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Kuroi was surprised at the guard's random act of generosity, only able to nod his head and give his thanks to the guard before he walked off. The martial artist turned to look back towards the direction of the tavern where he had shown Grzegorz where to go. With a shrug of his shoulders, Kuroi figured it'd be best to check up on the man in the morning. Slightly raising one of his legs off the ground and pivoting along the ball of his foot to turn, he made his way back home to rest before his big day tomorrow.
Time: Dawn
Interactions: Dark Elf Guards @Alivefalling
BGM: Encounter
Kuroi woke early, a couple of hours short from one's required eight hours of sleep. His self-inflicted restlessness wouldn't let him fall back asleep, he was too intrigued by the human whom he had met and agreed to help. Not to mention that today was the day that he would begin his worldly ventures. After a series of long goodbyes with his family and neighbors, Kuroi set off towards the tavern where he had originally sent Grzegorz to. Only a block away from the establishment, Kuroi stopped dead in his tracks and deeply inhaled. His ears shot upwards and his hand rested on the metal fan that hung from his belt. A small exhale left his mouth and a look of grimace was painted across his face as he suddenly turned to his right and stared down the alleyway.
Inside, an armored corpse could be made out leaned against the wall. Were it not for the armor and the glint of the dagger next to the neck of the cadaver, it certainly would have been a lot hard to make out who lurked within the alley.
Whiz!
Kuroi quickly slipped to the side, feeling a throwing knife miss his head narrowly. The martial artist's chest grew hot in morbid anticipation as he drew both his metal fans, moving into a cat stance* in the nigh-empty. He gently glanced to his side, making out the figures of a couple of street merchants beginning to set up for the day. It was already clear that this battle would have witnesses, something that Kuroi was more than grateful for in these circumstances. With a flick of his wrists, Kuroi unfolded both his fans and ran into the narrow alleyway.
Almost immediately, he felt a weighted object narrowly miss his left arm as he entered the alleyway. His eyes quickly analyzed the attacker and the corpse that had slumped down onto the ground; respectively, he came face-to-face with an Elven assailant and the body of the Lancer-class human he had met the night prior. Instinctively, Kuroi threw a fan directly at the assailant to disorient him and end the fight the moment it began. Unfortunately, he found his fan slammed aside with the blade of the same dagger that was about to decapitate his deceased companion. The martial artist suddenly lunged forward with the center of his bladed fan, aiming at the assailant's hand in order to disarm him. Instead, he found the flat of the dagger slammed down again the fan before being sent towards his neck. With his opposite, empty hand, he riskily caught the attacker's hand and twisted it unnaturally.
Kuroi's vulpine eyes immediately shot downwards as he found a knee coming up towards his chest. Still holding onto his opponent's hand as he squirmed about, he suddenly twisted his torso to generate power and forced the dagger down into the assailant's leg, making him stab himself. In quick succession, Kuroi suddenly launched himself into the air with his knee before using the opposite leg to send a powerful teep into the opponent's chest. The assailant immediately clung to the slick walls around him as best as possible, trying his best to stand up and get away from the man whom he had hoped to take down alongside his bounty. The martial artist quickly jumped onto the wall, doing so to close the distance between his attacker and build up momentum in the leg that launched him off the ground.
Within only a second, Kuroi sent a powerful kick into the elf's head, timing it perfectly with the elf's attempts to get up off the wall. His foot met perfectly with the side of the assailant's face, slamming the side of his head into the wall he was up against. Landing almost flawlessly, Kuroi rose his foot up once more before sending a powerful ax kick down onto the opponent's head, making sure he'd stay down. Blood faintly painted the wall where the assailant's head had been slammed into, and the same shade of scarlet gently dripped from the sole of Kuroi's foot.
Two dead corpses now laid on the ground. More than enough blood had been spilled this day.
The sun continued to rise over the horizon, not as red as one would expect from the blood that had been shed only minutes prior. Although Kuroi was aware of how questionable, and perhaps even how hypocritical his actions were, he carried the body towards the nearest post of guards, hoping that at least Aklenroth and his army had enough honor to properly bury the man whom he could have found a great companion in.
Or perhaps that was just Kuroi attempting to justify his intentions. He hadn't killed Grzegorz nor did he ever plan to unless he would be forced to defend himself. Him taking advantage of such a situation wasn't exactly the worst thing he could do. If anything, he would definitely preserve the human in memory and in spirit. Kuroi was sure the man would understand him. After all, he did the same with his deceased companions, no?
Upon arriving at the nearest guard post, Kuroi set the body down and began to quickly rummage through the man's belongings, taking anything that might be of use to him (that would be his wallet, of course). He rose and hailed the guards, ready to collect his bounty.
In his left hand, he held Grzegorz's pouch of Amas. In his right, the feather that adorned the man's casque.
"I have brought the body of a man who was to be my companion!" Kuroi shouted out, making sure the guards had noticed him and the body.
"Not too far from here, I was forced to stain my foot with the blood of an attacker who took the life of this man before me! Now I am merely following suit and turning in the body for him. Can I trust that our Lord Aklenroth will treat this cadaver with respect?"
Although Kuroi was indeed intent on collecting his blood money, the least he could do is hope that Grzegorz's body would be properly treated. It wasn't hard to note the scorn and mild pain in his voice. The man knew that what he was doing was morally questionable at best. All he could do now was treasure the feather that was once apart of the man's helmet. Although Kuroi never even learned of the man's name, he wished his soul well.
May you rest in peace, Grzegorz...'
