Betrayal Within

Miyuki’s face twisted with rage as Rylak stood in the doorway with a smug grin on his face. He stood in the doorway for several seconds before opening his mouth.

‘ You fool. Did you really think that you could kill me so easily? Your friend there was dead the moment she walked in here. Getting her to talk was extremely easy, all it took was a red hot poker and a roaring libido. ‘

Miyuki reached behind her back and gingerly unsheathed her karambit as Rylak kept speaking.

‘ You idiot. You think The Guild is the only group after my head? Many have tried, all have failed. I’m bulletproof. Goddamn bulletproof. You understand? Ms Yukoshita, or should I say Miyuki.’

The blade made an audible click as it folded outwards. Miyuki quickly attempted to lodge the blade inside Rylak’s head, however he managed to evade and grab Miyuki by her throat.

‘ Killing you will be so satisfying Miyuki. They say you are the best The Guild has to offer. First her, and then you. It’s a pity you assassins die so easily, I lose all sense of satisfaction!’

Rylak threw Miyuki across the room, she slammed into a wardrobe in the back left corner.

‘ As for you. Trinity? Was it? I think it’s time for more poker play. What do you think?’

Trinity’s eyes widened in horror as the steel poker began to creep ever closer to her, it’s bright red and orange end glowing brilliantly.

‘N-No! I’ve told you whatever you wanted didn’t i? You said you’d spare me! ‘

Rylak let out a blood curdling cackle as he grabbed the red hot poker and leapt on top of Trinity.

‘Oh no my dear. I’m just getting started.’

He plunged the poker into Trinity’s left leg. The poker began to hiss as it sank its fangs into her flesh, which was met with a scream. More screams began to fill the room as the poker burrowed into Trinity’s arms, leaving red calling cards in its wake.

‘P-Please. N-No more, I ca-cant take much more.’

Miyuki sat in the far corner of the room, still dazed from being flung into the wardrobe. She soon came to her senses when she realised Trinity was being tortured, her screaming becoming louder and louder as she began to call for her father.

‘P-Please father! I -I won’t do it again! P-Please stop’

Miyuki had heard enough. She sprinted at Rylak who was pre occupied with attacking Trinity with the poker, and sank her knife into Rylak’s shoulder blade, who retaliated by swinging the poker above his head. Miyuki gripped the poker as it was coming down and wrenched it out of Rylak’s grip, then tossed it to the right side, then as she was once again being strangled by him, Miyuki skewered Rylak by shoving her blade into his neck, then twisted it. Her face was drenched in his blood as she threw his corpse off of her as it rolled off the bed and slumped in a heap on the floor. Miyuki quickly ran over to Trinity as she lay dying on the bed, her body full of scorch marks.

‘Trinity…. I am sorry. I-I failed to-‘

‘No Miyuki. It wasn’t your fault. I’ve activated my Dead Man’s Hand. You better get out of here. Report to Lord Azumi. Tell him it was successful. You’ve gotta go now. They’ll be looking for you.’

‘ Understood. Goodbye, Trinity.’

Miyuki picked up the poker and threw it at the penthouse window, shattering it instantly, then ran forward and dived out. As she looked up, the scene of her assassination exploded in a shower of debris and viscera as the entire 3rd floor collapsed from the explosion caused by Trinity’s tooth explosive. Miyuki managed to land onto a trash pile as she quickly ran into the rain to evade the police who were coming to investigate. As she ran into one of the nearby back alleys, the datapad on her left forearm lit up as it was being called.

‘Father.’

‘Miyuki. I trust the contract has been fulfilled? ‘

‘ Yes father.’

‘ and have you collected evidence to display to the Council?’

‘ I have. ‘

Miyuki had taken one of Rylak’s eyes and wrapped it in cloth, which she then slipped into her back pocket.

‘Father. There’s something I need to tell you. I found Trinity. She’s dead’

‘ I see. Unfortunately this is something that is all too common in our line of work. You cannot let personal feelings get in the way of your missions. You should know that by now.’

‘ I know father but-‘

‘Miyuki, enough. Come home. We’ll discuss this upon your arrival. I have to go now. Mikael is here. He will be-‘

There was a brief hiss of static as the conversation ended.

Miyuki climbed up from the dingy alleyway onto the rooftop of one of the flats opposite to the casino. The entire building was set ablaze. Multiple people started to pour out of the emergency exits as if they were rats escaping a sinking ship. In the distance, Miyuki noticed three police cars speeding towards the scene. From the rooftop, she called in her personal air carrier using her datapad, the Nighthawk. The craft looked like a plane clad in black steel armor plating, albeit in miniature, as it could only carry one person. The tailgate of the Nighthawk folded outwards to allow Miyuki to board, then silently flew up and into the air. Within minutes, Miyuki had arrived home, at the Azumi Estate, however something was wrong. The Grand gardens were set ablaze, and from above the mansion looked like it had been invaded by an army.

Miyuki set the Nightawk to automata mode, and ejected from the craft, landing in the gardens.

‘ L-Lady Miyuki!’

A woman dressed in a maid outfit was sprinting towards Miyuki, clearly out of breath.’

‘Hanan. What’s going on here?’

‘Lady Miyuki! Somethings gone wrong. Mikael’s troops suddenly showed up. I haven’t been able to contact your father. I fear that the worst has happened.’

‘Hanan. Wait here. If I’m not back in 20 minutes, assume that I am dead and that your only course of action will be to leave.’

The front door of the estate had been smashed open, and most of the staff had been killed or taken hostage. Upon entering, there was a grand staircase leading to the upper rooms of the house, as well as Miyuki’s private quarters and her father’s office. Miyuki ran past the marble statuette and up the grand staircase and into the corridor leading to her father’s office. The door to the office has been struck off it’s hinges. There were voices coming from inside, Miyuki recognised one of them as her father’s and the other being Mikael, leader of the Furies, the elite special operations squad and the Arm of the Council. They were known for being formidable warriors and the best that The Guild had to offer, besides Miyuki herself.

‘M-Mikael you traitor. When the Council hear of your transgressions they will- ‘

‘Be silent, Master. Know that you die with Honor. Knowing that in your final moments you pledged allegiance to The Guild.

Miyuki stormed in as Mikael unsheathed his arm blades and impaled Miyuki’s father, his blood splatter coating the desk behind him in red.

‘M-Miyuki…’

The last speck of life faded from her father’s eyes as Mikael gently placed his corpse down and closed his eyes.

‘Miyuki. You were too late. The Guild is mine now. I will run it as I see fit.’

Miyuki’s eyes were filled with anger and sorrow as she threw her blade into Mikael’s eye. At 6’’4, he towered over her, and lodged the blade out of his eye, tossing it to one side, before cleaving off Miyuki’s right arm with his arm blades.

‘Everyone. Our work here is done. It’s time to leave. Get the transports ready.’

Mikael shattered the office window and dived out, leaving Miyuki in a pool of her own blood as she clutched the last remnants of her past life.