"Eesh that's nasty." I say as I see a security guard with his head blown off.

I somehow managed to lose Takamura. As I walk through the first floor I see a bunch of mangled bodies. Slur's lackeys must be pretty strong to punch holes in people.

I look at the lift panel with a bunch of floors. This building has 30 floors for some reason

Now what floor should I go to.

I close my eyes and click a random floor

DING

I exit the elevator and enter a hallway. I see a blonde dude with a mace and an earring at the other end of the hall

"You're not slur.... But I'm guessing you're the one who made a mess downstairs." I say rubbing my neck

"My bad I'll clean up after I finish my game." Gaku said looking at me

"Sounds good. Ready for a boss fight?" I ask

In an instant Gaku appears in front of me and swings his mace. I manage to make it hit my knife instead, but the force still sent me flying through many walls.

"Eesh I'll feel that in the morning. I needa give my brain some time for this dude, he's strong." I say getting up out the rubble

Gaku tries to use the same move again, but I duck under his mace and swipe his legs. Gaku then throws his mace up and lands on his palm, and did some kind of break dance move to try and kick me. With a quick movement I slice his left achilles tendon before jumping back to dodge.

Gaku lands and feels the sting a bit when he pushes down on his left, but he looks generally unbothered. I try to knee his chest but he catches my knee with his hand. Before he can throw me I slice at his throat, he jumps back to dodge it.

"Phase 2." I say my eyes starting to glow more

Gaku quickly wraps his ankle up to give it some support. He comes at me again with and swings down at me with his mace but is met with air, before he's met with a massive force to his chin sending him flying back.

He repeatedly tries hitting me only grazing my body slightly with all his attacks, which is already impressive. Each hit is either countered or parried.

Gaku puts his fist in position for a one inch punch, but my body knees his elbow before he could do anything.

"Hackers are no fun." Gaku says nonchalantly before pointing his mace at me

Shit

The tip of his mace fires off a massive explosion which is impossible to dodge in this narrow hallway. I'm blown into the floor below.

Gaku thinks he's won and starts walking away, but the ground beneath him breaks and I grab his ankles pulling him down and smashing him against a table. He bounces up in the air from the impact so I finish him by volleying him through the wall and out of the 6th floor sending him free falling to the ground

"Well at least he lit my cigarette." I say taking a puff

My shirt was burnt off my body, and my body was charred and bleeding in many places.

That damm grandpa left me to deal with all this myself.

Guess I should try finding the boss now.

While this is going on,

DING

4 workers are on guard after hearing the announcement of an intruder. They see a guy with white center parted hair walk out the elevator. Before they could do anything, one of them shoots the other 3

"Long time no see boss did you lose weight." Uda says after killing the other 3 guys

"Been a while Uda. Sorry for embedding you here for a year.." Slur says patting his shoulder

"The JAA has good pay and benefits. It was pretty cushy really." Uda muses

"You make any friends?" Slur asks

"Yeah but they were on level 3 so they're probably dead now." Uda states

"Well... enough waiting. It's time for a reset of the corrupt JAA. I'll create a new order." Slur says before walking down the corridor

BOOOM

"Must be gaku. He really can't be discreet." Uda laments

"I see it's you huh." Slur cryptically said

CRASSSH

Slur and Uda's walk is disturbed once again by the sound of the windows of the level they're on shattering.

"You said you'd make a net when we landed!" Shin exclaimed annoyed

"I did..... for myself." Apart said

Sakamoto looks ahead and sees a familiar face

"You.... So you're still alive..... Uzuki." Sakamoto says

"Long time no see Sakamoto. Makes me kinda sad to see an old friend get so porky. Though I suppose I should be happy for you, since it means you're living a good life." Uzuki says amused

"I'd prefer if you called me Slur by the way." Uzuki says

"Why'd you put a bounty on my head. Whats your goal?" Sakamoto asked in a serious tone

"Gee so many questions."

Uzuki blitzes Sakamoto and stabs him in the chest

"Since when were you this chatty?" Uzuki asks

Uda grabs Shin and goes to shoot him in the head, but before he can do anything Apart uses his strings to slice the gun.

"Don't cut my connections!" Apart shouts

Almost immediately after his arm is cut off by Uzuki who blitzes him

Uda pins Shin to the ground and goes to stab him in the neck. Sakamoto prepares to attack Uzuki again. But all movement in the room comes to a halt when they feel an overwhelming amount of bloodlust.

Through the dust kicked up in their scuffle, a pair of turquoise glowing eyes can be seen through the dust. Like a predator in the night.

Sakamoto takes the chance to kick Uda off of Shin

Back with me,

I reach level 8 and can't believe my eyes when I see who slur is......

Kei Uzuki.

I thought Sakamoto killed him 8 years ago.

Suddenly an emotion I haven't felt in years courses through my veins.

Rage.

Damm Granny Miya.

I feel my body burn with rage and the only thought on my mind is to kill Uzuki. In that moment I forget about all my severe injuries from my fight with Gaku, my outer dimensional view is distorted and I prepare to dash at him.

"Oi what's up with him." Uda says stunned

"Wow the whole friend group is back together." Uzuki says amused

"Your death won't be pretty."

In an instant I appear behind Uzuki, both the tendons in his achilles are sliced. Next the back of his knees are cut, followed by the tendons in his wrists.

Uzuki wasn't able to react to any of it. I was moving at speeds close to kindaka

Sakamoto stares on in confusion

'He's discarded all efficiency...' Sakamoto thought noticing my attack pattern

In the samurai times, samurai's would cut their enemies 100 times, avoiding all vital arteries and veins for the first 99 and killing on the 100th. It was a slow painful death.

After all his tendons were severed Uzuki was rendered useless and fell to his knees as he couldn't stand anymore. Deep cuts rapidly appeared all over his body but none fatal.

Uda could only stare on in disbelief

'97....98....99.'

As I go for the 100th slash on the artery in his neck Uzuki's whole demeanour changed.

"Not bad butthead. But you look like shit" 'Uzuki' says with a familiar tone and voice

Akao?

I stop my knife short of his neck and my eyes widen. In that split second I feel a massive force collide with my ribs and I'm thrown into the wall. Gaku who had survived the 6th story fall was the culprit. He had missing fingers, a broken nose, many broken ribs, deep cuts, he no longer had his mace, but somehow was still standing

"Damm you look like shit boss." Gaku says

"You're one to talk." Uzuki says

"Man I wanted to fight Sakamoto again too. Well I guess it wouldn't be too fun since he's not in his prime, I guess I'll go after his daughter to get him back to it." Uzuki mused

Sakamoto who was about to go grab me and leave stops in his track.

Filled with rage he goes after a heavily wounded Uzuki

"Shouldn't have said that boss." Gaku says

"Sorry bout this Uda." Uzuki says

"No worries. Anything to serve the revolution." Uda says pulling his collar before he exploded like a human grenade blowing up the whole level 8.

Sakamoto shields Shin and Apart with his super apron. I'm laying beneath rubble which helps block some of the heat, but I can definitely still feel it.

"Let's get outta here boss." Gaku says helping Uzuki up before disappearing into the smoke

"Sorry you had to sacrifice your apron Mr Sakmoto." Shin said before going to check on him

I was knocked unconscious by the explosion. Taking 2 explosions and fighting a human gorilla and an emo kid will do that to you.

176 assassins died that day. Meaning since the insurgence of Slur almost 3/4 of the assassins in japan have died.

Timeskip(one day.)

I woke up in a hospital bed the next day. Pretty much my whole body was bandaged up. I stare at the ceiling thinking about what I saw the other day.

'Not bad butthead. But you look like shit'

'Uzuki's' words repeated in my mind. The tone, the voice, the mannerisms, the eyes. All of it was exactly like Akao. But I know it's not her. Is he acting just to get in my head? But why wouldn't he just fight back? Is he that twisted? Or was it all in my head? Was I just imagining it? Why is that damm woman still messing with me from hell.

My confusion turns to frustration

Why couldn't I kill him!

Dammit. This is the second time Uzuki gets a second lease of life. Why couldn't I finish the job? If I had just gone for the kill from the start. Dammit

I clench my fists in frustration as I think about the previous day's encounter.

I was broken out of my thoughts by the door to my room opening.

"Wow that's a cool accessory Hyo. Where's you get a MRI machine from." I joke seeing Hyo with a MRI machine stuck to him

"He was playing with Sakamoto." Nagumo said with a smile

"I see. So you gave him information about what to do next? You're so gullible Hyo." I muse

"Right." Nagumo followed

"Be quiet!" Hyo said getting progressively more frustrated

"So what did you 2 want? Or did you 2 come because you care about me?" I ask

"Sakamoto told us about X. He's Uzuki right. How come you couldn't kill him? You're pretty messed up as well." Nagumo asks

My hair covers my eyes as I answer

"Dunno. Guess I was worn out from my fight with his lackey. He's pretty strong." I say

Nagumo knows that's not the whole truth but he doesn't press further.

"Right. Well get well soon Sano. Next time we'll fight X together. " Hyo says before the duo turn to leave

"No."

Hyo and Nagumo turn around

"I will kill Uzuki. I won't fail another time." I say

Nagumo looks back at me

"Sure thing Sano. You've analysed him now right?" Nagumo says before leaving the room

With Sakamoto and Shin,

"I didn't realise there were softies like him in the order." Shin said

"He's always been kind hearted." Sakamoto said

Sakamoto looks at the hamper in Shin's hand questioningly.

"Oh this is.... A get well soon gift.... But I didn't really have the chance to give it to you...." Shin stammered

"What for?" Sakamoto asked

"Well I was nothing but a burden for you at the JAA. If it wasn't for you and Sano I would be dead right now..... i'm ashamed to show my face." Shin said

Sakamoto paused for a bit before putting a hand on Shin's shoulder

"When X brought up my daughter. I was about to throw away my life to finish X, but you saved me from the explosion with my apron. Just now with Hyo as well, you turned on the mri machine to immobilize him." Sakamoto thought in his head

"Why don't you say that out loud?!" Shin exclaimed

"Anyway now we have a lead. Our next stop.... The JCC." Sakamoto announced