CHAPTER 159: ASSASSINATION SCHEME (4)

Am I dead?

The question flickered through her mind as her eyes widened in fear. But her consciousness soon began to fade, and her vision darkened completely.

Until her final breath, she never understood why she had died—or why the artifact she believed would force Nolan to keep his word had failed to work.

That’s disgusting, Nolan muttered, shaking his head slightly.

He stood and wiped the tip of his blood-soaked index finger—stained, of course, with the woman’s blood.

Although it was only on the edge of his nail, he still felt repulsed by being touched by the blood of someone like her.

The worst kind of people, in his eyes, were those who killed others for something as empty as money.

Admittedly, some assassins were driven by circumstances—crushing debt or desperation.

But there were others who killed for profit and pleasure.

Judging by how professional she had been, she clearly belonged to the latter group.

Shaking off the thought, Nolan took a deep breath and focused on what the woman had told him just before she died.

"Blood Moon Organization, huh?" His eyes narrowed.

At first, he had assumed it was just another small, nameless assassin group.

But he was completely wrong. It was a sizable organization, operating in the eastern continent—within the territory of the Eastern Empire of Izanagi.

That was also the main reason the woman’s attire resembled that of ninjas from his previous world.

Still, one question lingered in his mind: "Who sent them to kill Elina?"

"Was it Aldric? Or maybe... Adalen?" he thought, uncertain.

He didn’t bother considering Cedric. The man was far too intelligent, cunning, and methodical for something this crude.

But then again, even Aldric and Adalen didn’t quite fit.

Aldric ruled the south, where many noble families had openly voiced their support. If the attack had occurred there, he would’ve been the prime suspect.

But this happened in the eastern region—well outside his reach.

As for Adalen... that narcissistic fool was still reeling from the fall of the Halveran capital.

In his current condition, he wouldn’t dare make such a reckless move—unless he had a death wish.

That left only two suspects: Cassian or Zarak.

Between them, Nolan leaned more toward Zarak.

Cassian was just as cunning and secretive as Cedric, but he preferred to hide his fangs behind a pleasant smile.

Never mistake his friendliness for sincerity—his smile is just a mask to cover his true motives.

"Come to think of it, none of the old man’s children are normal," he muttered with a resigned sigh. Then, a narcissistic smile slowly spread across his face. "Well, except for Eliza, Elina, and... me, of course."

Had Ragan been able to read his thoughts at that moment, he would’ve spat and snapped, "Damn it, you’re the least normal of all my kids, brat!"

"Alright, it’s settled. Zarak is the culprit," he whispered with a cold smile. "But that’s fine. I’ve been itching to destroy the Red Obsidian Trading House for a long time. I just never had a proper excuse... until now. Hehehe..."

A cruel glint flashed in his eyes, heavy with killing intent.

Snap!

With a flick of his finger, the illusion surrounding him shattered into fragments, and his figure vanished—swallowed by the very space around him.

***

"Who are you?"

Elina stared warily at the mysterious man standing before her.

He was tall and well-built, dressed in a strange black outfit unlike anything she had ever seen.

His face was partially obscured by a mask that covered him from the nose down. His eyes were pitch black, and his short gray hair swayed gently in the breeze.

The man’s expression remained indifferent as he replied, "You don’t need to know who I am. All you need to know is that I’m here to kill you, Elina Lorian."

"You..." Elina clenched her teeth in anger.

She couldn’t understand how things had turned so quickly. Just moments ago, she had been looking at a red rabbit, thinking how cute it was.

Then, without warning, the rabbit exploded, releasing a thick black smoke that instantly clouded her vision.

And when the smoke cleared, her brother was gone. Only she remained.

Amid the confusion, the mysterious man had appeared out of nowhere, triggering her instincts—she was immediately on guard... and just a little afraid.

She could feel the murderous intent radiating from him. His words weren’t just a threat—they were a promise.

The question that haunted her now was a simple one: Where was her brother? And who was behind all of this?

Elina took a deep breath to steady herself. With practiced ease, she drew the sword from her waist and pointed it forward.

She had carried the weapon throughout the journey, just in case something like this happened.

And it wasn’t just for show. As a princess, she had been trained in both warfare and combat.

So don’t ever underestimate her just because she’s a woman.

"Where is my brother?" Elina demanded, her voice cold and sharp.

At the very least, she wanted to know his condition.

If anything had happened to him—even a scratch—she would kill the man standing before her, even if she wasn’t sure she could win.

But that didn’t matter. Her brother meant everything to her. She wouldn’t let anyone harm him.

The man gave a faint smile and replied, "Nolan Lorian is in the hands of my partner. I don’t know his exact fate, but... let’s just say it’s probably not good news."

His words were like sparks dropped onto dry leaves.

Elina’s temper flared, her eyes blazing with hatred.

"I’ll kill you!" she shouted, lunging forward.

She raised her sword high and swung it down toward the man’s head.

But his body dissolved into smoke and vanished.

Elina froze for only a split second—just long enough for her instincts to scream, "Behind you!"

Clang!

She spun and slashed backward, her sword colliding with two incoming daggers in a burst of sparks.

"Oh?" The man raised an eyebrow, then smirked. "As expected from the princess of the Great Velmora Empire—your skills are impressive."

Elina didn’t answer. Her eyes remained cold as she twisted her body and drove a hard kick into his stomach.

The man was knocked back—though only slightly.

He spun midair and landed smoothly, regaining his footing with perfect balance.

"A solid strike," he remarked casually. "But what will you do... if you have to fight five of me?"

With a snap of his fingers, five black shadows emerged on either side of him.

Each figure looked nearly identical, wielding twin daggers aimed directly at Elina.

She slid her left foot back, adjusted her stance, and muttered, "This is going to be a pain..."