Chapter 3: Hello.

There was a white sword in her hands, a sword that seemed far from ordinary.

Her hair was distinct, so much so that they resembled the serene moon hanging above them right now.

The silver eyes that were calculating the odds of making out of this situation alive were processing different scenarios in her head as well.

But...

’I go left and take that one to create an opening, and he’ll throw one of his own people at me.’

’I go to the left and slice the calves of that bunch and he’ll just swing that giant sword around to kill me along with anything that’s in his sword path.’

’Going straight towards him is suicidal.’

’Jumping back will make me duck served to him on a platter. One stone thrown from his hand and I’ll be dead.’

There were tens, almost hundreds of things she could have done in a situation where she was surrounded by enemies.

She was an expert when it came to one-to-many combat even though 1v1 was her primary style.

However, she still knew her limitations.

With the mission restrictions placed on her, she was only strong enough to fight the bunch that was with the target. She was not supposed to meet him like this...

"You’re a clever one, ain’t cha?"

Alaz Ruther, also known as the Black fish.

The leader of the assailant forces, the previous knight commander of Mayn kingdom as well as an exile, was a ’blessed’ individual.

He was (SS-rank) in his prime, but even right now, he was no less powerful than a (S-rank) master.

His [Blessing] allowed him to restrict any target he wanted with his Aura. Under the pressure of his Power, no one could actually harm him.

It was a dangerous ability. And that was exactly the reason she was a bad match for him.

’Once he uses his Aura, escaping is impossible.’

He knew that as well. That’s the reason he was so relaxed even with a powerful enemy standing before him.

But she needed to buy as much time as she could before the rest of them got there.

"It’s all futile, Miss."

But while trying to find an escape route by having a mental battle with the veteran enemy had worked until now, the Black Fish wasn’t going to wait any longer.

They had their own mission here, and they were running out of time with each passing second.

"You’ll regret hurting me, commander Alaz." She strengthened the grip on her sword while looking at the enemy with great anger in her eyes.

In a situation where she was outnumbered and out mastered, she should be trembling right now. At the very least, she should have been nervous.

But, there was not even a hint of fear in those eyes.

Instead, they were glaring at the dangerous foe.

"Hohoho! The spirit! What an admirable little girl!" A wave of energy exploded from his body, his roaring laugh sending the people around him flying three meters away.

Snow barely held on with the support of her sword that she had dug into the ground.

She had a strange feeling this mission was not going to be as simple as it seemed when they first accepted it.

"What is it that makes you believe that I, the executioner under this moonlight, won’t just kill you and everyone that is with you, huh?!"

He was a cold blooded killer, a madman that was exiled from the empire that he had severed only for a short time.

He had exceptional combat abilities, but he was no less than the demons who slaughtered innocent people just to get what they wanted.

And the organisation that he was working for right now was no different.

"Ugg..."

-Swiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiish!

He had revealed his dark red aura, his giant great sword covered in the power of the divine.

His eyes were smirking at the woman, more attractive than most that he had seen, far too exquisite to just sacrifice to his blade.

"Huhuhu!"

He licked his lips as he prepared to extend his aura towards the swordswoman, ready to capture her and take her as a reward but, before he could do that...

-Suup!

An arrow was shot out of nowhere.

"Huh?"

An enchanted arrow that created a bang of flash just strong enough to give her a much needed moment.

"Fool!"

The small moment allowed her to escape from the Black Fish’s range and create just enough distance between them where she was able to use her throwing knives to eliminate ten of the grunts hiding behind their leader.

-Swish! Swish! Swish!

-Thud.

Her aim was as precise as an assassin that has mastered the throwing weapons.

The blades hit the vital parts of the enemy and took their lives instantly.

The arrow allowed her to save herself and hide away, but it was dangerous.

She knew she was going to scold Barn for doing something so unnecessary.

"DO YOU THINK THAT CHANGES ANYTHING?!"

The enraged black fish exploded, his Aura creating a great crater on the ground.

Some of the people who were too close to him right now were overwhelmed by the sheer power of his Aura, ultimately falling unconscious on the spot.

Some weren’t as fortunate as them.

The moment the light of Aura touched their bodies, they were thrown off at a speed that, when they crashed into a tree or anything that stopped their momentum, their souls could not stay within their bodies.

Half of his remaining forces had died, but it did not matter to him. He was three times these men combined could ever be.

"You can hide but you cannot run—!"

"And we know that."

A voice he had not heard before spoke to him from behind, catching him off guard.

"..."

He was a high ranking knight that had fought countless battles. One who could sense an ant walking a hundred yards away.

But he couldn’t sense him? A young looking boy?

"Who... what the hell are you?"

The woman who was here just now was gone and this guy was probably the one who helped her.

The black fish knew something was amiss here right now, so he did not let his guard down.

"Hello."

But even if he had strength, he wasn’t the smartest one of his people.

"My name is Andrew McLore."

Slowly, the young looking man wearing the red mask walked towards the veteran knight.

"I operate a secret organization with my wives and we specialize in pretty much anything the clients want done."

He was standing right before him, looking directly upwards in the knight’s eyes.

"Together, we are called the Parliament."

Then, Andrew pulled out a parchment that had a certain black mark that was also engraved on the Black fish’s arm.

"We were hired by your superiors this time." He carefully handed the parchment to the enemy and took a step backwards.

He did not want any unnecessary trouble so he lifted his hands up in surrender.

"There seems to be some misunderstanding. Can we talk?" He was trying to convince him right now, but the guy who ultimately planted those gas bombs in this estate wasn’t going to listen to him, now was he?

-Srrrrr...

He disintegrated the parchment with his Aura, and at the same time, now that he knew who he was dealing with, the black fish conjured the power of his blessing.

-Zaaaaaaaa...!

A powerful red light manifested into the form of chains that shot out from his body and bounded the masked boy.

"If you were hired by my superiors, I couldn’t possibly let you go now, can I?"

He tried to scan the area around them once again, but it seemed like that white swordswoman had managed to escape already.

"Things have gone to shit."

The bombs should have gone off a while ago, but that hasn’t happened yet.

It didn’t take long for him to figure out who could have been behind that.

"I’ll finish what I started."

He picked up his great sword, looking at the boy with honest rage.

He wouldn’t get out of this... not in one piece at least.

"Do you have any last wishes, boy?"

The forces that were supposed to be on his side had already realized the fact that the black fish had betrayed them.

They wanted to help Andrew fight against him now, but that would not be necessary.

"I should be the one asking that question, old man."

A green fire flowed out from his eyes, mouth, and ears.

-OOOOOOOOOOONG!

It covered his head completely, burning it in an abhorrent manner.

His skin and muscles under it had already burnt, leaving only his bone intact.

The masked boy was now a creature from the world of the demons: a being of unrestricted power.

"...!"

The green flames were one of the few counters to the knight’s ability. And, he coincidentally happened to have it.

"A... demon..."

The veteran knight was visibly scared.

What he was feeling right now, in this moment, was obviously the power of the demons and a long forgotten dread.

But the boy was no demon. The knight was certain that even though the power was demonic, the one wielding it, undoubtedly, was of mortal nature.

[ "Ah, well, you’re a scum old man." ]

He was speaking the tongue of the demons as well. But, the certain evil which should be present in that voice, right now, was nowhere to be found.

[ "You should deserve an appropriate death." ]

He pulled out the red dagger, and placed it into the Black fish’s hand.

At the same time...

"Arghhhhhhhhhhhh!"

His entire body started burning, the fluid green fire gushing inside him through his mouth and every other hole, forcing her way in the deepest parts of his heart.

The pain induced in this moment, without a doubt, was much severe than simply being burned alive.

"Nooooooooooo...!"

It was a natural response of the body to protect the mind from these severe traumatic experiences.

So in that instance, the only thing the black fish’s mind could do right now...

-Puk.

Was to thrust the red dagger through his own heart... stopping the agony rather than letting him suffer in seemingly, utterly endless pain.

For a perceived eternity at that.