The assassin froze.
A pair of crimson eyes stared at him.
"Shit!" he hissed.
Before he could lunge, Akamir's hand shot out, grabbing the glass of water on the nightstand.
With a flick of his wrist, he hurled it.
The water splashed into the assassin's face, and the heavy-bottomed glass cracked against his jaw.
The man stumbled, just as Akamir rolled off the bed.
'What a pain.'
Akamir clicked his tongue as he looked at both of them.
Grabbing the pillow, he threw it at the second assassin.
The man cut down the pillow, feathers flying all around the place.
Akamir grabbed the lamp and swung blindly at the first assassin.
A guttural cry split the air as the lamp cracked against the first assassin's knee, followed by a thud as the man crumpled.
But the second assassin was already on him.
He ducked, the poisoned blade slicing through the air where his neck had been.
Akamir grabbed both his legs and pulled him hard, slamming him into the floor.
Getting up, he kicked the fallen chair in the corner, making it crash into the assassin's ribs.
The first attacker wiped his eyes, blade ready again, and charged.
Akamir ducked—not backward, but forward, slipping under the assassin's thrust.
He twisted, then slammed his shoulder into the man's knee.
Crack!
A sickening sound echoed within the room followed by a—.
"Arghhh!! My leg!!"
The man screamed, but Akamir had already moved.
He grabbed the nightstand and smashed it into the assassin's head.
Wood shattered around the place and the man bled from his head.
Akamir felt goosebumps all over his body as his head snapped back to the second assassin.
'What is that?'
He wondered, staring at the assassin's hand as the dagger glowed in a golden light.
[Holy Aura has been registered.]
A message popped up in front of his face.
The assassin moved like a blur, leaving a trail of golden hue.
Akamir grabbed a notebook and threw it at the man, at the same time he pushed his body back.
The man cut down the notebook like butter, blinding his sight just for a second before rushing at Akamir once again.
"Huh?"
But—.
A tip of a pen rushed straight for his eyes.
He tried to move away... yet the tip followed his movement.
It landed exactly where it needed to—right in the man's eye.
"ARGHH!"
The man staggered, clutching his face.
Akamir slid forward, snatched the man's own fallen dagger off the floor.
Just when he was about to finish him, Akamir noticed the first attacker move.
He hurled a throwing star at him.
Akamir spun, letting it embed itself in the wardrobe behind him.
Before the man could draw another, Akamir flung the stolen dagger.
It wasn't a clean throw.
The blade hilt struck the assassin's temple, not the edge—but it was enough.
He reeled, colliding with the room's sole window. The glass shattered.
He grabbed the blade once again and threw himself over the second assassin, making him fall on his back.
The man thrashed, blinded, as Akamir drove a knee into his solar plexus.
The air left his lungs in a wheeze.
Across the room, the first assassin clung to the broken window frame, blood dripping from his temple.
Akamir met his gaze.
"Jump," he said softly, "or I'll make you wish you had."
For a moment, the man hesitated.
Then, with a snarl, he let himself fall backward into the dark.
A second later, a distant crunch echoed up.
Akamir didn't bother watching. He tightened his grip on the remaining assassin's throat.
"W-who are you...?" the man rasped, crawling back.
"Funny." Akamir replied, tilting his head. "Aren't you the one who came to attack me?"
"Duke's son wasn't supposed to be this strong." He whimpered, the pen still lodged in his eye.
"I am not strong." Akamir replied, holding the pen.
"ARGHH!!!"
He screamed at the top of his lungs as Akamir took out the pen along with his eye.
"...Who are you?" the man asked once again, trying to get any information.
"I'm no one special," he whispered, voice calm and cold. "But I've been hunted before. And I don't like it."
He raised the dagger again, then knocked the man out with the handle.
Akamir let out a sigh as he looked around.
The room was a mess. Furniture shattered. Blood pooling on the floor.
A soft breeze flowed in through the open window.
He stepped over the bodies and closed it.
'Zia is going to be pissed.'
And just as he thought about her, the door was slammed open.
"Can you flap a little—."
Zia's words came to an abrupt halt as she looked around the room.
She closed her mouth, her gaze on the assassin's body.
"Y-young master?" she whispered, walking towards him. "Are you alright?"
"I am fine." Akamir replied, glancing at her dress.
She was wearing a black nightgown that loosely clung to her body.
Zia's breath hitched as she followed his line of sight, realizing too late what he was staring at.
She immediately crossed her arms, cheeks flushing. "Don't look at me like a pervert, young master."
Akamir wiped the blood from his face with the back of his sleeve, while keeping a straight face.
Zia sighed as she walked towards the assassin. "Did you leave him alive to intro...."
Her words died down as she checked his breathing.
"What happened?" Akamir asked, walking closer to her.
Zia looked up at him. "He is dead."
Akamir gave the man a closer look, noticing a trail of blood dripping down his nose.
"It's poison." he guessed as he clicked his tongue.
Even though he was aware of how most assassins keep poison in their teeth.
'I let my guard down.'
He checked the man's pockets but couldn't find anything.
Sighing, Akamir started walking out of the room.
"Tell the guards to throw away the body first thing in the morning." Akamir said, looking back at her. "I will sleep in another room."
"I will guard—."
"No need." he replied, his voice firm. "Just go back to sleep."
Without listening to her, he started to walk towards a different room.
As he did, a message popped in front of him again.
[Holy Aura has been registered.]
'What the fuck is a Holy Aura?'
Akamir frowned.
Just when he was about to remove the screen, the words changed.
==
Holy Aura:
A mutated form of Sword Aura granted by the blessing of a god or goddess.
==
Akamir halted in his tracks.
'Church.'
Akamir wasn't sure why they would even try to kill him?
'..No, this man might be affiliated with the church and nothing more.'
But Akamir couldn't think why someone would try to kill him—or to be more precise, Asher.
'....What does registered even mean?'
He couldn't understand the meaning behind the words.
But—.
The words flickered once again.
==
Would you like to learn "Holy Aura"?
==
"...."
Akamir took a long moment to just stare at the message.