The moment the assassin vanished, a breath of death whispered through the air.
Merit turned—but not fast enough.
A flicker of shadow, and the Grandmaster reappeared behind Anippe.
His poisoned dagger was already swinging down, fangs of green light tracing death in the air.
Anippe moved—barely.
Steel shrieked against steel as her blade intercepted the strike, the shock of impact jolting through her bones. Sparks lit the darkness. Poison hissed against the air where it splashed from the dagger's edge.
"You've got reflexes," the assassin growled, his voice low, feral. "Let's see how long they last."
He vanished again.
Not teleportation—just sheer speed, far beyond what Merit or her Shwt could track easily in this restricted state.
