"Under the night sky, the remaining members of the Blade Shadow burned everything there, including the corpses, to erase their traces. After everything was done, the members slowly infiltrated back into their secret headquarters. The last mission had claimed many casualties on their side, no one expected there to be such strong help on the enemy's side, leaving a trail of horrific victims. Among the assassins who moved like shadows, the figure of Thirteen stood upright, his eyes staring blankly at the twinkling cluster of stars.
In the dimly lit basement, the assassins' breaths blended with the rustling of their cloaks. Thirteen stepped into the middle of the room, his voice flowing calmly but deadly like a dagger, "Target down. Duke Reynard Vale is dead. The Carmesim Order guards involved..." He slammed his dagger on the wooden table, "...we disabled them until none were left."
"This is the reward from this mission," said Thirteen as he threw a black bag to all members of the Blade Shadow.
The next day, morning had just begun to illuminate the tall towers of the capital of the Kingdom of Aetheria when news spread like a strong wind. Blaze, who was leaning against the wall of a run-down inn on the outskirts of the city, could see the chaos that was starting to happen on the streets. The merchants who were usually busy preparing their wares were now huddled together. In the distance, the sound of a warning trumpet sounded loudly, followed by the pounding of dozens of soldiers rushing to fill the main street.
Blaze took a deep breath. The smell of street dust mixed with the aroma of food from roadside stalls filled his nose. He watched calmly as the city guards began to close the main gate, searching every suspicious person. His gloved hand reached for the collar of his cloak, pulling it closer and putting on a silver mask to cover his face.
In the magnificent courtroom of the palace, dozens of high-ranking royal officials gathered in the main hall. The air felt stuffy even though the tall windows were wide open.
"Duke Reynard Vale died last night," said an old general in a low voice. His hand trembled holding the official report. "He was ambushed and killed while returning to the capital... the Carmesim Order people who were guarding him also disappeared, most likely they were also killed."
A young advisor in neat blue clothes suddenly stood up. "This must be the work of that assassin organization! We must-"
"Enough!" interrupted a high-ranking official. "Those assassins are hiding very well, even now we still don't know where they are hiding." The king ordered a search of every corner of the city. No one is allowed to enter or leave the capital without a thorough inspection!"
As night fell, Blaze stood on the roof of an old warehouse on the outskirts of the city. He watched calmly every movement of the guards below. The cold night wind blew against his face, Blaze sighed softly. It was time to leave.
He took a deep breath, feeling the dark energy flowing through his body. His ability, Shadow Step, allowed him to blend with the shadows that danced under the moonlight.
One step.
His body suddenly dissolved into the darkness.
Two steps.
He had already moved to the next shadow, moving fast like a lightning strike.
The guards at the city gate didn't even notice when a black shadow shot past them. Blaze simply disappeared into the darkness.
Blaze didn't stop running. The forest outside the city was nearby. There, he would be safe.
Upon reaching the forest, Blaze walked to the edge of the river.
Blaze sat by the river, his back against an old tree trunk whose bark was cracked like dry earth cracks. His eyes stared blankly at the slowly flowing water, occasionally watching dry leaves bobbing on the surface. The night wind blew gently.
In his hand, the silver mask that was usually part of him now felt strange. His still limp fingers slowly turned the object, while his gaze was fixed on the shadow of his own face reflected in the water.
His fight in the last mission, he did manage to defeat his opponent, but he realized that his current abilities were still lacking.
"It should be better than this," he whispered to himself, clenching his still slightly trembling hand.
"I have to evolve... I have to become stronger," he muttered softly, his voice almost drowned out by the gurgling of the river that flowed continuously.
Blaze took a deep breath, trying to ease the turmoil in his mind that wouldn't stop. Suddenly, his stomach growled loudly, reminding him that he hadn't touched food since the sun was high in the sky. "Ah, right..." he thought, realizing how he had neglected his own basic needs.
With a trained movement, he got up and stepped to the shallower edge of the river. His sword gleamed for a moment under the moonlight before plunging into the water with precision. Splash! A large fish twitched, its body flailing wildly before being lifted into the air, pierced right in the gills. The clear river water scattered, forming small ripples on the surface.
Calmly, Blaze returned to his original seat, then lit a campfire and grilled the fish. The aroma of burning meat slowly filled the air, while his thoughts returned to contemplation.
"Void Slash..." Blaze muttered softly, his tongue as if spelling out the name of his signature technique. A technique that had saved his life many times, capable of cutting anything in one deadly motion. But his lips immediately curled when his memory reached one problem that remained unsolved, namely the distance.
"Damn..." he grumbled to himself. All this time, the move had always forced him to fight close range. How many times had he almost been injured because he had to close the distance with a faster opponent? Or when he had to chase an enemy who liked to attack from afar?
His hand clenched unconsciously. "If only..." he whispered, his eyes staring blankly at his own palm. That's where he usually felt that void energy begin, flowing through his arm before finally being channeled into his sword.
His shadow hovered on a possibility. What if that energy could be released just like that? Without having to rely on a sword swing? Like... throwing an invisible air knife.
"But how?" he asked himself, his fingers moving as if trying to catch something invisible. It felt like trying to grasp smoke, he knew it was there, but he couldn't hold it.
With a sigh, Blaze rubbed his face. This wasn't the first time this idea had come up, but it always ended in the same place: a dead end.
"There has to be a way," Blaze muttered softly.
Blaze tried to channel the void energy back into his sword, but every time he did, he couldn't think of a way to unleash the technique to be able to attack at a longer distance.
Three days had passed, Blaze had always tried various methods, but he only found a dead end. "There must be a way, there must be, but how!" Blaze muttered softly."