Chapter 88 - The Assassin in the Darkness
Nathan Evenhart:
It was nighttime, and my task was the most complicated. I needed to kill the corrupt noble and find the members of the criminal organization hiding in that place. They were wanted criminals, and the fact that they had allied with the nobility made things even more problematic. Some nobles used criminals to do their dirty work, and due to their noble status, their homes couldn't be invaded without authorization. We couldn’t simply announce our intention to visit a criminal’s home with the law.
My family adhered to something called the "Era of Diplomacy," which meant we often turned a blind eye to certain crimes committed by the nobility, especially if the criminal was a political noble. We couldn’t control what happened inside a noble's home if they decided to travel to another duchy to buy a slave or drugs, but the situation changed if they committed crimes against our people. There were certain things we wouldn’t tolerate, and we acted when necessary. Taking action in this way kept political nobles from going too far with their crimes.
We had to respect the kingdom's laws; however, when the light of the law fails to bring justice, it’s the shadows of assassins that silence the evil.
“Is someone there?” the man asked, rising from his bed.
“Bartholomew Fitzroy,” I said.
Bartholomew Fitzroy:
"Bartholomew Fitzroy," a voice emerged from the darkness.
Damn it! There’s someone in my room!
I try to move my hand toward the knife I keep under the pillow.
"Who are you?" I ask into the darkness.
"It’s time to pay for your sins," the voice replied, seeming to shift through the shadows, filling the air with a heavy presence.
"You're not one of my subordinates! What are you doing here? Do you know who I am? Do you know the weight my name carries!?"
Finally, I manage to grab the knife and, with a swift motion, turn on the lamp.
The light floods the room, but darkness still lingers in one part, impenetrable.
"I don’t care about names, titles, or ranks. I am something beyond that," the voice continued, indifferent.
I point the knife toward the darkness.
"No one touches a noble! You’re screwed!"
"Forced prostitution, drug trafficking, trafficking of protected animals, human trafficking, kidnappings... murders... robberies... organized crime..." The voice listed the crimes, moving from side to side, still invisible in the shadows.
Sweat begins to drip down my forehead.
What’s hiding in the darkness? I feel like I’m being stared down by a beast.
"Who are you? Show yourself!"
"I am a judge, Mr. Fitzroy. I’m the one who shows up at the end of the day, at your door, to pass judgment. I am death, Mr. Fitzroy."
I let out a nervous laugh.
"You're insane! Guards! Guards!" I shout, hoping for help.
Silence.
"No one will come, Fitzroy... They’re dead. And those still alive won’t hear you. This room is sealed with a wind barrier. No sound escapes..." The voice echoed, still shrouded in darkness.
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"Fuck you!" I quickly get up, holding the knife tightly, and grab a light orb from a drawer, turning it on.
"Every innocent life taken by your hands... every person forced into acts of depravity... they all screamed for help, they all cried out in the night. All of these people begged for justice, pleaded for someone to come. I came for them, Mr. Fitzroy... that’s what I am... that’s who I am..." the voice proclaimed.
I walk toward the darkness, my hands trembling, but I keep the knife raised and the light orb as my only protection.
When I finally step into the darkness, I’m taken by surprise.
"Nothing! There’s no one here!" I look around the room, realizing that, in fact, there was never anyone inside.
"What the fuck are you!?" I shout angrily.
'BAM!' The window shatters, and something leaps at me.
I’m thrown across the room and crash to the floor.
“I am a God!”
The moonlight reveals a figure as black as night, striding toward me with firm steps. The light orb rolls across the floor, and the figure crushes it underfoot.
“I’m here to answer the prayers of the oppressed.”
"AHHH!" He grabs my neck, and I stare into those terrifying eyes. Even though he’s just a boy, I tremble with fear.
"And I'm here to deliver your sentence: death."
"AHHHHHHHHH!" An energy surges through my body, electrocuting me, and I’m thrown across the room by him.
I close my eyes, and the last thing I see is that figure in the darkness, judging my sins before condemning me... Looking like a true...
God...
Nathan Evenhart:
Staring at the fallen man, I regret not making him suffer more, but I couldn’t go overboard since this would be covered up as a simple invasion and assassination. Since this place harbored criminals, it would be easy to disguise it as their betrayal.
"That piece of trash ended up with a quick death..." I murmur as I turn to leave, heading toward the door.
"Now I need to hunt down the dangerous criminals hiding in this place."
As I pass through the door, I sense a presence behind me.
I quickly turn, raising my hands, but there’s nothing there.
"Strange..."
Walking through the place, I move toward the window and sniff the air. Using my wind power, I isolate the scents and focus. I don’t have to continue my work; on the floor lies a fallen feather.
"A red feather," I pick it up and examine it.
Cylla followed me here... I can’t believe this.
Looking outside, I see nothing.
I hope she stays hidden and avoids being seen.
Sighing, I return to my task. There were still criminals on the loose that I needed to find, and I couldn’t let them escape. Failing my test as an assassin was not an option.
"You!" shouted a voice from the end of the hallway.
"Seems like I didn’t have to walk far. That makes my job easier," I mutter, drawing my sword from its sheath.
I observe the person’s stance in front of me.
"Isabelle... or should I say 'Lady of the Threads,' a notorious and wanted assassin mage," I say, raising my sword in a guard position.
The woman smiles wickedly.
"Hearing my title like that, coming from a young one, excites me. Hahaha," she says, lifting her hands.
I remain silent, focused.
"I presume Bartholomew is dead... what a pity. He was a good contractor, always letting me have fun with a few young girls," she licks her lips with perversion.
I reinforce my sword with wind mana.
"An assassin recognizes another. Aren't you going to make your move?" she taunts.
"Exactly. An assassin recognizes another. I know there's an intricate web of invisible, razor-sharp threads in front of me. One wrong move, and I'm dead."
Her smile widens even more.
"What a boring boy... NO FUN AT ALL!" she screams, flinging her arms. Threads explode toward me.
I leap to the side in the corridor and counterattack, sending a massive wind sphere. We jump at each other.
Isabelle lunges to stab me with a dagger, but I dodge just in time. She manipulates her hands, and the threads twist in the air, hurling various objects toward me. I defend myself with my sword.
She manipulates the threads using wind... she's a transmitter.
She advances, trying to kick me. I counter with my sword, deflecting the hidden blade in her shoe, and leap toward her with my sword. She quickly retreats.
"NOW!" she screams, and the floor beneath me explodes.
I use the wind to launch myself upward, avoiding the trap. A hole forms in the floor, revealing another level below. A man jumps at me with a sword in hand. I use the ceiling as support, propelling myself to the wall, landing with my sword ready to strike Isabelle. The threads move toward me, but a layer of wind protects me as I advance through the tangled web, aiming for her face.
"DIE!" she screams, raising the dagger toward my neck.
Behind her, something approaches through the window. At the last second, I use the wind to dodge and fall down the stairs, rolling to the lower floor.
A massive water serpent crashes through the window, and a bald man emerges from within it.
"It's three against one..." I observe the mage-assassins positioned at the top of the stairs as I take my stance.
"No... it's four against one," a voice echoes from the floor where I stand. A man approaches, his hands engulfed in flames.
Isabelle leaps down to my floor, followed by the others.
"We're a famous group. They call us 'The Four Elementals,'" she announces.
A wind mage, a fire mage, a water mage, and an earth mage... the situation is getting complicated.
"A boy as young as you, being an assassin... how peculiar," comments the fire mage.
"You know, it's been a while since I've had to put in this much effort. That's why I've got permission to go all out. Thanks for that," I say.
They look at me, confused.
"Today, you'll be facing a General!"