After William chased after the one who escaped from Valdias's mansion, the princess and the ladies were temporarily evacuated to another room, and Hilda and the others were busy cleaning up.
"This cut with a dining knife... impressive."
Anselm exclaimed in admiration. Even the grumpy Hilda had to nod at this. She could confidently say that she couldn't pull off such a feat with a dining knife. After all, she couldn't move like William when her vision was taken away. She couldn't, so she devoted herself to guarding him―
"Wow. To be able to move like that in that blinding fog."
Gregor was amazed by how well William moved. The fog was thickest at the time, and their vision was completely gone. No matter how strong Gregor and his men were, they couldn't exert their power in that situation. They could only protect themselves. In that situation, only William was able to attack. It was natural for Gregor, a warrior, to appreciate him.
"So this is the rumored White Mask."
"To take down seven by himself, I hate to admit it, but he's impressive."
"Carl sure got himself a good catch."
The other hundred captains were surprised by the clear number of seven. In that fog, against the assassins who were accustomed to the darkness, William fought with an advantage. If they were asked if they could do that, they would have to say no. After all, they couldn't even protect the original target, Count Vlad, by themselves.
"Hmph."
Gilbert snorted. He might have thought he had handled it well, but the killing intent from before was clearly directed at someone in this hall, and Gilbert's senses weren't so dull that he couldn't tell where it was coming from. It was a lucky break that the assassins had broken in. Gilbert thought so inwardly. And he was right on the money.
"It's scary, isn't it?"
Hilda muttered her true feelings. More than the sharpness of the cut, more than the fact that he could move even with his vision blocked, more than the fact that he killed seven assassins, the last sight of him standing there was burned into her eyes. The white beauty who appeared from the fog.
"What's scary?"
It wasn't just his appearance that was well-proportioned. He had an aura. A dark, bottomless something that swallowed everything. People are afraid of the darkness, but at the same time, they are drawn to it. There must be many who are attracted to William's dark side, his strength. And that number will increase. That's what's scary.
"It's the knight who got cocky after becoming a knight, you know."
"Ow ow ow ow! Don't pinch my cheeks!"
She was scared to death that the night would cover this country.
༺༻
The capital of Arcadia, Arcus. It wasn't the most outstanding city among the seven kingdoms, but few would say it wasn't a metropolis when looking at the whole world. The size of the box that could accommodate so many people, the capacity of the city as a city, was worthy of the seven kingdoms. But because it was big, there were things that were hard to see, things that lurked in the places that were hard to see, and they also existed in this country.
"Huh?!"
Around Favela, there were people who lived on the dark side. They all wore the same outfit. Their faces were masked and their expressions couldn't be guessed. The place was filled with inorganic killing intent. She had reached her limit, and Favela drew her dagger.
"An assassin who fails to assassinate is no longer an assassin."
"Those who are no longer assassins deserve death."
"They should die."
There was no anger, no sadness, no joy, nothing. They were just beings who killed people. They were the assassins who belonged to the Assassins Guild. They all had some reason for losing their emotions. Only those who had such backgrounds and training were here.
"I can't die. Not yet, I..."
The most emotional one in this place was none other than Favela. Even though she was usually expressionless, she had a variety of emotions swirling inside her. She didn't know how to express them. She didn't need to, anyway, because the three of them understood each other.
"We'll live, the three of us!"
The three of them, Al, Kyle, and Favela. They were connected.
"They should die."
An assassin leaped in front of Favela. Favela took a defensive stance.
"Ha!"
Favela skillfully wielded her dagger. She could handle the opponent in front of her. She actually cut him down, and she was better at it. But―
"They should die."
If there were two―
"Not yet!"
She fought against two with a dignified performance. She moved lightly and didn't let them aim. She didn't let them feel the gravity of her movements. She deserved the respect she got in the Thieves Guild. But still―
"They should die."
If there were three―
"Argh!"
Favela was kicked from behind and rolled over. She moved like a butterfly, but once her movement was stopped, there was nothing she could do.
"They should die."
With a swift and efficient movement, a poisoned knife approached her throat. One wound would kill her instantly. There was no pain, no suffering, and Favela―
"I'm sorry. Al, Kyle."
That was the end of Favela―
"Geez... if you're going to apologize, you shouldn't have done it in the first place."
The three assassins who were fighting with Favela had their torsos cut off at the same time. The wounds were rough, and their organs split all over the place. A flashy and spectacular death. The one who had staged it was―
"Kyle."
"You'll get a lecture later. And you guys... die."
Kyle. The childhood friend of Favela and Al, and a gladiator who lived by the sword.
An assassin sneaked up behind him without a trace, and Kyle casually jabbed him with a backhand. That was enough to make the assassin's head fly. The head that flew off had its mask shattered, and its face was also caved in beyond recognition.
"Huh?!"
The emotionless assassins.
"You better run. I can't stop myself right now..."
A powerful aura overflowed from him. The assassins, who were supposed to have no emotions, couldn't get close to him because of the dense smell of death. The assassins couldn't win against him, even if they teamed up. The absolute strongest was there.
"I'm sorry."
The strongest started to move. He grabbed and crushed the head of an assassin. He didn't need to use a weapon against such trash. He could just crush them with his own strength. His fist pierced through the stomach of an assassin, and at the same time, he grabbed and twisted his spine. The assassins who hit him also died in one blow.
"R-run!"
The assassins were supposed to have no emotions. How much training and experience had they accumulated for that? Even if they faced death, they had unshakable confidence and determination. But―
"Please, run away. I won't chase you if you get away."
The scene that the monster in front of them created easily erased their determination. This was not a battlefield. This was the capital Arcus, and although it was a place with no people, there was still human activity on the other side of the street. There was no sight more horrifying than this hell being created behind the scenes.
The assassins ran away. Kyle didn't actively pursue them.
"Ha…ha…ha… I-I survived, huh?!"
Because their escape route was―
"You think I'd let you go, you idiot?!"
Already blocked. The head of an assassin flew. A silver sword glittered.
"Let's kill them all first, then we'll talk about the rest."
A man wearing a cheap mask and a wig that he picked up at a random stall. An image of a body overflowing from him. The assassins who were here understood—
That they couldn't escape.
"Die."
A merciless bloodbath ensued.
༺༻
The three of them crashed into Kyle's house. It had been a long time since the three of them had gathered at someone's place. Favela was happy just about that fact, but she looked down at the stern faces of William and Kyle. Of course, she was feeling down, but as usual, she looked expressionless from the outside.
"Count Vlad, huh? I understand how you feel, but it was foolish. Too foolish."
Kyle spat out. He was angry at Favela's rashness, but more than that, he was frustrated that she couldn't rely on him, that she couldn't even consult him. If she had consulted him, he would have stopped her, and at worst, he could have helped her kill him for sure.
"Favela, the fate of an assassin is either to die during a mission or after a mission. That's all. It's not something a living person can become. You understand that, right?"
William said in a persuasive tone. But his inner feelings were far from calm.
"But it was a chance to kill Vlad."
Favela tried to make an excuse. Kyle clenched his fist, but William stopped him.
"Let me make this clear. I don't care about Vlad anymore, and there's no future for the three of us to live happily in this city. Everything you did was pointless."
Favela crumbled her expression for the first time in a way that anyone could see. Kyle stopped moving and leaned against the wall.
"I think of you two as friends more important than my own life. I've never wavered on that, and I never will. I swear on my path, I won't give up on that."
William hugged Favela lightly, who looked like she was about to cry.
"But, that's why being too close to each other is dangerous. If I screw up, or if any of you screw up, we'll all be dead if we're too close. And that's also a risk that can be avoided if you don't get close to me. I don't want to drag you two into my path, Favela."
"That's not fair! That's not fair at all!"
For Favela, William was always Al. He smiled bitterly at that. That's why she didn't understand that they had to part. No, maybe she understood but still couldn't accept it.
"For now, let's put that aside. We should think about Favela's situation now."
A calm word. Favela glared at Kyle with a coldness in her words. Favela prioritized the other two over herself. And so did the other two. That's why the three of them would never agree on this part. If they did agree―
"Kyle is right. The Assassin Guild is after us, of course, but the city is also getting pretty noisy. We don't have much time."
Gently letting go of Favela, William sat down on a chair. He assumed a thinking posture.
"What options do we have? I can only think of fleeing the country."
Hearing that, Favela shook her head vigorously. She couldn't bear to part with the two of them. She would rather choose death than that. She had feelings for both of them and more than anything, she depended on them mentally.
"The worst option is to keep running away in this city until things cool down. The country is one thing, but the assassination guild won't ever give up, given their nature. It would be different if Kyle and I could protect you around the clock, but I have to spend more time on the battlefield, and Kyle has his own work too."
"...I don't mind protecting you all the time, you know."
Kyle muttered under his breath, but he was ignored.
"The safest and best option is to escape the country right now. If we cross the border, it’ll be harder for the country's and guild's power to reach us. The guild isn't idle, and they have limited manpower. They can't send too many people just to chase after one person who crossed the country. Even if they send one or two, you can handle them by yourself, Favela. If Kyle is with you, it's foolproof."
William wanted to push for this option. When he thought about the future, it would be lonely, but this would be the best for both of them. William's path was too far from ordinary people. If the possibility of dragging them into it became zero, William could gamble with peace of mind.
"Impossible."
Favela rejected it outright. Kyle nodded in agreement. He had suggested it earlier, but escaping the country was unthinkable for him. He couldn't leave William alone and run away. He knew his intentions, and that made it even more so.
"Then the next best thing. It's a bit of a gamble. Of course, we'll have to stake one or two lives. I'll warn you in advance, it's a pretty bad bet. I recommend escaping the country. That way, you'll get a perfect and comfortable plan and guaranteed safety. I can offer you both of those."
William said that, but he didn't think Kyle and Favela would agree. It was just a warning. He was implying that things would get difficult from now on and that there was a possibility that all three of them would lose their lives.
Kyle and Favela didn't waver. Seeing that, William sighed.
"...We'll break into the assassination guild and negotiate. We don't have much material, but with Kyle and my power, we might be able to get to the negotiation table. If we can get there, I'll make something happen."
William answered with little confidence. The situation was more dire than it looked. The enemy was the country and the dark side of this country. Either one would be troublesome enough, but they had to escape from both of them and still live in this country afterward.
"I see. So it's brute force, huh."
Kyle grabbed his weapon of choice. The air was tense with that alone.
"That's right. I'm counting on you, champ."
They exchanged a glance, and everything was communicated. Plus, they had seen Kyle's power in action earlier. Their trust deepened. If Kyle was there, they could make it. He had always had the power to make them think so. They had no choice but to bet on him. Kyle had always been the leader of the three of them.
Telepathy, that was the three of them.
"...What's a champ?"
The two of them almost fell over. Come to think of it, Favela didn't know that Kyle had reached the top of the arena. Well, even if she knew, she would probably just say "Hmm."
"Ahem, well, that's that. It's irreverent, but... I'm starting to have some fun."
William's words were the idea of the three of them. Since that day, they had spent less time together. It was a distant past when they used to steal apples from the stalls. It had been a long time since they had joined forces. They didn't revert to their childhood, but they felt a little excited.
A once-in-a-lifetime gamble with their lives at stake. What was at stake was their lives. By now, it was the lives of the three of them. It was rare for the three of them to stake their lives equally, and because they were equal and fair, they could hope for it without any ill will as friends.
"Well, shall we go?"
Such an opportunity was rare after all.
༺༻
"What is this... sight?"
It was a dead spot in Arcus with no people. It was usually quiet and deserted, but now it was a hellish scene of death with guts scattered around. A thick smell of feces, urine, and blood filled the air. It was not something that humans could do.
"...Favela of the Wind Cat is certainly talented, but she doesn't have the power to do something like this."
The assassins he had sent after Favela were more than enough. There was no reason for them to fail, in terms of quantity and quality. The only possibility was reinforcements from her friends. And moreover...
"One of them... is a monster."
The man hurried back to report to his master.
He had to hurry. If the atmosphere that filled this place bared its fangs at the organization, it wouldn't end well.
༺༻
"A... monster?!"
It was a storm of slaughter that was beyond hopeless. A monster was rampaging through the slum's lowest layer, the abyss of Arcus, the headquarters of the assassination guild. The opponents were skilled assassins. They all had a lot of experience, skill, and strength. They had killed their emotions, erased themselves, and became perfect assassins. And now...
"Help!!"
They were running away. Scared from the hands of a single monster.
"Rage!"
The monster was a warrior. His body was honed like steel, and he was huge. He broke and tore flesh and bone with one swing of his sword. The warrior didn't care about the sharpness of his blade. He could cut his opponent with a stick, let alone a blade that was sharpened. The warrior's seriousness would inflict a fatal wound on his opponent.
"Hmph!"
A human was split in half. It would be understandable if it was horizontal. But vertical was another story. It was as if a supernatural power was at work. The theory of swordsmanship was to aim for the gap between the bones. He ignored that and dared to cut the bone vertically. It was a technique of a non-human. The one who did it was this man.
He turned many into chunks of meat with one swing.
He scattered more guts with two swings.
He understood with three swings. No one could beat this monster.
"Geez, I don't get a chance at all, do I?"
William was also showing an easy fight against the assassins, but the man in front of him was different.
‘If it's just simple strength, even Valdias or Stracles would be hopeless. I see, this is you in the arena. The gladiator Kyle who’s reached the peak, someone who I don't know.’
Kyle was so strong that he easily overrode William's expectations. The aura of a warrior weighed heavily on the surroundings. It was not just the skin that tingled. Exposed to his killing intent, some of them bent their knees, some of them leaked feces and urine, some of them cried and begged for mercy, and the assassins forcibly recalled the emotions they had abandoned―
"Haah!"
He swept away everything in one fell swoop. Even his friend William was trembling from his power. The scene he created was nothing but hell. And the misfortune of the assassins was also due to the fact that Kyle was a gladiator, a showman. The show had to be flashy. The audience demanded it.
More flashy, more gruesome, more horrifying.
Kyle knew how to stage hell. He knew how to please, delight, and excite the audience. Only by satisfying them could he be a gladiator. Only by showing them more than they expected could he reach the pinnacle.
"Back off!"
He twisted and tore off the head of an assassin who was crying and begging for his life with one hand. There was no mercy for the warrior. Their greatest misfortune was that they had touched the warrior's scales. They had laid their hands on the warrior's most precious treasure. That was all there was to it.
"I see. You are the comrades of the "Wind Cat", and that "Beast Fighter" is Kyle."
A man with a slightly different atmosphere from the assassins stood in front of the warrior. Kyle glared at him as he reigned over the pool of blood. If he had been one of the previous enemies, he would have lost his will to fight with just that, but the man calmly shrugged it off.
"You were too strong for your own good, so you ran away from the champion, had no opponents, and were forced to fight beasts in the opening act, even though you were the second-ranked gladiator. You are a genuine monster. This scenario makes sense, but you should stop here."
The man's killing intent was sharp.
"Do you think you can beat me with that?"
The warrior's killing intent was immense. It was obvious at a glance. Kyle was overwhelmingly stronger.
"If anything goes, I can do it."
The man held a knife coated with poison that would kill with just a scratch. He also had weapons hidden in his clothes. He didn't fight face-to-face with dignity. He carried out his assassination calmly and quietly. He had the skill to make it possible. And―
"…"
Behind the man, assassins with similar strength to him lined up. The best of the best that the assassination guild boasted. They had the power to match the money it took to build a house for each one of them. And there were many of them.
"You feel like you can win, huh? This also "me"... I've been underestimated!"
The peak roared. Even if he faced such a group of skilled people, he had to win. It was the duty of the strongest. Even if he was outnumbered, the strongest had to crush them flamboyantly. Behold the true nature of the warrior.
"Back off, Kyle. Your turn is over."
William stopped Kyle, who was about to move. Kyle showed his dissatisfaction, but it was William's role to think with his head. And this situation was as planned from the beginning.
"I take it you are one of the top ones in the guild, aren't you?"
The man looked suspicious at William's question. Kyle had stood out, but William had also killed a considerable number of assassins. He was not a threat to the man, but he judged that he needed to be wary of his thoughtful way of fighting.
"What do you want?"
The man remained vigilant and did not break his combat stance. Neither did the people behind him, or the assassins around him.
"I want to negotiate. I would prefer to meet with someone higher up, the top of the guild if possible."
At that moment, all the assassins, the man and his surroundings, and those who were watching from afar, directed their killing intent at him. A torrent of killing intent focused on William alone. He did not waver, even when he received it.
"We have Kyle and me here. Favela is not weak either. It's not constructive to keep fighting and pile up corpses, is it? Of course, the place for discussion is fine on your field. It's ideal for killing you if you're at a disadvantage."
One of William's bargaining chips was this strength. He had to make them understand that he had troublesome enemies like him and Kyle. That was the first step to getting to the negotiating table. There was no point if he couldn't get there.
"I can kill you right here."
The man had no intention of backing down. Neither did the people behind him, nor the assassins around him. William could only smile wryly at this. He must have touched something, their scales―
‘Can you do a little more?’
‘If you tell me to do it, I'll do it. But they're tough.’
The situation had made a turn for the worse. The man and his entourage in front of him were clearly different from the previous enemies. Of course, Kyle could crush one or two of them as well, but it was troublesome if they moved like a single entity in a group battle. And they would probably do that easily.
"We'll die together."
Even at a time like this, Favela looked strangely happy (only Kyle and William could tell). The two of them laughed. It was a rare opportunity to die with the three of them.
"Shall we do our best?"
"Yes!"
The mighty warrior and the army of corpses roared. The fighting spirit rose. The killing intent burst.
William and his friends would probably die here. But since they were going to die anyway, the more people they took with them, the better. They had to pile up lots of corpses and make them regret it. They should have negotiated with William and his friends. They got a bad deal.
They were ready. Now, let's do it―
"That's enough from both sides. What are you getting so worked up about, "White Dragon"? I told you to find out, didn't I? Do you want to lose more of the assassins you've nurtured and make me lose money?"
Words that were incomprehensible where they came from. It was as if the words were spilling out from the bottom of the earth. The fighting spirit of Kyle, William, and the man called White Dragon completely disappeared.
"B-but, Your Majesty, the King of the Night, to ask to meet with you is too rude. We cannot allow this."
"Nonsense. There is no such thing as courtesy or rudeness here. This is the Land of the Night. What are you going to do with the etiquette of the Land of the Day?"
White Dragon fell silent. His dignity was gone, and he shrank his shoulders and trembled.
"Guests. I may not be as splendid and gorgeous as the palace that towers over the Land of the Day, but I invite you to my abode, the Dark Abyss of the Night. White Dragon, show them the way. Everyone else, erase everything. All for the peace of my country."
The assassins dispersed. Only William, his friends, and White Dragon were left. White Dragon, with reluctance all over his face, motioned for them to follow him with a jerk of his head.
"What do you want to do? I think... it would be better to flee the country now that we've come this far."
Kyle was feeling weak. His strength as a gladiator was unquestionable. He didn't feel like losing in strength. But the voice just now was too different. It was beyond Kyle's understanding.
"Don't worry. I feel the same way. But maybe―"
"No one has ever refused that person's invitation and survived. Not even the king of this country. Don't think about doing anything futile."
White Dragon's advice. It took away William and his friends' escape route.
"There's no choice but to go."
Cold sweat ran down William's cheeks.