Shinobi From Hell

'This analogy specifically holds true since most targets were women.'

Klautz nodded.

'Compared to the men, who had high incomes, women had higher expenditures. Some even exceeding their own income pointing to borrowed money.'

Men having a bit higher income than average was understandable considering that they were the one with higher stats at the beginning of the tutorial zone. While it wasn't always true but it was the norm.

The average man had a strength of 10 while women had fairly lower.

*Thud*

Klautz laid back on the snowy floor with a smile on his face. Of course he wasn't biasing his conclusion based on the rate of expenditure or income alone. All the other stats proved this theory of his. The method of falsification had found its winner.

"Who knows if it will be a hit or miss?"

Klautz had no idea. He had made his deductions with absolute care. But data was just 'data'. Klautz had no guarantee that the data that he had received were true or not.

It could be a fabrication of Gozoto to trick people like him or worse… It could be a fabrication of the killer himself though the possibility of that was low.

Klautz wanted to believe that he was on the right path but in hell one must never hope so. There are variables everywhere and even the best plans fail in the brink of an eye.

"I have to proceed with the safest route possible. There is no point in endangering myself." Klautz was lost in his soliloquy.

Even if he assumed the data to be true. There were far too many people who could be the next capture targets! It depends on the killer's mood who he would pick on that day. Klautz couldn't be everywhere at the same time. Not to mention that the residents on guard here were after the killer too.

"Yet, the question remains. What purpose does he have to cause so many deaths?"

Klautz was a ninja in his past life. He had killed many himself! But never had he killed aimlessly. There was always a kill target on the bulletin board of the ninja village waiting for a ninja to take up the mission.

Had it been money that the killer wanted he would have targeted rich dudes instead of poor ones. But even that didn't make any sense… since with his caliber he could have stolen their vaults instead of killing them.

Klautz was lost deep in thought.

"Why would he kill people who go shopping?"

Klautz held onto his chin. Even if he was a killer in his past life, he couldn't think the way that he did. Was it because of the changes that Klautz had made to his way of life?

'The killer isn't a death god showering his wrath, rather it's a lunatic newbie misusing his newfound powers.' Klautz thought or at least the data pointed to that conclusion.

His eyes traveled to Maebi.

'She is a trainee isn't it?'

"Have you killed for personal reasons or worse… for no good reasons before?" Klautz asked.

Someone who might have known Klautz like Selena might have laughed at this question. Why? Klautz himself had killed many. The number of corpses that laid under his blade was uncountable.

But even so Klautz chose to ask the question.

One must note that Klautz had never killed anyone for personal reasons. Let alone killing aimlessly.

In his first life, he had only killed those whose names were hung on the bulletin board in the form of 'missions'. And in the second life he had only killed those who had dared to bare their fangs against him.

There was no sense of vengeance… there was no blood lust. HIs heart was as cold and serene as it could be.

In fact, most of the attackers who had attacked Klautz and managed to escape after the battle were left in peace. Klautz had never pursued after them to find them or to exact his revenge in any way. That was not his way.

One must note that Klautz was always in a race against time at all hours. He was busy like a bee. As such chasing after to kill someone who he had clashed with before? Klautz didn't have the time for that. Their importance was nothing in the grander scheme of things.

There were only so few humans who could change the course of human fate single handedly. Armand, the puppeteer was one of them and he was at the top in Klautz kill list. Klautz wouldn't bat an eye to kill him. Not for personal reasons but that was what was important for humanity's survival.

Maebi held onto her cheeks.

"Many actually. It is actually fun to watch those that bared their fangs against you once grovel under your feet begging for mercy. It feels even better when you kill them by putting a deaf ear to their pleas. Trust me there is nothing sweeter than revenge and vengeance. When I was a newbie many had died at my hands," Maebi claimed, puffing out her chest in pride but then scoffed remembering some bitter memories that still continued. "Becoming a ninja is tough. You can't kill anyone for personal reasons no matter how much they tick you off."

Maebi said, eyeing Klautz from top to bottom. Given the chance to kill him, she would happily do so. But alas, she was bound by her profession.

Had Maebi made the same claims back on earth she would have been dubbed as a dangerous woman. But this was hell and she was already dyed in its color. Neither did Klautz care nor he bother with her ideals. He was just looking for that stroke of inspiration to solve the doubts in his heart.

The data was properly analyzed. But somehow the pieces of the puzzle didn't fit in place.

***

Author: Creation is hard for authors. Cheer me up with your power stones.

Let me know about your thoughts on the chapter in the comments sections.

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