Chapter 33: Cruel.

Cassandra suddenly awoke on the ground outside of the barnyard. She groaned as she sat up before checking her body for injuries.

Seeing that she was unharmed she let out a sigh of relief. “Thank you, lord puppet king…”

She slowly got up to her feet before looking in the direction of the train tracks. The last words the puppet king left to her still replayed themselves in her head. “In exchange for returning your soul to the material realm, you must kill Azurai Batari Okimodo.”

As the words replayed over and over again she saw three figures come dashing down the railway tracks speeding towards the tunnel. They passed by without noticing her before disappearing into the darkness.

Back on the train Judus quickly gathered his things as he readied for the train’s scheduled stop at Benzi. All of the passengers were hell bent on departing as soon as possible regardless of what their actual destinations were.

“Why is everyone so scared?” His daughter Shanon looked around with a puzzled expression, snot dripping from her nose.

Judus picked up his daughter before retrieving a few tissues from his grey coat. He wiped her nose clean before saying. “It’s nothing to worry about darling.”

His wife Rosa stood up and gazed out of the compartment. “Oh crap it’s him!”

She quickly hugged her husband, making sure to conceal his face with her jacket.

Outside the compartment Benjamin passed by on his way to the front of the train. He was flanked on both sides by two bodyguards as he approached the train conductor. A bloody bandage was tightly wrapped around his neck.

“Tell all of your fellow staff that the train is running straight to Corone.” Benjamin declared.

“What?” The old grey haired conductor had a stunned expression. “We have to stop at the nearest station and evacuate the train as quickly as possible.”

Benjamin let out a turbid sigh before retrieving a dagger from his black suit and quickly slitting the man’s throat.

The surrounding staff members all staggered backwards as the train conductor fell to the ground bleeding out.

Even both of Benjamins bodyguards had grim expressions.

Benjamin motioned for them to dispose of the corpse which they did, opening one of the doors as the train was speeding before dumping it out.

Benjamin turned towards the nearest staff member and said. “My bodyguards will kill everyone on this train if it stops before reaching Corone. Go and inform the driver of this immediately and don’t even think of alerting the police or military.”

After doing what needed to be done Benjamin ordered his bodyguards to systematically destroy all of the emergency breaks throughout the carriages. He then entered the toilet to piss.

After several minutes passed the train began to speed through the suburbs of Benzi passing several commuter stations as it sped towards the city centre.

Judus quickly grew uncomfortable as the train was supposed to be slowing down. Outside of the compartments the confused and frenzied voices of countless passengers could be heard. They had all left their compartments and were gathered by the doors waiting for the train to stop. The blood of the old conductor was splattered everywhere a person looked, further adding to the urgency of the passengers.

A staff member entered through the gangway into the first carriage and said. “This train is heading straight to Corone with no stops.”

Immediately all of the passengers flew into an uproar. Windows were shattered as several people attempted to jump out only to be shredded by another steam engine hurdling in the opposite direction. Even after the steam engine had passed, the speed at which the crimson duchess was travelling still made jumping out of the doors and windows a death sentence for anyone who wasn’t a resonator. Naturally there were a few resonators among the passengers who had been travelling without knowing of Benjamin’s presence on board. Many of them shattered the windows and escaped into the darkness of the night unfazed by the train’s speed.

Unfortunately for the majority of the passengers who were ordinary people, they had no choice but to endure the situation.

Before long the train blasted through Benzi’s central station where it was supposed to be stopping. A massive wind was kicked up from the speeding train causing many people standing on the platforms to be pushed back.

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Judus and Rosa both stared out of the window with grim faces. Shannon stared on at the passing station with amazement at the speed at which the train was passing.

“Let’s jump out.” Rosa said suddenly.

“No way.” Judus protested. “You and Shannon could possibly die. Even if I do my best to Shield you both from the impact when we touch the ground you’ll just both be crushed by my body.”

Judus had to say it how it was. Even if he was a super resonator himself his wife and daughter were only humans.

“You’re probably right…” Rosa let out a defeated sigh.

A knock then came from the compartment door.

As Judus turned his head to look at who it was his heart sank.

“Judus Balfried.” Benjamin who was standing on the other side was grinning from ear to ear. “So this is why you declined my job request. It was so you could go on a family trip.”

“What the hell do you want from me?” Judus sneered.

“Let’s discuss things in my compartment.” Benjamin chuckled, his two bodyguards looming beside him.

“I’m not going to leave my family alone.” Judus snapped as veins bulged on his forehead.

“Just take them with you.” Benjamin laughed as he turned to leave.

Judus looked at his wife and child before begrudgingly nodding.

When the three arrived at Benjamin’s compartment he motioned for them to sit opposite him. Several of his bodyguards gathered by the compartment door blocking it after they sat down and Benjamin began to speak.

“You’ve always been my favourite you know.” Benjamin turned his body to rest his feet on the lap of Hiruru who sat next to him. “I always felt as if you were more of a brother to me than an employee.”

“I don’t need to know you like a brother to guess that you plan on forcing me into a contract.” Judus scowled. “I’ll sign it under only one condition.”

Benjamin got up and retrieved a suitcase from the luggage rack and placed it on the table. He then opened it and retrieved an unsigned document.

Judus’s heart sank when he saw it. If he signed it, then every injury Benjamin suffers for the next twenty four hours will be transferred over to him instead.

Benjamin nudged the piece of paper towards him along with a pen. For a split second Judus contemplated destroying it.

“What was the condition again?” Benjamin asked curiously.

Judus removed his eyes from the contract in front of him and said. “If I sign this then I want you to send your guards to the staff and tell them to stop the train and let my family off at the next station.”

“Fine.” Benjamin nodded before motioning for Judus to sign it.

Judus quietly signed before Benjamin suddenly retrieved his dagger and slit his risk.

Judus was not bothered by this as this was how the contract was tested to see if it worked. Much to Judas’s confusion however, Benjamin’s injury did disappear but it didn’t reappear on his own body.

Shannon suddenly clutched her wrist in pain as blood began to drip everywhere. “Ouch!”

Both Judus and Rosa were mortified at this event, not speaking a word.

Benjamin immediately erupted into laughter, it was so extreme that he almost fell over as he held his stomach.

Hiruru who had been silent the entire time grew deathly pale. This bastard had deceived his most trusted employee into potentially forfeiting his own daughter.

“BASTARD!” Judus lunged across the table grabbing Benjamin by the collar.

“If you hurt me it will just transfer over to your daughter.” Benjamin laughed maniacally, staring the enraged father straight in the eye.

“Why would you do this!” Rosa asked as she desperately held her daughter close to her.

“Why are you all yelling.” Shannon quickly became afraid and nuzzled into her mother’s embrace.

Hiruru looked around at the other guards, who were all trying their best to disguise their disgust to varying degrees of success. Hiruru knew then that Benjamin had to die. All she had to do was destroy the contract while he wasn’t looking. While she would be payed handsomely if he survived she couldn’t just let him potentially sacrifice a child of no more than five years old to save himself. Generally super resonators would not let their personal feelings impact their professional lives. Even in instances where two friends are hired by opposing factions, there was a sense of understanding that whatever happens between them during their jobs is never personal. There were many super resonators who could participate in vile acts while removing any personal feelings on the matter. She herself was one such person but there was a limit to how much she could sell her soul. No amount of money is worth the death of an innocent child.

Before Hiruru could even attempt to grab the contract Benjamin quickly stuffed it into his pocket before continuing to speak to Judus. “I know very well how hard a father will fight to protect his family, that is exactly the kind of mentality you need to have to be useful to me.”

Judus’s eyes reddened with anger and hatred. In that moment he had never felt more contempt for a person in his entire life.

Outside by the carriage gangway leading to the fourth carriage Jibel gritted his teeth as the passenger suddenly tried to barge in once again.

“GET US OUT OF HERE.” A male voice yelled.

“EVERYONE IS GOING TO DIE!” Another female voice added. “THE ASSASSINS HAVE KILLED EVERYONE IN THE LAST TWO CARRIAGES!!!”

“What!” Jibel quickly turned to keep the door shut with his back before calling out to the guard on the other side of the carriage. “The assassins have killed all of the passengers in the last two carriages.”

The guard on the other side quickly jolted awake before running to Benjamin’s compartment to deliver the news.

Upon being informed of the incident everyone inside of the compartment had a panicked expression.

Both Judus and Shannon hugged their daughter tightly as she cried out in fear as well as because of her injury.

Hiruru stared at the child sitting across from her with great concern. How cruel must this continue to be.

End of chapter 33.