The sound of rain pouring down vigorously.
It’s as noisy as if it’s spilling through an open window.
And then there’s thunder.
The moment a blue flash burst, the dark room was illuminated, and I saw someone’s shadow.
A cold shadow hovering over the bed.
“I didn’t hear the window opening….”
It’s still like that now.
I don’t hear footsteps or breathing; there’s nothing at all.
Only the sound of rain.
“Stay calm.”
It’s not a ghost.
There are evil spirits similar to ghosts in this world, but they don’t have such a clear presence.
Shadows don’t appear.
“In other words, someone has entered. Who could it be?”
Two candidates come to mind.
A thief, or an assassin.
The probability leans more toward the assassin.
If it were a thief, they would’ve searched somewhere else first, not peeked at the bed.
Like the drawers or the wardrobe, places like that.
It’s strange for a thief to visit my room.
It would make more sense to target Eliya’s bedroom or the mansion’s storage.
“I can’t feel any presence at all. A person trained in stealth.”
Probably someone using a special skill, like Judas’s “Silent Footsteps.”
It is becoming increasingly clear that it’s an assassin.
The obvious target is Eliya.
“A skilled assassin has no reason to kill me. There may be a past of Judas that I’m unaware of, but he could never be more important than Eliya.”
I can’t hear any footsteps.
But, if I concentrate, I can hear the sound of dripping water.
It’s distinctly different from the sound of rain.
It feels like water is dripping from my body because I’m soaked by the rain.
I gauge the distance by that sound.
“Still not close. They’re approaching slowly. Cautionously enough to make one feel scared.”
I pulled Eliya closer.
Eliya and I have similar hair colors.
The height difference isn’t significant either.
If I cover us with the blanket and pull her close, it would be difficult for the other person to distinguish between us.
Unaware of the situation, Eliya rubbed her face against me happily.
“You owe me your life now.”
I forced a joke to calm my trembling heart.
A mistake could really lead to death.
For both me and Eliya.
Boom!
Thunder struck again, tearing through the air.
The room flickered blue.
The shadow was closer than before.
I shut my eyes tightly.
Drip, drip.
The sound of falling droplets grew louder and clearer.
“Just a little more….”
Drip…, drip…, drip.
I focused on the sound as much as possible.
It has to get closer.
To a point where they could distinguish between me and Eliya. Just a little more.
“I have to wait for the moment they’re the most off-guard.”
This is a trained assassin.
If the first surprise attack fails, there won’t be a second.
I have to wait for the optimal moment and must succeed.
“And the most off-guard moment is when they’re convinced they’ll succeed.”
Drip.
A droplet fell on the nightstand next to the bed.
Close.
The sound of fabric brushing against something inevitable if I lift my arm.
This is it.
I quickly pushed Eliya away and used the momentum to roll backward.
The reason I kept my eyes closed in fear was to acclimatize to the darkness.
Kill or be killed.
I have to give it my all.
There’s no time to think.
I summon my magical power instinctively.
[Magic Liberation (Lv.28)]
While falling, I managed to catch someone’s leg.
My actions surpassed my thoughts.
I swiftly slipped my hand behind their knee and wrapped my leg around their thigh.
Using the force of the roll, I executed an adapted technique known as the “Imanari Roll.”
“…!”
The startled opponent fell flat.
No matter how well-trained the assassin is, they likely wouldn’t know this kind of technique.
I immediately locked their foot beneath my arm and clasped my hands together, twisting their wrist to twist their ankle.
It’s a lower body joint lock known as the “Heel Hook.”
I twisted with all my might, turning my upper body.
Crack! An unpleasant sound filled the dark room.
Their ankle contorted at an unnatural angle.
“Gah-!”
The assassin wasn’t just going to stay put.
They groaned lowly and began to lift their upper body.
Something short in their hand glinted.
“A dagger…!”
Too late to dodge.
I swiftly raised my arm to block.
Thud-!
Skin tore, and blood sprayed.
A red blade poked out from under my arm.
The tip of the blade stopped just inches from my face.
“Gggh….”
I grit my teeth and rolled back.
Fortunately, the opponent dropped their weapon.
The spot where the dagger pierced was burning as if on fire.
I forced myself to ignore the pain.
Gritting my teeth, I charged once more.
Now is the opportunity while the opponent is flustered and has lost their weapon.
I could hardly put strength in my stabbed right arm.
I had to make do with my remaining hand.
I threw myself at them, aiming to head-butt and grab their collar.
Or at least, that was the plan.
“Gah-!”
The moment I lunged forward, the assassin extended their leg.
Their kick struck my torso perfectly.
Though I was sitting, the lack of weight didn’t matter; my body was sent flying into the wall.
“Cough-!”
Though I was still a young one, I had activated my 28-level Magic Liberation.
Yet the opponent easily pushed me away.
“This is insane…. That monster has arrived. Just as expected….”
Leaning against the wall, I barely lifted my body.
My whole body trembled.
“Ugh…?!”
The opponent was trying to get up but couldn’t.
They tripped over their sprained ankle and fell.
It couldn’t be helped.
The Heel Hook technique completely destroys the joints in the target’s lower body.
From the Achilles tendon and ankle ligaments to the knee’s cruciate ligaments.
That guy will never walk again.
Due to the characteristics of lower body joint locks, the pain comes late.
So they likely didn’t realize how much it hurt when it happened.
“Haah, huff….”
I glared at the fallen assassin, ignoring my own pain.
“Now what…?”
The ambush was only half successful.
I snuck a hit and destroyed their joints, but I didn’t kill them.
A trained assassin won’t end here.
“No matter how much I’ve sealed the lower body, I can’t win in a head-on confrontation. The power difference is too great.”
I pondered various possibilities.
My death isn’t the problem.
The problem is whether I can kill that assassin even if I die.
I must calculate that possibility.
Should I sprint at them recklessly again?
Or should I pull out the dagger lodged in my arm and use it as a weapon?
Can I withstand it?
Before that, will that assassin wait for that moment?
“If they’re from that guild, they wouldn’t have brought just one weapon. There’s definitely a hidden weapon….”
He lifted his head.
On the bed. He spotted Eliya, startled and awake.
He seemed to have confirmed his target.
The assassin’s hand dove into his cloak.
“Throwing weapon…!”
My instincts moved my body first.
I charged forward, intending to take the hit.
The hand that had gone into his cloak emerged.
A small, pointed throwing knife glinted at the edge.
Just before it was thrown.
I’m still quite a distance away.
In that fleeting moment.
The assassin and I locked eyes.
He glanced nervously, likely determining the distance.
The pupil visible under his mask stopped.
As if observing me. Or perhaps recognizing me.
“What is this?”
Time froze in that incredibly brief instant, cut into countless fractions.
As if the air had frozen, everything stopped before bursting into flames.
Whoosh-!
Golden flames erupted like a whip, tearing the assassin to pieces.
The scattered remains were engulfed by the flames.
The fire that clung to the remains intensified.
Flames that burst forth from the pyre relentlessly tore at the already dead assassin.
I stood frozen, gazing blankly at the scene.
The smell of blood was overridden by the foul stench of burning flesh.
At that moment, the bedroom door burst open.
The soldiers and Ria, who had been guarding outside, rushed in.
“Lady-!”
Why do I have to confirm that the mansion’s defenses are in disarray like this?
They barged in rapidly and froze at the sight of the burning assassin and Eliya.
I too stood awkwardly, staring at Eliya.
Her eyes, a mix of orange and yellow, stared blankly at the corpse.
Her expression, reminiscent of a furious fire, incited a primal fear.
If I’m not careful, I could get caught up in this.
I took a step back, feeling my back hit the wall.
My arm, pierced by a dagger, collided with it.
“Ugh….”
Blood flowed from the punctured forearm.
Whoosh, Eliya turned around so quickly it made a sound.
Her long hair whipped around before settling down.
“Judas!”
She ran towards me after stepping off the bed.
Her eyes were still entranced by the mad flames.
I stood rooted to the spot, my back against the wall, unable to move.
“Someone, bring Mei…! I mean, call the physician!”
Ria cried urgently.
Someone dashed quickly down the hallway.
Before I knew it, Eliya was right in front of me.
She fixed her gaze on my wound.
Her small lips trembled before clenching tight.
Her tightly clenched fist shook.
“Why…? Why are you….”
Her red eyes quivered.
Tears glistened in her burning gaze, as if they might spill over.
I didn’t want to see that expression.
I didn’t know why.
I just didn’t want to see Eliya cry.
So, I pulled her into an embrace with my remaining hand.
What expression was Eliya making, buried in my chest?
Was she going to burn me alive in her madness?
Would she get angry over my rudeness?
I didn’t know.
I acted on instinct.
After all, I’m going to die.
“It’s a relief you’re safe, my lady….”
Eliya clung tightly to my collar.
After a long time, a response came.
“Yeah….”
I leaned against the wall while holding her.
My legs gave way.
My body slowly crumbled.
Eliya looked up at me with trembling eyes.
“Judas…? Why do you look so…?”
“They brought the physician!”
Bang, clatter, the commotion sounded distant.
I turned my dazed eyes.
A physician with messy hair, as if he had just woken up, appeared.
Was her name Mei?
I didn’t quite remember.
My head hurt.
My mind felt murky, and strength kept seeping from my body.
Cold sweat poured down like rain.
Mei approached and examined my wound.
I breathed heavily, struggling to lower my gaze.
The spot where the knife pierced.
The surrounding skin was darkening.
Blackening like rotting flesh.
“It’s a deadly poison. Given how the flesh is blackening, this is….”
I couldn’t hear the rest.
But I knew what poison this was.
The special deadly poison used by the Assassin Guild, Ramek.
They had crafted it to make their deeds known.
It’s characterized by flesh rotting to a black color.
The antidote is held by only a select few within the guild.
In other words, if you’ve been hit by this poison, you’re as good as dead.
I didn’t feel fear or pain.
There are very few assassins capable of infiltrating Eliya’s mansion completely.
I had already suspected it was Ramek.
So perhaps I accepted it without resistance.
“Quite the elaborate way to die….”
If a priest of archbishop level or a wizard trained in high-level purification magic were here, I might live.
But there’s likely no talented individuals like that around here.
I resigned myself.
I just savored the warmth in my embrace.
Eliya was safe.
Her orange-red eyes were welling with tears, which then fell.
Her big eyes meant her tears were big too.
“Why are you crying again….”
As my consciousness began to fade, my breaths grew shallow.
I tried to reach out.
I wanted to wipe away her tears, but I couldn’t lift my hand.
It trembled at an ambiguous angle.
I had no strength left.
“I don’t want to see you cry… you should be smiling….”
A red-nosed Eliya gripped my hand.
Then she placed it on her face.
It touched her soft and warm cheek.
Tears dripped down my hand.
“Don’t…! Judas….”
Eliya mumbled as she rubbed her face against my hand.
Is she crying because I’m dying?
Beyond my fading vision, the rising scenery was likely a show of memories.
Strangely enough, it was all Eliya.
Everything else passed by in a blur.
Every vivid memory was when I was with Eliya.
When I saw the younger Eliya.
When I discovered the bruise on her arm.
The birthday banquet. Sardis. Eliya bursting in while I was asleep.
The ecstatic smile on your face when you hugged people and connected with the Moon Deer.
In the end, once again, crying Eliya stood before me.
“I can’t say I mind seeing you like this. It’s better than the meaningless life I lived….”
I’m dying.
Even so, I couldn’t help but chuckle.
It wasn’t a tragedy to die for Eliya.
“See? Fate can be avoided….”
When the memories end, the curtain will fall.
At the moment I resigned myself, Eliya placed her hand on my wound.
“My lady!”
It’s dangerous to touch where the poison still lingers.
But Eliya didn’t seem to care.
A golden flame surged from her small hand.
The shimmering flame danced like a heat haze, pulling the knife from my wound and wrapping around the injury.
It felt warm—pleasantly so.
My flesh didn’t burn.
Instead, the blackened flesh began to regain color.
‘…Ah. No way.’
I knew Eliya could use high-level purification magic.
Thus, from a far future point.
Every meal, she worried about poison in her food and practiced purification magic.
I heard this was a habit she formed as a child.
“Could she have been able to use it since such a young age…?”
In that instant, I thought.
Could she have awakened that magic right at this moment because of me?
It was such a ridiculous thought that I couldn’t help but smile.
Maybe I went a little crazy after dying.
It’s best to restrain my delusions.
As the flames worked to detoxify, Eliya leaned against my chest.
Was she trying to hear my heartbeat as she pressed her ear to my heart?
Then, she started heaving sobs.
“Don’t cry…. I spared you, and yet you’re crying again.”
I’ve held back so many sighs because of her.
I simply embraced Eliya with my remaining arm.
Hoping she wouldn’t cry.
Eliya’s sobs, which had been leaning against me quietly, gradually began to subside.
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