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Chapter 112: The Second Hunt Begins
Chapter 112: The Second Hunt Begins
A Name in Blood
Seraphis sat atop a narrow spire, the cold wind biting against her skin. The city stretched before her, a sea of rooftops and flickering lanterns, but her gaze was locked onto a single estate at the far end of the noble district.
Her next target: Lady Selene Varos.
Unlike the first council member, Lord Bastian, who had been a scheming coward, Selene was a fighter. A former knight, once honored by the kingdom, until her ambitions led her into the arms of the Ivory Hand.
This would not be a simple execution.
It would be a war.
The Fortified Estate
Selene’s mansion was built for battle. High walls of enchanted stone, archers patrolling the rooftops, and a central tower that offered a complete view of the surroundings. A lesser assassin would see this and retreat.
Seraphis only saw a challenge.
She adjusted the small dimensional pouch at her waist, filled with razor-sharp playing cards, each one humming with deadly energy. Her fingers brushed over them as she plotted her path.
No subtlety this time. Selene deserved a warrior’s death.
The First Strike
Seraphis moved.
Her form blurred as she leapt from the spire, her body twisting mid-air as she descended toward the nearest guard tower. The archer stationed there barely had time to register the shadow falling upon him before her blade found his throat.
Blood sprayed against the stone.
Seraphis landed in a crouch, catching the corpse before it could hit the ground. No alarm. She darted forward, slipping into the shadows.
Ahead, the main courtyard was bustling with movement. Guards in steel armor patrolled in groups, their hands resting on swords and crossbows. Selene did not take security lightly.
A smirk tugged at Seraphis’s lips.
Good.
The Dance of Death
She launched forward, two playing cards slicing through the air. The first guard turned just in time for the blade to sever his windpipe. The second let out a shout before Seraphis materialized in front of him, her dagger sinking into his chest.
A third soldier, hearing the commotion, turned the corner.
Seraphis flicked her wrist, sending two more cards whirling through the air, carving through his jugular. His body dropped before the sound could leave his lips.
Now the real battle began.
The Alarm
A horn blared from the watchtower, shattering the silence. Within seconds, the courtyard erupted with movement.
Doors slammed open. Footsteps thundered against stone.
They were coming.
Seraphis welcomed them.
Clash of Blades
The first wave came fast—five armored knights, their swords flashing in the moonlight.
Seraphis dashed forward, ducking beneath the first blade, her card slashing across the knight’s knee. He stumbled, howling in pain.
Another lunged at her, his greatsword carving a deadly arc through the air. She twisted, barely dodging, feeling the heat of the blade as it passed inches from her skin.
She retaliated instantly, a card materializing in her palm. With a flick of her wrist, it pierced through his helmet, embedding itself between his eyes.
Three left.
The Guardian Knight
A towering figure stepped forward. Captain Dorian Velst, Selene’s personal bodyguard.
Unlike the others, he didn’t charge recklessly. He studied her.
“A ghost from the shadows,” he murmured. “Let’s see if you bleed.”
He moved fast—too fast for someone his size. His halberd swept through the air, forcing Seraphis to leap back.
She retaliated with a volley of playing cards, but he spun the weapon in a perfect arc, deflecting each blade.
Seraphis narrowed her eyes.
This was going to be fun.
Steel Meets Shadows
Dorian struck again, his weapon carving through the air with precision. Seraphis dodged left, but he adjusted mid-swing, his halberd grazing her side, slicing through fabric and drawing a thin line of blood.
She hissed, rolling backward, her mind racing.
He was good.
She would have to be better.
Breaking the Giant
Seraphis vanished into the shadows, circling him like a predator.
Dorian turned, keeping his stance firm. “Tricks won’t save you.”
He was right. She didn’t need tricks.
She needed speed.
She launched forward, her blade a blur. Dorian barely managed to parry as she struck from the side, her attacks relentless. One. Two. Three. Four.
He blocked each one, but he was being forced back. She was faster.
Finally, she saw an opening.
His balance shifted. A single misstep.
Seraphis exploited it instantly, feinting left before flipping over him, a playing card slicing across the tendons behind his knee.
Dorian let out a roar, collapsing to one leg.
His halberd swung blindly—too slow.
Seraphis ducked beneath it, her dagger flashing upward.
A clean cut.
His head rolled onto the stone.
The courtyard fell silent.
Selene’s Arrival
A slow clap echoed from the grand staircase.
Selene Varos stood there, clad in black armor, her silver hair pulled into a tight braid. A greatsword rested on her shoulder.
“You took your time,” she mused.
Seraphis wiped Dorian’s blood from her blade. “I was enjoying myself.”
Selene smirked. “Good. Then you won’t mind a real challenge.”
Final Battle
Selene moved like a hurricane, her greatsword carving through the air in devastating arcs. Seraphis dodged, rolling, flipping, weaving between the strikes.
The stone cracked beneath each swing. A single hit would be fatal.
Seraphis countered with a barrage of playing cards, but Selene deflected them all, her blade spinning in a blur.
This was not like fighting Lord Bastian.
Selene was a warrior. A killer.
Seraphis had to end this fast.
The Decisive Moment
Selene charged, her sword aimed for Seraphis’s heart.
Seraphis didn’t move.
She waited.
One second. Two.
Then, at the last moment—she vanished.
A flicker of shadow.
Selene’s blade sliced through empty air.
Seraphis reappeared behind her, a single playing card in her fingers.
One clean slice.
Selene’s body stiffened.
Her head slowly fell from her shoulders.
The Warning
Seraphis stepped over Selene’s corpse, turning to the remaining guards.
“Run,” she said coldly.
They did.
The Second Head Falls
Seraphis retrieved Selene’s severed head, storing it in her dimensional bag.
Another council member eliminated.
The Ivory Hand would learn.
They were prey now.