Early morning, the black market stronghold was shrouded in thick fog, providing excellent cover for Rin and Ye Xue's infiltration. After a night's rest, Rin had largely recovered his stamina, but the wound on his waist still throbbed faintly. What troubled him more was the lingering image of the snow owl wooden carving and Ye Xue's silent tears. The fragments of truth made him uneasy, but the urgency of the mission left him no time for prolonged thought.
"Proceed as planned," Rin whispered to Ye Xue beside him.
Ye Xue offered no response, merely giving him a cold glance before merging into the thick fog like a ghost. Her figure swiftly disappeared, leaving Rin standing alone. He knew she had begun her part of the operation.
Their plan was: Ye Xue would create a diversion by attracting the outer guards of the stronghold, generating chaos to buy Rin time for infiltration. Rin, in turn, would use this window to swiftly penetrate the stronghold's interior and eliminate the target—"Butcher" Orga.
Soon, disturbances erupted from the stronghold's perimeter. Piercing alarms and intermittent gunfire tore through the morning silence. Guards, like agitated bees, swarmed towards the direction of the sounds. Ye Xue's actions were incredibly precise; she didn't engage the guards directly but cleverly used the terrain and long-range shots to keep them frantically searching, yet always unable to pinpoint her location.
Rin took advantage of this brief chaos, his figure blending into the shadows as he silently infiltrated the stronghold. Relying on his "Blade of Demise" past life's familiarity with the stronghold's layout and his acute sense of killing intent, he swiftly avoided all obstacles and hidden sentries. His objective was clear: Orga's room, located in the deepest part of the stronghold.
Inside the stronghold, the guard force was noticeably weaker. Rin moved through the corridors like death itself, each strike precise and fatal, making no unnecessary sound. He was like a black lightning bolt; wherever he passed, only silently falling bodies remained.
Soon, he reached Orga's room. Two fully armed guards stood by the door. Rin utilized "Shunpo" and "Shadow Strike," ending their lives before they could even react.
He pushed open the door, and a strong scent of tobacco and blood wafted out. The room was lavish yet messy, ashtrays overflowing with cigarette butts, and liquor bottles scattered across the floor. The target, "Butcher" Orga, sat behind a desk, a burly man with a scarred face and cruel eyes. He seemed to be communicating with someone via radio, a hint of anxiety on his face.
Rin's short dagger spun in his hand, his eyes cold. He didn't hesitate for a moment, his figure darting like an arrow from a bow, straight at Orga.
However, just as his dagger was about to pierce Orga's throat, an unexpected event occurred.
Orga suddenly raised his hand, pulling a young child covered by a sack from behind the desk, shielding himself with the child. The child let out a faint whimper.
Rin's pupils sharply constricted, and his actions instantly froze. His past life was the cold-blooded "Blade of Demise," where killing was commonplace. However, in his reborn body, that "kindness" he had forcibly suppressed violently erupted at the sight of an innocent child. He couldn't kill a child, even if that child was an enemy's hostage.
A moment of hesitation, in an assassination mission, was often fatal. Orga's face twisted into a sneer. He snatched a pistol from the desk, its dark muzzle aimed directly at Rin's forehead.
"Kid, you're too soft-hearted!" Orga sneered, pulling the trigger.
In a flash, a faint whoosh sounded from afar, almost imperceptible, yet incredibly sharp.
"Swoosh—!"
A black shadow, like lightning, shot through the room's window, aiming not for Orga, but for the pistol in his hand!
"Clang!"
A crisp metallic sound. Orga's pistol clattered to the ground.
Rin's gaze snapped towards the window; he knew who had launched that attack.
The next moment, a black arrow, carrying a fierce killing intent, shot through the window again, precisely piercing Orga's forehead!
"Ugh…" Orga's body stiffened abruptly, his eyes filled with unbelievable terror, then he slowly collapsed, blood gushing.
The child, shielded by the sack, did not see the bloody scene. He simply rolled to the side as Orga fell, letting out a frightened cry. He was unharmed.
Rin looked at the fallen Orga, then at the unharmed child, his expression complex. In his ear, he heard Ye Xue's cold voice, as if she were whispering right beside him.
"You can't be weak anymore."
Her voice carried an undeniable coldness, and a subtle hint of disappointment.
Rin's heart clenched. He understood Ye Xue's meaning. As an assassin, even a moment of hesitation or so-called "kindness" during a mission could lead to failure, or even cost one's life. She was reminding him, and warning him.
He knew Ye Xue had saved him. If not for her two arrows, he might have died under Orga's gun. Her intervention was ruthless and precise, without a trace of hesitation, yet perfectly avoiding the innocent. This was the true assassin.
Rin averted his gaze, crouched down, and quickly searched Orga's body for intelligence. His mind was once again thrown into a fierce struggle. He didn't want to become as cold and ruthless as he was in his past life, but the harsh reality repeatedly pushed him towards that abyss.
Ye Xue's choice, and her statement "You can't be weak anymore," struck him like lightning, once again tearing at the contradictory balance within him. He knew that in Shadow Academy, on the path of the "Blade of Demise," he had to make a choice. And this choice would determine what kind of person he would ultimately become.