Gakin!
Dino’s silver dagger, flying in with terrifying speed, and my black knife, intercepting it, rang out with a fierce metallic sound.
“Ariaaaaa! You dare to do this to my Guild!”
“I see.”
I answered curtly, parrying his blade two or three times.
For people like Dino, an “organization” was probably like a “status,” symbolizing their outward persona.
To maintain it, he gathered unique individuals as the “leader,” collected talent like a “collection,” and even laid his hands on my master’s peace.
“Your Guild,” which was so important to you, is on the verge of collapse.
But, I’ll dare to say it.
“You brought it on yourself.”
“Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!”
Gakin!
I jumped back as if repelled by the fierce attack that seemed to spew blood.
Dino’s dagger is probably made of Mithril. Viro used the same thing, so I know its characteristics.
Mithril is created when underground silver veins are exposed to dense Mana Particles for a long period of time.
It is inferior in hardness compared to my Magic Steel knife, but it has good Mana conductivity and can damage spiritual life forms like a Demon Sword.
In the current situation, a Magic Steel weapon would be just as good, but my knife emphasizes sharpness and has low power, and I myself am at a lower combat level than Dino, so there was a limit to enduring his attacks.
“You’re in the way, Dino!”
Pekin…
From the “Sage” who broke his own fingers, disgusting chaotic “colors” of Mana flowed out again.
“Damn!”
Dino, noticing the “curse,” rolled away to create distance, and thanks to his warning, I was able to retreat to a safe area within a narrow margin while using 【Magic Shield (Shield)】.
“You… You can see my curse!? That shield, and you people connected to the Dark Elves, are truly detestable!”
The Sage spat out those words at me, who had avoided the curses in quick succession.
The Sage may or may not realize it himself, but he hesitated to involve Dino, thinking that Dino was still necessary to maintain the Guild as a “research site.”
Thanks to that, I’m able to fight against two Rank 4 individuals, but that won’t last long in many ways.
The flames that ignited from the entrance continued to spread, and black smoke was flowing into this place, almost in the center of the underground.
I pulled the shawl soaked in antidote up to my mouth.
If that woman’s knowledge is accurate, this place won’t last long either.
But more than that, they should be more impatient. Right now, their hatred for me is winning, so they are prioritizing the battle, but if they calm down, they will realize that their own lives are threatened.
If they are controlled by hatred, they will lose their composure, and if they regain their composure, impatience will be born.
I have to settle this before they come to their senses.
“Dino, you should secure an escape route quickly! You’re in the way!”
“Shut up, don’t talk to me like that!”
“Don’t worry, I, the Sage, will deal with the Dark Elf’s disciple–“
Hyun!
“I won’t give you that time.”
“Damn!”
When I threw two Pendulums in an arc, one of them shallowly slashed Dino’s neck as he hurriedly avoided it.
My basic tactics are unconventional strategies and surprise attacks. For that reason, I haven’t shown the Pendulums or illusions in front of them.
But the withholding ends here. I’ll use everything here to pin them down until escape becomes impossible.
Pekin…
“Rot away.”
The Sage released another curse. Perhaps because he realized that I was seeing and avoiding the “curse,” the Sage expanded the “range” rather than the power.
If I take it head-on, I won’t come out unscathed. In the worst case, I could die instantly.
【Cursecraft】 is invincible if the place, time, and conditions are right–but curses have weaknesses.
Curses are invincible precisely because they are passive, and they are not fast enough to be used in a personal battle like the Sage is doing now.
And this only applies to me, but you’ve shown me too many of your supposedly deadly curses.
“What!?”
Complexly intertwined chaotic Mana. I avoided it while running, and at the same time, I neutralized it by colliding my own Mana with the Mana I could see.
Earth for water, water for fire, darkness for light… It is impossible to match all the components of the complexly intertwined curse, but for the small range that I can’t avoid… For that one moment, by using Utility Magic with 【Mana Control】 which is now at level 3, I could erase some of the Mana that makes up the curse, and nullify that range.
“Aria!”
The expanded range of the curse had reached Dino.
At the moment when Dino hesitated for a moment whether to counter me or avoid the curse, I unleashed the Dark Magic I had been saving.
“–【Phantom Pain】–“
“Guaah!?”
Even 【Phantom Pain】, which is less effective against stronger opponents, can stop them for a moment if it’s their first time experiencing it.
I slashed Dino’s side with my knife as I passed him, and the moment I passed, the Sage’s curse rotted Dino’s left arm and left leg.
“Gyaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!?”
“Ash-covered brat!”
The Sage screamed and broke several fingers at the same time.
Three types of curses attacked “me” who was running through the darkened Guild.
Even if the curses are slow, I can’t dodge them at this timing. But why do you think I turned off all the lights?
“What!?”
The “me” who received the curse disappears.
Even knowing that there are beastmen and elves who are strong in Night Vision, the reason I dared to turn off the lights wasn’t just to counter humans.
Using the humanoid Illusion that deceives Night Vision–【Shadow】–that I used in the Hobgoblin battle, I was only running that humanoid Mana.
“Guboh!?”
Taking advantage of that momentary gap, two Pendulums flying from an unexpected direction pierced the Sage’s neck from an angle.
It’s a fatal wound. But, even as blood overflowed from his throat and mouth, the Sage found me lurking in the darkness and pointed his hand at me to unleash a curse.
“…Hmph!”
I released Stealth and braced myself, squeezing the air out of my lungs.
I admire his tenacity. If so, I will face him head-on, and pulled out several throwing Knives attached to my thigh with both hands.
In the slowed-down sense of time due to Body Enhancement, the Sage put his hand on his finger to activate the curse, and I raised my knife.
At this timing, it’s a mutual kill–
Zash!
“…Y-you…”
My knife pierced the Sage’s throat and chest, and the Sage’s curse did not reach me.
“Gaaaa…”
The released curse was blocked and prevented by an intervening giant body.
“Gord…”
Gord, who had blocked the curse as if to be my shield, put his remaining left hand on the Sage’s neck and clenched it.
“Y-you… experimental animal!”
“Gaaaaaaaaaa!”
Gord’s tenacity surpassed the Sage’s, and his hand tore off the Sage’s neck as if crushing it.
In Gord’s eyes, who had finished off the Sage, a slight light of “intelligence” had returned.
I see… I certainly tried to neutralize the drugs that were binding Gord, but he had regained “himself.”
“Gord, it’s your ‘win’.”
When I muttered that, Gord’s eyes reflected me, and as his body collapsed from the curse, he slightly loosened his mouth.
Don!
Suddenly, an explosion resounded from the back, and the flames of the ignited and overflowing gas engulfed Gord and the Sage.
From afar, I could hear the death screams of the remaining Guild members. No one can escape anymore. This Guild is finished.
“…Are you satisfied?”
“…………”
Dino was still alive, even though half of his body was corrupted by the curse and his side was slashed.
In the hell that the spreading flames dyed crimson, Dino and I, who were unable to move and collapsed, stared at each other, and he gave a slight, sarcastic smile.
“…To think that the Guild would be destroyed by a child like you… Are you satisfied that you saved Serejula? But you’re finished too. No one… can escape anymore. Aria… you won, but our beloved master will eternally regret losing you.”
Dino chuckled sadistically, saying that my master, who is full of affection, would surely be sad.
“Is that all you wanted to say? Then goodbye.”
Dino’s face gradually distorted as I calmly loaded a short arrow into the crossbow’s gimmick, and his widened eyes reflected me coldly looking down and the released arrow, and he never moved again.
“Go to the afterlife with just you guys.”
Garaaan, Godoooooooooon!
I guess there was a gas pocket even deeper in that mine.
The underground explosion shook the bedrock and the massive stone chapel, bells spilled from the collapsing spire, and the resounding chimes struck the ears of the stunned residents.
“…………”
I watched the scene from the shadows of a distant building.
I managed to escape from the underground, where no one should have been able to escape. It was a gamble for me too, but I had a reasonable chance of winning.
What I used was Rada’s Shadow Walker.
It’s a Level 4 Dark Magic, but I was used to using the reconstructed Shadow Snatch, so I managed to activate it at the last minute, even though it used up all my Mana.
Shadow Walk only allows you to move to a Shadow connected to your Mana Particles.
To that end, when I sealed all the vent holes, I ran a “thread” of my Mana through all of them.
From there, I was able to use Shadow Walk to move to the cemetery vault, but using Magic beyond my level depleted my Mana and nearly led to a weakened death. But, fortunately, I always carried a Mana Recovery Potion from a previous lesson, and I recovered enough to move, so I was able to escape from the collapsing chapel.
The Assassin Guild’s Northern Frontier Branch is crushed. I don’t know how the other branches or the nobles involved will move as a result. But —
“I’m prepared for that.”
I glanced at the chapel collapsing for the last time, and then disappeared into the darkness.
The Assassin Guild has finally been settled.
It’s about 1.5 times longer than planned, but the Assassin arc will continue a little longer.
Next time, what awaits Aria when she goes to return the recovered necklace heirloom?