The red light faded from Bushido Frog's eyes as Elias disengaged the Standard of the Shogun. He exhaled in relief as the load from the spell card fell away. The Bushido Frog's expression turned dull once more as it went into standby. The creature was one of his more reliable cards and the main reason he had picked his moniker.

Elias wiped his forehead as the summer sun beat down on him. It wasn't enough as a bead of sweat slipped down his face. His hooded cloak felt stuffy and a bit too warm for the weather, but it was better to keep his identity secret.

The Obscure card should prevent anyone from investigating casually, but he knew from experience that it wasn't foolproof. He glanced towards the end of the alleyway before pulling a card from a specific pocket inside his robe.

"Turtle Sohei," he intoned out of habit as he placed the card onto the Arcane Slate and waited for the creature to summon.

"Guard the entryways. Detain any that investigate," Elias said after the warrior turtle appeared before him. He then pointed each of his monsters to one end of the alleyway. The turtle was tall and muscular, with a snapping beak and a head wrap. It shouldered its staff as it turned to do his bidding.

He then turned his attention to the bodies around him and approached them, sighing. The alleyway had taken some minor damage, but not enough to breach the perception blocking of his Obscure. The bodies were in much worse shape as his Bushido Frog had not been gentle.

"You just had to get greedy, didn't you, Jack?" he said as he kneeled and checked for a pulse. Nothing.

He wasn't surprised. The large man had a large gash in his chest, and the blood from the wound was already beginning to pool on the concrete. He didn't know the other two very well, but they had all been low-level enforcers for the Pyramid.

It was unfortunate. Jack had been competent but somewhat overly ambitious. This was just another part of his job. While he didn't relish the task, it was necessary to occasionally trim the fat.

He checked the others and searched the bodies. He collected the slates from each one. But according to the order, there were three missing. Of course, he thought, there had to be complications. Arcane Slates were expensive to produce and could only be created in limited numbers due to a lack of a core component. What that component was, he didn't know, nor did he want to. Some knowledge wasn't worth the price.

He turned his thoughts back to the battle. One of the group, a man he didn't recognize, had run instead of fighting. He didn't know if the enforcers had recruited him or if it was just poor luck, but the man likely had taken a few of the slates.

He glanced back at the bodies lying on the concrete. He didn't know the answer and didn't have the proper cards to ask the recently deceased. But it ultimately didn't matter.

He knelt to pick up an oddly placed item from the concrete. It was a wallet. He flipped it open to reveal a small amount of cash and an expired identification card belonging to one "James Hawthorne."

He closed his eyes and let out a breath of annoyance. Afterward, he placed a hand on the radio in his right ear and contacted his handler.

"Shogun for Pyramid."

"Copy. Go for Pyramid. Over," his handler replied.

"Checking in. Three stones overturned. One leaf on the wind. Over."

"Three sierra. One lima. Is that correct? Over."

"Affirmative."

"Copy. Is the order complete? Over."

"Negative. Leaf has passengers. Over."

"Can you complete the order? Over."

"Affirmative. May require extra beans. Details to follow. Over."

If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

"Copy. Over and out."

Elias cut his radio and pulled out his phone. He typed out the details of the search request. He provided the details from the identification card into the secure app before putting it away again.

The search for the unexpected factor might take a moment. Until then, there was some cleanup to do.

"Return," he commanded his summons. Once they stood before him, he unsummoned them. The cards took less damage when they were in close vicinity when banished.

He stowed his monster cards before pulling out another.

"Corpse Eater," he intoned as the giant bulbous mass of sick appeared before him. The creature was well-named as it was good at that task and looked much like several stitched-together corpses. Like all dark monsters, it appeared in a swirl of dark energies. Then, just as all monsters did, it simply stared blankly ahead. At least it did initially, but then it turned unbidden to look at the corpses on the ground.

It didn't eat them, but he could see the hunger in its eyes. He shivered slightly. It was the only monster he had that did things like that, and it creeped him out, not that he would ever admit that. Cards that were used enough sometimes gained quirks like that, and this one had been in use for a while, even before he was given it.

"Consume," he ordered the creature. Its broad mouth opened without hesitation, and a dozen grey tongues danced in its maw as it approached the fallen men.

He turned his back as the Corpse Eater went about its grizzly task and did his best to ignore the sounds it made as it ate with seeming glee.

With no response from the app, he had no choice but to wait for the creature to finish. He turned to see the beast licking the blood from the concrete with a dozen tongues.

The bodies had been consumed in their entirety. There was nothing left. It had disposed of everything from the bones to their clothing.

"Enough," he said as he banished the creature, causing it to vanish along with the remains of the corpses it had consumed. He should have summoned something else. There were other options. But it was the right monster for the task and did an excellent job of removing all traces.

Elias recorded the location before he released the Obscure card. Examining the card, he noticed it was a little worse for wear but would still work for a few more uses.

He tucked the card into its proper location inside his robe before heading for a late lunch at a local diner. It was a quaint location, but it had excellent coffee.

Nearly two hours later, his phone buzzed with the information regarding his latest target. The information included flight tickets to the city and a booking at a two-star hotel across the bridge.

He finished his coffee and paid his tab before starting his trek across town.

He crossed the crimson bridge across the harbor and found the address shortly after. It was in an older part of the city. The area around was a bit shabbier than he was used to, but it wasn't his first time pursuing a job on this side of town.

The hotel was... well, it wasn't bad, but he had seen better. He wouldn't have stayed there, but he understood that not everyone had a lot of disposable income. When he arrived, a group of motorcyclists had been checked in. They were early but likely there for the big rally in a few days. Elias had a cherry red Shotaro racer taking up room in his garage, so he understood the sentiment.

After the group cleared up, he approached the attendant.

"Hello, I have an inquiry about a guest you have named James Hawthorne. He should have checked in two days ago."

The woman appeared apologetic as she refused him. "I am sorry, sir, but I cannot reveal customer details."

Elias didn't even bother to argue. He took a piece of paper from inside and handed it to the woman.

Her professional facade dropped nearly immediately after she saw the document's insignia. "I- ah... I see..." She said as she carefully handed the paper back to Elias with a slightly shaky hand. He took the paper and stowed it away as she began to look up the information on the computer.

In moments, he had his answer. "Uhm... he is staying in room 314," she informed him promptly. "Uh... will you require a key?"

"No, that won't be necessary," Elias said as he turned towards the elevators.

"You're not going to leave a mess, are you?" She called after him, causing him to stop and give her a disapproving look. She meekly avoided his gaze as she sat back down, sufficiently cowed, leaving him to his business.

Elias shook his head, took the elevator to the third floor, and arrived at the hotel room's door.

"Obscure, Bushido Frog, Skeleton Key," he whispered as he placed each of the cards against his slate one after another. The familiar feel of the magical barrier went up around him, blocking his activities from prying eyes. Swirls of green fog and white light coalesced at his side as the form of his preferred summon appeared beside him. It placed a webbed hand on the hilt of its blade but no did nothing more. Finally, with a soft click or an electronic beep, every door and lock within 10 meters of him unlocked of its own accord.

"Secure," he ordered his frog as he opened the door. The Busido Frog pushed ahead of him into the room, its large bulbous eyes taking in the small double room. When the frog did not react further, he moved into the room and looked at the small smattering of personal items.

"Of course he isn't here." He said with a sigh. He turned to his frog and ordered it to defend him as he began to sort through the man's possessions.