The House of Eclipse. In the pillar houses of my country, they hold the reins of the intelligence department. Their spy outposts were concealed across the world with the countries not even aware that they were being watched. They recorded activities of any nation, and even their classified pieces of information are long been stored in their data. 

I read all their reports and the books that they had collected. It was because of them that I was inspired to take on a journey. The festival that was taking place in this kingdom was also included in their reports.   

I was grateful for all the information they provide.

But now I’m currently facing them as my enemies.

Sixteen assassin stands before me, from what I assessed they are all [expert ranks].

(Stay there at the top)

(crom!)

I ordered telepathically after Album was about to descend. The grim atmosphere must have rattled his animal instinct to protect me, his master. But I don’t need any help from him right now, rather he will just get in the way. In this dire situation, there is only one end waiting for us. I can’t proceed properly if I have to protect him.

These people are fellow citizens and my benefactors, but even with that case, I can’t let myself falter here.

I have resolved myself. This was the consequence of my actions. My actions and the efforts of my helpers would be all for naught if I back down now. My father will probably disappointed too if cower from the threats from a bunch of assassins.

It’s only right that I will see it through the end.

“Sorry, surrender wasn’t registered on my vocabulary”

“I heard Your Eminence doesn’t pick fights you can’t win. Are you this confident you can take us out?”

“If I can’t even defeat you guys, then my status would just be decoration”

“Is that so…”

Faint sadness was resonated on his tone, probably they didn’t want any of this to happen. No, both of us don’t want this to happen. They have an order to follow and I have my resolve. We can’t back down now that the die has been cast.

 

 

 

“It will be an honor for us to be given an opportunity bear witness your abilities, your Eminence. Good Luck and Have fun”

“Good Luck and Have fun”

We said no more after bid our wishes to each other.

It’s useless to talk my way out of this.

The household of Eclipse will never consider the pleas of their enemies. They will do anything to achieve the objective of their mission.

And that is my capture.

My time very limited since I have plans for today.

These guys also understand that this was the end conversation so they all start brandishing daggers.

Both sides release their dreadful aura and the area was filled with psychic chillness.   

Since I’m the one in a hurry, I made the first move.

I dash forward in the blink of an eye and the leader in front responded to do the same. But when two figures collide –

* Bam!*

He threw up all the air inside his lungs right after I throw a fist straight to his solar plexus. The man drops on the floor convulsing together with his failed dagger.

I grabbed his dagger with my right hand braced myself to the remaining assassins who came rushing from a different direction

Clang! – I raise my dagger without batting an eye but it blocks the downward swipe of the person who jumped on my right. I send a kick to his exposed side but he raised his knee to defend.

Well, a bad move for you.

No sooner than my foot connects to his raised knee than he’s figure blown and crashed to the nearest building.

I just cast [force blast] using my foot to blow away his stance. These guys never had any records of how I fight and I’m thankful that I can use this to my advantage and surprise them with my abilities.

I sense a thrust from behind at the same time the three figures in front fired magic bullets. To push it further two are falling from the roof with their glowing knives retreated at ready for a strike.

We’re fighting on narrow space so a group battle is impossible here. But the way they move consecutively in response to was about to happen was worthy of praise.

With a side step on right, I swiftly dodge the thrust and use my momentum to knock the assailant at the back of his head with the handle and successively cut down those magic bullets which fly true on the predicted dodging spot.

The three stops their firing shots allowing the two falling people to attack. I throw myself backward to dodge the two assassins’ dropping thrust.

While on midair, an assassin coming from behind and throw several daggers but I fling my dagger to the two assassins before my body went through [portal gate] I cast in advance. So the projectiles connected nothing but air.

The two men easily evade my thrown dagger by inclining their upper body to the side so the projectile shot straight instead to the three men behind them who shooting the magic bullets earlier. The middle man tilts his head to dodge the dagger at the bare minimum but –

*boom!*

A thunderous sound reverberated on the desolate place.

These assassin professionals that they are almost impossible to be shot down by simple projectile. So before I throw the dagger, I pasted it first with the explosion sigil and decided to detonate the sigil to the more number of victims. Thus, the three assassins blasted from their spot with smoke rising on their burnt bodies.

The portal emerges above the female assassin (since there’s a mound on her chest) who threw the daggers.

She a sitting duck target. Of course, I’ll knock her down as well with a punch – or not

The woman suddenly jumps and twists her body performing a tornado kick as greeting on my arrival.

So she had bated me after all. At this moment, her kick will connect first than my punch.

I quickly produce [floating disk] as a stepping stone to change my direction, teleporting on behind her and hurl her midair-body to the two charging assassins. One of the two assassins withdraw its brandished dagger and decided to catch the propelling woman, throwing both of them several meters away.

It seems he doesn’t anticipate the force behind it and assume he can stop the momentum

Three unconcern assassin passed the two sprawling bodies to assist the remaining one who is currently exchanging blows with me with his glowing daggers.

These glowing daggers were imbued with a kind of magic that can damage the mana circuit of a person. It’s no joking matter if let myself get slashed by that and can’t cast magic anymore. They planned to cut my escape by removing my ability to cast [portal gate] spell.

I dodge his thrust of the glowing dagger and return strike a palm on his chest but he moved his free hand to block it.

[Force blast], a force of air blast forth.

The man was sent several meters but still standing on the ground. Tsk… he jumped away to kill the impact. He regains his stance sooner and joined the three speeding man.

As I facing the four men rushing towards me, I sense another four approaching assassins behind me.

These guys never gave me a breather. They all sprouting everywhere.

With that earlier exchange, the damage is starting to spread. I believe this will escalate to something bigger if we further continue this struggle. I love to stop now but these guys wouldn’t want that.

The first man from the front jump producing a short sword while spinning his body to drop a downward slash. Since I don’t have a weapon, I step a foot forward and trust an upward palm strike meeting, not the blade but his wrist. His short sword was fling upward and I send a roundhouse kick to his unprotected side and send him crashing to the through the walls.

The smoke of dust billowed but not enough to obstruct our vision.

Scream of civilian resounded from where the man crashed through but we don’t have time for concern since we are in the middle of battle.

I catch the short sword spinning on midair while sending a side kick to the sneaking man coming from behind. His limp body lay on the broken walls but I manage to steal his dagger before he got blown away.

Shortsword on my right and dagger on my left. As if replacing those two, another two from the front begin their assault.

I twist my body to parry the slash of man from the left using my short sword. With that momentum, I deflect the thrust of another on the right and tilt my head a little to evade the magic bullet from three people behind. Sparks fly with cacophony clanking for every contact swords and magic bullets. With parry each weapon pushing the limits to not get done in.

I also return a magic bullet but to the person on my left using the sword as my conductor right after I parry some attacks. The man deflects every projectile with his dagger and successively trusts his palm to shoot an energy ball at a short distance.

At the same time, another assassin jump coming from the front with a short sword raised aloft.

The ball shoots forth.

Since I’m occupied with the attacks from different directions, I created a portal gate just enough for the ball to pass through and send it directly facing to the falling man

He slashed the energy ball but not anticipated the handle of the short sword zeroing on his stomach. The man’s body flew above, traversing several roofs.

These guys are still my fellow citizen so I tried my best not to kill them. After all, they have no intention to kill me.

From my raised short sword held on a reverse-grip, I parry the attacks on my right. I swatted his dagger but he rather uses that momentum to spin and send a backward roundhouse kick aiming at my shoulder.

Taking advantage of that kick, the assassin on the left perform a sweep kick to prevent me from ducking. There’s a possibility that I’ll be dodging in the middle so the four men assisted them by firing their shots on the between of the two attacks.

Time slows with how fast I analyze the appropriate countermeasure.

I crushed the sweeping legs with a forceful stomp at the same time I let go of my dagger to grab the incoming kick then pull his body as my shield against the magic bullets.

Their bodysuit was designed to withstand several spells and together with inherent protective magic, the bullet will never be penetrated through the skin. But that doesn’t save them from the pain. After the rain of bullets died down, the man passes out.

The man with the broken legs groans with tears forming on the corner of his eyes. I can bear to see him like this so I help him ease the pain. I let go of the unconscious man’s legs and moved at breakneck speed to bang the weeping face of that disabled man on the floor. His face deeply planted on the stone pavement producing web of cracks.

After what happened to their comrades, the remaining men from behind just shoot their bullets nonstop as they approached while brandishing their daggers at ready for close-quarter combat.

I also rushed in their direction while deflecting the bullets with my remaining weapon, the short sword on my right hand, while pointing my left index finger to them to shoot magic bullets.

Our figures closing in while exchanging fires and deflecting the bullet.

When reached we a certain distance, our blades clashed sending sparks on every collision. Our figures ricocheted to the walls to performing a hit and run tactic.

Whoa… I barely dodge that wild dagger flying on my neck while traversing on midair.

That dagger didn’t belong to these three.

I shift my gaze to where that dagger came only to be greeted with a spear made of ice and a bird made up of flames. I jumped to the opposite wall while parrying on the incoming assassin.

The ice sphere pierced on the window freezing the whole upper part of the building but the flame bird home into where I am.

*Boom!*

The bird exploded right after I land on the opposite wall.

Black smoke rises on the burning building with another scream of civilians from the inside.

I erected a barrier before the contact so I came out unscathed. I landed on the floor and shifted my gaze to the two people who blasted that spell.

It was the woman I threw earlier and the man who catch it.

An assassin will never make reckless AoE attacks like that. They must have abandoned their usual method since they know they can’t win. And decided to come at me with AoE magic since they have never make a hit. Well, I guess they’re no longer moving as an assassin since we’re all fighting on broad daylight from that start and with all that noise.

The three men joined the two.

My breathing was steady even after that fight but my face is a little moist from sweat. I can’t tell their expression of those five since the lower face is covered with masks. But with their face sweating profusely at least that gave a hint to what their feelings.

I face them with wearing a smile on my face, not because I enjoy fighting them, it’s because I know what about to happen. This development is very beneficial for me and the worst for them.

We let a few silent moments passed to ready ourselves once more. Then, we let the wheel turns once again

The symphony of clashing sounds and explosion gave life to this desolated alley it was as if we are sending fireworks celebrating our own festival.

With five figures on full throttle, I dance on the storm of blades, bullets, and spells.

Our match continued as we chased ourselves across the back alley. Several dark clouds of smoke rising from the different locations were already visible in the vicinity. I hear the footsteps and screams of people evacuating the whole area but fortunately, there’s was never been a casualty among the civilians. But the surrounding buildings are laying into wastes. With this chaos, I doubt the patrolling knights will just march here to take a look. Maybe they on their way now to report the situation to the royal knights.

As time continues, those five assassins became four, then three, and two, until all of them are wiped out.

In just half an hour, we destroyed everything around the southernmost area of the building district. And I stand in the middle of the ruins heavily breathing with sixteen bodies lying around.

My weapon clang after I threw them. The battle was over so I don’t need them anymore. I consider selling it but I refrain since there’s a chance that it will be traced back to us.

I begin to relax my muscles and wipe the sweat under my mask with a handkerchief from my breast.

I closed my eyes and bath myself to the sense of achievement. These guys are strong. They are all expert ranks. Their strength is enough to threaten the security of a country individually. That battle told me that they weren’t giving their all. The same goes for me too.

We all can cast grand AOE magic. But if we did that, this capital might be erased off the map. That why we settled for a controlled medium-sized AOE.   

I never really plan to use AOE magic, but since they started it, I just go with the flow and responded in kind.

From a far distance, I sense another multiple individuals coming here.

Twenty assassins of eclipses once again descended on this place. Unlike last time, I didn’t go on battle mode. There no really need to be worked up.

After all, they can’t afford another battle like this.

Thus they all ignored my presence and go instead to the sprawling bodies of their fellow household and the rest collects all weapons that can be used as evidence.

Right after they collected what they need, they all dispersed to different directions.

Except for this woman who had decided to remain.

Why did she stay?

Now that the commotion died down, I already hear the pounding boots of the heavily armored knights rushing on the scene. It would be bad if the two of us would be spotted in the middle of this wreckage.

Thus, I begin to cast [portal gate] to leave.

“No matter where you go, we are always there, Your Eminence.”

I stop on my tracks before I enter the portal. Did you stay behind just for that? There’s no need to remind me of the obvious thing.

Of course, you are I’ll be troubled if you don’t.

The House of Eclipse is the primary source of information in my country. They are also there to provide help to our citizens who are lost or in danger in the foreign lands. And at the same time, no enemies can escape from their surveillance. Any targets that were designated for elimination can only end in one way. –Death.  

I know… What she had just told me was the truth.

So I need to tell her something too.

And this is also irrefutable truth –for me at least.

Casually, I reply to her message without looking at her.

“And no matter what you do, it will all end the same way”

I say no words after that. I don’t know if she interprets it as a warning or an insult. I don’t care what she thinks.

Thus, I step inside the portal, leaving her and the product of our battle behind.

 

-\(0.0)/-

 

  “Crooom?! Crooom!?”

(I’m here.)

“crom!”

Album saw me entered a portal so it’s obvious that he doesn’t know where I am.

I opened the portal to an alley near the main street of the building district. I can fully hear the hubbub of people and the life of the capital. I remember correctly from the aerial view, the adventurer’s guild just a litter further ahead.

“Let's go, Album”

“crom!”

I hold Album once again on my arm and walked straight heading to the main street. There’s so much thing to do so I need to get to the adventurer’s guild immediately.

But after a few steps – I stop.

I check myself to see if I look presentable. I’m applying for a job so it’s important to look professional.

After the earlier battle, it’s not surprising if I’m covered in dirt and smelly from all that explosion and sweat. But fortunately, my coats seem to free of dirt. But I smell like smoke and my undershirt is a little wet from all the sweat.

I read the report regarding the adventurers – it says that they sometimes smelly and from all the works but never care about appearance. They are a bunch of drunkards and barbarians yet the people respect them since they kill the monsters that threaten their security.

But that doesn’t mean that I have to like them. Nope, I will never be like them. My mom will kill me if she saw me behaving like them.

I’ll need to change first.

I erected an [illusion barrier] to prevent the people from seeing naked if ever the pass in this alley. I let go Album and start undressing every clothes and fold them neatly on the hamper coming from the [void storage].

 I get the cabinet and pick the same garment out which was washed and fuming with fragrance –a white coat with an aiguillette hanging on the chest, black shirt and pants, and the white hat.

After a minute, I’ve finished changing.

I remove the dome-shape barrier and hold Album on my arms and start heading to the main street once again.

As soon I get out on the alley –

Whoa…. this pretty nice

“Croom”

This time I was truly welcomed by the festive atmosphere of the capital. Even Album agreed, swiveling his head on everything new to his eyes.

I let my self be taken by the flow of the passing crowds.

The different races which I’ve seen and read on the internet are dotted everywhere.

There are the short people called dwarves calling out costumer on armor stall and their costumer a slender man with long sharp ears and a beautiful countenance nevertheless their long term nemesis, the elves. It seems they are bantering about the price. There are also animal people, with a human shape body with animal ears and their tails swaying in every step.

Humans are wearing full plated armor, and witches and wizard selling magic items.

Townsfolk and foreigners are mingling one another.

Whoa… is that demon folk? He’s walking casually with people. In other countries, demons sometimes are subjugated and considered as monsters.

I can’t believe there was a country that was a very welcoming country for a dark-races that was once considered the enemy of humanity.

There are so many things I need to know and I very much like to go sightseeing but I still have things to think about. I can’t let this invigorating place to distract me on my plans.

Thus, I’ll just observe everything around me while threading the road heading to the adventurer’s guild.