Chapter 237: Peice

The word sat in the channel.

Ishiki’s back was against the cracked concrete, Sorrow’s Edge still in his right hand, the purple flames burning quietly in the dark.

He looked up at Kenji and said nothing, because there was nothing to say to that particular word from that particular person that was also useful right now.

Then the shot rang out.

It wasn’t one shot, but three rapid and precise shots aimed to hit the target. The muzzle flash lit the channel white for a fraction of a second, and Kenji moved.

Shiro was almost eight meters back with his gun up, feet planted in the wide stance without hesitation.

The three rounds had caught Kenji in the shoulder and the side — not penetrating his tough body, but the impact had been enough to redirect him off Ishiki and that was the point.

His skill was not something he could use for direct combat, and from what he had witnessed so far… he did not stand a chance against that monster.

Kenji looked at Shiro.

Shiro reloaded with one hand, torch in the other, and looked back at him with the flat, precise expression of a man who had assessed the situation, concluded that his rounds were not going to kill this opponent, and had decided that buying time was the correct use of available resources.

“Who are you?” Kenji asked in a mild tone.

Shiro didn’t answer him and instead moved.

He came in fast for a man who relied primarily on firearms, highlighting the fact that he was still a player with considerable strength. The torch went into his jacket in one motion and both hands went to his weapon as he switched to close range.

What followed was not what Ishiki expected.

Shiro at close quarters was different from Shiro with a gun. He was Adept rank — Level 31 and whatever his skill was, it was not purely firearm-based. He engaged Kenji with fluid and controlled movements.

He held him for seven seconds.

That was not nothing.

Then Kenji’s dark arm swept in from the side and caught Shiro across the upper chest with the flat of it and the force of it took him off his feet and put him into the far wall with an impact that left a clean indentation in the concrete and Shiro folded down from it and didn’t immediately get up.

His torch had gone out.

The channel plummeted into complete darkness.

The purple flames of Sorrow’s Edge were the only light left.

Kenji turned back toward Ishiki.

His shoulder had three impact marks where the rounds had hit and something moved across his face that was harder to read than anything else he had shown.

“He’s Adept rank,” Kenji, said as he was about to push his body towards Shiro when he heard the voice.

“Leave him alone,” Ishiki said in a muffled tone.

Kenji was silent for a while and then let out a heavy breath. “That’s a capable person.” He said it as a fact he considered important without drawing attention to the fact that he considered it important. “I get why you should keep him alive.”

“I intend to,” Ishiki replied with gritted teeth.

Kenji crouched down in front of him, at eye level and looked at him the same way he had from the barrier wall three years ago.

The golden eye and the human eye both looking at him from close distance and Ishiki felt as if his gaze held something very heavy.

“I’m going to be at Level 50 soon,” he said in a Quiet and even tone. “I guess the next time the system won’t grade me the same way it grades a clean advancement.” He held Ishiki’s gaze. “Do you know about Yuki?”

“I don’t,”

“I see… you’re Level 34,” Kenji paused and lowered his gaze. “I could kill you right now.”

The channel was quiet.

“Yes,” Ishiki said. “You could.”

He held the words where they were. He didn’t move or raise Sorrow’s Edge. He held Kenji’s gaze and let the sentence sit between them without softening it.

Kenji looked at him for a long moment.

Then the corner of his mouth moved.

“But I’m not going to,” he said. “Because you’re too valuable to waste right now.” He stood up slowly and looked down at Ishiki from his full height — which was, Ishiki noted, genuinely larger than it had been three years ago. “The next Scenario is coming. You know that. The timer doesn’t wait for anyone to be ready.” He looked at the channel ceiling. “When it arrives, I’m going to need pieces I can use.”

The last word found the specific nerve it was looking for.

Pieces.

Ishiki looked at him and his pupils shook with anger.

“So don’t die,” Kenji simply stated with a grin. “Get stronger. Complete your second trial. When the Scenario opens I want you at a level where you’re actually useful to me.”

He turned toward the side tunnel.

“You absolute—”

“Oh and also,” Kenji said, without turning back. “I still remember your pretty Title.”

He stepped into a tunnel branch and the dark took him.

Ishiki sat against the cracked wall with Sorrow’s Edge still burning in his hand and the word pieces echoing in his mind again and again.

His fist moved without a notice and slammed into the wall, making the whole structure shudder.

“I will kill that bastard!”

The words tore out of him. His voice hit the channel walls and came back at him and the purple flames in his hand flared outward for a full second, lighting the tunnel from wall to wall in hard violet.

He stood in it.

His hands were shaking. He was breathing through his teeth.

..

On the third floor of the Ward 9 association building, Ishiki’s office room was dead silent.

Ishiki sat on his chair behind his desk.

He was not reading the report file open in front of him and instead his mind was consumed by different kind of thoughts. And considering what Kenji had said before he went away, they were not in a bit good ones.

It reminded him that no matter how much he tried to run away he was still there. His title would haunt him forever and there was nothing he could do about it.

’No there is something I can do… I have to kill that asshole.’

“Ugh, Sir? What do you think?” Shiro asked hesitantly.

“I have to kill the asshole!” Ishiki’s mouth spat out what he was thinking.

’Goddamned Corruption!’

Shiro flinched and looked at him and tried to smile hesitantly. “I mean about the report sir.”

Ishiki blinked a few times and then closed his eyes. “Ah, yeah I am sorry about that.”

He looked down at the files, and understood that the person in font of him was feeling very uneasy and confused.

He sighed. he needed to address the problem now, better talk it out than having his ass handed over to the government. That only made things worse.

“I suppose, You have many questions.” he said slowly.

“Yes, I do have a few.” Shiro nodded.

“Hmm, keep them and go pick up Nina from school. You know her school right, show them your identification in case they don’t send her out.”

Shiro was dumbfound for a second, but he stood up and left immediately.

After Ishiki was alone in the office he closed the door and sat back down on his chair and activated his Exclusive skill and his consciousness was pulled inside his Soul Space.

[Soul Archive Activated]

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