Chapter 63: 63:Slaughter

The assassins rushed out of the shadows, blades gleaming under the moonlight.

"Leave no witnesses! Kill them all!" their leader roared.

Ramos, still inside the coach, clicked his tongue in irritation. "Tsk, it seems everyone here is on the list."

Ramos then turned towards Chris,"This might be your first real battle.Are you afraid?"

Chris without hesitation pulled out his sword and shouted,"Definitely not."

"Good spirit but be humbled. Not everyone is a monster like that bastard."

"Baret, Gare!"

"Yes, Sir!"Baret and Gare shouted.

"Take care of Chris."

"We will."

Outside, the senior knight named Chandler drew his sword, his voice like iron. "STAND YOUR GROUND! FIGHT!"

"Show them who they are messing with."

The knights formed ranks, shields locked together, swords at the ready. Then, the slaughter began.

Baret stepped forward, his massive frame like a wall between the knights and the assassins. A towering brute with a bloodstained cleaver charged at him, swinging the weapon downward with terrifying strength.

CLANG!

Baret caught the attack on his greatsword, his arms barely budging.

"You’re strong." The assassin grinned, his eyes filled with bloodlust. "But can you handle—"

THUMP!

Baret’s knee slammed into his gut, forcing out a guttural cough even before he could finish his sentence.

"Shut up."

"Since when does the assassin talk this much?"

SLASH!

Baret’s sword cleaved diagonally, tearing through the assassin’s chest. Blood sprayed into the night as the man collapsed, gasping for air.

Another assassin lunged, aiming for Baret’s neck.

’Too slow.’

Baret assessed and sidestepped, grabbed the attacker by the throat and sliced it with his sword.

The man’s body went limp before Baret threw him aside like trash.

....

Gare faced two assassins at once, their movements quick and unpredictable.

One came from the front, feinting a thrust—

The other attacked from the side, trying to take him off guard.

But Gare was faster.

He ducked, twisting his body as the first blade missed his chest by an inch. At the same time, he blocked the second strike with his gauntlet, sparks flying.

"Nice try," Gare smirked.

SWOOSH!

His dagger flashed, carving a deep gash across one assassin’s throat. The man choked, clutching his neck before collapsing.

The second assassin tried to back away, panic in his eyes.

Gare pounced like a wolf, driving his dagger straight into the man’s heart.

"Too slow," he whispered, pulling the blade out. The assassin dropped instantly.

Killing it, he observed Chris while keeping his focus up ahead.

Chris gripped his sword tightly, sweat dripping from his forehead. This was his first real battle.

An assassin rushed him, moving like a phantom.

Chris swung wildly, but the assassin dodged with ease, landing a kick to his stomach.

"Gah!" Chris stumbled back, barely blocking the next strike. Sparks flew as metal clashed against metal.

"You’re too slow," the assassin sneered, slashing toward Chris’s neck.

CLANG!

At the last second, Chris parried, his movements shaky but improving. His eyes sharpened, learning from every mistake.

"Not bad, kid." Baret, fighting nearby, watched closely. "You’re adapting fast, but—"

Chris barely dodged another strike, panic flashing in his eyes.

"Calm down. Focus." Baret barked.

Chris gritted his teeth, adjusting his grip. The assassin came again.But this time, Chris was ready.

SWOOSH!

He sidestepped, dodging by a hair’s breadth. His sword flashed, cutting deep into the assassin’s shoulder.

The assassin screamed, staggering back.

Chris exhaled sharply, realizing—

He was learning slowly and steadily.

His class was swordsman. Nothing fancy and over the top but as Kael’s sword.

Just because it seems meaningless in the beginning doesn’t mean it would end like one.He held on his own defending and countering waiting for an opening.

And he found one..

The assassin made one final mistake.

He charged, blinded by rage.

Chris thrust his sword forward, straight into the man’s gut.

The assassin’s eyes widened in shock.

"Y-You..."

Chris pulled the blade out letting the assassin collapse.

Chris stood there, panting, his hands shaking.

Baret patted his back, grinning. "See? Not bad, kid. Keep that up, and you’ll survive."

Chris took a deep breath.

He wasn’t just surviving rather was getting stronger by each fight.

The battlefield was littered with corpses.

The assassins who tried to kill them... were dead.

But there was one more fight left.

......

Kael walked slowly into the battlefield, a twisted grin on his face. Blood and corpses littered the ground, the scent of death thick in the air. The remaining assassins turned to face him, weapons drawn, their faces grim.

"You all are so weak." Kael laughed, stretching his arms like he was warming up. "You’re pathetic. You don’t deserve to be assassins."

The assassins snarled, one of them lunging first, a dagger aimed at Kael’s throat.

SWISH!

Kael tilted his head, letting the blade pass by, then slammed his fist into the assassin’s stomach. CRACK! Ribs shattered as the man vomited blood.

"What the hell was that? A mosquito bite?" Kael scoffed before grabbing the man’s head and twisting it sharply.

SNAP!

The body dropped like a ragdoll.

"Next! Come on, don’t waste my time."

Two assassins charged at once, one slashing horizontally while the other thrust forward.

Kael spun on his heel, ducking under the first blade while parrying the second with his own sword. His counterattack was brutal—his sword sliced through the first man’s thigh, then stabbed through the other’s throat in one fluid motion.

The man gurgled, blood pouring from his mouth as he fell.

"You call this an assassination squad?" Kael mocked, stepping over the bodies. "I’ve seen street thugs with better skills."

"YOOOOUU!"

"Killl himmmm!"

Another assassin tried to sneak behind him—

Kael whirled around and drove his sword straight into the man’s face and ripped it apart into pieces spraying blood and meant.

"Tsk, pathetic." He pulled the blade out, blood spraying onto the dirt and wiped his face.

The remaining assassins hesitated, fear creeping into their eyes.

Kael grinned. "Oh? Are you scared now? You should be."

One man, desperate, hurled a throwing knife—

Kael sidestepped, catching the blade mid-air, and threw it back.

THUD!

It pierced the assassin’s skull.

"Bullseye!" Kael whistled.

Only a handful were left, trembling, backs against the trees.

Kael dragged his blood-soaked sword along the ground, smirking. "Alright, last chance. Who sent you?"

Silence.

"Nobody? Really?"

Kael sighed dramatically. "Guess I’ll have to carve the answer out of you."

He stepped forward—

But then—

BOOM!

A sudden force slammed into his chest, launching him off his feet. He crashed into the ground hard, the impact leaving cracks in the soil.

"Tch!" Kael gritted his teeth, his body aching from the hit. He braced himself, ready to counter but the moment he looked up, he smirked.

Standing before him was a man, unlike the others.

He was cold and deadly.

’But looks can be deceptive you know?’

His menacing glare pierced through Kael, eyes like a predator locking onto prey. He wasn’t trembling. He wasn’t weak.

Kael wiped the blood from his lips, then chuckled. "Hah... finally. Someone interesting."

He stood up, rolling his shoulders.

"This is gonna be fun."