"Wait!"
While Thales and Nicholas were talking, Aida, who was watching from the rooftop, suddenly lowered her head and exclaimed, "I'm below —"
In the next second, a loud sound was heard!
* Bang! *
The wooden roof under Aida's feet suddenly shattered!
Amid the elves' cries of surprise, she fell from the roof into the house.
Everyone in the group on the street changed their expressions!
Thales looked worriedly at the house where Aida had disappeared, but the furious Nicholas tugged at his reins to retreat. "Guard formation!"
* Thud! *
The sound of something heavy falling could be heard.
Amid the Northlanders' nervous but orderly footsteps, the elven protector's indignant roar came from the house, "Who are you —"
However, before Aida could finish her sentence, the sound of weapons clashing against each other rang out in haste!
* Ding — clang — clang — ding — ding — clang — clang … *
Thales' expression changed abruptly. Within one second, the sound of metal clashing rang out continuously for more than ten times!
They did not even have the time to breathe!
They sounded like wind chimes ringing in a gust of wind.
At the same time, Nicholas and Justin were also shocked. They looked at each other in disbelief.
'Fifteen times?
That means, within one second, the two people fighting … '
* Ding. *
As the last sound faded away, the sound of weapons clashing came to an abrupt end!
* Bang! *
Before Thales could react, as the sound of the wind blew, an unfamiliar black figure instantly broke through the window!
It went straight for Thales!
Thales' expression changed abruptly. 'Aida lost?'
From the moment Aida fell into the house to the moment the black figure broke through the window and ambushed him, it was less than four to five seconds!
Moreover, from the moment the sound of weapons clashing started, it was only one second of contact …
'Aida lost?'
A chill rose in Thales' heart. At that moment, he remembered the terrifying assassin who broke through the layers of encirclement six years ago: Bannette Charleton.
But there was no time for Thales to think. Under Nicholas' angry roar and the Archduchess' Guards' orderly formation, the figure who ambushed him landed on the ground.
Since they had already cleared the perimeter before they came, Nicholas placed most of the guards at the periphery. Instead, he relaxed his guard against the intruder who popped up on the way back.
The black figure staggered when he landed, but when he stood up shakily, he was only a few meters away from Thales.
His body was long and narrow, and he was even a head taller than Nicholas, who was of average height. His entire body was wrapped in a dark black robe. His face and skin could not be seen.
It was like the purest night.
However, he was holding two narrow swords in his hands. The blades were not even two fingers wide.
"Do it!"
Nicholas got down from his horse resolutely and was the first to attack with a shout.
The Rising Sun Saber was unsheathed from his back and he slashed with all his might.
Justin, who had rushed over from behind, also had a weapon in his hand and attacked furiously.
The six Archduchess' Guards who surrounded Thales blocked his way.
Right at this moment, following an explosion, thick gray smoke suddenly emerged from the intruder's body!
"It's an Alchemy Ball! Back off!"
Nicholas' enraged roar came from the gray smoke that obstructed their vision. "Protect the prince and seek cover! I'll deal with him! "
The surrounding Northlanders surrounded the assassin and surrounded him. Some of the Archduchess' Guards protected the prince as they retreated to the other side of the street.
As the smoke became thicker, Thales felt his vision blur. He could barely see the black figure and Nicholas' back.
"Your Highness!"
Wya used all his strength to pull Thales off the horse. Together with Ralf, he dragged Thales backwards. Willow, Genard, and the other Constellatiates blocked the front and stood firmly behind the Archduchess' Guards.
Thales' feet were firmly planted on the ground. He broke free from Wya's grip, which was too tight. "Get into formation first …"
At this moment, through the blurry vision of the smoke, the prince could barely see the black-robed intruder raise his two swords.
At that moment, Thales only had one feeling.
'Is it raining?'
* Clink, clink, clink … *
It was as if an endless storm was violently beating against the fragile eaves of a house in a terrifying gale.
* Clink, clink, clink … *
It was pleasing to the ears.
It was hair-raising.
The storm-like clashing sounds almost drowned out the angry shouts of the Northlanders who pounced forward.
However, at that moment, in the center of the thick smoke, no one was more shocked than Nicholas himself.
There was no other reason.
He had been suppressed.
The moment he drew his sword and engaged in battle, Nicholas had just swung his first slash and parried the enemy's slash —
* Clink! *
The enemy's sword immediately rushed forward and delivered the next strike!
There was no pause.
Nicholas' heart clenched. The unique Twist of Fate instantly surged from his joints. At the critical moment when the momentum of the attack was exhausted, he immediately bent his blade upwards and blocked the second strike.
* Clang! *
But it was not enough.
Because the enemy had just withdrawn his first slash, and without the need for a buffer, he delivered the next slash!
* Clang! *
The Twist of Fate was activated again. Nicholas' face turned red as he blocked the third slash.
'Not enough.'
The enemy's fourth slash broke through the thick smoke from his other hand and came at him again!
* Clang! *
'Still not enough!'
Nicholas almost felt like he was suffocating.
The fifth slash.
* Clang! *
The sixth slash.
* Clang! *
Within a second, the enemy's two swords attacked alternately at an unbelievable speed.
And Nicholas realized to his shock that he could not keep up with the speed of the enemy's attacks!
The seventh slash.
The eighth —
* Clang, clang, clang! *
All the Star Killer could do was to continuously use his Power of Eradication to suppress his body and try his best to keep up with the speed of the enemy's swords in the thick gray smoke!
In the gray smoke, which already affected his vision, his face contorted. He could barely see the enemy's movements.
* Clang! * Clang! *
As he listened to the multiple sounds that traveled into his ears at the same time, Nicholas was suddenly shocked!
No, he was not the only one.
At that moment, Justin was also fighting against the invader in the thick smoke.
He was on the other side of the enemy, and just like Nicholas, he gritted his teeth and persevered!
Nicholas and Justin were two of the Archduchess' Guards who had been through hundreds of battles. One of them was even in supreme class.
But they were suppressed by the enemy's alternating sword speed, which was as terrifying as a rainstorm.
* Clang, clang, clang! *
The sounds did not stop.
And with each swing of the black-robed man's swords, the speed became faster and faster!
'How is this possible?'
* Clink! Clang! *
In just two seconds, Nicholas was forced to take a step back from the enemy's ninth slash. His heart trembled. 'How can there be … such a fast sword speed?'
This was something the Star Killer had never encountered in his entire life of fighting.
His bones were groaning, his blades were trembling, and his muscles were roaring!
But Nicholas knew that his blocks and interceptions were reaching their limits.
But the enemy's swords did not stop at all. Instead, they became faster!
* Clang! *
In the third second, Justin gritted his teeth. His legs trembled, and his body swayed. He did not manage to catch up with the enemy's next slash.
The black-robed man instantly seized the opportunity. He stomped on the ground with his right leg and leaped over Justin's head!
* Clang, clang, clang! *
Along the way, he delivered three swift slashes, parrying Nicholas and Justin's attacks, and even counterattacking with one slash!
The Star Killer's heart trembled. In his frustration and dejection, he finally understood that he had encountered an enemy he could not withstand.
It might be a Power of Eradication that he had never seen before.
In just three seconds, he broke through the joint blockade he and Justin had set up.
Three seconds!
He could only block, block, and block again, but he could not retaliate. 'How is this possible?!'
Nicholas stared in astonishment at the black-robed man who flipped over Justin in the air. He saw the man's body rise to the height of three men and gradually disappear into the thick smoke.
He flew towards the sky above Thales.
The Star Killer gritted his teeth. The Rising Sun Saber in his hand emitted a terrifying heat along with the anger in his chest. He was already prepared to use the legendary anti-mystic equipment to defeat his opponent.
At this moment …
"Aaaahhhhh!"
The elven Protector, Aida's unique and delicate cry, which was filled with anger and displeasure, suddenly rose in the air!
"Come down!"
Nicholas' pupils shrank. He saw a flash of light from a blade flash through the indistinct smoke.
The black-robed figure who flew up from the thick gray smoke shuddered violently!
As the flash of light from the blade flashed, the black-robed man looked as if he was struck by an invisible hand in the air. Not only did he lose his momentum, but he also fell towards the ground!
* Thud! *
With the muffled sound of the blade piercing through his clothes, the black-robed man fell to the ground.
He did not move. He was pinned to the ground.
* Clang! *
The enemy's twin swords fell to the ground along with the sound. They were kicked away by Aida, who landed with him.
The elf's cursing voice rose. "Damn it, so what if you're fast with twin swords —"
It was only then that Nicholas exhaled.
'Thank goodness …
'I stopped him.'
Whoosh …
A strong gust of wind blew. Ralf used his psionic ability to blow away the smoke that obstructed his vision.
The thick smoke gradually dispersed. Nicholas furrowed his brows tightly as he looked around. The Archduchess' Guards, who had yet to recover from their shock, surrounded the black-robed man and Aida's position with full vigilance. They surrounded them tightly.
"Surround him!"
Nicholas ordered in displeasure, "Don't let him touch the weapons!"
"Boss." Justin held a wound on his arm and looked at him in disbelief. "That guy's sword speed was so fast … How could he do it?"
Nicholas stared at the surrounded figure in the thick smoke and pondered solemnly.
"I remember now.
"A long time ago, when Kaslan was still in the guards, he demonstrated it to us." Nicholas frowned. He pulled Justin up and walked towards the black-robed man. "It's a double-handed quick sword style that almost surpasses the speed of sound. It's called 'Rainstorm'."
"Kaslan? Surpasses the speed of sound? Rainstorm? "
Justin mumbled to himself in confusion. Then, as if he suddenly remembered something, he turned his head in astonishment. "But isn't that unique to —"
"Yes, the Rainstorm-Like Rapid Dual Swords Style. This skill is unique to Kaslan's contemporaries from the Tower of Eradication." The Star Killer nodded solemnly. He recalled the feeling when they exchanged blows just now. "The legendary Valkyrie from the bloody battle at Reardon, the 'Flag Leader' knight appointed by the Hanbol Royal Family …"
With a tone of disbelief, he said quietly, "'Heart of the Rain' Jasmine Loraine.
"You mean … the female knight, Loraine?" Justin's expression changed. He quickly turned to the black-robed man and said in shock, "How is it possible? 'Heart of the Rain', didn't … didn't she die thirty years ago in Hanbol in the Eastern Peninsula?"
Nicholas patted his assistant's shoulder and shook his head. "We'll know what's going on soon."
In the smoke, they walked towards the black-robed man lying on the ground.
"Hey!"
After the smoke dissipated, Aida's short figure appeared in their field of vision, which gradually became clearer.
She had her hands on her waist and pointed at the black-robed man who was pinned to the ground by her machete. She kept nagging, "With your skills, it's one thing to bully a pretty boy, but you even wanted to ambush me …"
Looking at Aida's expression, Nicholas could not help but furrow his brows.
But in the next moment, the elven protector's nagging stopped abruptly!
"Hey … Hey!"
Aida stared at the person on the ground. She opened her mouth wide and looked at the people around her with an innocent and terrified expression. "This, this, this, this …"
Nicholas' expression changed.
He did not care that the choking smoke had not completely dissipated. He rushed forward in a few steps and pushed the personal guards aside.
Nicholas grabbed the black-robed man with his own hands, then his entire body trembled!
He realized that something was wrong.
Nicholas pulled out the machete Aida had planted on the ground, 'scooped' the 'person' on the ground, and stood up with a solemn expression.
The soldiers around him burst into an uproar when they saw what he was holding!
The Star Killer was holding a black robe in his hand.
It was an empty black robe.
The hem of the robe hung down without any support, swaying back and forth in the air.
There was only a black robe.
There was no living thing.
Nicholas stared at the black robe in his hand for a few seconds before he widened his eyes and cast an inquiring look at his assistant.
"No, boss." Justin knew what he wanted to ask, and shook his head in shock as well. "We just surrounded this place so tightly that not even a drop of water could trickle through. No one could escape."
"What the hell …" Aida said while trembling. She pressed her hands tightly against her chest and looked around nervously, as if she had seen a ghost. "I clearly threw it …"
"Why is it gone?"
Nicholas widened his eyes in disbelief. He looked at the black robe, then at the confused and surprised faces of the soldiers around him.
He lowered his head and kicked the pair of rapiers on the ground as if he was testing the waters.
The rapiers were obediently kicked away, showing that his existence was not an illusion.
Nicholas sucked in a deep breath before he spoke hesitantly, "Justin, the one who fought against us just now …"
"Is really a living person, right?"
Lord Justin opened his mouth slightly, wanting to say something but hesitating. "I …"
No one spoke.
Only the black robe was still swaying. Together with the rapiers on the ground, they created a strange atmosphere.
At that moment …
"Your Highness, Your Highness!"
A shrill cry rang.
Nicholas was shocked and quickly turned around.
It was Wya.
Not far away, beside Jenny the black horse, Wya Caso, the prince's attendant, was frantically pushing away the people around him like a madman.
He desperately searched for every figure in his field of vision. There was an uncontrollable panic on his face. "Thales … Prince Thales!"
"What —"
The shocked and bewildered Nicholas only managed to say one word before Wya, who noticed him, pounced towards the Star Killer in panic. However, he was stopped by an archduchess' personal guard beside him.
"Hey, Northlander … His Highness, where is His Highness?"
The attendant asked everyone fearfully, "Has anyone seen His Highness?"
'What?'
As the smoke dispersed, the Star Killer subconsciously turned towards Jenny the black horse.
However, he could only see a group of panicked Constellatiates, as well as the personal guards who were also at a loss.
Willow crouched down and anxiously searched the corners of the crowd. Genard moved through the crowd, stopping a person from time to time and sizing him up with a frown before letting go of him in disappointment.
'One person is missing.
'Missing …'
This thought flashed in the Star Killer's mind.
He immediately froze on the spot.
At that moment, whether it was Justin, Aida, or Ralf, everyone's expressions changed when they realized what was happening!
"Huh?" This was Aida, who was at a loss.
Ralf, on the other hand, widened his eyes and grabbed Wya tightly. He faced Wya and started signing frantically.
However, the Star Killer was even more violent and straightforward. He pushed Ralf away and grabbed Wya's collar with both hands. With a ferocious expression, he asked, "What happened?!"
"The prince … Where is the prince?"
However, Wya looked as if he was about to break down. He shook his head while trembling. His tone was filled with fear and worry. "No, no, the assassin came too quickly … The smoke was too thick, the noise was too loud, it was too chaotic … I pulled His Highness down from the horse and went to catch him, but I could only catch Genard …"
Genard's expression was unpleasant. "Impossible. When you fought, the prince was still by my side a moment ago … How could he …"
Nicholas suppressed his anger and growled. He pushed Wya, who had lost his composure, to the ground.
However, no one had the time to deal with the relationship between the Northlanders and the Constellatiates.
"Was he abducted by that assassin?"
Aida said to Nicholas in fear, "When he jumped up, he avoided my throwing knives and abducted Thales from the air?"
With a pale face, Nicholas raised his head abruptly and looked at the roof closest to them.
There stood one of the Archduchess' Guards, who had climbed onto the roof earlier to keep a lookout for the surroundings. He held a crossbow in his hand.
"No, boss!"
The personal guard stood on a high spot and said with a puzzled expression, "From just now until now, even when there was thick smoke … whether it was the streets, alleys, roofs, or any slightly higher place … I swear on the honor and life of the White Blade Guards that I did not see anyone leave! The same goes for the others! "
Nicholas clenched his teeth and turned his head to look at the Archduchess' Guard who rushed over from behind.
The personal guard only shook his head. "The entrances and exits on the ground are well watched by the sentries we just set up. From the moment the assassin appeared until just now, no one went in or out. We matched their passwords and faces, and no one pretended to be one of us."
Nicholas was completely dumbfounded.
'How could that be?
'There's no one in the sky, on the roof, on the ground, or in the alleys …
'There's no one going in or out of the surrounding hundreds of meters, and no one disguised themselves …
'The prince was … abducted out of thin air?'
On this street, all the Northlanders and Constellatiates were dumbfounded. They looked at each other and were at a loss of what to do.
The Star Killer turned to the warriors around him. He gritted his teeth so hard that they almost shattered in his mouth. He ordered in exasperation,
"Form up, search! From here to our outermost perimeter, every wall, every alley, every house, every ditch, and even the backs of every single person! "
"Intercept every suspicious person. Our sentries and blockade line are still here. It's impossible for anyone to leave here without a sound!"
In the solemn and strange atmosphere, the patrol team and the Archduchess' Guards, who also had unpleasant expressions on their faces, answered loudly.
They took their positions and executed their duties in a well-trained manner: move, form up, spread out, search. Everyone looked around anxiously and nervously, searching for their target. They refused to let go of any corner.
The Constellatiates, led by Wya, were also ready to move, but they were blocked by a few cold Archduchess' Guards. They could only wait anxiously.
They waited for the results of the Northlanders' search.
But a few minutes passed.
"There's nothing in the four alleys on the east!
"The surroundings of Lu Lake Mansion are very clean!
"There's no one at the intersection between Axe District and Spear District!
"We've searched both inside and outside the chess room!
"We've searched all the houses in the south!
"There's no clue in the ditch on the left!
"We've almost torn down the house where the assassin appeared. Other than the broken roof, there's not even a fly!"
Neither the patrol team nor the Archduchess' Guards found anything in their search.
As he listened to his subordinate's report, Nicholas' expression became more and more unpleasant.
Finally, Justin walked out of the last alley with his men. He shook his head at the livid Nicholas.
"When the assassins appeared, our sentry posts and blockades were still in good condition. The area from the highest point to the main road on the ground was completely watertight. The assassins' smoke did not affect them either." Justin's voice sounded very strained.
"But … they did not see anyone break out of the encirclement.
"Anyone."
Nicholas' eyes almost popped out of their sockets. He stared at his deputy in a daze, petrified on the spot.
Everyone was silent.
The situation was very clear: there was no one around, and no one outside.
They could not find that figure.
That fourteen-year-old figure.
That figure who could affect the future of the two big countries in the Western Peninsula.
It was as if he had disappeared for no reason.
"F * ck …" Nicholas panted heavily. There was a fierce glint in his eyes as he stared at the buildings around him, as if he was suspicious of what was behind each wall.
'What's going on …
'What's going on …'
Wya and Ralf looked at each other worriedly and shook their heads.
"Impossible," Aida said solemnly. "This is too strange …"
Beside her, Lord Justin frowned deeply.
"Leader …"
With a twisted face, Nicholas turned to his deputy. The latter stared at the ground in a daze.
"'Heart in the Rain', who died thirty years ago, suddenly appeared and disappeared into thin air. Now, with Prince Thales …"
Lord Justin's face was pale as he stared at the empty black robe. He then looked at the two swords that kept swaying on the ground. He blinked violently, as if he could not believe his own eyes.
"Are we, are we really …"
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