The Assassin and His Cygnet

1| Mission

Shun stood there quietly, occasionally shifting the weight of the pack on his shoulders. He was wearing his usual attire instead of his uniform. Saga had demanded that he remain undercover.

His boss was currently rummaging through shelves of files and documents in his office cabinet. Shun remained there in awkward silence until Saga finally found what he was looking for. A shrimpy looking folder was tossed into his hands.

"All of our information on your mission is included here. It may not look like much, but there are images of all the gang members, reports on their actions, weapons, style, and also a map of the region," Saga explained. "Whatever it is, they are posing a threat to the peace that we are trying to establish,"

"Understood, Ares-san,"

Ikki's words echoed in his head.

"You might not make it back,"

Shun pushed them out.

Not now.

Saga told him that the order of Sanctuary would be providing him shelter and paying bills: water bills, electricity bills, trash bills, and food. Perhaps they should pay for service bills too, thought Shun as he stared at the condition of the so-called "shelter".

It was a poorly taken care of, shabby little flat in the sprawling city of Nagoya.

He looked up the apartment complex that night on his laptop and found out that it was the worst in the city. Some shelter. The order of Sanctuary was a rather rich organization, but it was run by a bunch of cheapskates.

It wasn't like he was in any position to complain. Despite being a role that required stealth, intelligence, and combat skills, assassins were not considered honorable. They're looked down upon for their sneaky tactics and shady behavior.

Besides, they were specialized killers.

The next day, he decided to try and get used to the region. With a map in one hand and a pen in the other, he walked every large street and every insignificant alleyway.

People who were driven from their homes by the incessant violence caused by the SS lined the smaller alleyways. Those poor souls...

They reached towards Shun, pleading for food, money, a drink, something that could make living a bit easier. But he had none. The assassin turned away, for he might lose his cool if he continued to look.

Don't forget your mission.

Almost immediately after he left the alleyway, a strong hand shoved him into the wall of a nearby building. Shun winced as his back made contact with concrete.

"Look what we have here~!"

He kept silent and still, despite the initial shock of the situation. Shun decided that he should wait a little to familiarize with this person before lashing out. Something told him that this guy had information he needed.

"You're new here, aren't you?" the guy asked. Shun nodded. They seemed to be drawing the attention of some other people nearby, as more started to join in.

A small embroidered swan on the sleeve of one of the guys caught Shun's eye.

It was done in scarlet thread.

There was no doubt, they were part of the SS.

The gang were now arguing amongst themselves while one of them kept Shun against the wall.

"A rather cute one,"

"Hurry up, let's get outta here before Glacier finds out!"

"He always takes first picks when it comes to having some fun with the commoners..."

"We'll get in trouble if he finds out, though!"

"Well, he can't get to act all high and mighty all the time..."

"He should learn his place,"

A new voice intervened. It was deep, cold, and calm.

"Who should learn his place?"

The gang fell silent. They looked at each other, everyone too scared to speak. Slowly, the people parted to either side, revealing a charming blonde. There was no doubt, this was...

"Glacier," someone whispered.