The Shadow Chronicles

Chapter 1 - The Start of it All

I suppose I should introduce myself. My name's Shadow and I kill people for a living. Unlike a mercenary, I am actually skilled in the way of killing. I am feared all throughout the world and rightly so. It's cute how my clients think masking themselves will make them safer. I do not kill my clients unless they break my rules. They're still scared though. How many people have broken my rules? One person. Who was later left in the middle of a busy street for people to discover when they wake up. No one has messed with me since.

Some people say I'm too serious. They say that I need to stop. I say some people are cowardly little flies, flying away to delude themselves of safety. No one is ever safe. For example, a meteor near the village called Vill killed a dozen ducks, three spiders, two trolls, seven humans and nine ants. There was later an electric shock in one of the water sources. I know who did it and I must congratulate the kid, Lanvi Afi. Even killed off another high-league assassin. He has partnered up with a love sorceress, Kitty Desik, a Healer, Illith Goldy Evi Blood and an archer... Leon 'Ace' Libran. The archer of Daniel's mercenary group. Interesting. Last I check they haven't been hired.

They took down Kidnapper's Keep which is interesting. Daniel and the other two warriors in his group are untraceable. They've left no sign of being anywhere. I know where they'll next meet up though. I've talked a lot about others, how about I go into more detail about myself.

My uniform involves lightly padded, black garb (or shinobu shōzoku) and a dark black mask covering all of my head but my eyes. I have magical, wooden shoes that allows me to walk on water. The tools I use are high value, powerful and very useful tools. Such as my set of kunai. All short daggers with a pointy edge. They also serve as a way to make holes in walls. I carry a bag of twenty-three thousand, five hundred and ninety-nine shurikens (all covered in lethal poison) in my endless bag tucked inside the black garb. I also use my original katana, the first one I've ever used.

My katana has a dark black blade and a darker black hilt. It can reappear and disappear out of nowhere and it's scabbard is coated with dirt, sand and pepper spray so drawing it out will blind my targets. It also allows me to teleport to a location I can see, see in the dark, increased speed and jumping and heightened senses. Pretty much I am unstoppable. Talking of which I have a new target.

Gu Zaola is the hated mayor of Kery City. Possibly the most hated mayor in the whole kingdom. He steals money from the others and only cares about keeping the rich flowing with money. I'm running along his roof when I notice a hatch. I rolled to a side of the triangular prism, mahogany roof. Gu's bodyguard came out of the patch. A big, muscular man able to knock out professional Ring-Brawlers in one punch. I run up and draw out my katana. A powder is blown into the bodyguard's eyes and I teleport next to him to push him off.

I hear the body slam into the floor below. A bounce of 2.15 centimetres. I don't bother to finish him. I only kill my targets unless otherwise a hindrance. The roof has a massive, convenient hole I could jump in. I easily pinpoint my target and grab him by the neck. He flails his fat arms around but soon enough he passes out. That's when I get a kunai, cut off his left eye and then put an eyepatch on. My trademark tradition. This is followed by forcing the target to swallow Acidito Maxi which is the highest acidic substance ever created. Originally created to add a little extra taste to food, it's initial launch killed two-thousand and seventy-six people. This was followed by a hunt for the creator and his head being on a spike. I looked back and see the Acidito Maxi had already burnt through the neck and all the way down to the stomach. My job is done.

The hole I went through to get in was blocked. I look around and see guards coming. Well, I always come prepared. I open a gold sphere and an energy wave pushes everyone but me back. I then get out two tiny black spheres. I throw one to the roof then one on the ground under me. BOOM! Smoke goes everywhere as my body melts into the shadows and reforms on top of the roof. I get a cylinder made of plastic out and roll it all over my body. Negative. No trackers or any charms/spells have been placed on me. I run into the dark alleyways back to my proxy base near Kery. I suddenly raise my katana behind me. The tip pokes something lightly. I turn keeping my sword in it's place.
"But I made no sound..." Complained a female voice.
"I see all." I replied. I light a match and set a candle on fire. I see her face. Linda Lasgo Lopit. An old partner in business.
"Hello, Shadow." She says seriously.

"What is it?" I asked, annoyed.
"The meteor site is getting worse. You're the only person I trust."
"You put your trust in the wrong person."
"The meteor site is glowing red." She continued, unmarked by my comment.
"I know." I moaned. "I see all."
"Do you know why?"
"Because of that stupid, meddling girl?" I guess. She nodded.
"The power she drained is starting to wake. It will tear her apart to form a monster!"
"To be honest, I don't care."
"But-!"
"I'm an assassin, not a hero."
"Morals! Do you not care for her safety? For the world's safety!?" She screamed at me.
"You want to know why I'm an assassin? Want to know why I kill people indiscriminately for money?"
"W-Why?"
"It's because I am sick and tired of this world. Of this society! My parents were murdered, I was treated as an outcast because of it. My brother and sister both died in a magician's 'accident' which left me mentally and physically scarred. Guess what? No one cared. I had to deal with the pain with not even an apology. So why should I care for something that has despised me?"
"Shadow..." She stood there, shocked.
"Listen, Ketna, the world doesn't care what happens to me so I don't care about what happens to the world."

Ketna sat in the nearest seat in this light forsaken hideout.
"What about me?" She asked.
"What...?" That question caught me off guard.
"I cared for you. I snuck out every night to give you a share of my dinner. I made sure you were alright. So will you help the world, for me?"
"No." I replied sternly.
"What!?"
"One person does not equal to the entire world population."
"So you're saying the entire world should've looked after you?"
"I didn't mean it like that..."
"You're saying that because people the opposite side of the world didn't know you that you can't save them?"
"Ketna, you know what I meant..."
"What you meant? Oh yeah, you're too selfish to deal with the threat to the ENTIRE WORLD!"
"..."
"So, what will you do? Stay holed up somewhere, waiting to die?"
"What do you propose I do? Where do I start?"
"Maybe by assisting the heroes?"
"So I'll be known as just a helper? Or worse, one of the heroes."
"What's bad about being a hero?"
"People will think I'm good."
"You are."
"I kill people for money. I'm not good."
"Heroes kill people for fame. Not a big difference."
"I'll start planning my trip." I gave in. My next target is Lanvi Afi and Kitty Desik. But this time I will not kill my targets. Just track them.