The two of the three cloaked figures started to engage Mathew and the Squires while the last one came for the sleeping prince where Wina and Ingrid were in his way.

"INGRID! PROTECT THE PRINCE! I'LL TAKE CARE OF THIS ASSASSIN!" Wina screamed as she turned and grabbed the arm of the assassin that was closing in on her, flipped him over her shoulder, and slammed him onto the floor before his venom-laced blade could scratch her skin.

Ash groaned as he quickly got to his feet and attacked Wina, again.

*SWING!*

*THUD!*

Wina caught the assassin's wrist and stopped the blade inches away from her right eye.

Mathew, Robert, and George had unsheathed their swords and engaged with the two female assassins.

*Cling! Clang!*

"A-Assassins!? Gah! George! Robert! Take these two! Wina is in trouble and the prince is about to get stolen by the third assassin!" Sir Mathew shouted as he fought against the brown-skinned female assassin.

'I got to protect the Prince at all costs. No matter what!' Sir Mathew thought as he used his training and skills to fend off the assassin's blade.

Sir George was fighting the fair-skinned female assassin with violet eyes and was having the fight of his life. But the knight and the two squires were feeling sluggish because of the Galebane toxic that was permeating through the air.

Mathew was getting winded far too quickly and was starting to slow down.

"G-GAH! This is ridiculous. How is this possible!?" Mathew asked as he barely dodged another slash of the outstretched arm with her dagger.

"Hmph! We should have waited for the toxin to set in. Tsk! You were impatient Ash," Violet said as she fought against the two squires.

Ash growled, "Shut it! We're making too much noise! We need to hurry and finish this!"

"Then do it already!" Gwin yelled as she fought against Sir Mathew.

Wina was able to hold the assassin off for a bit but he was getting the better of her because she couldn't get to her assassin's belt. All because she wore a normal dress instead of her tear-away battle dress.

"G-GAH!"

The assassin punched Wina in the gut and the blow knocked the air out of her.

"WINAAA!!!!" Mathew and Ingrid yelled as they witnessed her falling backward and landing on her back.

'Dammit! I've gotten too complacent... How did I let my guard down!... But I will not die here... I can't!' Wina thought as she looked up and noticed the assassin's dagger.

Wina saw the assassin was about to drive his blade into her face. When Ingrid grabbed the arm of the assassin and yanked him towards her.

"Ingrid!?" Wina yelled in shock as she watched the assassin turn around and stabbed Ingrid in the stomach.

The pain in her eyes and the look of desperate determination on her face would be forever etched in her mind.

For all of her years of assassinating people, she thought she had grown accustomed to seeing such expressions. But this one hit differently. Ingrid had become a mother figure to Wina. A mother that showed her compassion and a sense of belonging.

This person who was in the same field of work was stealing Ingrid's life away from Wina. And it was the first time she a ever felt this strange sense of anger coming from her core. Anger that was turning into pure rage and it showed on Wina's face.

Ingrid gasped and coughed up some blood.

"INGRID!!!!! YOU BASTARD!!!"

Wina grabbed the left side of her skirt and ripped it vertically so she could get her dagger from her assassin's belt.

The assassin pulled his dagger out of Ingrid's stomach. And the older woman collapsed next to the assassin's legs.

"Fucking old woman, WHOA!"

*CLING! CLANG! CLONG!*

Wina came at Ash with such speed that it surprised the assassin.

The two were locked and were nearly eye to eye as they were pushing against each other's blades.

"Gah!? Who's this fucking human!?... She is supposed to be a wet nurse!" Ash asked with a look of annoyance and shock on his face.

"You are a disgrace of an assassin... You dare claim jump my target... and sloppily killing everyone around you like second-rate amateurs!?... PATHETIC!!!" Wina exclaimed as her eyes turned cold and murderous.

Wina was putting enough force against her dagger to knock the assassin off balance. And Ash was losing his footing.

"Huh!?" Ash's face paled when he noticed Wina's dagger was that of an Umbralis-ranked assassin. The highest rank that is given to those in the Assassin's Society.

***

'S-Shit! What the hell!? That's impossible! The wet nurse is an Umbralis-ranked assassin!? No! There is no way! I need to end her now!' Ash thought as his mind was racing with thoughts of fear and confusion.

"You call me, pathetic!? You had ample time to end your—Gawh!"

Wina slammed her knee into his gut.

Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original.

*Thud!*

Wina quickly performed a series of graceful strikes with her dagger and cut into his forearm that was holding his weapon. Then sliced his side and nailed the top of his quad. It was causing him to stagger to the ground.

"Ah-AAAHHH!!!"

"Nothing but a second-rate Mortis..." Wina mocked him.

(Mortis are the second-highest ranking in the Assassin's Society)

"Grrrrr! I'll show you who's second rate," Ash yelled in frustration.

*BANG!*

Ash's right hook connected with Wina's dagger and he tried to twist the weapon out of Wina's grip. But she held strong as they were locked in place the blade sunk into the middle of his fist.

"Guh!" Ash gritted his teeth in pain.

Wina's face was inches away from the assassin's. That's when she noticed his wounds were starting to heal as a cloud of smoke was coming from his cuts.

'What the fuck is this?... He's healing?... I know what you are you piece of shit!' Thought Wina.

She smirked, "You're far away from the Nophtian Continent... My little Vampire."

"WHAT!?"

The surprise and shock were clearly evident on Ash's face.

"H-How did you—?"

"You can hide those fangs of yours but your healing factor is showing... Time for you to stay dead..."

"Fuck off human!"

Wina skillfully pulled out a seven-inch needle from her assassin belt with her off hand and twirled it in her fingers almost like she was using a butterfly knife and tried to stab him in the heart.

"Gah! How is she so fast!?... This is an Umbralis-ranked human!" Ash screamed out in panic as he barely managed to dodge the strike and counterattack with his own.

"Die, human!"

Wina's body moved in a strange manner like her body was made of noodles, as it contorted and bent in a way to avoid the blade.

*SHINK!*

She dug her poisoned dagger into his right shoulder leaving his chest vulnerable to her seven-inch needle.

"A-AAHHHH!"

*Thud!*

"Let's see how long your chest barrier can last?"

*SLAM!*

*THUD!*

As the silver seven-inch needle was about to make contact with Ash's chest. A magical transparent blood-red barrier appeared in front of his heart and halted its approach.

"GAH! FUCK YOU HUMAN!!!" Ash screamed as Wina channeled her mana into the needle making it glow white causing his barrier to show glowing red cracks all over it.

'It's breaking! Dammit! I can't move! I should have listened to Gwin!' Ash thought as his barrier continued to show more cracks from the needle piercing it.

Wina was staring at him with her cold murderous eyes.

"You will regret this day."

The needle finally shattered the barrier and made contact with his chest.

"G-Gawwweee!!!!!"

"This is for Ingrid you piece of shit," Wina said through gritted teeth as she pushed her needle deeper into his chest until she pierced his heart.

*GURTCH!*

Wina was seething with fury as she twisted her needle into his heart.

"GAH-AWK!"

The Vampire gurgled up some blood as his skin slowly turned a grayish-blue and his fangs popped out.

It took only a moment before he exploded into a pile of purple blood and bone ash.

*Thump!*

Wina removed her needle from the remains and flicked the blood from her weapon.

***

(Moments before Ingrid stepped in to save Wina.)

"Gah! My head is spinning!? These assassins must have put something in the air!" George yelled out to Robert as he shook his head.

"Gah! George! Focus! You can't afford to let your guard down!" Robert said in an annoyed tone as he parried another strike from the assassin with purple eyes.

"You're right, Robert. GAH! AGH! What's wrong with my body!? It feels like my limbs are getting heavier."

"Ugh! I don't feel too good either," Robert said as his sword was shaking.

The two squires were having trouble just keeping their weapons up as the toxin in the air was slowing their reaction time and movements.

Violet thinks she sees an opening on Robert and strikes him.

*CLING! CLONG!*

"Damn, his armor is a lot thicker than I thought," Violet mutters under her breath.

"Robert!" George panicked.

"Don't worry, George. I'm okay." Robert said while rubbing the spot on his armor. Thankful that it stopped the blade.

"Dammit!" Violet yells in frustration.

"I'm growing a newfound hatred for assassins" Robert comments.

"Well, it's time to end this," George says as he tries to keep his sword steady.

"Not going to happen."

Violet's eyes turned a dark purple as she stared into his eyes.

*Whoosh!*

George's body and mind instinctively parry her shadow's swift strikes.

*Clang!*

*Cling!*

*CLONG!*

Violet couldn't believe this kid could see through her technique.

"Well, your no average squire, are you?" Violet says as she looks into his eyes.

"Haha! Yeah! I'm going to be the youngest knight in Fiafyr history... Gah!" George was kicked in the leg causing him to go down on one knee.

*Clang! Clong!*

"Heh, well that doesn't matter. You'll never become a knight... I'll kill you and the others before you even get a chance."

Violet's eyes shifted to her right as she saw her partner Ash getting grabbed by the older maid.

'Dammit, Ash, what the hell are you doing!? Kill those weaklings and help me kill these two annoying meat bags!'

Robert then came in and tried to attack Violet's blind side but she was able to sense his approach and parried his blade with ease.

*CLANG!*

Violet jumped and flipped backward.

"I've had enough of this game," Violet said as she took out a glass vial and charged in after the two.

"Gw-Gwaahh!"

George was hit in the chest by the glass bottle.

*Crunch!*

*Thud!*

The glass broke on the plate mail and the contents inside the vial started melting his armor and burned George's skin.

"GWAHHH!!!! MY ARMOR AND SKIN IS ON FIRE!" George screams as he desperately removes his chest plate that was being eaten away by acid.

Robert wanted to help but the assassin was right on top of him and the toxin was affecting him and slowing his reaction time.

"I don't think so, you little brat," Violet said as she zeroed in on him.

"Gah! Ah-Gah-Ah!" Robert yelled as he tried to repel her. But the toxin had finally taken its toll and he was too slow to react.

Violet's blade knocked his sword away before she cut into his leg and tried to slice through his thigh as much as possible.

"Ah-Gwaaah!"

"You are done," Violet said as she grinned.

"G-Gah-Ah." Robert sputtered out, as the blood loss and poisons in his system were taking its toll.

Robert was able to parry one more of her strikes but was knocked down onto his back.

Robert's vision blurred and his body went limp.

"ROBERT!!!!!!" George yelled out as his eyes were wide in shock.

"Ahhh...." Robert muttered as his eyes began to lose focus.

Violet smiled. "I guess it's your turn now, meat bag."

George's face became pale with anger, sadness, and fear. His life seemed easy up to this point. Going through monsters, dueling his peers, and learning from the knights.

George was now looking down the edge of his mortality and watching his friend bleed out on the floor.

"I see my poison is finally setting in. That makes things easier."

"Y-You're a monster," George said as he was able to discard his melting armor and was holding his sword with a shaky hand.

"I've been called a lot of things, meat bag. But being a monster is the best compliment an assassin could get," Violet said as she took a fighting stance.

"I will make you pay for what you've done," George says with determination.

Violet's eyes widened. "Really? What is a weak little squire like you going to do? Your friends are already dying, and you're next. You are no threat to me, boy."

"We'll see about that, coward!"

George used what little strength he had left and lunged towards Violet.

"Foolish boy," Violet said as she charged at the squire.

*CLANG!*

Their blades clashed as George tried to push the attack into her face but she parried his strike and counterattacked with a flurry of blows.

"Ah-Gah-GAH-UGH!" George grunted as he felt the pain, in his hands from the assassin's violent strikes, vibrating through his sword.

George staggered back as he barely kept up with her attack.

"You really are an annoyance," Violet said as she kicked him in his chest.

"GAH!" Grunted George as he fell to one knee again.

"Your body is already failing you... You should just give up," Violet said as she was about to cut his neck.

But once again George's instincts kicked in and somehow had enough strength in his body to swiftly swing his sword upwards connecting with Violet's wrist.

*Swing!*

*Splat!*

*CRUNCH!*

"G-Gah!"

Violet was unable to dodge his unexpected counter and her hand was lopped off.

"HOW DID YOU DO THAT, YOU LITTLE BRAT?!"

Violet's eyes were wide open in surprise, anger, and confusion. And before she knew it George was able to pierce her in the gut with his sword.

"It's because I'm no average squire, coward," George said with a grin.

The whites of Violet's eyes turned red and fangs popped out. George tried to pull away from her but she grabbed his sword arm and pulled herself closer to him as the hilt of the sword made contact with her skin.

"N-No way! You're a vampire!?" George said in a panic as he desperately tried to get away from her.

"I-I'm going to suck you dry, you little brat!" Violet sneered.

George used his other hand to grab her by the neck to push her away but she then wrapped her legs around his waist and was coming closer to his neck.

"GAH!"

He falls on his back with the vampire refusing to let go of him and pursues his neck in hopes of biting him.

"N-No! Get off of me!"

George had lost his grip on his sword and it was still inside the vampire as she was slowly pulling herself towards him.

"Now time for a snack," Violet said with a sinister grin and was ready to bite him on the neck.

That was when they heard the death screams from Ash as Wina pierced his heart with a seven-inch needle. Causing him to explode into a pile of blood.

*BOOM!*

"ASH!!! NO!!!" Violet yelled out as she was distracted by the death of her comrade and let her guard down for a moment.

George used his now free hand and punched the vampire in the face.

*SMACK!*

Violet was stunned for a moment but regained her focus.

"Oh, I'm going to enjoy making you all suffer," Violet said as her fangs were inches away from his neck.

George's eyes widened. "NO! GET OFF ME, YOU COWARD!!!"

Violet was ready to bite him in the neck but before she could do anything. Wina rushed over with blazing speed.

"This is for Ingrid," Wina said through gritted teeth, as she skillfully threw her mana-infused needle into Violet's back. Shattering her protection barrier with ease and striking her heart.

*PING!*

"NOOOOOOO!!!!"

*POP!*

Violet's heart was pierced by the needle. Causing her body to explode into blood and guts.

*SPLAT!*

"GAH-Ah!" George exclaimed as he had a front-row seat when the vampire died right before his eyes.

George's whole being was covered in the purple blood and gore from the freshly slaughtered vampire.

"Huff... Huff... So... Gross..." George was panting and shaking as his adrenaline wore off and he felt the full force of the Galebane toxic take hold. Making him feel tired.

Wina would have liked to help George but she needed to focus on the last assassin. She lost one person close to her. She didn't want to lose Mathew as well. Who looked like he was giving trouble to the last vampire assassin.

***