“Cast: Haste!”

Hyun used the spell on himself, casting it by running his finger over the surface of his silver-and-verdant blade, amplifying his speed enough to match the assassin class player’s running speed.

Ara’s white-and-black, peplum dress fluttered along with the matching mantle sitting on her upper torso as she raised her hand, invoking magecraft.

“Cast: Pincer Lightning!”

It came just in time as the two young men approached the greatsword-wielding, faceless player at the same time, interrupting him before he could attack as silver lightning bolts coming from three separate directions struck at once.

Still, with monstrous reflexes, the hooded man manifested a black, formless shield at one hand, flipping his rose-designed, skeleton-handled greatsword in his right hand to catch one of the bolts, dispersing it with the rotation of his blade.

“He guarded it…?!” Ara let out in surprise.

“That’s good enough!” He let out.

Using a [Blink Step] he brought himself at the faceless attacker’s side while Hyun used a pivot to take the man’s left, rearing his longsword back as he conjured magecraft using his silver as a catalyst._.

“Cast: Dragonhead Slash!”

Manifesting across his sword, fire emerged in the shape of a raging dragon’s head, prompting Hyun to rear it back before gathering the seemingly sentient mass of flames, guiding it to attack the man.

Before the man could attempt to evade it, he took the opportunity to keep the man in place, slashing at him with both of his daggers.

As his greatsword swung downwards against both of his daggers, he braced himself, feeling the ground beneath his boots crack and cave in beneath the sheer strength possessed by the malicious player.

It feels like a mountain is crushing my arms…! But, I did my job! He thought.

Using an unexpected [Blink Step], the sudden disappearance of pushback caused the darkly-uniformed man to stumble slightly, looking back just as the dragon head opened its maw, engulfing him in the flames as its form shifted into a spiraling torrent of orange, howling flames.

“Hot, hot, hot…!” He leapt back, watching from a safe distance as he reunited by Hyun’s side, “That’s some kickass magic, man.”

“You think so? I just learned it recently,” Hyun smiled, holding his bleeding shoulder again as sweat traveled down his skin, “Honestly…I really don’t like the idea of killing another person, but…I let out everything I had…”

He looked at the orange-haired man of similar age for a moment, seeing the anguish present on his expression before patting his back.

“You were just protecting your sister,” he told him, “Don’t beat yourself up over something like this. Nobody would think less of you.”

“You think? Man, I just met you, but you’re already being so nice…ha-ha, how does somebody like you still exist in this world?” Hyun laughed, but in turn ended up coughing as he fell to his knees.

“Hyun!”

“Brother!”

Ara and him were knelt by Hyun’s side, as his cut-open shoulder profusely bled, dripping onto the floor as the man was exuding sweat at a rapid pace.

“What’s up with this cut…? It’s not stopping!” He said, trying to cover it and apply pressure, but nothing seemed to work.

Hyun answered between heavy breaths, “…I think…it’s that sword of his…it’s making the wound force my blood out…!”

Just then, the torrent of flames finally dispersed, revealing a cloud of smoke that left the three silent in anticipation.

Though they couldn’t see him, it was clear that the man dressed in black stood there as his enigmatic, dense aura could be felt like a chilling cold that surpassed even the dissipating flames.

“Cancel: Magic,” the man stated the incantation, but it seemed he already used it, “I’ll admit that the magecraft used just now was splendid, spellblade. However, it can’t reach me.”

“Cancel: Magic”?! What kind of unfair bullshit is that?! He thought.

Holding that rose-etched greatsword, the hooded man marched towards them as his all-black uniform swayed in the old, left winds of the flames, possessing a silent malice in his walk.

“I will send all three of you to meet the angels,” the man issued his malediction, “–and in turn, I will evolve.”

…Crap…what do I do? He thought.

Looking at the other two, Hyun seemed to be unable to continue fighting as his complexion grew deathly pale with sweat continuing to leave his pores just as heavy breaths left his lips, seeping blood profusely.

On the other hand, Ara seemed so completely distraught by his condition that she didn’t even register the danger of the no-faced man.

Guess it’s up to me then…He thought.

Standing up, he drew in a breath between his lips, feeling his blood run hot through his veins as he stood between the two siblings and the malicious player.

“I wouldn’t ask a stranger to risk his neck for me…” Hyun said weakly, “Get out of here, man…”

“I’m already here, aren’t I?” He replied wryly with a half smile, “I don’t think our friend here would let me leave, even if I planned on it.”

Hyun laughed a bit before coughing, “You’re probably right.”

Faced with standing against such a terrifying opponent, he weighed his options, attempting to keep his head clear of doubt in the face of somebody clearly superior to himself.

“Sage Period” is probably a no-go. Seeing what that sword of his did to Hyun, a single slash of that with Sage Period active could be the end of me. I have to dance around him and look for an opening–wherever that is, he thought.

Just as the hooded, darkly-dressed man in studded black approached close enough, he took off with a [Blink Step], feigning a slash of his dagger towards the bridge of the faceless man’s nose, but he remained unflinching.

Is he made of stone or something-? He questioned.

Following through with his planned feint, he used another [Blink Step] to warp to the man’s left, but it was another fake out as he warped against, directly behind the man into a spinning slash.

“Ripper!”

[Spirit: -300. Remaining Spirit: 2150/2700]

The onslaught of slashes launched at a rapid rate were immediately stopped as one of his wrists were grabbed, halting the combo attack before it could fully begin.

“–Huh?” He let out in surprise.

His wrist was held firmly in the black, leather gloves of the mysterious player-killer.

He managed to react to “Ripper” and grab my wrist–? Isn’t he a swordsman or something? What kind of Agility stat is that?! He thought.

“Assassins always are the most annoying,” the man commented in a stoic, almost bored tone.