“Well well well, look what we have here”

 

I could see from her face that she was holding back a laugh. This fucking woman!

 

“You know, having the ability of hide presence sure is useful”

 

Wait, hide presence? So a stealth ability? Why does a Princess have something like that?

 

“You know, I used to be an assassin type praetorian. Took out a ruler or two in my time. It's amazing how fast an army or country collapses without a king or queen to lead them. And the power vacuum is fun to see!”

 

Looking around I desperately tried to find something that could give me a way out. If I barely win against a soldier, something two tiers below me, how was I supposed to win against a princess who is my direct superior? Especially an assassin type that specializes in one on one encounters.

 

“How long did you know?”

 

“Huh? Oh I’ve been following you since you left the barracks. Turns out this skill is even strong enough to make me invisible to other abyssals”

 

“So why didn’t you kill me earlier then?”

 

“I admit. It was fun, watching you move around from place to place so scared of being found out. And to think, that soldier in the armory almost killed you! Would have been real funny for it to end so quickly. And Seriously, why did you even bother using the stairs when you can fly?”

I couldn’t help but turn red from embarrassment hearing her talk about my wings, something so simple I overlooked. I had to keep her talking, think of something that I could use to win. Something else I overlooked.

 

“Oh yeah, don’t even think of running, I can kill you before you can even reach that window”

 

As soon as she finished saying that, she disappeared, like she was suddenly just erased from existence.

 

“Boop. Just like that”

 

The next second she was standing in front of me, with her finger placed directly on my nose. I felt a sense of dread course through my body. She could have killed me right there and then. 

 

“Before you kill me, can I just ask a couple questions?”

 

I just wanted to buy time. Whether to think of a plan, or just so I could live for a couple minutes longer, I do not know, but I wanted to buy time.

 

“Ugh, they always want to ask questions before they die. Yeah, sure. I guess I am at least a bit interested in what questions you want to ask”

 

“Do you have your memories?”

 

“Ah, I forgot, you are a control type. Yeah anyone who is above the rank of knight typically keeps their memories. Just Control types like yourself get a thorough memory wipe to make sure they don’t rebel. Since control types use their brain more often there is a higher than normal chance for them to break free. Once detected they are usually reassimilated and everything goes on like normal. I could tell the second I saw you with your eye. You could say that the only reason you have even gotten this far is because I wanted to see what would happen.”

 

Shit. Guess that explains why she was giggling back then. But to think that I am only here because she thinks I am some interesting toy…

 

“How did you become an abyssal?”

 

“Ah, I used to be a poor noble girl, you know. Hoping one day to find my prince in shining armor. And then my father married me off to some ugly and rude noble. Then when a spy type offered me a way out, I took it in an instant. I can still remember the faces of my father and that noble. Begging for mercy, absolutely pathetic. Why did you even try to rebel anyways? I mean serving under the Empress has been the most fun I have ever had.”

 

“Do you know who I was before being corrupted?”

 

“It's assimilation, and no. My Queen just gave you to me one day and told me to assimilate you. You turned out very pretty if I do say so myself”

 

So she was the bastard that corrupted me. I think I have a plan now. Just one, maybe two more questions before she has inhaled enough.

“What did I look like?”

“You really want to learn more about yourself, huh. It has been so long since you joined us, I can’t really remember what you looked like. Actually, now that I think about it, you seemed pretty average, I wonder why my Queen personally told me to assimilate you instead into a praetorian instead of just a regular soldier or knight. I do remember that you had some weird item though. A weapon that you called a gun. Never seen it before and after it made a couple loud noises it stopped working. You were actually looking at it back in the armory.”

 

Wait, so that weird device was mine? That explains why I thought it was familiar, but I don’t remember how to use it.

 

“Alright, that's enough questions, time for you to die. You aren’t worth reassimilating”

 

<Well, time to stab her in the back, it will be a little too quick for my taste but I have other things to do today>

 

In an instant she disappeared again. But I knew where she was aiming.

 

I waited a second, just a second. And then I jumped forward, even using my wings to make sure I could push myself forward as quickly as possible. Turning around I saw my Princess again, standing right behind the spot I was just at. The knife she was holding was extended, if I had been a moment later it would be in my back right now. 

 

<wait how? She is a control type, no way she could sense or detect me right? No, that was just a fluke. Maybe from her left this time>

 

It was not a fluke. She disappeared once again. Counting to a second I dodged her swing once more. It looks like my plan worked. 

 

While she was asking me questions I was still producing gas. I guess she did not care about it because I do not have enough strength to control a Princess. That is not the only purpose of the gas though. Alongside controlling allies, it also lets me communicate with them. A form of communication that just so happens to include reading their thoughts. 

 

“How. Just how are you dodging my attacks?”

 

I couldn’t help but smile at her dumbfounded expression. I could imagine my face looking similar to hers, something that seemed to annoy her.

 

<This little brat thinks that just because she dodged two strikes she wins? Lets see how she likes another attack from her left>

 

Just like the last two times I was able to dodge at the last second, just barely a hair's length away. She always seemed to think about her attacks before doing them, something I was more than willing to take advantage of. I wasn’t faster than her, I wasn’t stronger than her, but I was smarter.

 

“Just die already!”

 

She kept on stabbing again and again. The same process again and again, constantly thinking of where she wanted to strike, it was the only reason I could keep up with her. Still, all I was doing was keeping up with her, she was attacking at such a rapid rate that I was unable to attack back. 

 

<Her right. Crap she is still dodging. No, just continue, she can’t do this forever>

 

My Princess was right, I can already feel myself beginning to tire, I am no longer waiting a second before dodging when she disappears, I am not confident that I will be fast enough to dodge if I wait. Yet, she is also growing tired too, I think I can even hear her panting.

 

Maybe, maybe I can attempt to control her. Not fully, as that is impossible, maybe, just maybe I can force her to be a little bit slower, enough to give me an opening. 

 

<She is slowing down, this will be it. A final strike from behind>

 

Focusing my thoughts on My Princess, I gave a single command. Stop.

 

Turning around ready to strike her with my sword, I was met with a dagger to the stomach. My command only slowed her down, but it didn’t stop her stab.

 

In an instant pain became all I could think about, the pain of having a foreign object splitting my flesh. I wanted to scream, to let my pain be known, but I couldn’t even open my mouth, it was as if my lungs were empty. 

 

“Agggghhhhhh!!”

 

Suddenly I could hear my Princess scream. Trying my best to look at her I could see her clutching her stomach. Like she herself was the one stabbed.

 

Even below me, I could hear screaming from various other people. Others who were exposed to the gas I have been releasing this entire time. 

 

Did my desire to scream spread the pain to others? It.. It hurt so bad, but this was an opening I needed to take advantage of. Trying to raise my sword hand I noticed that I had dropped it. Ah fuck, where did I drop it. No. I didn’t have time to look for it. 

 

A weapon, I needed a weapon. I didn’t care what, I needed to kill this bitch! 

 

My Tail.

 

I don’t remember what the sound my tail made when I impaled my Princess. All I remember is the pain from my own wounds, and the look of fear in her face. The same fear that I had experienced but moments ago. 

 

Removing my tail from her abdomen I saw her collapse to the floor. A wave of relief washed over me. I had defeated a stronger abyssal.

 

Still, I took damage from that, a wound kept on giving me flashes of red as I moved. I don’t know if the stab was fatal but I was not about to wait to find out. My chances of successfully carrying out my plan were pretty much dashed, but I at least hope that I can be a decent thorn in the Empress’s side before I die.

 

I don’t know how many abyssals had inhaled enough of my gas to even be under my control, but by the amount of screams that I heard earlier it was no small amount. I sent them a single command.

 

Cause chaos.