Xia shut her eyes in fear as the dripping dagger was thrown toward her.
"Woah, there," a familiar voice ca from behind. "Where do you think you’re going?" Before she could open her eyes, the sound of blades clashing filled the air.
A strong aura made her tremble, and the chill breeze whipped past her as the blades clashed right next to her.
"You guys are really trying to kill her, huh?" The calm voice of soone who had recently touched her heart echoed in her ears.
Then a large arm wrapped around her waist, and she felt herself lifted into the air as a powerful breeze surged.
Opening her eyes, she found herself outside her room. Yur held her, but his gaze was fixed on two individuals—one of them missing an arm.
Suddenly, his hold loosened. His right hand, which carried a beautiful sword called Cloud Weaver, dripped with blood.
His gaze then landed on her, and a small smirk appeared. "Are you alright?"
"Y-yes," she managed to nod, clutching her towel tightly since she was still bare underneath.
His gaze shifted back to the two figures. "You’ll be surprised when you find out who the assassins are," he said abruptly.
"What do you an?" she asked, confused.
"Just watch." He released her, and the entire area began to shake.
Xia’s mind went blank under the powerful, murderous aura; it was suffocating and frightening. Sweat trickled from her forehead; without his calming aura, she would have fainted from the chaos.
"You two don’t have a chance to escape," he declared calmly. The two cloaked guardians froze, their bodies trembling and unable to move.
In Yur’s eyes, a hue of red shimred as he advanced, his aura crushing them with each step.
"Urg!" one of them cried out and collapsed, blood splattering on the ground.
Yur pressed on until, just as he neared them, a strong, unexpected aura appeared behind him. "Julian, you are here. Great."
"Are these two the assassins?" Julian asked as he stood beside his daughter. Though shocked by her appearance, his concern centered on the two cloaked figures.
He sensed their strength and frowned.
"They sent soone at fourth rank for an assassination?" he murmured. In the past, it was rare to see a third-rank assassin, and fourth-rank operatives were usually key figures in the Welit Kingdom—the strongest of all.
"Seems like it," Yur nodded. "Ready to see their faces?" Though his face remained calm, Julian swore he saw a hint of amusent in his eyes.
Lifting his white blade, Yur pulled back the hood of one kneeling assassin. "Olive?" he asked in confusion.
"Isn’t that the Tri Maid assigned to you?" Julian said in shock.
Yur turned his head and glared at Julian. "I think I should be the one concerned. A maid assigned to by your Kingdom is an assassin?"
Julian was tongue-tied.
Ignoring him, Yur lifted the hood of the more formidable assassin.
"Uncle?!" Xia gasped in shock.
"P-Pier?!" Julian echoed.
The one in question was soone Yur had briefly t at a banquet—the Queen’s brother, one of the strongest in the Freau Kingdom.
"Seems like your family is no safe place. Huh?" Yur shook his head and grabbed the assassin by the nape, throwing him over to Julian. "I’ll let you handle this family mber."
"You guys will all die! The Welit Kingdom will destroy you all! Haha!" Mid-throw, Pier suddenly began to implode.
"He’s about to self-destruct!" Julian cried, hastily grabbing his daughter and disappearing from the mansion.
Yur turned around, seized Olive, and vanished as well.
Pier’s body expanded, and a red light flashed as he...
BOOOM!
————————————————————————
Zhal stood with the Queen in the garden, silently acting as her shadow. With Zhal and the Queen was a Tri Maid—older than both Quin and Olive, around middle age.
"Zhal, what would you like to eat?" the maid, Silo, asked with a smile.
He looked at the Queen and then back at Silo, shaking his head.
"Zhal, you’re young, you should eat plenty," Silo insisted.
The Queen gestured to Silo, who translated gently, "The Queen insists you eat as well."
He stared at the Queen, who smiled kindly and nodded, her eyes gentle in a way unfamiliar to him.
"So, what would you like?" she offered, holding up a few pictures of food options. "Just point at one, and I’ll take care of it."
After a mont, Zhal raised his hand, when suddenly:
"AH!! ASSASSIN!"
A shriek tore through the garden.
"Queen, hurry!" Silo, a Seeker of Embers cultivator, quickly assud a battle stance and rushed toward the Queen.
Zhal felt his hair stand on end as the noise grew louder. He turned to see the Queen watching the door with deep worry, her eyes pleading. She waved her hands frantically at Silo.
"She’s worried about the servants," Silo murmured, voice laced with regret. "Queen, I’m sorry, but we must protect you."
Her hand signals beca more frantic.
"We don’t have enough manpower to guard them, Queen," Silo said softly. "I’m sorry."
Zhal’s eyes darted between the worried Queen and the entrance, where the shrieks were coming. After glancing back and forth, he suddenly vanished.
"Zhal?!" the Queen cried, her voice trembling. Silo, a cultivator, squinted into the dark to discern his direction.
Desperately, the Queen gestured with shaking hands. "I think he went to help the servants."
Silo nodded slowly. Luckily, there was only one entrance to the garden, unless soone bypassed Zhal, no one else could enter.
The two won stood in silent, tense anticipation. The Queen clutched her hands together, worry etched deeply on her face. Despite her duty to protect the servants, she feared for Zhal, she still saw him as just a child, vulnerable and precious.
Ti passed slowly, each second stretching out like a lifeti. Then, as if erging from the shadows of the garden, a figure appeared before her, a cloaked figure whose presence sent a chill down her spine.
"Zhal!" Silo exclaid in shock.
In his hands, the figure clutched sothing glinting in the dim light. Without hesitation, Zhal lifted the cloak, and both won gasped in unison.
"Young Lord Illius?!" Silo whispered, covering her mouth in disbelief. The young boy—the nephew of the Queen, son of Pier—stared back with eyes that held a strange, unreadable glimr.
"Aunty! Just die! Let live!" The young man, though wearing a maniacal expression, had tears streaming down his face. "I have to kill you! Please!"
The young man was as powerful as Renri, yet much older.
Zhal threw him onto the ground and placed his knee on his back, holding his two arms tightly. His gaze then landed on the Queen.
"Retrain him," Silo commanded, her voice firm. "We will have the King handle him."
"Mother!" As she was speaking, Renri suddenly ca running, his face splattered with blood. "Thank God you’re safe." He quickly enveloped her in a big hug.
He then released her and stared in shock at the cloaked person beneath Zhal.
"Illius?!" He was taken aback. "You tried to kill my mother?!"
"Not just her, everyone needs to die!" Illius’s eyes were bloodshot, his veins bulging, and tears continued to fall from his maniacal face. "Please! If I don’t kill you, I will die!"
"Who will kill you? Is it the Welit Kingdom?! We’re at war with them already?!" Renri frowned, finding Illius extrely repulsive in this mont.
"No—n—" Before he could finish his words, he suddenly bit his own tongue. "AH!!" He roared as his mouth began to bleed profusely.
Everyone watched in shock. "What is going on?!" Renri wondered as he saw his cousin suddenly faint. "Mother, I’ll take him to the prison."
The Queen nodded.
"You can let him go, Zhal," Renri said, walking over and patting Zhal’s shoulder.
Zhal nodded, but before releasing him, he suddenly placed his hands on Illius’s bicep and forearm.
"What are you doing?" Renri had a bad feeling, but before he could stop him—
Crack!
"AHHHHH!"
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