that my sister so rightfully deserved. Even if it meant bargaining with a being seemingly more sinister than the devil himself.

As the shadows flickered around us, he materialized before our expectant eyes, an entity of unfathomable power waiting for my answer.

"I Accept," I declared, my voice steady, my resolve absolute. I was ready to sacrifice even my own soul if that's what it took to gain the power necessary to reshape our fates.

"Good," he replied, satisfaction lacing his words. "My name is Akira, and I am the leader of the Shadowkhan. I shall be your mentor from this moment forward."

"Let us depart. Our master, Eclipse, expects great things from us."

With those parting words, we were enveloped by the encroaching darkness, leaving our past behind and stepping into a future fraught with uncertainty and boundless potential.