Chapter 11: Disturbance

The pair of John and Ashur were running quickly through the city. The guard was far ahead, leading them.

Ashur noted that even though he was running with more energy than usual, the guard was still far ahead of him, leading the two effectively.

The street they found themselves running down was extremely crowded.

John thought to himself, 'If there are dangerous individuals attacking like he said, I'm surprised there are this many people out.'

John glanced in passing, and many people appeared calm, going about their daily lives. He whispered to Ashur. "Hey. Does something feel off to you?"

Ashur nodded, his eyes staying on the guard ahead of them.

"Definitely. This might be a trap, but we shouldn't assume anything until reaching the destination."

"Alright."

The three might've been running for a minute or two when the guard suddenly turned into an alley.

John, while having a concerned feeling in his gut, followed, the same for Ashur.

It was somewhat dark in the alley, having no one besides the three of them in it. The guard's back faced the two of them.

Ashur slowly moved his hand to the sword on his hilt, grasping it. "So, where are these attackers?" He questioned; his focus completely on the man.

After his question was released into the air, silence followed. Seconds passed as the pair stared down the man, waiting for a response.

As the silence seemed to reach an all-time high, he turned around, revealing a sinister smile.

"Right there." He pointed behind the two of them.

They turned instantly, but to their surprise, no one was there. Ashur's eye widened. He whipped his head back to where the guard was - he wasn't there anymore, however.

Suddenly, both adventurers felt multiple gazes oozing with bloodlust aimed at them. They moved, back to back to each other. Both John and Ashur drew their weapons.

Sweat found its way onto John's forehead as he tried to focus on where the looks were coming from.

"This is quite the pickle we've found ourselves in, huh?" Ashur's nonchalant tone caught John's attention.

"I wouldn't call it a pickle. The term I'd use is us finding ourselves trapped under a boulder."

Ashur released a soft chuckle. "Nah, I prefer the term I used more."

"Do you two think you can face all 10 of us and come out unhurt?"

The voice calling out to them belonged to the guard who'd brought them there. They couldn't tell where it was coming from, though. It seemed to be from all around them.

At that moment, 10 individuals appeared. They were similar looking to those the pair had encountered after leaving Mural Town days prior. Many of them slid out from small gaps in the alley walls while others stood at the only exit to the alleyway.

Ashur whispered under his breath. "Can you do something for me, John?"

"What is it?" He questioned, his voice lowered as well.

"Since this was a trap, that must mean something is going to happen at the council building. I need you to go back now. Assist Mary in protecting Mr. Meyers, as well as looking out for her."

"I'll do it. I promise. But how can I slip away?"

"I'll create a diversion. All you have to do is keep running, okay?"

John had a determined glint in his eye. "Alright."

"Thanks. I'm counting on you."

John dashed forward and right in the direction he was running the two blocking the exit charged towards him.

Some who were on Ashur's side ran forward as well. They were clearly going for a coordinated attack. Ashur's voice, which had been lowered to a whisper previously, raised. "Fig!"

The moment Ashur shouted those words, a bright light emerged off of his blade.

It was a light so bright that the eyes of his attackers stung. They all winced in unison as they covered their eyes instinctively.

The two attackers by the entrance, despite being blinded suddenly, still swung their blades with striking accuracy. One swung towards John's head while the others pointed towards his abdomen.

Ashur watched as John, in a flash, ducked low, sliding under both of their blades. He then, in a rush of energy, leaped forward, running with astounding speed.

'Wow. To think John was able to react like that despite it being such a disorienting technique. Sure, it wasn't facing his line of sight, but I'm surprised he got out of that unscathed.' He flashed a proud smirk as he watched him run out of sight around the corner, 'I'm counting on you, John.'

Now, the light from Ashur's technique wore off. All in the area quickly shook their heads, opening their eyes widely.

The two by the initial entrance weren't fast enough. However, as soon as their eyes opened, they saw a serious-looking Ashur in front of their faces.

In a flash, he swung his blade with a fury, slicing both in an instant. The two were cut cleanly, with one's head falling off his body while the other received a deep gash on their side.

The four behind him watched in surprise as their allies fell to the floor, a scarlet red spilling from their bodies.

Ashur turned, blood on his cheek, and with a hardened look, he scowled. "Who's next?"

John was running through the street frantically now. He thought to himself, "Please be alright! Come on, Mary! You're strong, I'm sure everything will be fine. Just hold on!'

The figures dashed at Ashur, swinging wildly with their blades. Their sudden speed surprised Ashur. He could tell they were a bit stronger than those he faced way back after leaving Mural Town.

Regardless, he darted his head from side to side, getting off with slight cuts and nicks to his face.

He then slashed back at the two directly in front of him.

They were able to block with their blades, but just as they charged in to slash at him again, the blade of their daggers shattered. That split second of confusion the two held would prove fatal, as Ashur cleaved both of their heads from their bodies.

At this point, the remaining figures charged at him, releasing blood-curdling screams. Ashur was calm, however, thinking to himself.

He was completely in tune with his surroundings. He heard every footstep, the sound of the metal slicing through the air, and the smell of iron all around him.

It was simple. He knew what to do.

Duck. Sidestep. Block. Slash in return. Duck. Jump in the air. Spin. Kick to the skull. Block. Block. And block once more. Slash with such speed and force that no one can react in time, and lastly, release the command.

"Furgust!"

At that moment, the now three wounded men watched, awe-struck as Ashur's body shone with pure light. The light then congregated in one spot, his fist.

With a powerful punch, light shot out, completely eviscerating the men until there was nothing but singed bodies left lying on the alley floor.

The sound of clapping emerged from behind Ashur, making him turn quickly. There, he saw the man who had previously led him and John to the location.

He was still dressed in the guard uniform, but unlike before, he donned a spear on his back, being in a holster.

Despite the speed that Ashur had dispatched his men with, the guard's face was full of confidence. Or maybe that wasn't the correct word. It was more of an unphased look that no matter what occurred, things would be fine.

"You're truly as strong as they say." He complimented. "You really are an A-Rank Adventurer."

Ashur scoffed. "Sure, sure. By the way, I've been thinking... This whole mission has been way more trouble than initially assumed. From what John told me about previous attacks, everything's been extremely organized. Having a first wave with simple bandits, then assassins, and now those who seemingly infiltrated positions of power specific to the path we'd find ourselves on. This could only be the work of a powerful organization. Such as Black Jack or even the Red Sparrow…"

Ashur paused, searching the guard's expression. So far, it was unreadable, but the second he mentioned the names of the two organizations, he noticed a slight twitch in the man's face.

"Ha. So, Black Jack, it is." The instant he uttered the name, the guard charged forward, quickly drawing his spear.

He lunged, stabbing forward. Ashur was able to easily dodge the first attack, but he didn't expect the man to then unleash a flurry of more jabs, including swipes this time.

Ashur was caught slightly, getting grazed by a couple of the attacks; they weren't deep injuries, though.

He chose to gain distance, leaping back slightly before raising his blade into the air. The guard still pursued him, prepared for whatever attack he may have faced.

Ashur shouted out. "Bumbol!" And in an instant light shone from him.

It wasn't as bright as the attack earlier, however, indicating that it either drained his stamina considerably or the attack didn't require as much power.

Once the light was gathered, it shot into the air.

The form it took was now a condensed orb, which flashed once before exploding. Multiple blades of light the size of a dagger flew down from it. The guard looked up wide-eyed. There were at least 12, and from his positioning, he knew he couldn't dodge.

At that moment, time seemed to slow for the man. He thought of what he could do in the situation.

Even if he were to wildly spin his spear above him as a sort of covering, some would still breach his defensive maneuver, most likely stunning him from the pain, and from seeing Ashur's speed he knew the man would capitalize for the finish.

Just as he was about to give up, he noticed. One of his allies was running towards Ashur from behind. He was the one to receive the slash to his side earlier when John had first escaped the death trap.

The Adventurer must've assumed that he was finished, but it seemed the man had more willpower than he bargained for. The guard smirked, knowing what to do.

In one powerful movement, he launched his spear at Ashur.

Ashur rotated, able to dodge the spear completely; however, he hadn't noticed the remaining fighter behind him, who was able to catch the spear. In one quick movement, he slashed sideways, scraping into Ashur's side, blood gushed from it.

His face widened with pain and surprise at the sudden wound and attacker. His technique Bumbol took so much focus that he didn't sense the man creeping up on him.

'Shink'

The guard fell to his knees, and blades of light were pierced into his upper body, being injected into his chest, shoulders, and even his neck.

His face and head were surprisingly unscathed, as he was able to maneuver just right to avoid the instant death blow to the skull.

He watched as the newly damaged Ashur cut down the remaining assassin with ease. Ashur clutched his side slightly, turning to the last man alive, the guard who was releasing a chuckle.

He smiled widely, flashing his blood-stained teeth to him. His chest rose and fell slower and slower as the adventurer started making his way toward him.

"Any last words?" Ashur questioned, a serious glint in his eye as he stood above the man.

Despite the cowardice of the organization Black Jack and all they had done to thwart his mission, he couldn't help but give the man an honorable death.

Even if he was allied with whom Ashur believed to be the wrong group, he was a warrior nonetheless.

Through the expense of his own health, he could say the man's last stand was a strategy befitting that of a good fighter with countless years of experience.

The guard released a wheeze and a cough. The blood was starting to rise in his throat, but with the last of his strength, he uttered. "Monstil."

With a silent but respectful nod, Ashur swung down his blade, ending the man's life with one, clean, cut.