"Three hundred going once...Twice...And, Sold!" A girl with fox ears and tails trembled in resignation at the loud cheer from the crowd.

She knew what fate would await her when everything was over. Tear marks have dried atop her small and sharp face. With the allure of a girl who was just about to bloom into a woman, there's no shortage of perverts with bags of coins here that would pass out on her.

Hence, the high price of the poor fox-kin girl.

We stood there, blending in as the auction went on, watching as many similar scenes unfold before our eyes.

"That woman over there. She bought an awfully lot, ain't she? I'm putting a mark on her, so have a Shadow look into her later."

"By your will, my Lord."

"When will they get here?" Of course, by they, I meant our target tonight.

"Usually, the head will make a closed appearance to most of the distinguished guests or bidders. I will move right when-"

"There's no need." I cut Renata off. 'Mind's eyes.'

"So, these distinguished guests you're talking about...I guess they are staying in the safest place, right? Or shall I say, the place with the many magic barriers and guards?"

"Indeed so, my Lord." Answered Renata.

'Huh, then it's easy.' It was easy. I found it in a mere heartbeat, after all.

In fact, the space above our head that looked like nothing but thick walls from the outside was, in fact, luxurious and spacious rooms. They must've put a spell on the wall to make it one-way see-through. Quite convenient, I must say.

"I found them," I muttered.

'X-ray.'

With a simple command, the upper section's walls disappeared altogether as if they had never been there before.

"Our target...He's walking with a stick...Is that right?"

"That is correct, my Lord. They called him Gragas the limp..."

"Since he limps in the left leg?"

"That seems to be the case, my Lord. He always has his guards surround him and rarely appears unless it's a huge event such as this. He is so crafty at securing his traces that even the Shadows have difficulty keeping tabs on his whereabouts."

"So you're telling me he's the reason why we only get to start this operation now, is that it?"

"My apologies, my Lord. We are underserving to be your servants!"

'Seriously, this woman, if I didn't quickly stop her, she might have kneeled here without batting an eye. I just asked because I was curious, damn it...'

"Enough. I ask you a question. I want to know the answer, nothing more."

"Yes, my Lord...Due to Gragas's reclusive nature, the shadows ended up requesting more time to avoid spooking him."

"Alright..."

Keeping my eyes glued on the man, I studied every movement and gesture that he made. Sure enough, I could tell that he was a very cautious man.

He always made the two guards enter the room first and check the situation before he, himself stepped inside. After that, although faintly, I could still catch the motion of his eyes, searching the corners, blind spots, and, most of all, the guests inside the room.

"Now that we found him. Let's start, Assassin. You know what to do, right?"

"By your will, my Lord."

Nodding to Renata, who silently embraced the safe mantle of darkness, disappearing between the seemingly oblivious crowd, I uttered the command.

"Fly."

Stolen story; please report.

----------------------------------------

'What is happening...?'

'Just what in the fucking hell is happening!?'

Everything was perfect. I had everything under control. The goods came in great quality, and the numbers were satisfying. Guests and bidders for the auction were bountiful, waiting for me to milk them dry...

Everything was supposed to be perfect!

All I had to do was greet some stuck-up rat-like nobles in a few rooms, have one of the kids rile up the crowd, and hike the prices up. Then, I would be swimming in gold when the night was over.

But now, everything was over...

And it all started with this person...No, this being who drifted in the air and stared at me like a fucking boogeyman.

He was wearing an armor covered in a dark robe. His faceless mask was that of two sides and colors; one was black as the darkest night and white as though filled with the graces of the gods. What did they call him again? Something about a nightmare or some fucked up things like that.

I didn't know what the man did that made the colors leave some of the nobles' faces, but that mask he wore was fucking eerie...So disgustingly simple and abnormal...

He tore through the structure packed full of barriers and magic enchantment as though he was ripping a soft cheese with his bare hands.

Guards sprung up to their feet and jumped at him, but none of the knights and magicians alike were able to do a fucking thing against him. Everyone and everything was powerless. They lay useless in front of his might...

And through it all, he never looked away from me.

Fuck!

I knew then I should've fucking run or something. But my body just wouldn't listen.

I thought by meeting the Phantom Squad and seeing the things they did; I would no longer feel like a helpless foal in front of some random jock.

Wrong. I was wrong. This man was different...I just knew it. And now, I was at his mercy.

God help me...

"T-Tell me, what do you want? I can give you wealth and power! Just name it. I can give it!!"

"You can give me what I want?"

A deep, grating voice, almost melancholic, came out from the hulking figure.

"I-I can, I can! Just tell me. W-What is it!?" Seeing him floating slowly toward me, casually throwing the knocked-out guards aside, I raised my voice in a panic, unknowingly.

"Phantom Squad."

And of all the damned things, he just happened to ask for that one bitch-ass thing.

"...P-Phantom what...? W- What is that?"

"I don't have much time, Gragas."

'I'm going to die! He's going to fucking kill me!!' I could tell what lay waiting for me beyond those gleaming purple eyes.

"I don't know where to find them. It's the truth! All I know is they would come now and then to make me do something or tell me places where I could raid more slaves to sell. That is all. I'm telling you the truth!!"

"So, in other words, if I touch you, then they'll find out soon enough, huh?"

I was a man who survived for dozens of years in this treacherous place and even clawed my way up to where I was now.

I know where and when to bluff. This bloody shit right now was a fucking crossroads. One wrong answer and my head would go flying.

If this motherfucker was some bitch with a sound head, then borrowing the Phantom Squad's name should do the trick.

The thing is, I couldn't fucking figure the hell out just what was going on behind that mask of his. For all I fucking know, mentioning that Phantom Squad would hunt his ass if he messed with me will fuck me up instead.

You know what they said; never push it when you're up against someone mental.

But this is the Phantom Squad! I had to take the neutral ground...The safest bet would be to tell him the consequences if he mess with me without sounding too provocative.

"I think they will. That's why if you want to have a footing here in the underworld, it's best not to fuck with them. They're the ones who run the show in the end."

"Well, I do want to make a footing here."

"Right?" A hope.

"But it's not the way you think it is..."

And my heart sank yet again.

"I want to make a footing, but I also want them to find me..."

The man fucking giggled, toying with me as though I didn't worth shit in his eyes.

'Fuck you!!'

"O' mighty spirit of Fire, grant me your searing rage and obliterate the enemy before me. Flame Desecration!!"

Pushed by the erupting fear and anger, I found myself blasting the man with spells when I came to myself. It was all for nothing at this point...

"Yes. Do your best. You will be my training partner for tonight, Gragas the Limp."

'Training...? Don't fuck with me!'

And like a training dummy, he treated me...

He would wait in patience when I was in the middle of my incantation. He dodged some of my spells and dispelled the next one after that. Then, as if trying to humiliate me further, he would copy my spell and duke it out to see which one was stronger.

I was in despair...

Only after he saw everything I had to offer and deemed me no longer useful did the man horribly rob me of the opportunity to beg for my life.

He broke all the bones inside my body and crucified me right above the stage where the auction took place, where all eyes gathered on me.

"May the light shine brighter..."

Something snapped within my chest. I didn't know what it was, but fortunately, the pain came and went fast enough before I could scream.

Then, everything turned dark.

"May the darkness grow deeper..."