Kras and the five assassins slipped into the house where Jamih and Jaber stood with the children.
Kras blinked.
Kras:
"Children...?"
Jaber:
"Yeah... survivors.
I see you brought... a soldier?"
Jamih stared at the unconscious man.
Jamih:
"Good.
Enemy or ally?"
Kras:
"Well... I'm not sure."
Jamih narrowed his eyes.
Jamih:
"What do you mean?"
Kras:
"He was ordered by a royal advisor named Namiq...
Something he called 'the cleansing.'
He was heading here with his sword drawn.
I think... he was targeting these kids."
Jamih's voice dropped.
Jamih:
"So he's an enemy."
Kras:
"No... I don't think so.
He hesitated.
His voice...
It sounded like someone begging for help.
He's doing this only to survive...
so they don't kill him."
Jamih exhaled slowly.
Jamih:
"We'll see."
Jaber:
"Namiq... that name isn't unfamiliar.
He's one of Leona's royal advisors, isn't he?"
Kras:
"Bingo!
I suspected him!"
Jamih:
"And his role?"
Kras:
"Well... here's the problem.
He was giving orders to the soldier...
and a Black Order mage was respecting him.
Which means—"
Jaber:
"He's a traitor.
Ugh... I hate advisors.
First Aurik... now Leona!"
Jamih:
"And now you're one of them."
Jaber:
"You—!"
The little boy laughed loudly.
Kras smiled at him.
Jamih slapped the soldier awake — hard.
The soldier jolted up, terrified.
Soldier:
"Wh—who are you?!
Intruders!"
Jamih:
"Silence.
Or I'll kill you."
Jaber:
"Whoa— easy, Jamih.
No need to go that far."
Jamih:
"Answer me.
Who caused all this?"
Soldier:
"Who are you?"
He looked at the children.
Kras stepped forward.
Kras:
"These are the ones you were about to kill?"
The soldier looked away, ashamed.
Jamih grabbed him by the collar.
Jaber:
"If you really want help...
you need to talk."
The soldier stared at Jaber.
Soldier:
"You...
Are you Jaber the merchant?
What are you doing here?!
Only madmen come to this place!"
Jaber puffed his chest proudly.
Jaber:
"Yes, noble soldier!
Praise me more!"
Jamih rolled his eyes.
Jamih:
"What happened here?"
The soldier looked at the children again...
then at Jamih.
Soldier:
"It all began when Prince Lucas left...
to visit Aurik."
He swallowed.
Soldier:
"Strange movements started in the city.
A 'cure' for the sickness was being distributed...
Prince Lucas forbade it.
Advisor Aref tried to stop it too.
But Namiq and some advisors spread rumors...
that the prince wanted to sell the cure...
not give it."
He clenched his fists.
Soldier:
"That's when everything fell apart."
Jaber leaned forward.
Jaber:
"And the commander?
Basil?"
The soldier's face darkened.
Soldier:
"We lost Commander Basil in the last battle.
He was killed by someone wielding a scythe...
like a reaper."
Jaber blinked.
Jaber:
"A scythe?
That sounds like—"
Jamih:
"Lamis."
Jaber:
"Yes... her."
The soldier nodded.
Soldier:
"He was strong...
but that reaper stole souls...
attacked with them...
until he killed all of Leona's elite soldiers.
Even after the boy helped us..."
Jamih stiffened.
Jamih:
"Boy?"
Soldier:
"Yes.
A boy with overwhelming healing power.
He kept us alive...
until he collapsed in the cave."
Jamih's fist trembled.
Jaber:
"Easy, Jamih...
you'll choke the man."
Jamih released him.
Jamih:
"More."
Soldier:
"They corrupted the sacred lake...
It's led by a massive Black Order commander...
named MacFerdin."
Jaber:
"Strange name... never heard of him."
Soldier:
"They also stole the legendary beast."
Jaber froze.
Jaber:
"Legendary beast?
Bastet?"
Soldier:
"You know it?"
Jaber:
"Of course!
Bastet is a giant white bear!
Protector of the Aflouza peaks!
Unbelievably strong!"
Soldier:
"They sealed it.
They control it now."
Jaber's jaw dropped.
Jaber:
"That's impossible!"
Jamih stood.
Jamih:
"That's enough.
We move."
Soldier:
"What are you planning?"
Jamih stared at him coldly.
Jamih:
"I don't know what you intend to do, soldier...
but we came to free the boy who tried to save you."
Jaber nodded.
Jaber:
"Aurik's army is minutes away.
We'll hear them soon."
The soldier collapsed to his knees.
Soldier:
"I'm Captain Nizar...
Please...
take me with you.
I lead a resistance...
I can convince the remaining soldiers...
to fight with you."
Jamih studied him.
Kras stepped forward.
Kras:
"Any help is welcome."
Jaber:
If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it's taken without the author's consent. Report it.
"This is the right time."
Nizar swallowed.
Nizar:
"We're protecting the princess's body...
in the hideout..."
Jaber blinked.
Jaber:
"Princess?"
Nizar:
"Yes... she—"
A thunderous explosion shook the city.
Screams.
Steel.
Magic.
Jaber:
"Jamih!
That's the signal!"
Jamih:
"Move!"
He sealed the house and marked the door with a strange symbol —
one only Aurik's army would recognize.
THE UPRISING OF LEONA — NIZAR'S ROAR
Jaber, Kras, and the assassins followed Jamih out of the house.
Jaber turned to Shahrazad.
Jaber:
"Stay here!
I promise... help will arrive any moment!"
Shahrazad nodded firmly.
Shahrazad:
"Okay...!"
Jaber looked at Captain Nizar.
Jaber:
"We'll need a distraction.
Can you handle that?"
Nizar gripped his jeweled spear.
Nizar:
"Count on me."
He stepped forward as the sounds of battle thundered outside the walls.
Ahead, Namiq appeared — irritated, pacing.
Namiq:
"What are you staring at?
Can't you see what's happening outside?!"
Nizar raised his spear toward him.
The soldiers behind him gasped.
Namiq:
"You bastard...
You think you'll win just because those fools outside arrived?
You'll regret this!"
The soldiers hesitated.
Soldier:
"Captain... are you sure?!"
Nizar roared:
Nizar:
"Men!
Help has arrived!
Let's take back our land!
Let's defend what's ours!"
He charged toward Namiq.
Namiq blocked the spear with a wave of his hand —
a black aura erupting around him.
Leona's soldiers drew their spears, grinning.
Soldier:
"You're insane, Nizar...
But better to die like this than die helping the enemy!"
Nizar unleashed a flurry of strikes.
Namiq dodged effortlessly —
dark knights surged from the alleys, clashing with Leona's soldiers.
---
THE PATH TO THE CAVE — JAMIH'S ORDER
Jaber:
"This is our chance!
Jamih!"
Jamih and Jaber sprinted toward the cave, Kras behind them.
Jamih turned to him.
Jamih:
"Kras...
Sneak into the hideout.
Retrieve the princess.
Deliver her to the general.
Then return."
Kras blinked.
Kras:
"Are you sure?"
Jamih gave him a single, sharp look.
Kras:
"Understood!"
Kras and the assassins split off, heading toward Nizar's hideout to retrieve the princess's body.
Jamih and Jaber continued toward the cave.
---
HERBS PLAZA — THE TRAITOR UNMASKED
In the center of the ruined city, Nizar and his soldiers clashed with the Black Order.
Namiq snarled:
Namiq:
"I'll turn you into cattle, you worm!
How dare you betray me?!"
Nizar pointed his spear at him.
Nizar:
"Betray YOU?!
You murdered families!
Destroyed our land!
Forced innocents to take poison instead of medicine, you filthy advisor!"
Namiq laughed coldly.
Namiq:
"You fools...
You think Aurik will win?
This is a trap!
They'll empty their army outside the city...
while we destroy Aurik from behind!"
Nizar roared:
Nizar:
"We trust our prince!
He left to bring help —
and he WILL bring it!"
Namiq stepped forward, hands wrapped in black aura.
Namiq:
"Enough."
Nizar charged.
Nizar:
"HA!!!"
Their weapons collided —
light against darkness.
---
THE CAVE AWAITS
Behind the chaos, Jamih and Jaber reached the entrance of the sacred cave —
the source of the corruption.
The air was cold.
The ground trembled.
A faint violet glow pulsed from deep within.
Jaber swallowed.
Jaber:
"This is it..."
Jamih tightened his grip on his swords.
Jamih:
"Mowj...
hold on."
He stepped inside.
---
THE FALL OF HERBS PLAZA — THE MONSTER WHO REMEMBERED
The cold winds howled through the broken streets of Leona.
For the first time in months, the sky began to clear —
revealing the dark blue star pulsing above...
and the once?hopeful comet, now a harbinger of doom, burning with gray fire.
In Herbs Plaza, Captain Nizar and the last surviving soldiers of Leona fought desperately against the Black Order and the traitor Namiq —
buying precious time for the rescue teams.
Meanwhile...
---
THE HUNT FOR THE PRINCESS — Kras AND THE ASSASSINS
Kras and the five assassins raced across rooftops, slipping through shadows until they reached the ruined hut Nizar described.
Kras:
"This is the place...
She should be inside."
A strange sound echoed behind them.
Kras's eyes widened.
Kras:
"Scatter!"
The assassins split instantly.
One assassin dove into the hut.
Kras looked down from the roof —
and saw Nizar's men below, fighting desperately, falling one by one.
He bit his lip.
Kras:
"Damn it...
They won't last much longer...
Aurik's forces need to break through soon...
or they'll all die."
He turned toward the hut.
Kras:
"What's taking so long...?"
He dropped inside—
And froze.
Blood everywhere.
The assassin dead on the floor.
A figure standing over him...
blood dripping from its mouth.
Then—
it vanished.
Kras leapt back just in time as the wooden floor shattered beneath him.
Kras:
"What the hell...?
This thing...
It doesn't look like the invaders..."
The remaining assassins arrived.
Kras:
"Get the princess.
I'll handle this thing.
Protect her at all costs."
He drew his iron spear and dropped back into the hut, this time making noise deliberately.
Footsteps echoed.
Slow.
Heavy.
Wrong.
The creature emerged from the shadows.
Kras's eyes widened.
Kras:
"By the tunnels of Korta...
What is that...?"
A single eye on the right.
The left socket empty.
Skin twisted.
Body malformed.
Drool dripping endlessly.
Kras raised his spear.
Kras:
"Why didn't you fall to Laika's spell...?
Are you... different?"
The creature vanished —
reappearing right in front of him.
Kras blocked the strike, countered, but the creature's claws stopped the spear with brute force.
He kicked off the wall, his foot glowing orange, launching himself forward.
The spear pierced the creature's chest —
but it barely reacted.
It grabbed the spear.
Kras:
"Hey!
Do you even feel that?!"
He retreated quickly.
Meanwhile, the assassins found the princess —
lying on a bed, lifeless but intact.
Assassin:
"Bingo!
We've got her!"
The creature stepped back.
Kras's eyes widened.
Kras:
"It's going after the princess!"
He threw a magical net —
binding the creature.
It thrashed violently.
Kras:
"Go!
Get her out of here!"
Assassins:
"Understood!"
The creature screamed, saliva flying everywhere, its body pulsing unnaturally.
Its back bulged—
something moving beneath the skin.
Kras:
"What the—
Is that... an eye... on its back?!"
The creature tore through the net.
Kras intercepted it.
Kras:
"If you want her...
you'll go through me!"
The creature tried to speak.
Kras blinked.
Kras:
"Hm?
Are you trying to say something?"
Creature:
"Hhh... heee...
M?m... mother..."
Kras struck rapidly, forcing it back.
The creature lunged again—
but Kras spun his spear like a turbine.
A slash—
and the creature's right arm fell to the floor.
Kras pointed the spear at its throat.
Kras:
"One more move...
and you lose the rest."
The creature trembled...
but stepped forward anyway.
Kras blocked its claws—
and saw something on its wrist.
A symbol.
A crest.
Kras:
"...You were a soldier of Leona."
He struck the creature with the spear's shaft, knocking it back.
It staggered, staring at him with its single eye.
Kras:
"So, you once guarded these walls...
and now you tear them down from within...
What a cruel fate."
An assassin shouted from outside.
Assassin:
"Captain!
We're retreating!
We have the princess!
Two are already heading toward Aurik's army!"
The creature convulsed violently.
Kras exhaled.
Kras:
"Good..."
He tightened his grip on the spear.
Kras:
"But this thing won't let me go."
The creature collapsed, twitching, drool spilling from its mouth.
It looked up at Kras.
Creature:
"Th... this...
gooood...
P?please..."
Kras froze.
Kras:
"What...?"
The assassin approached cautiously.
Assassin:
"Captain...
Is it... talking?"
Kras listened.
The creature's voice was broken, barely human.
Creature:
"P?please...
protect...
the princess..."
Kras's eyes widened.
Kras:
"That's impossible...
He's..."
Assassin:
"He's thanking us...
That means—"
Kras:
"Someone is controlling them...
with magic."
He threw another net, binding the creature tightly.
They stepped back—
And then...
A figure emerged from the snow and darkness.
Carrying a scythe.
Speaking calmly.
???
"Now now...
Why the rush...?"
He stepped forward, smiling.
???
"You've taken something that belongs to me."
THE REAPER OF LEONA — FALON ENTERS THE FIELD
Kras raised his spear toward the stranger.
The three assassins behind him drew their blades, forming a tight formation.
Kras:
"You...
We've heard of you.
Your name is... Valon."
Valon chuckled softly — a quiet, unsettling laugh.
Valon:
"I'm embarrassed by the reputation...
I prefer silence.
Always."
A cold, black aura wrapped around him as he lifted his scythe —
souls dripping from its blade like liquid sorrow.
Kras:
"What are you planning, you bastard?"
Valon:
"I came from Leonithra...
after we finally killed the old man...
and the one you were all so eager to work with."
Kras frowned.
Kras:
"What are you babbling about, idiot?"
Valon smiled wider.
Valon:
"Oh, it seems we succeeded then..."
He tapped the scythe on the ground.
The bound monster convulsed violently —
then stood upright, forced into obedience.
Valon pointed at Kras.
Valon:
"Kill them.
All of them."
A soul slipped from the scythe and entered the monster's body.
Its scream shook the hut.
Kras lunged toward Falon—
but Valon vanished instantly.
Only the monster remained, standing unnaturally still,
its single eye staring without blinking.
Kras:
"Damn it...
Be ready.
It's become something else...
something worse than the monster it was."
---
THE REAPER HUNTS THE PRINCESS
Valon reappeared atop the snowy wall —
watching the assassins carrying Princess Lina toward the outer gate.
He tilted his head.
Valon:
"So there you are..."
He glanced at the horizon —
Aurik's army clashing with dark knights in a storm of fire and steel.
Valon:
"So... they've arrived.
This is what you wanted, MacFerdin.
If we kill the Crimson Prince here...
we eliminate the greatest obstacle on this planet.
Not even Azalor or Dais could stop us."
Above him, the gray comet burned alone —
the dark blue star beside it fading, symbolizing the death of Falcon, the retired admiral and pirate king.
The air grew unnaturally cold and dry.
Valon clicked his tongue.
Valon:
"Tch...
Aurik's mages are using a counter?spell...
It weakens my control over Bastet.
And the infected collapse in this heat...
Useless."
He stroked the scythe lovingly.
Valon:
"No matter...
We came to play.
With or without them."
He looked toward the distant battle —
where Liam fought Dais.
Valon:
"That fool...
What does he think he's doing?
When I finish this harvest...
I'll come for you, Liam."
He vanished.
Reappeared in front of an assassin carrying the princess.
The scythe swung—
But a dust bomb exploded in his face.
Valon:
"...Hm?"
He turned.
The three assassins stood behind him, weapons ready.
Kras, still fighting the monster, pointed toward them.
Kras:
"Move!!"
Valon smiled.
Valon:
"These ones...
They're good."
He vanished again.
One assassin fell instantly — throat cut before he even hit the ground.
The remaining two split apart, leaping across rooftops.
Valon appeared beside the fallen assassin.
Valon:
"Now you're two."
He looked toward the princess's body being carried away.
Valon:
"She belongs to me."
