One Stone, Three Birds (3)
“Track down Zeke Clayman.”
Upon hearing that Hades had been captured, Eustia’s Assassination Captain immediately ordered Zeke’s pursuit.
“Captain, what about the young lady? She headed towards the Yohaiden estate.”
The vice-captain asked him.
“Is her safety secured?”
“She’s currently recovering from unconsciousness and is on the move with Princess Yohaiden.”
“Then, dispatch three members to respond to any unforeseen threats. Avoid direct conflict with Yohaiden's forces.”
“Yes, sir.”
The Assassination Captain turned his gaze to the other members.
“Regarding the young lady, we’ll receive further orders after capturing and interrogating Zeke Clayman.”
“Yes, sir.”
The members nodded at the captain's words.
“Captain.”
Just then, one of the members who had been sent to scout the surroundings approached and knelt before him.
“Report.”
“We found Hades.”
“His location?”
“……He escaped.”
The Assassination Captain’s brow furrowed.
“Detailed report.”
“He approached a member in the 12th alley and reported Zeke Clayman’s location. After receiving the locations of our members, he immediately exploited an opening and fled. It appears he was determined to escape after making contact with Zeke Clayman.”
“……Betrayal? Very well, I understand. What about Zeke Clayman's location?”
“He's in the back alleys of Ramielli. We’re still tracking him.”
Despite Hades’ sudden betrayal, the Assassination Captain made a quick decision.
Hades must have received some information from Zeke Clayman before escaping.
Ignoring this posed a significant potential risk.
“Vice-captain.”
“Yes, sir.”
“You will track down Hades alone.”
“Yes, sir.”
The vice-captain immediately turned and disappeared from sight.
The Leader addressed the remaining members.
“All members, excluding the vice-captain and the pursuit team, assemble. Move to Zeke Clayman’s location. Upon first contact, inform him of his summons. If he resists, lethal force is authorized.”
The members silently nodded in agreement.
Led by a member, they arrived at a large, warehouse-like building not far away.
Completely unmaintained, its exterior was filthy, and a musty, stale, alcohol-soaked stench emanated from within.
“Zeke Clayman is inside this?”
“Yes, sir.”
“We’ll go through the upper window.”
Eustia’s Assassination Squad moved towards a small window located high on the warehouse wall.
Over twenty individuals moved with disciplined precision, their movements silent and fluid.
They positioned themselves on the rafters inside, surveying the situation below.
Zeke Clayman's dark head was visible.
He stood with his sword drawn, facing off against roughly a hundred men.
The Assassination Captain raised a hand.
“Hold. Assess the situation.”
The scene inside the warehouse was far from pleasant.
Decapitated corpses were gruesomely displayed on the walls, and empty liquor bottles littered the floor.
A pungent, foul odor filled the air, suggesting some of them indulged in illicit substances.
‘Zeke Clayman, what in the world are you planning…….’
Zeke Clayman stood amidst his opponents, holding a loaf of bread.
“……He’s actually holding a loaf of bread.”
He had heard about it from his subordinate’s report, but seeing it in person was even more absurd.
“It seems like he’s embedded metal rods inside.”
“Yes, that must be it. There’s no other way he could achieve such feats.”
Glancing at Zeke's feet, he saw two burly men lying dead, their skulls caved in, brains spilling out.
At that moment, the apparent leader of the group spoke up.
“Hey! That bastard is the one who killed Kutan! We never forgive anyone who touches our family! Now’s the time to make an example out of him!!!”
“As expected of the Dark Mage's dogs who dare to target Eustia.”
The Assassination Captain’s eyes widened at Zeke’s retort to the leader’s threat.
‘What!? A Dark Mage is targeting Eustia!?’
This was information omitted from the report. Even Hela hadn't mentioned it when giving him his orders.
The Leader was taken aback by this unexpected revelation, but decided to continue observing for the time being.
“Lost Hope, I won’t let you get away with kidnapping Iriel.”
“Huh??? We……. Well, Lust but……”
“Yes, you lot. The underlings of Lost Hope. Did that Dark Mage promise you Hope rank if you kidnapped Iriel?”
The Assassination Captain studied the men confronting Zeke.
‘These insignificant thugs……. are the Dark Mage's underlings, and they tried to kidnap Lady Iriel…?’
They looked utterly unremarkable.
While they reeked of having killed a person or two, that seemed to be the extent of their experience.
The Leader was slightly taken aback by their brazen act of displaying corpses on the wall and their blatant drug use, but that was more due to their audacity in doing so within the capital city. It wasn't because he found them particularly formidable.
‘Zeke Clayman wouldn’t resort to such a lie to escape this situation.’
If these men were truly dangerous and had intended to kidnap Iriel, then Zeke Clayman's escape would have had some persuasive justification.
However, that was only plausible if he was certain they were indeed the Dark Mage's underlings.
Just then, the Assassination Captain noticed Zeke charging towards the opposing group.
‘……When did he get so fast?’
Even the Leader had to acknowledge the impressive speed at which Zeke plunged into the enemy ranks.
However, the problem arose immediately afterward.
Something completely unexpected happened.
*Thwack!*
A dull thud echoed as Zeke was sent flying backward.
He was knocked to the ground by a single, clumsy punch from the weakest-looking man, who had his eyes squeezed shut.
Zeke landed face-first, coughing and sputtering.
A sticky, red puddle began to form beneath his chin.
‘……This is impossible.’
Even the weakest among them possessed an unfathomably powerful strength.
And it didn't end there.
He couldn't even detect the next attack coming.
*BOOOM!!!!!*
A blinding blue light erupted from beneath Zeke, followed by a deafening explosion.
White smoke billowed outward, engulfing the entire hideout.
Apparently, one of them had used magic.
‘That’s no ordinary smoke!! It’s infused with magic!!!’
Having previously encountered mages, the Assassination Captain sensed something amiss about the rising smoke.
He quickly turned to his men and barked out an order.
“Hold your breath! Do not inhale the smoke!”
Fortunately, his judgment was swift, and the members managed to cover their mouths and noses just in time.
The Assassination Captain soon realized the true nature of the magic.
The men, who had initially seemed only slightly stronger than average, began to transform grotesquely.
Veins bulged and pulsed beneath their skin, their eyes turning a bloody crimson.
They resembled humans who had sold their souls to demons.
“……Grooooowl.”
“……Ki……”
“……Ll……”
“……Us……”
They let out guttural growls, like wild beasts.
Each mumbled something unintelligible, their voices blending into a bizarre, collective chant.
*Gulp.*
The Leader heard the sound of his men swallowing nervously behind him.
‘……They really are the Dark Mage’s underlings…….’
The name "Lost Hope" was etched into his mind.
The Assassination Captain's eyes wavered.
He was caught in a dilemma.
Prioritizing the mission meant retrieving the unconscious Zeke Clayman and returning immediately.
However, these men were targeting Eustia.
Furthermore, they were a suspicious group who had threatened to kidnap Lady Iriel.
Despite his extensive network and access to vast amounts of information, he had never encountered a group with such characteristics on any list of Eustia's potential enemies.
‘A group that remained completely undetected by Eustia's intelligence network……. A group that cultivated such unorthodox power…….’
If he let them escape here, they would vanish back into the shadows, their existence unknown, free to strike at Eustia whenever they pleased.
‘Lost Hope, he called them…….’
The Assassination Captain glanced down at Zeke Clayman.
This man had single-handedly discovered this dangerous group and recklessly intervened to protect Iriel.
“Damn…… those…… bastards……”
Zeke gritted his teeth, spitting out the words.
‘…….’
Then, Zeke Clayman turned his head towards them.
Their eyes met.
“Assassination…… Captain. The enemies…… seem to have…… noticed us.”
‘Damn it. Did they use that magic because of us?’
The Assassination Captain glanced around.
Fortunately, the smoke had dissipated as quickly as it had appeared, suggesting a magic with immediate but short-lived effects.
He closed his eyes, weighing his options.
Soon, he reached a decision.
“For Eustia.”
The Assassination Captain met the eyes of his men.
“We will eliminate Eustia’s enemies here. Zeke Clayman's retrieval comes second.”
The members bowed their heads in unison.
They understood that orders took precedence, but having witnessed the sinister power of their adversaries firsthand, none could fault the Leader's judgment.
“We’ll be facing multiple opponents, so switch from assassination formation to extermination formation.”
*Shing*
*Clang!*
*Clang!*
*Clang!*
With grim expressions, the members drew their weapons.
“Let’s go.”
Like a silent rain, men clad in black descended from the rafters behind Zeke.
The Assassination Captain gazed down at the unconscious Zeke Clayman.
“Zeke Clayman.”
“Yes.”
“You will explain yourself once this is over.”
“Yes.”
*Thump, thump.*
He started walking.
In a low, steady voice, he commanded,
"Move out."
With that, the Eustia Assassination Squad charged toward the enemy, swords flashing.
* * *
Black-clad figures suddenly descended from the ceiling, swords drawn, and charged toward his men.
“Damn it!! Stop fighting! Stop it!!!”
Lodren roared, but his words were lost in the chaos.
The only response was a chorus of grotesque screams.
Lodren was going insane.
When smoke had erupted from the black-haired man earlier, he had instinctively held his breath.
And in the brief moments it took for the smoke to fill the hideout and dissipate, his men had transformed into something monstrous.
“What the hell. What in the world just happened…….”
His men, veins bulging, eyes glowing crimson, were locked in a fierce battle with the newcomers.
These interlopers were clearly skilled killers.
*Whizz!*
*Swoosh!*
Blood splattered.
Lodren couldn't even keep track of how many of his men had fallen.
It was a ferocious battle, the likes of which even he, a seasoned survivor of countless conflicts, found terrifying.
But could this even be called a battle between humans?
His men fought with an inhuman ferocity, unfazed by severed limbs and gaping wounds.
They lunged with their swords, desperate to inflict even a single blow, and when their hands were chopped off, they resorted to biting.
The sounds they made were more akin to wild beasts than men.
“Gyaahahahaha!!!”
“Kraaahahahaaaa!”
“Die!!!!!!”
“Kyahahaha!”
Was there truly a Dark Mage hiding among them?
Lodren stumbled backward, fear gripping his heart.
He bumped into one of his men.
The scout he had sent to retrieve the magical dagger from the treasure room.
“You…! Where have you been?!”
He snarled, but the man’s eyes were also glowing crimson.
“This…… Damn it.”
He cursed, and the man tilted his head with a chilling grin.
“Kyahaaa!!!!”
The man lunged at him.
Lodren instinctively drew his sword and slashed at the man's chest.
*Thud!*
Blood sprayed, but the cut was shallow.
“You crazy bastard!!! Get a grip!!!”
“Kyahahaha! Die!!!”
Instead of retreating, the man pressed forward, pushing himself onto the blade. He gripped the magical dagger in a reverse grip, aiming for Lodren’s heart.
Lodren grabbed the blade with his bare hand, halting its advance.
Searing pain shot up his arm.
“Gah!”
His hand trembled.
As he struggled against the man's unnatural strength, a disgruntled voice pierced his mind.
- “Hmph, you're outmatched. This is troublesome. You there, the one with a clear mind. Don't you desire to become a true follower of the Dark Mage?”
Lodren frantically searched for the source of the voice but found no one.
‘A true follower of the Dark Mage……?’
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