"Phantom Rebirth: The Last White Raven’s Path to the Ultimate Assassin"

The Ivory Tower’s Response

The grand hall of the Ivory Tower was silent—deathly so. The council members sat stiffly in their seats, their expressions a mixture of shock, fury, and disbelief. Before them, on the long obsidian table, sat a bloodied silver platter.

The sight was revolting—Victor Hollowgaze’s severed head, his lifeless eyes wide open, frozen in an expression of sheer rage. Beside it, the head of his daughter, her face still twisted in agony.

Their decapitated hands rested on the tray as well—middle fingers raised, a final insult from their killers.

A cold silence stretched over the room.

"This is unacceptable," Maelis finally spoke, her voice like a blade cutting through the quiet. She was a woman of ruthless cunning, her eyes sharp as daggers, her presence suffocating. She had risen through the ranks of the Ivory Tower, not by strength alone, but by sheer intelligence and mercilessness.

One of the council members, a thin man named Veyron, cleared his throat. "Seraphis and her band of murderers are growing bolder."

Maelis’s fingers curled into a fist. "Bolder? No. This is a declaration of war."

Another councilor, Garron, slammed his fist on the table. "We cannot sit idly by. First Allen, now Victor. Who’s next? They are hunting us!"

Maelis turned her gaze toward the others. "Then we stop them before they strike again."

The council murmured among themselves.

Then, Maelis stood, her presence commanding attention. "I will deal with them personally."

The room went silent again.

"You?" Veyron raised a brow. "You plan to fight them alone?"

Maelis smirked. "Of course not. I will take my finest warriors. Let’s see if Seraphis is truly as untouchable as she believes."

The Hunt Begins

Seraphis stood atop a stone outcrop, her sharp white eyes scanning the horizon. Below her, Elowen, Theia, and Sylvaine were preparing for the next move.

"They’ll retaliate," Theia muttered, adjusting the daggers strapped to her belt.

"Let them," Seraphis replied coldly.

A sharp caw broke through the quiet.

Seraphis turned her gaze toward a black raven, which had landed on a branch nearby. It cocked its head before letting out another cry.

Seraphis smirked. "They’re coming."

Elowen’s eyes gleamed. "How many?"

Seraphis listened as the raven made a series of distinct calls.

Her smirk widened. "Maelis herself is leading them."

Theia’s grin was full of anticipation. "Finally, a real challenge."

Seraphis turned to her team. "Prepare for war."

Ambushed in the Shadows

The battle began before words could even be exchanged.

Maelis and her elite warriors moved through the dense forest, their footsteps soundless, their presence like ghosts in the mist. But they weren’t the only ones hunting.

From the trees above—Seraphis struck first.

She dropped from the canopy, her twin daggers flashing as they sliced through the throat of the nearest enemy.

The man barely had time to choke before he crumpled, blood pooling at his feet.

Maelis reacted instantly.

With a flick of her wrist, she sent a whip-like blade soaring through the air, forcing Seraphis to dodge with inhuman speed.

"You’re fast," Maelis remarked, her voice calm. "Good. This will be fun."

From the shadows, Theia and Elowen struck.

Theia’s blades aimed for Maelis’s spine, but in a blur of movement, Maelis twisted, catching the attack with her gauntlet-covered hand.

"Predictable."

With monstrous strength, she hurled Theia into a tree, the impact shaking the very ground.

Elowen, undeterred, sent a volley of knives flying toward Maelis.

Maelis barely flinched. She caught the blades mid-air.

Then—she threw them back with double the speed.

Elowen barely dodged in time, one of the blades slicing clean through her shoulder.

Blood splattered onto the ground.

Sylvaine entered the fray next, her shadow magic swirling around her as she lunged at Maelis.

The two clashed—blade against dark energy, each strike sending ripples of force through the air.

Maelis grinned. "You all fight well… but not well enough."

Then—she unleashed her full power.

A wave of crimson energy exploded from her body, sending all four assassins reeling backward. The sheer force of her magic cracked the earth beneath them.

Seraphis gritted her teeth, steadying herself.

"Alright," she murmured. "No more playing around."

The White Raven Awakens

Seraphis’s entire form flickered, her speed doubling as she vanished from sight.

In the blink of an eye, she was behind Maelis—daggers aimed for the kill.

But Maelis had anticipated it.

She spun, her whip-blade curling like a serpent, wrapping around Seraphis’s wrist.

With a vicious yank, she flung Seraphis through the air.

But Seraphis was ready.

Twisting mid-flight, she flipped, landing effortlessly before launching a counterattack.

She moved faster than the eye could track, striking from every angle, her daggers singing through the air.

Maelis blocked, dodged, countered, her movements just as flawless.

The forest trembled as the two masters of death exchanged blows.

Slash. Parry. Strike. Dodge.

A brutal dance of blood and steel.

Their battle raged on—until, finally, Seraphis found her opening.

She feigned a strike toward Maelis’s heart—only to twist at the last second, her dagger carving deep into Maelis’s side.

Blood sprayed.

Maelis staggered, her breath hitching.

Seraphis didn’t hesitate.

She drove her second dagger into Maelis’s throat.

A gurgled gasp escaped Maelis’s lips as she collapsed to her knees.

Seraphis stood over her, eyes cold. "You fought well."

Then—she slit Maelis’s throat.

Blood pooled at her feet as Maelis’s lifeless body crumpled.

The Ivory Tower’s strongest warrior was dead.

A Final Message

Seraphis turned to her team, their bodies battered, but victorious.

"Gather the bodies," she ordered. "We send another message."

They did as commanded.

Maelis’s severed head was placed alongside the others—wrapped neatly, prepared for delivery.

A new letter was written.

"Three down. How many more will you send?"

And with that, the message of death was sent back to the Ivory Tower.

The war had only just begun.