Chapter 9
Chapter 9
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 9
Chapter Title: The End of Brooks
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Surprisingly, Brooks blocked the attack with the sword he kept by his head.
As befitting a man of exceptional skill, he had reacted instantly even while sound asleep.
"Who are you?"
Whoosh!
He swiftly leaped from the bed and took his stance.
A reaction speed and agility I hadn't expected.
It had been a long time since his retirement, but it seemed his fundamentals hadn't gone anywhere.
'This complicates things.'
Now that the assassination had failed, he was no easy target.
Brooks had always been a formidable master who had made quite a name for himself.
Even without his right arm, he could likely handle someone of my level with ease.
'The Silent Assassination Arts won't be enough. I'll have to use a higher-level secret technique.'
I had been training in the family's secret art, the next stage after the Silent Assassination Arts: the Demonic Wheel Kill.
However, executing it properly required at least the 4th tier of mastery.
At my current level, a mere 5th tier, I couldn't perform it perfectly.
But I couldn't just pull out a Riverune technique here.
'It'll get too noisy. I have to settle this with assassination arts, one way or another.'
If I were to retreat now, there would be no next time.
Brooks would go into hiding, and security at the Governor's Mansion would only be tightened.
The thoughts were long, but the decision was swift.
Fwing! Shiiing!
As the drawn Black Dragon Sword caught the moonlight, it gave off a strange luster.
"Oh? A sword, for an assassin? Heh heh! How interesting."
Brooks let out a sneer the moment he saw my weapon.
After all, on the continent of Rivius, the first name that came to mind when one mentioned the sword was the Felton family.
The look in his eyes was utterly contemptuous.
'Oh? Getting careless, are you?'
When someone willingly acts the fool, it's only human nature to take advantage.
As I drew up my aura, a dark and viscous energy coiled around the Black Dragon Sword.
The moonlight that had lingered on the blade vanished without a trace, and even the sense that I was about to execute a sword technique evaporated.
Swoosh.
In an instant, my sword was closing in on Brooks.
"Urk!"
Claaang!
The man twisted his body in alarm.
He had barely managed to block the attack by bracing the blade with his shoulder.
It was as if he had used his entire body to perform a half-swording technique.
'Ah! So close!'
He had blocked the Demonic Wheel Kill with a clever move, but he was far from unscathed.
Having blocked an aura-infused blade with his shoulder, his skin couldn't possibly be intact.
But from this point on, I would be the one in danger.
Brooks would absolutely not let his guard down again.
"Th-this technique is...?"
Thwack!
I rushed the man as he tried to speak, unleashing a flurry of sword strikes.
Brooks had likely guessed my identity from that last blow.
There was only one organization that possessed such a ruthless assassination art.
Clang! Clang!
Still unable to use the Demonic Wheel Kill consecutively, I unfolded the Silent Flowing Sword.
However, my opponent soon displayed a stable defense.
'Even with his left hand, his Line-Drawing Sword Technique isn't awkward. Was his retirement a lie? Has he been in rehabilitation?'
The Line-Drawing Sword Technique was one of the highest-level sword arts of the Felton family.
But I could feel a subtle opening.
It was likely due to his unbalanced body.
The longer this went on, the more of a disadvantage he would be at as well.
With each clash, his stance was crumbling bit by bit.
"I can't figure you out. You're using a sword art I've never seen or heard of, yet its level of perfection is so high! Who in the world are you?"
"..."
Swoosh. Clang!
My opponent threw a question at me, but I kept my mouth shut and focused solely on my swordsmanship.
Of course, inwardly, I was cursing him for spouting such nonsense.
'If I was going to tell you that, why would I have bothered infiltrating this place with a mask on? This bastard is surprisingly stupid.'
When I didn't respond, Brooks also immersed himself back into the fight.
The duel was too close for him to afford any distractions.
We exchanged blows for a considerable time, but I couldn't land a decisive strike.
The fundamental difference in our levels of mastery was too great, resulting in nothing but an endless exchange of moves.
'At this rate, the Felton bastards will storm in.'
With this much of a commotion, the guards patrolling around the Governor's Mansion must have noticed by now.
I couldn't help but feel rushed.
'Time to make my move.'
Clang!
First, I swung the Black Dragon Sword quickly to create some distance.
Then, I began to draw out the true power I possessed.
Viiiiing—! Pssshhh!
As the Black Dragon Sword turned a dark blue, a sound like hissing steam could be heard.
When I thrust the sword straight forward, the power of the aura and mana trapped within shot out from its tip.
Swhaaaaaa!
The small, dark blue energy transformed into a large disk.
This was the third form of the Heaven-Severing Nine Harmony Sword: the Heaven-Severing Moon.
My opponent sensed the sword strike flying toward his waist and quickly threw his body aside.
"Ugh!"
But he couldn't completely dodge the flash of light that shot out at super speed.
In the end, Brooks had to block the strike with only his left arm.
Swiiish! Pshhh. C-crack!
As the azure disk passed through, every object in its path was sliced apart.
Not only the mansion's structure but also the furniture inside was left completely ravaged.
Rumble...
However, because the sword strike unfolded horizontally, the mansion didn't collapse.
The walls and pillars were cleanly severed, leaving the structure precariously balanced.
It was by no means a normal situation.
Even the slightest impact would likely cause it to crumble completely.
Hisssssss!
"Kugh...!"
In the end, Brooks failed to completely block the Heaven-Severing Moon.
His sword was snapped in half and clattered to the floor, while his left arm hung limply like a tattered rag.
But my own condition wasn't much better.
I had suffered significant internal injuries from blocking his Line-Drawing Sword Technique at the last moment.
Clutching my abdomen, I fell to one knee.
Still, I was in better shape than that bastard.
At least these wounds wouldn't be fatal.
"This is..."
"The same technique that took your right arm."
Eighteen years ago, this man had lost his right arm in a battle against a Riverune elder.
As if remembering that day, Brooks's eyes widened as he glared at me.
It was no wonder he was surprised, having lost another arm to the same technique.
And by a secret art from the vanquished Riverune family, no less.
"How does someone who uses the Rantzverger's assassination arts know a Riverune secret technique?"
Immediately after the war, the Felton Sword Family had devoted all its efforts to eradicating the descendants of Riverune.
Under the pretext of subjugating remnants and stabilizing the Riverune region, they had brutally executed even the non-practitioner family members.
This attempt at extermination continued for over five years.
Their territory quartered, their direct line massacred, and their sword arts now a mere shadow of what they once were.
There were likely almost no one left who could use the true secret arts of Riverune.
Brooks wore an expression of disbelief, even after experiencing it firsthand.
I approached my opponent, who was panting heavily, and spoke.
"You'll find out when you get to hell, so why are you so curious? Just die quietly."
Shunk. Squish!
Before my opponent could say another word, the Black Dragon Sword pierced through his neck.
"Keuheuk!"
Having lost both arms and suffering from internal injuries, he was in no condition to block the Silent Assassination Arts.
Not unless he held a sword in his mouth and swung it.
Splurt. Drip, drip!
There was no particular sound as the blade was withdrawn.
Only the gushing of blood filled the air.
Brooks twitched for a moment before falling backward, his life extinguished.
Thud-thud-thud-thud!
"What's going on? Sir Brooks!"
Just then, the sound of multiple footsteps approached, along with a voice calling for him.
It seemed the guards, having sensed the commotion, had reached Brooks's room.
'They reacted faster than I thought. But it's already over. You foolish Felton bastards.'
I slipped out of the mansion through the window and vanished like a ghost.
I had used the Form-Shifting Invisibility Technique to erase my tracks.
Bang, bang, bang!
The sound of the guards banging on Brooks's door belatedly echoed through the night air.
***
"Excellent! Well done. It was a rather difficult mission for a Class 1, but I didn't expect you to finish it so quickly."
Upon my return to the eastern branch of the Empire, Dusk greeted me with a wide smile.
The branch chief had already confirmed the mission's success through the assassination guild, but I submitted a separate report.
I wasn't usually this diligent, but I had a motive.
"Here is the mission report."
"I doubt I need to see it, but let's have a look, shall we? Hmm. You sustained internal injuries?"
"Injuries aside, since I've come all the way to the Empire, shouldn't I take some time to recuperate? I hear the eastern region is filled with beauties."
"Right you are! Nothing beats a bit of pleasure when you're resting. In my younger days, you know, I was quite the handsome man around these parts."
"..."
I couldn't help but make a dumbfounded expression at Dusk's words.
He was my direct superior, but I felt I had to say what needed to be said.
Otherwise, that old man might get caught up in his delusions and wander around trying to enjoy himself.
With that grim face of his.
"Uh... You do look in the mirror from time to time, right, Chief? I don't think you'd be very popular."
"You brat! Just because you have a pretty face, you dare say such things? A man isn't judged by his looks alone!"
"But it's true that they play a significant part, isn't it? You might get reported to the city guard if you try talking to a woman."
"..."
Struck by the heavy blow of facts, this time it was Dusk who was at a loss for words.
"Should I just cancel your leave?"
"Hehe. Just kidding. Please give me two months."
"Hmph. I, in my magnanimity, shall endure. I can't stand the sight of you, so get going."
"Weren't you just pleased to see me a moment ago?"
"Are you talking back? Get out of here, now!"
"Yes, sir. Take care."
The Rantzverger Assassination Guild provided its agents with a sufficient rest period after a kill.
This was to avoid being caught in any potential inspections and to treat any injuries sustained during the mission.
In such cases, most would hole up in a safe house, but I had no intention of doing so.
It was time to put my next plan into action.
'I felt it for sure while fighting Brooks. Perhaps thanks to the intense battle, my mastery has reached the 4th tier. It's about time I made my move.'
Right after leaving Dusk's office, I prepared to depart.
Starting from the Marquisate of Pennant, I crossed the Daysol Wasteland and continued eastward.
Beyond this vast expanse of wilderness lies the Forest of the Dead.
'And there stands Esmeranta's Tower.'
A mysterious structure shrouded in veil, its creator and time of construction unknown.
Had the traveler Esmeranta not discovered it ten years ago, no one would have known of its existence.
"Those who pass through the tower can obtain something powerful. In exchange, they must be willing to risk their lives."
A stone monument erected by Esmeranta stood before the tower.
The original discoverer, having realized the danger, had created it as a warning.
Of course, adventurers weren't the type to heed such warnings.
I quietly gazed up at the towering structure.
Though it was famous enough for every master on the continent to know of it, the tower's appearance was far from splendid.
But the purple flashes of light filling the entrance held a power that piqued one's curiosity.
'Trials? I'll just overcome them, one way or another.'
Steeling my resolve, I slowly began to walk.