Sarkota
"Let's start from the beginning. Regardless of the exact reason for an illusion or hypnosis, it always aims to confuse and distract the target of a very real attack."
"Based on this assumption, it is fair to say that an attacker will be nearby, ready to take advantage of the breach and strike the target hard." Lifting my head I looked around, then I remembered where I was...
In the middle of the desert was a lost and confused man, an idiot who should have been in the safest place possible. Instead of running off to the most isolated and dangerous place in the world.
And that was me...
I laughed out loud.
I really was an idiot.
"I knew from the very beginning that you were a crazy tyrant, but I didn't know you were that kind of crazy." Strangely, an irreverent voice echoed in the middle of the desert sands.
"Your head sure will be worth a lot if you manage to get out of this alive." His laugh was low and chilling.
"I will gain a lot with this..."A thin man wearing an assassin mask and light, long clothing approached.
"You know how it's, age comes to us all. And for a careless idiot like me, it comes even sooner. Man, soon I'm going to die in the most ridiculous way possible." He nodded, blades coming out of his long sleeves, when two more men dressed like him appeared out of nowhere.
And then more of them appeared one after another in rows, all with the same thin and irreverent appearance.
The same cold and murderous look.
The same sinister sadism.
A little more than five steps away, their leader stared at me with that damn look that would make anyone run for their life.
Every decision, every mistake, being remembered just before their death.
And then that terrible man put his hand on his chest, his blade still drawn, and knelt with his head bowed.
"What are your orders?" I smiled as I looked at that. For a moment, even I might have thought they were going to kill me.
In a moment of confusion, a group of assassins inexplicably approaches.
Anyone would be afraid.
But that was not the case.
The black flag mercenaries were a group officially under my control. I had founded them and financed them. In broad daylight, they were my elite squad, consisting mainly of demons and exceptional humans with their sacred gears.
But not every type of activity could be performed by them, requiring an alternative group.
The stealth group, Dark Eclipse, was composed mainly of spies and assassins with dark pasts that were somewhat unacceptable to society. Most of them had been convicted of crimes related to the murder of family members, friends, and lovers.
Their reasons and motives were not acceptable, but I still saw potential in them.
A rabid dog can be put down or put on guard against bandits.
Their general missions were simple, just like the black flag mercenaries who mainly helped guard the city with extraordinary activities.
But one difference was clear.
In general, they stayed very close to me.
They were always there by my side, ensuring my protection from the shadows.
The guards and mercenaries were known and could be dealt with easily.
But these were unknown.
Any assassination attempt, stealthy or not, would be thwarted by this unforeseen inconvenience.
"My king?" Shit, I forgot about them...
As usual, they saw me isolated and thought I was summoning them.
"Pardon, I have a lot on my mind right now as you may notice. My orders to you are the same as to the others today. Just stay by my side at all times, you and two subordinates."
"Just tell me if you notice something strange about me or the city."
…
He silently analyzed me for a few seconds, his eyes scrutinizing me with disturbing depth. This type of person always seemed to be able to see right beneath the skin.
His eyes only knew flesh, bones, and blood.
That was what they saw whenever they looked at a person; humans were nothing more than that in their eyes.
"Actually, I have something to report..." After a long period of mysterious silence, he spoke again.
"Don't stand on ceremony, just say it." He nodded.
"A servant received a letter addressed to you this morning, unfortunately its contents were not appropriate for him to have, so we took it."
"The letter basically stated that one of Satan Beelzebub's sons would be marching into the city at dawn and that he was, in his words, 'Eager to meet the much-talked-about devil who defeated Azazel. '"
"He then spoke of a series of rewards he would give to this 'hero,' followed by a series of passive-aggressive threats about what would happen if he were disappointed."
"Needless to say, he basically said he would annihilate us."...
…
My memories recalled the moment he came here, and that moment seemed to be repeating itself...
I knew what was coming... So how could I change it?
The Beelzebub clan controlled flies and mosquitoes, their abilities revolved entirely around that. They could make bizarre chimeras from them and use them as an extension of their magical power.
"This is going to be a big problem..." I took a deep breath, the situation was complicated.
But still, knowing what was coming gave me a chance to defend myself.
I had made a mistake in the past, and now I had a chance to correct it.
I could win.
I had to win.
I may have hidden behind the walls that time, but I would do things differently this time.
I would not live once again regretting that miserable past!
"And I have one more thing to report, my king. There is a man with red eyes... well, he somehow entered the palace and is waiting for you in the throne room. He says he is an old friend of yours and wants to do business... What are your orders?"
Of course he would, he wasn't just going to die like that.
That damn man looked more like a god. In what world did I think I could kill him with one blow?
"I'll take care of it. I can already guess who he is and what he wants..."