Parking his car at a gas station some blocks away, Arthur notified the salesperson in the convenience store about his leaving his car behind, giving a vague explanation as well as some money to ensure he looked out for the car.After leaving the store, he sent a text to Leon, updating him on the situation and notifying him of his car's location.He understood his message and ordered a few of Arthur's subordinates to stay on guard around the area, where if the opportunity was present, they would provide support for Arthur and Ayame.After settling that, Arthur set out on foot, occasionally glancing at his phone map to note the exact location he was given.The sky had grown dark and the moon peeked from behind the clouds when Arthur arrived, switching off his phone and tucking it away safely in his pocket.Zipping up his jacket, he adjusted his baseball cap, facemask and put on his black leather gloves, cautiously eyeing his surroundings while he did so.He glanced at his system window
Ayame reeled back in shock, her gaze showing the confliction she felt as she processed the information in her hands.Arthur had no reason to lie to her and while she might've played the devil's advocate and assumed there was probably a misunderstanding, the papers in her hand proved otherwise.That the man she called her manager, the one she had trusted and who stood by her from the very start of her career till now betrayed and sold her out for his own selfish gain.Instead of tears or heartbreak and the like that would be expected from people like Isabella Geston, Arthur knew better than to imagine Aya in such a state, and the low growl that escaped her as well as her fists that were balled so tightly, they turned white; was exactly what Arthur expected from Aya."When I get my hands on him, I'll kick his a-""Already did that though," Arthur cut in, giving her a sidelong glance as he continued, "but when you get back, feel free to beat him up some more."As they reached the gas sta
It seemed that they were either too used to seeing people of his appearance approach the office or it was probably that the ones remaining appeared much too tired to care.If working with people as overwhelming as their bosses wasn’t tiring enough, the overtime proved to be just as tedious.Holding down the door knob just to be sure, it clicked slightly, refusing to budge afterwards.He stepped back, a glint behind the potted plant beside the office caught his eyes. Squatting, he reached behind the decor and pulled out a small bunch of keys.Arthur scoffed at the sight; though he acknowledged his meticulous planning as well as Charles and Leon's information was partly responsible for the ease in which he infiltrated the building, Arthur couldn’t deny that the low morale was another cause.That had been one of the many reasons he had to become a symbol for his allies.From the multiple battles during the war, Arthur had first-hand experience on how much impact morale had on people, whe
"Not another word from you, ungrateful brat!" The minister yelled, spittle flying about as he raised his finger and pointed at his son, his actions only fueling the rage that burned in his eyes.Sudden clapping reminded them of the presence of the third party, the one mainly responsible for their entire interaction. "Bravo, I haven't been to the circus in years but that performance was splendid. Though it truly pains me to cut it short, I'd like to remind junior here, that his daddy dearest isn't the only one at fault."Pulling out a recorder from his pocket, Arthur pushed the play button and watched their reactions slowly morph into one of despair and realization, the father and son duo were finished.Just before it got to the end, Arthur switched it off as he believed they were no longer listening; with the minister sitting on the sofa by the TV with a grave look on his face and his son who had his shocked and troubled gaze on the ground, his teeth biting at his fingers in a futile
But one of his worst mistakes was assuming Arthur was someone he could reason with, especially when he had made the stand as his enemy. While he understood that even if the roles were reversed, he wouldn't be nice enough to spare those who wronged him, that did nothing to cool down the rage he felt.But that was one of the reasons why his pleading did nothing to change Arthur's mind.He had vowed in his heart that he wouldn't be like his father. The mercy that Uther Rhyfel had shown his enemies which allowed them to destroy his family was something Arthur had decreed to never show.They would all pay for their actions and no one would change that.So said the war god."This trash really thought he could make a fool out of me and get away with it!" He angrily yelled and sprung up to his feet, swiftly closing the distance between him and Arthur.Grabbing him by the collar, he dragged Arthur closer and raised his balled fist, somewhat surprised at the amused expression Arthur wore."What
While she did so, he scanned the room, noticing the lack of decorations or rather anything that made it seem unique. The entire appearance helped him draw the assumption that Ayame was moved here recently."So," she nudged him with her elbow, snapping him out of his thoughts."What's up?" Arthur's brows raised as he asked.Aya studied his gaze for a brief moment before sighing and turning away, balling her hands into fists and staring at the ground.Seconds stretched into minutes and just before Arthur was about to ask what the problem was, she suddenly began to speak."I've actually liked you for a long time, and the funny thing is, I still do. So I just thought it'd be really awesome if you felt the same way."She shut her eyes firmly after her statement, waiting for a reply from Arthur, one that didn't come. Opening them and turning to him, the pained smile he wore was enough for Ayame to understand, even though it wasn't what she wanted."I'm sorry Aya. I'm too hurt to have any of
Arthur pinched the bridge of his nose with an exhausted sigh, the subtle annoyance he felt evident in his tone as he asked, "Do you know who's responsible?"He paused for a moment, the deep inhale and exhale carried out by Charles increasing the gravity of the situation."...it was the Hughes family." It was then Arthur truly understood why Charles had acted the way he did. To think that a troublesome situation like this would be created by none other than one of the very groups he hoped to tear down.After all, now that the taskforce was forcefully disbanded, by a criminal organization nonetheless, even more attention would be placed on the underworld.And secondly, the fact that the actions of Laura's family was going to make things more difficult for him, annoyed him. It seemed he could no longer afford to let her go unchecked."Sir?" Charles' worried voice snapped him out of his thoughts and he sat up, replying almost immediately."I'm here, I was just pondering. How many factions
A few weeks had gone by and the quiet within the empire's region was anything but comforting.While no major faction made any moves, it was like everyone knew better than to assume that everything had subsided.Even with their continuous attempts to limit the ones who were aware of the information, the news of the death of the police task force members spread like wildfire, even amongst the common folk.At a point, it was safe to say that every person in the city, no, the empire was aware of the action, what was the mystery to the middle and lower class individuals was who was truly responsible for such an act.Many speculations flew about; some accused terrorists, others claimed it might have been rebel forces that wished to overthrow the Emperor himself, there was no end to the wild theories.But only a select few within the middle class and a majority of the upper class knew the act was caused by one of the seven great families, but for their safety, none dared to make any accusati