Assassination Through the Netherworld

"I want you two to be in guard, I'm going to do a small journey to check up how it's going outside, the fact that we stayed here for two days and no one has come yet is a good sign." Valentine, now completely healed prepared to depart the room once again.

He dressed up and prepared his belt, placing the knives on it.

He wants to check how is the situation outside and if possible, get some information, he also had to get another knife since he lost one in the battle against Bellcroft.

"Faye, if necessary, use the Rose Thorn, I'll try to be back here as soon as possible." Readying his gloves he uttered and the blonde nodded solemnly.

...

Fayette didn't even bother to ask why she couldn't go, the more they are, the higher the risk, and if some demons take the chance and attack Vera here, it will be worse.

"Take care..." That's all the duo said as they prepared to set guard, Valentine took nothing except two horntails, a few cores, an empty backpack and a few coins.

It's not a matter of being powerless, it's a matter of being efficient, the three of them would only leave together when it was time to leave this city.

"Don't open the door to anybody, alright? I'll be back soon." Saying those last words he didn't even take the room's key lest something happens and anybody comes and uses it to enter it pretending to be him.

He made his way through the luxurious hallway, empty as always, he wondered if demons or humans even stayed there to begin with.

When he regarded the demon's face, without words being said, he could realise that something is not right.

The demon regarded him as if he was about to reap his soul apart.

"Have a good day, dear customer~" Those were probably the kindest words that he received from the demon, regardless of whether they were authentic or not, he knew very well.

Rumours spread fast, especially when the 'target' is staying in the place you're supposed to take care of.

Valentine didn't bother to answer him and moved on his way, remaining right at the door of the hotel before completely leaving, his gaze roamed around, the three moons were shining pretty brightly outside, looking almost like three moderate suns that shone upon this accursed land.

Hundreds of demons walked through and also, a handful of humans, he could feel gazes, from many places, but couldn't accurately pinpoint any of them.

"Has anyone contacted you regarding me recently, demon?" He inquired without turning around, trying as hard as he could to pinpoint who was looking at him but it was difficult when even the 'pedestrians' threw glances every so often.

"Who knows? perhaps?~" The demon smirked and sipped what looked like some kind of beverage from behind the counter 

"..."

'I don't know why I bother asking...' 

"Are you sure you want to leave those two ladies alone? who knows... something might happen to them~" The demon even dared to show his wicked smile at that moment, but it was time for Valentine to mock.

"If you underestimate my companions, the next head to roll will be yours, demon... save your advice for your filthy arse." Those were the bringer of euthanasia's last words before he finally stepped outside and merged with the crowd of demons.

"Hmph... if someone's head rolls, it won't be mine... protector." As if he's stupid enough to attack someone who defeated a Demon Soldier... he isn't, but someone else might be.

**

**

Valentine merged with the crowd of demons, walking with no apparent destiny at first, his gaze was glued to every corner, every sense.

Looking for anyone that could possibly be following, he felt gazes, but it could have been paranoia since the situation they were in was rather grim, he needed to make sure of that, and in order to do so... he moved swiftly through the crowd until he arrived at a weapon shop, the same one he had been before, it wasn't empty but there were barely three customers inside.

'Neither nice nor bad..."  He concluded and entered the shop, the orange-skinned short demon from before recognised him and marvelled.

"You're not dead yet?"

"...? What do you mean?" The reaper furrowed his brows at the odd question, why wouldn't he be alive? is he referring to the duel?

He thought he'd die after being severely injured?

"Nothing... what do you want, brat... speak quickly." The demon immediately disregarded the other human he had been attending, that piece of filth would spend two hundred or a thousand amethyst coins at most, but this boy? he spent more than a million coins in a single trade, who is he going to attend if not him!?

"Valentine kept his conversation with the demon, but he was constantly giving a sidelong glance to the door and the windows of the shop even as the other human threw him a venomous gaze and left after being disregarded so blatantly, it's not an odd visage for humans, to be disregarded.

"I want another knife... do you have another one of those? that runic one..." He didn't utter the name of the blade.

"Another one like that? I'm afraid there isn't any... that's a special treasure that was found and sold to us through the millenniums, only one exists and we don't even know what material was used to create it... according to some rumours, it belongs to the circle of lust, so you'd have to look for information there... if you want another knife, however, I have plenty for you, for a modicum price that is."

"And do I not get a discount?" Time to bargain, this time cleverly.

"What discount brat? don't you see this shithole? you're the one that should be giving me money!" The demon yelled and pointed at the shop's walls and features that were coated with expensive armours and golden plates.

'Humble much?' 

"A discount as a protector... that type of discount..." Valentine insisted with furrowed brows as if he was speaking the most serious of things.

"The demon's gaze became solemn at the mention of 'protector'..."

"Where is your badge?" The demon demanded something that they should all have.

"I lost it in the way here, I was attacked, that's why I needed new weapons..." Valentine answered, never releasing his threatening visage.

"... then which city are you a protector of? or which principality? you can't just come and say you're a protector and expect me to believe you just like that... this is hell, everyone knows how to lie here, boy... and I'm starting to feel like you're one of the top ones in this 'lying' game..." The demon leaned forward with a smirk his orange slit eyes shining as if trying to decipher Valentine's every secret.

"I'm from Burning Wrath City... now move and show me the knives, I don't have all day." He gave that name, the only city he knows of aside from Mahogany, the one that Sandmortelle told them of.

The demon grimaced at his tonality, in truth he could indeed not believe anyone that just came and said he's a protector without a badge but... this is a man that killed a Demon Soldier... that's only something Marquess Protectors are capable of, not even Count Protectors are necessarily able to do so... and if he ended up having a good relationship with one of them, his store might just soar.

He walked to the back of the shop and brought three models of knives while Valentine kept his gaze fixed outside, and suddenly without the demon noticing, his lips curled upwards.

...

"Burning Wrath City huh... if I remember correctly, there is only one protector assigned to that city, but we can't be accurate, the information I have of that psychotic lass is several Millenium old... I'll believe you for now, but the discount will be only ten per cent, understood?"

"That's fine by me, show me what you've got."

"Well, aside from that runic knife, these are the next three best knives I have, are you sure you don't want a sword? you might be strong enough to wield one of my powerful ones..." 

'I wonder if I should get a spear too?' The problem is, he can't kill with his daggers and move swiftly while holding a big spear, so for now, the answer is not.

"No... I'm proficient in a double dagger." He regarded the three knives, one of them is the horntail that Fayette took last time.

The other two were totally different from one another.

One looked like a red bloody ruby moulded into the form of a dagger with a black handle, the blade looked quite sharp.

He likes the design.

The other is like some kind of treasure that a pussy, pseudo-assassin would use.

Too flashy and filled with gems over and over, not something a professional would use as it would take too much attention even when inside a scabbard.

"The first one is the horntail you already know, the second one is created from a mineral called 'G-racin' from the circle of greed, it's quite expensive but it's not unique, you might see a fair amount of them on the street, as for the last, it's a collection treasure, the quality is undisguised... although it looks flashy, it is no doubt at the same level, it is said it used to belong to a Demon Count, that's not something a human is qualified to hold in his hands, but you can... protector... in case you don't know since your missus didn't tell you, the horntail is created with the horn of a special kind of dragon in this circle, to you, the horntail will cost you 400.000 coins, the G-rain will be 600.000 and the 'Treasorix' will be a million..."

"Perfect... how about this... I'm going to leave for a while to get the money and then come back with it and take a G-Rain, is that okay with you?" Valentine curled his lips up in a smile that didn't look like something nice for the vendor.

"I don't have any problem... take your time, there are customers waiting anyway."  He didn't have any problem, a part of him knows what's going to happen, after all.... he has also seen the shadows outside.