Karina and Aespa successfully manage to evade the large crowds, slipping away from the city's clamor until they arrive at a deserted, lonely back alley. The area is dominated by the gloomy remnants of abandoned warehouses, broken concrete blocks, and rusty metal fragments. The faint, fading evening light only casts long, desolate shadows across the grim, industrial landscape.
"Are you alright, My Mistress?" Karina asks, her voice edged with worry as she looks at Aespa. She fears that this first taste of the outside world—a brutal escape—might have traumatized her.
But then—
Aespa bursts into a joyful, carefree laugh. The fear is replaced by sheer exhilaration and excitement. For someone who has always been confined to the dark rooms of the Nightingale Manor, this brief, dangerous escape feels like a grand adventure.
"Karina... this is wonderful! I never knew being outside could be this much fun." Aespa beams, her silver-white hair shimmering briefly in the residual sunlight.
Aespa's cheerful words ease the tension coiling in Karina's chest, allowing her to relax her concerns for a moment.
"I am glad to see you so happy, My Mistress."
"Hmm... so, should we go to another place now?" Aespa asks hopefully, already dreaming of the next destination.
Karina glances around the chilling environment and gently shakes her head.
"We cannot, My Mistress. It will be dark soon, and we must return to the Manor immediately. Your safety is my utmost concern."
"Oh, right... time flies so fast, doesn't it? Well, I suppose we should go back then, Karina," Aespa sighs, pouting slightly but nodding in reluctant understanding.
At that moment—
Whoosh!
A cold current of air brushes past Karina's temple, and suddenly, a group of eight figures surrounds them in a flash. The air instantly freezes, and an absolute silence descends, as if time itself has stopped. The figures wear black combat suits, their identities concealed by dark mouth masks.
Karina's crimson eyes narrow. She knows the scent of bloodlust emanating from these individuals. They are harbingers of death.
"Assassination House?" Karina whispers to herself. This is precisely what should not happen during their attempt to hide.
Her attention focuses on the two figures standing at the forefront. They are clearly different from the other six. Their cold and intense Aura—the energy field surrounding them—is so heavy it compresses the very air around them. They are high-level mercenaries, the elite products of the Assassination House.
Karina immediately shields Aespa, drawing her closer behind her back.
"Don't worry about anything, My Mistress. They will not be allowed to come near you. I will clear them away immediately," her voice is now colder than ice.
In that instant, the six lower-ranked assassins draw their daggers in unison, charging directly at Karina as if following a battle cry. Their attacks are swift and precise, yet—
Splat! Thwack!
Karina's movements are faster than light. She doesn't even need to draw her sword. She evades every strike with an ice-cold glare, her fists and precise kicks landing squarely on their necks and chests. She employs silent kills, doing her best to spare Aespa the sight of blood-drenched violence.
All six figures collapse onto the ground within a second, falling silent without a single sound. Every one of Karina's strikes instantly stopped their life force. She silently killed six men with bare hands.
"Truly an Crimson Alpha worthy of the title."
One of the two high-level assassins at the front speaks in a chillingly familiar voice. He steps forward, challenging her.
"Long time no see, Karina... It's cruel fate that brings the two of us together again, isn't it?"
Karina is momentarily stunned by the voice. Her eyes pierce the man.
Assassin 1, like a phantom from the city's shadows, emerges. He has neat, long Carob-colored hair that waves slightly down to his shoulders and is tied back. Underneath his gold-rimmed glasses, his eyes are slightly cold, yet a flicker of humanity still lingers within them.
His facial features betray a life well-spent in hardship and conflict. Though his face appears young, the harshness of his life and dangerous secrets are evident in his chilling gaze.
His attire adheres to the black uniform of the Assassination House. He wears a meticulously tailored short vest and a long, rugged black long coat, the hem of which nearly touches the ground. Inside, a leather and metal-bound collar is visible, and a silver pendant, carved like an ancient relic, dangles near his chest.
His figure is slender and tall, approximately 183 cm. His entire body is poised, like a precise, concealed weapon. Anyone who sees him immediately senses the skill and terrifying capability of a master mercenary assassin.
"So it's you... you're not dead yet," Karina replies, her tone frigid.
"Still the same, aren't you, Karina..." Assassin 1 retorts.
Just then, without waiting for Karina's next word—
Whoosh!
The second high-level assassin utilizes a lightning-fast mobility, instantly appearing behind Karina's back and grabbing Aespa's body from behind her protective guard.
This assassin possesses handsome features, but his eyes appear sleepy and bored.
"My apologies, young ladies... it's just business."
He strikes Aespa's nape with a swift, shallow chop of his palm, causing Aespa to fall unconscious. He scoops up Aespa, preparing to retreat instantly.
Karina's eyes blaze with fury. Crimson Aura bursts forth from her already crimson eyes.
"Let go of my Mistress!"
She wastes no time on words, instantly drawing her Zenith Blade from her hip and swinging it with full force, aiming directly at the retreating man's head while he holds Aespa.
BOOM!
The blade cuts through the air with a deafening sound, but what it strikes is not a human body—
SHATTER!
Upon impact, a massive human-sized Mirror Projection shatters into a million fragments, scattering glass across the floor.
"A Mirror Projection trick!"
Karina sees her strike hit only the glass statue, and a mix of rage and frustration explodes in her heart. "DONG!" The sound rings out as she slams the tip of her Zenith Blade onto the concrete floor with all her strength. The blade tip cracks the concrete, and her hands, gripping the hilt tightly, tremble.
She knows the sleepy assassin will not have gotten far. She turns instantly to pursue the kidnapper.
At that moment, Assassin 1, the one who knows her, stands like a pillar of fire directly in Karina's path.
"Oh... hold on, Karina. We just met; let's chat a bit. Where are you rushing off to?"
He challenges her with a smirk, playfully juggling two daggers in his hands.
"Shut up and move!" Karina loses control of her rage. The Zenith Blade that emerges from her scabbard glows silver, radiating a blood-soaked atmosphere.
CLANG!
Karina says no more, fiercely hacking her sword straight at his face. The two begin a fast-paced battle, their blades colliding in the air, the echoing sound deafening the surroundings.
While fighting, Assassin 1 looks intently at Karina's sword and speaks.
"Are you still holding the ancient cursed blade, Blood Queen, Karina... Every owner who ever wielded that sword has met their end by its own power, you know."
"Shut your mouth!"
Karina screams with burning anger, and the final clash of their two swords rings out to the sky. Karina is pressing down on Assassin 1's daggers with the full force of her sword. As they stand nose to nose in close proximity, Karina gives a cold warning.
"If you continue to block my path, I will really kill you."
Assassin 1 stares into Karina's eyes, realizing the murderous intent in them is not a bluff. He immediately pushes Karina's sword away and leaps back a short distance.
Assassin 1: "Alright, alright... I apologize. I didn't realize the young lady we were sent to capture was your Mistress."
Karina (with eyes blazing): "Who ordered this? And where is she being taken?"
Assassin 1 turns his body away from Karina, facing the opposite direction.
Assassin 1: "If you want to save your Mistress, go to the Silver Brook, an old Manor near Lord Montagu's Manor."
Karina: (Rage erupting) "Just as I suspected... that bastard!"
Assassin 1: "Karina... don't waste time if you want to get her back from Montagu... Well, see you later."
He then disappears quickly into the city's alleyways. Karina does not attempt to follow him. She sheathes her Zenith Blade and fixates the name Silver Brook in her mind.
...
The large mansion known as Silver Brook stands on the outskirts of the city of Lunaria, near a small forest. Though it appears to be a normal estate from the outside, the entrance and the surrounding perimeter are heavily guarded by bodyguards.
Inside the manor, in a room that looks like a beautiful yet aged grand parlor, Aespa is bound to a luxurious armchair. Her silver-white hair is spread out, and her face is pale. She remains unconscious.
In front of her stands Lord Montagu, dressed in the finest noble attire, wearing a frightful smile. In his hand is a marriage contract, officially granting him ownership of the Nightingale Manor and declaring Aespa as his wife. In the corner of the room, Assassin 2 sits in a chair, dozing off.
Montagu leans down and gently touches Aespa's silver-white hair with his fingers. His gaze is filled with lust and greed.
Montagu (In a deep, throaty voice): "The silver-white fairy, Aespa... The rumors are true... your beauty is truly like a Goddess. All I need is for you to be my wife. Once you sign this contract, you will not only be free of your debts but will also receive my love."
He places the contract in front of Aespa, gently lifting her hand and inhaling her scent deeply and roughly.
"What a sweet fragrance..."
He then gently brushes his thumb against her soft cheek. He leans in to be intimate, preparing to pressure her into acceptance once she awakens.
"She is about to become the Mistress of my house... I must treat her gently, with care... Ha... Ha."
His face is filled with a triumphant expression, as if he now owns the entire world.
As Montagu prepares to stroke Aespa's hair and then pick up the contract—
CRASH!
A large window shatters outwards with a terrifying noise, like a breaking dragon's cry. Glass shards spray into the room like lightning.
Through the broken frame, Karina leaps into the room, like a massive dark shadow.
Her form is completely transformed. It is neither fully human nor fully wolf. It is her Hybrid Werewolf Form.
Her crimson eyes are now a deeper, bloodier red, burning fiercely with rage. Small, incredibly sharp wolf fangs protrude slightly from her mouth.
Fine, dark fur is visible on her forearms and around the joints of her legs. A bushy tail wags rapidly behind her. However, the beauty of her normal human face is not lost; it is merely infused with a cruel and devastating beauty.
The Bloodlust Aura emanating from Karina's body instantly presses down on Montagu.
Montagu is terrified upon seeing Karina. His face drains of color, and his legs stiffen as if stuck to the ground. His entire body freezes. The figure resembles a human, but it is no different from a demon that carries death itself.
Karina (Loud, sharp, and shaking with fury): "You dare touch my precious Mistress."
She steps towards Montagu with glacial composure, slowly drawing her Blood Queen sword. Her demeanor makes her look like the very death that has come to claim Montagu. Montagu, overwhelmed by fear, stumbles backward and falls onto his rear.
Karina now stands directly in front of him, holding her Blood Queen blade aloft, ready to strike Montagu's head down.
Montagu (With trembling lips, unable to speak): "N-No... I'm not..."
Just then, Assassin 2, the sleepy high-level assassin, swiftly appears from the corner of the room. He intervenes, shielding Montagu and deflecting Karina's strike with his Cross-shaped dagger.
Assassin 2: "Calm down, amazing Lady... I will be your playmate." he says in a bored voice.
At that very moment, Aespa awakens from her unconscious state. Terrified by the confusing scene and the ropes binding her, she cries out for Karina.
"K-Karina... save me!"
Ignoring her enemy, Karina immediately uses the tip of her anger-fueled sword to cleanly slice the ropes binding Aespa in mere seconds.
"Let's go, My Mistress!"
Karina frees Aespa, pulls her toward the broken window, and leaps out into the night.
Assassin 2 taunts them: "Hah! Running away? That's not professional!" he yawns, running out of the mansion with the other guards in swift pursuit.
When they land outside, Karina anxiously checks Aespa's face.
"My Mistress... are you hurt?"
Aespa: "I'm not hurt, Karina..."
Karina: "My Mistress... run to the large rock past the forest! The Nightingale Manor's coachman is waiting there. You must return to the Manor with him immediately!"
Aespa stares at Karina, her face a mix of fear and concern, and shakes her head fiercely.
Aespa (With a trembling voice): "I... I can't go, Karina! What about you?"
Firm resolve shines in Karina's crimson eyes. She knows the sacrifice required to keep Aespa safe.
Karina (Softer, but still firm): "The momentum of this fight could harm you if you stay here, My Mistress."
She gently grips Aespa's soft hand with her own, which is slightly covered in fine fur.
Karina: "Don't worry, My Mistress... I will return immediately once I finish this."
Tears well up in Aespa's eyes. This is Aespa's first encounter with the world, and she is terrified of losing her only source of strength.
Aespa (With tears): "No! Are you... are you lying? Are you going to leave me alone and never come back, Karina? I won't let you go!"
Karina feels a sharp pain in her heart at those words. This is the first person who has valued her since her mother. She forces a reassuring smile—a rare softness on her beautiful face.
Karina: "That will never happen, My Mistress."
Aespa (Pleadingly): "Promise... You must promise me, Karina! Promise that you will definitely come back to me... promise that nothing will happen to you!" She sobs, clutching Karina's hand tightly.
Karina's heart is almost broken by Aespa's distress. She makes an extremely serious vow as an Alpha.
Karina: "I promise you, My Mistress. I will return to your side, alive. I will follow you immediately once I settle this matter."
Only after hearing her solemn vow does Aespa wipe her tears and run quickly toward the spot Karina directed her to, her steps heavy with reluctance.
Karina watches Aespa's silver-white hair disappear among the trees for a final moment—
She tightly grips her Blood Queen sword, which glows with a blood-red light. The gentle smile on her face has now been replaced by a bloodthirsty, cruel rage. Crimson Aura overflows from her crimson eyes.
"Now... let me have a talk with my playmate."
She turns around, and Assassin 2, the sleepy assassin, stands a few feet away, upright. A smirk plays on his face, and the cross-shaped dagger in his hand glints faintly in the night light.
Assassin 2: "Here I am... now the fun begins."
Then, more than ten Executioner Guards emerge from the shadows, surrounding Karina at a wide distance.
A stream of Crimson Aura flows out of Karina's entire body, cracking the ground beneath her feet from the sheer force of her power.
"Wow... the Aura of a rare Crimson Alpha Werewolf, huh," the bored-looking assassin comments.
The battle is about to begin.
Will Karina be able to keep her vow to Aespa?