Seducing the Conqueror

012: Candice is on Her Hunt

"WHO are you-…"

In just a second, Candice's knives flew in all direction --- making every opponent immediately fall on the ground or grunt in agony.

"Intru-…" Nat snapped the neck of a guy before he could even alert the others.

Five other men are now lying on the floor: two with knives on their forehead, one with a knife on its temple, one with a knife on its throat, and one with a knife on his left eye. All were Candice's kill.

Candice passed through the entire pile of corpses and headed to the single room on the floor. Nat followed her close by. Candice kicked the door wide open and they saw ten more guards together with Doriaki --- all in a state of shock.

Even without a drop of blood on their clothes and weapon, Candice’s menacing eyes and monstrous aura made everyone shiver.

"W-who are you? Guards!" Doriaki panicked and hid behind her guards.

The guards immediately attacked Candice and Nat but they both easily dodged their assailants.

Blood gushed out of the neck of each guard who attacked Nat as he quickly stabbed them with his knife while evading their attacks. His movements are swift and powerful. They are all instant kills. Three kills for Nat.

Meanwhile, Candice swiftly threw her knives on the guards in front of her. One… Two... Three guards immediately fell as the knives pierced in between their eyebrows. When her knives run out, Candice used her chain-and-ball to strike her opponents and fend herself from their attacks. A guard caught her chain and tried to pull her but Candice immediately flew and landed a hard kick over his head.

While trampling on one's head and back, three more guards assaulted Candice but she immediately countered them with a deadly attack. She kicked one of them on the neck. She grabbed a knife out of a corpse and slit one of her attackers' throats. And with the last one, she took his arm when he tried to punch her, locked it to his back, and quickly stabbed his side six times. All three immediately died on her feet.

"W-who are you? W-what the hell do you want?"

Left with no one else to save her, Doriaki shakily step back and were desperately looking for an opportunity to escape --- but Candice is on her hunt. She won't ever let her prey get away from her grasp.

Candice jumped at Doriaki, pinning her on the wall. With her right arm pressing against Doriaki's neck, Candice quickly pinned Doriaki's right hand on the wall using a dagger. Giving Doriaki's not enough time to react, she turned and did the same to Doriaki's left hand using one of the three daggers she pulled from her previous kills. Doriaki squirmed in pain but she cannot let out a cry because of the arm that's choking her --- and the fear that is conquering her from the dagger pointed at her throat.

Nat was amazed as to how quick Candice pulled out those knives as she run towards Doriaki. The corpses seemed they have fallen to make a path for her in the first place.

Seeing Doriaki’s pitiful state, Nat asked for his assignment: rescuing the abducted noble girl.

"Where is the child?" he asked. Doriaki seems to be busy processing the bloody events on her mind that she didn't hear Nat’s question.

Candice slowly cut the skin on her neck, letting a warm fresh blood flow from it down to her collar.

"W-what d-do y-you w-want?"

Candice let go of Doriaki's neck, took her knives from Nat’s satchel, and then, threw another two knives at Doriaki: one at the side of her waist, and one at the side of her neck --- both slightly cut Doriaki's skin.

Nat was surprised that Candice knew he picked up her knives from her kills at the lobby. She never looked back at his direction so he thought she didn’t saw him do that. But who would have known that Candice’s vision covers three hundred sixty degrees radius when she is on her rage mode?

"Where is Claymore, the thirteen-year-old girl you abducted two days ago?" Nat asked Doriaki again.

"I-I don't know what you are talking about-…"

Two knives flew between Doriaki's legs, leaving a deep cut on both of her thighs. She almost fell on the floor but she managed to hold on and remain standing. If she had fallen, the knives pinning her to the wall will slice up both of her hands.

"I'll ask again --- where is she, Doriaki?"

Before Doriaki can even speak of an excuse, Candice quickly stomped both knives on Doriaki's hands making them go deeper and bring great pain to Doriaki. Candice took out her last dagger and started slicing Doriaki's skin. She started with her arms, down to her belly, down to her thighs, and up to her face. Countless agonizing cries were heard from Doriaki as Candice slowly and deeply cut her skin. Her white long sleeve shirt turned crimson while her bloody face turned pale --- pale as white as a snow.

"S-stop! I'll talk! I'll talk!" Doriaki shouted and looked at the large wardrobe at the end of the room.

Nat headed for the wardrobe while Candice continued on pinning Doriaki on the wall. Nat discovered a large chest inside the wardrobe. He quickly destroyed its lock and saw a helpless girl --- all tied up and curled inside the chest with her eyes blind folded and her lips sealed with a thick cloth. Nat immediately helped the girl and confirmed that she is his assignment.

Though the child was heavily drugged to put her into a deep sleep, Nat gave a confirmation to Candice that his subject is safe.

"Y-you have the girl. S-so, please, s-spare my life. P-please don't kill me," Doriaki begged.

But Candice's cold eyes confirmed Doriaki's fears.

"She is not my assignment," Candice said. "You are."

Candice pulled out the two knives on her hands and plunged them on her stomach. She twisted the blade inside Doriaki's body letting her feel an unimaginable pain before she finally stabbed her heart with these two knives.

Doriaki's body fell on the ground --- full of blood and no life left.

Candice nonchalantly picked up all of her weapons while Nat carried the unconscious child on his shoulder and headed for the window. Together, Candice and Nat escaped Ai no Hotel.

❀°˖✧˖°✿°˖✧˖°✿°˖✧˖°❀

NAT’S low-ranking soldiers took care of the girl they rescued and sent her back to her father while Candice and Nat changed their clothes before returning to their hideout. Candice removed her makeup on the fountain near the back alley and changed her bloody clothes into tight riding pants and white off-shouldered shirt topped over with a maroon vest. Her high-heeled sandals were replaced by knee-high leather boots. She put her bloody wig on a black plastic and put it on Nat’s bag.

Since most kills were from Candice, no blood was spilled on Nat’s clothes. But to change his appearance, he changed his black long sleeve into a white V-neck shirt topped with khaki jacket. He also changed his combat pants into baggy ones.

He caught Candice looking at his direction while he was putting his pants on.

"Do you enjoy seeing me naked?" he teased her.

"Don't make me laugh. I don't have even the slightest interest in seeing your disgusting body," she said nonchalantly.

Nat smiled. Seems like her anger cooled down already. She's back at bickering with me now.

"Are you sure? You've been staring at me for a while now. You don't want to see more of my sexiness?" he said with a wide smile while fastening his belt.

Candice’s brow rose --- which Nat finds it cute.

"I am just waiting for you to finish. I was done changing ages ago but you are still on your pants? You are fast on killing someone but you are as slow as a sloth on putting your clothes on," she said.

Nat laughed. He is only this slow when he is with her --- but Candice never knew that. He takes his time on changing while he watches her secretly. She's the only girl he knows who doesn't mind showing her underwear even if people are around. She is too professional for her own good, Nat said to himself.

Nat put on his bandana and smiled at her.

"Sorry, my bad. I'm done. Let's go?"

Without saying another word, they began walking side by side.

Nat casually brushes his hand on hers as they walk but it doesn't seem to have any effect on her --- she doesn’t even thought anything about this small gestures of his. Poor, Nat.

"Move!"

Soldiers on their proud steeds passed on the street separating the numbers and citylanders. Candice and Nat got curious at the uproar and checked what is happening.

Seems like they were desperately looking for someone: a robber or a thief --- or maybe an unfortunate number that was accused of some unproven crime, Nat concluded.

The citylanders are eager to know what's the commotion are about, while the numbers are trying to keep their distance from the border of Area 74. Of course, who would want to be dragged on someone else's crime?

"Excuse me! Please, don't push!"

A guy that is carrying large wooden boxes is being pushed by the citylanders who wanted to see what's in front of the crowd.

"The layer of boxes makes it even harder for him to see where he is heading," Nat unconsciously blurted out.

He sighed when he noticed that Candice is now looking at the guy, too.

"Oh, well. Let us just leave them be. Whatever happens in this city is none of our business anyway. Let's go back, Can—Candice?"

Candice suddenly disappeared from his side. He searched for her in the crowd. But when his eyes accidentally landed on the guy who is now at the center of the road...

The girl he secretly loves for so long is now running to save that nobody's life.

"Candice!"

A shrieking crowd, a neighing horse and a loud thud made his heart sink and feel the greatest fear he'll ever have in his entire life.

"Candice!"