Time passed as the group spent time at the beach. The others had already returned to the sun umbrella. Shu could be seen holding both of Rin's hands as her feet pedaled back and forth. The snow demon was learning how to swim. She had gotten much better since the beginning. The young samurai was enjoying himself. He found appreciation in the little things.
If he spent every waking moment brooding over his past, life wouldn't be worth living. Things would become bland. The petite beauty didn't seem to feel the same. An annoyed expression was all he could see on her face.
"You're doing great, Rin." He said.
"...Shut up."
"Do you hate it so much?"
"Mnn." She nodded.
"No you don't."
"I hate you."
"No you don't." Shu responded.
"Pervert Shu. Go away." Her calm voice resounded.
"You don't mean that."
"I do."
The sleepy man pulled her arms, bringing her into his embrace. Rin wrapped around his body in order to stay above water. Her slender frame pressed against him. Shu held her tight.
"Look me in the eyes and tell me." He said.
They locked eyes. The snow demon was surprised to see how close their faces were. Shu gave her a knowing look. She was too cute right now. A tiny blush appeared on her face.
"....."
"Why are you so quiet?" A slight smile graced his face. His hands wandered her petite curves.
"Shu."
"Hmm?"
GRUMBLE
"...Hungry." She announced.
Her stomach had already spoken though. The young samurai brought her back to the sand. Once her feet touched the ground, she immediately ran over to the cooler. Muzette silently beckoned for Shu as Rin dug in the chest for snacks. He came over to see what she wanted. The succubus whispered in his ear.
"I wasn't sure at first, but now I'm positive. Rin has imprinted on you and she doesn't even realize it!" She exclaimed. Shu raised an eyebrow.
"Imprint? Like wolves?"
"Exactly. She's chosen you as her mate."
"...I see."
Everything was coming full circle. The young man could finally understand why she was so obsessed with him. He barely had any alone time since meeting her! Even though it was overbearing, Shu did enjoy her antics. Nobody had ever craved him in such a way. It made her unique. Of course, if Rin wasn't attractive, then it would be a different story.
The lazy swordsman wouldn't throw away his blessings. With the path he was treading, he didn't expect to live long. Countless thorns littered his way to revenge. He didn't know how powerful his enemies would be. Therefore, a cute girl latching onto him like this wasn't a bother. For now at least.
Nobody from the group noticed anything suspicious in the docks nearby. Though they'd been playing around, their perception was always focused on the incoming ships. The sun eventually reached its final phase, giving the capital a beautiful view of the sunset.
It was only then that the group realized that Captain Aiden was standing beside them. Nobody knew when he had arrived. The red eyed commander cleared his throat.
"Eh-erm. Hope you guys had fun, because now we have an actual mission." He declared. It was always business with him.
"Finally, some real action!" Stark exclaimed. The big man rose to his feet. Flynn stood beside the captain.
"Ara ~ what do you have for us this time?" Muzette asked.
"An important cargo ship has been commandeered by pirates. Our job…is to kill everyone. Pretty normal for Silent Night, huh?" Aiden joked.
"Hmph." Rin scoffed.
The captain gave the succubus a stern look. Muzette raised an eyebrow in confusion before clapping her hands. It was as if a light bulb had lit up in her mind.
"Oh, right."
A mass of darkness rose from the ground. The dark tendrils curled together before creating a massive raven. Its eyes were an eerie white, as if looking into the jaws of death. Aiden and Muzette jumped on top of the large bird and waited for the rest of the group. This was Shu's first time seeing her unique mana element.
Without wasting any more time, the team joined them on the huge raven. It then took off to the sky. Time passed as they traveled across the sea. The moon was now high above the clouds. Each of the assassins were currently in their combat outfits.
An extremely large cargo ship could be seen across the horizon. It looked as if it could fit a few buildings on it. The flying raven was approaching at high speeds.
"Stark, Flynn, Shu. You three are going to do this alone. The rest of us will watch from above. Show us your stuff, Mr. Legendary." The red eyed commander ordered.
"...And if there are hostages?" Shu questioned. Aiden frowned.
"Our orders are to kill everyone. Everything that moves…Has it not clicked for you yet? Our battalion is nothing more than glorified murderers. We do the Golden Circle's dirty work."
There was a moment of silence. The young samurai thought for a moment before nodding. Stark quickly downed a bottle of alcohol. It was at this moment that the flying bird reached the ship. They were directly above the unsuspecting pirates.
"Alright, cunts! I'll draw the attention. Let's go!" Stark exclaimed.
The shredded man jumped off the bird, followed by Shu and Flynn. Their clothes fluttered in the rough winds. Each of them could see the ocean floor getting closer and closer. As they fell from the sky, Stark changed his flight path to the front of the cargo ship. An orange glow was emitted from his fist. It grew brighter and brighter.
Some of the pirates looked up to see a meteor crashing down on them. There were only a few more seconds before contact. The ship raiders quickly grabbed their weapons.
"We're under attack!" Someone yelled.
"Hahahahaha! GRIM!" Stark roared. His mighty fist struck the starboard.
BOOOOOM
A huge explosion of mana engulfed the front half of the ship. It detonated like a bomb, disintegrating anything in its way. Multiple pirates instantly vanished. Not even their ashes remained. The entire front half of the massive cargo ship had disappeared.
