Okumura Syndicate Ending 1

Chapter 173: Tamperer Of The Dead

Further across the vast building, Vox carried a cumbersome object towards his room. There, he was met with a rather beaten up Kiara. "What's happened to you my dear subordinate?", asked Vox curiously. "Some of the rebels, they're back. One of them decided to play a rather nasty trick on me...", relayed Kiara. Vox gave her a faux-empathetic look, "Don't you worry about a thing, those fiends will be dealt with soon enough, and I'm certain you'll get your comeuppance."

Vox's reassurance didn't work on the young elf, "Vox! Where the fuck were you?! I was getting beaten up and you didn't do a thing!", she yelled at the fae. Vox gave off a quiet chuckle before rubbing his henchman's shoulder. "I've been rather busy Kiara, surely you understand?", he replied, excitedly looking at the large, wrapped up husk upon his bed. It was still, cold, not writhing at all.

"What's that? What's it doing here?", she asked, genuinely curious. "What's what doing here? What does it look like?", Vox's voice lost its playful tone. "This is both a blessing and a curse to our plan. You'll hate it at first, but I'm sure you'll warm up to it...". Kiara scratched her head, "If you're certain...", she answered, slightly confused. Carefully, he unwrapped the linen blanket, revealing a lifeless Lin within the bundles of fabric.

"Lin! Please don't tell me he's dead...", Kiara cried. "Look at him, seems he has no use for us anymore...", the green man remarked. Kiara couldn't find the words, only a flood of tears. "W-what happened to him?!", she shuddered. "Things you simply couldn't control, a fit of rage from a monster, a man too stuck in his own emotions. Your lover lost battle, simple as that...", answered Vox.

Kiara ran up to the body and burst into tears again, clutching her soon to be decomposing partner, trying to cover his wounds with her vines. "There's no use Kiara, he's dead as a doornail. After all, it's not like he was kind to your poor soul...", explained Vox. "After my brother died at the auction, he was the only one I had. The others, they were just pawns, but he could command us all. I don't care if he hurt me, he was right!". Vox turned his head, seemingly ignoring her completely. Finally, he looked back at her with a terrifying smile.

"Vox! What the hell are you going to do?!" Kiara shrieked, struggling with the deceased man in her arms. However, Vox broke her out of Lin's last embrace and held her shoulder with his free hand. "Such blind love, blind trust, and where has it got you? Stuck with a collar on your neck and holding the dead body of your superior!", taunted Vox. Kiara threw herself at the fae, but before she could attack him, Vox conjured a collar around her neck which forced her away.

"You can't fight me, Kiara, you're under my command now. It's not like Lin can move again without complex magic, which I believe you're not capable of...", he uttered menacingly. However, Kiara didn't listen, "I'll tell everyone in this little syndicate who you really are. You're not a beacon of anti-crime. Lin was, and look what following you has done to him!", she announced. Throwing herself at Vox once more, she attempted another attack, only to feel excruciating pain throbbing from the tight metal around her neck.

"N-no!!!", Kiara vigorously pulled at her collar, finding no chance of removal. "He died for me, he did his best for the both of us, why is he here now?! Why didn't you let him rest in peace!", she protested "What do you mean? Was it...the best, like you say? He died for the sake of revenge, he's useless!", Vox gave Kiara a tight grin. "He did nothing for this cause, he was just a distraction simple as that...", exemplified Vox

"And he still did his best, even though it doesn't matter anymore...", Kiara insisted. Vox brought the jade elf closer to him, holding her by the collar. "You're really going to rebel against me, that's cute! You can't even defend yourself without a leader by your side. I kindly offered to help you, but you failed to take me up on the offer!". The fae dropped Kiara to the floor with force, "You see, Kiara, even though I succeeded in ruining Rou's psyche, there's still three more major players in this fight for dominance, and all of them must be crushed!"

With a heavy heart, Kiara let her head down in shame, "I'm...sorry for disobeying you...Sir...", she wallowed. "You're my soldier and nothing more, a good one at that; but I'm not about to stand idly by while you curse me in your own godforsaken tongue. As you should be well aware, once a fae lies, they're no longer a fae. This was the only action to take.", Vox reflected, shoving the young elf back. "Lin may be gone, but once the world bends to my will, that will be the least of your concerns.", he declared simply before Kiara sighed in hopelessness, there was nowhere for her to run anymore.