"I didn't believe it when I heard you made it to number 8, but I guess it's true…" Aeris said with a smirk, while Raiden stayed relaxed in his seat, gently patting Ash on the head as Levi remained invisible.
"Any information?"
Aeris's expression shifted in an instant. "Yes, about the assassins and the elders."
Raiden stayed silent, giving her a slight nod to continue.
"Right… I had a conversation with Captain Kai's son, Robin. He told me something concerning why his father wants your family out of power."
Raiden gave a simple nod in response.
"He took money from the Dawnbringer family.
They believe that since your family has already fallen apart, it's best to leave such a prestigious duty in their hands." She paused for a moment, brushing one palm against the other. "And some of the elders are in on it.
Some say the Dawnbringers are the strongest—in both physical strength and magic."
Raiden sighed in disbelief. He remembered the Dawnbringers all too well—the weakest among them was a Yellow Crest bearer with manipulation abilities Raiden used to dream of. That bloodline had always bullied him—not just him, but his parents too—for producing a "weakling" like him.
Now, the act of revenge brought Raiden only a hint of sweetness. His unreadable expression twisted into a sudden smirk of despair as he brushed his palm over Ash, eyes fixed on the floor with a quiet lust for blood.
He wasn't doing this for Raiden; this was for himself. After realizing he'd grown weaker somehow since arriving in this world, he saw this as the perfect opportunity to reclaim his confidence… and reignite his thirst for the wicked's blood.
He lifted his head toward Aeris, his smirk deepening. "About the assassins?"
His expression unsettled her for a moment, but she quickly pulled herself together.
"Uhm… I heard this from the elders themselves when I was snooping around one time." She glanced at Raiden.
"They said the assassins know you're weak—and that they just have to wait. Once they kill you… that'll be the end of your bloodline."
She leaned forward. "You get it, your mother abandoned the Night name, so you're the only one left." Her voice was etched with concern.
Raiden's expression darkened, his eyes filled with a cold, unwavering stillness as he locked eyes with Aeris. Her sudden concern about his bloodline puzzled him.
"Do you want to bear my children?"
Aeris's eyes widened, her cheeks turning crimson as she began to fidget with her fingers. "If you put it like tha—
Raiden let out a sigh, fighting the urge to say something that might break her spirit. Instead, to keep the situation from escalating any further, he shifted the subject.
"So that's it—not only do the elders and Captain Kai want me gone, but if I refuse… I die?"
Aeris gave him a firm nod, and Raiden smirked once more. "I'd like to increase your paycheck by 1,000 Persa, for your utmost submission to me."
Aeris's eyes lit up with excitement, but before she could say a word, Raiden rushed to speak.
"This isn't something you want to refuse. However, the deal will only be sealed after you complete one specific task for me…"
Aeris's expression darkened. "I thought my work was done…?"
He smiled. "Yes, it is. This is an act of service, not a trial."
She gave him a nod. "I will leave then."
Raiden watched as she left, his hand still brushing over Ash's scales, his mind turning over how a one-man army could take on such a powerful bloodline.
He smirked the moment he realized, aside from intimidation, he had nothing else.
"I gained consciousness a few hours ago, and I've already seen how much of a bastard you are," Levi said as he finally became visible. "Why not make her swear an oath for her loyalty?"
Raiden turned to him with a quiet chuckle. "She's a traitor. One day, I might have to kill her."
Levi's expression twisted in shock. "What?!"
Ash immediately rose to her feet; and something rang in Raiden's mind. Instinct took over, he grabbed Ash, hurled her over the desk, and dropped into a stance.
"What's going on?"
Raiden remained silent. A ringing pulsed in his mind, warning him that something dangerous was on its way. But when he looked through the windows, there was nothing.
Is this the danger detection Ash gave me?—he thought, eyes still fixed on the outside.
[Yes, Papa,] Ash said, then leaped to the floor.
Levi, however, remained confused as he watched both Raiden and Ash staring through the window. Still, he wasn't about to wait and find out; he turned invisible and disappeared.
Raiden's senses flared, instinctively tilting his head upward, just as something crashed through the ceiling and slammed into the floor, shattering the last shelf against the wall to their left.
The aura's too low—he thought. He grinned and gestured for Ash to take the route by the desk while he moved toward the entrance.
In an instant, Ash dashed forward, and so did Raiden, but before he could reach the spot, Ash grew in size and slammed the assassin into the wall.
Raiden quickened his pace, and by the time he arrived, Ash had her front legs pinned on the assassin, pressing him into the floor.
He was a middle-aged man with red hair, dressed in black, mud-stained clothes that spoke of the stress and narrow tunnels he'd crawled through just to get here.
Raiden glanced at the man's neck; he was a yellow crest bearer, ranked eighth. He knelt beside him as the man struggled to breathe. The moment Raiden saw his hands, he let out a cold laugh.
"All you can do is manipulate your hands into lion's claws?"
The man gritted his teeth in frustration. "Give me the book," he said, his voice low and tense.
Raiden's expression darkened as a sudden urge stirred within him to show the man what it truly meant to be an assassin.
"Press down on him, Ash," he said, his voice cold and unwavering.
Ash didn't hesitate; she pressed down on him, and the man screamed in agony. Even through his cries, the sound of cracking ribs was unmistakable.
Raiden gently brushed his hand against Ash's leg. "You can shrink back now, Ash… I'll take it from here."
Ash gave a small nod and shrank back to her normal size. Raiden's eyes narrowed as he grabbed the man by the hair, dragging him toward the desk. He shoved the desk aside and dropped the man into his seat.
The man remained still, silent, his head dangling as if every bone in his body had vanished. Raiden, however, squatted in front of him and grabbed him by the neck. The man's eyes were unfocused, dazed—until they locked onto Raiden, and suddenly, he slapped him.
"Look at me properly."
The man's eyes stayed hazy, but Raiden wasn't about to tolerate that. What followed was a devastating blow to the man's stomach, its impact strong enough to make the wall tremble.
The man's eyes widened in agony as he reacted to the pain, swinging his claw, but Raiden easily dodged it and drove a strike of equal force into his gut. The man's eyes bulged once more as he coughed up blood.
"Please… stop," the man muttered, using what little strength he had left.
Raiden smirked. "Look at me properly."
He didn't have to say it twice; the man slowly raised his head, sobbing, tears streaming down his cheeks.
Raiden's grin deepened. "Good job."
He finally released the man's neck and sat on the desk, watching as the man struggled to keep himself together.
"As an assassin, you don't request information; you earn it." He leaned forward, eyes locked on the man. "Kill. Threaten. Show me why refusing to give you the book would be a mistake."
The man gave a feeble nod, his body hanging limp as if it had already given up.
Raiden stared at the man for a long moment, recalling everything Levi had told him about the Noorians. This one… he was probably just trying to earn something for his family, caught up in something he never truly understood.
In that case, Raiden decided to be lenient.
He rose to his feet. "I believe you're just like Levi, no real knowledge of the operation you're part of."
The man leaned toward Raiden, watching as he reached for his sword.
"Whether you know anything or not, I've decided to let you go."
Raiden turned to him and drew the sword from its sheath.
Without another word, Raiden swung his sword, severing the man's right arm.
A scream tore from his throat, echoing through the air as he clutched the bleeding stump in agony.
Raiden's heartbeat didn't waver, calm and steady as he watched the man collapse, writhing on the floor, fighting to stay alive.
Raiden bent slightly at the waist and grabbed the man by the collar.
The man hiccupped repeatedly, trying to hold back his tears; any will to fight had already left him.
"You may escape now, but I'll be warning the guards. Make sure you're gone before they catch you."
Without a second thought, he hurled the man through the window, sending glass shards crashing to the floor.
Levi immediately became visible and strode up to Raiden.
"I thought you were going to show him mercy?" he asked, his voice sharp with anger.
Raiden glanced out the window. Somehow, the man was still alive after the four-story fall, slowly crawling on the ground below.
A smirk tugged at Raiden's lips before he turned back to Levi.
"I did… He came here to kill me. I can't just let him go."
He said, starting to walk toward the entrance.
"We have to leave tomorrow." He smirked, clearly hinting that things might go wayward with that decision.