"Get lost!!"
A powerful, heavy soccer kick immediately sent the Baleful Shadow flying. The force was immense, causing it to bounce and roll several times upon landing. It shook its head, and just as it tried to crawl up, the moonlight was eclipsed by a shadow.
Bang—
An ice spear several meters thick smashed it into the ground, the base of which was already stained a bright crimson.
Throne didn't even look; he only felt the Baleful Shadow behind him pouncing, completely disregarding the wound in its abdomen, while the one dealing with War Counselor Iji was also flanking from the side. He didn't turn around; he simply used Bloodhound's Step to dash forward several meters, his entire form dissolving into starlight.
"Ranni, swap, they're here."
The Lunar Princess, who had just used the ice spear, didn't hesitate in the slightest and also vanished into starlight.
Swish, swish, swish!
The uniquely shaped Black Knife pierced through her afterimage. Alecto paused for a moment, wondering how the opponent knew she had approached, but before she could think further, a sharp sword aura descended from above.
This 'jump' by Throne placed him several meters in the air. He stretched his body, did a flip to turn head-down, and then fell like a meteor.
Meteorite Slash!
Boom!!
As they say, brute force works wonders; a deep crater was instantly blasted into the ground, and a circular shockwave sprayed outward, but there wasn't a single figure in the vicinity.
The Black Knife Assassin was truly agile, but just as they were blown into the air by the inertia, Throne raised his left hand toward the empty side.
Comet Descent.
This was a high-level version of Meteorite; over a dozen basin-sized comets fell, all concentrated on one spot, blasting a Black Knife out of hiding.
She spat blood, and just as she wanted to retreat, a gravitational force pulled her straight in.
Pfft!
Throne gripped her wrist, stopping the Black Knife a few centimeters from his chest, looked straight into her eyes, and gently thrust Moonveil into her chest.
"This Carian Knight is strange!"
Alecto's pupils contracted, unable to fathom how this person could pinpoint a Black Knife Assassin.
She silently issued an order via mental energy: "Encirclement formation, attack!"
Throne tossed the corpse aside. He couldn't hear footsteps, see figures, or sense killing intent; only his intuition was screaming warnings.
"As expected of the most terrifying assassin in The Lands Between."
Throne thought to himself that if it were Godrick, he would have died eight hundred times over, but he smiled slightly, "Sorry, I have a human radar."
"Three in front, two behind, one above, one on the ground—they're coming!"
Melina's urgent voice echoed in his mind. No one could evade the Black Knife encirclement formation; even Ranni could only hide within the Dark Moon.
But Throne laughed even more wildly. He raised his foot and stomped down hard when the blades were just a few meters away.
Storm Stomp!
The assassins were light, after all, and were blown away directly by the gale. Alecto was clearly stronger; she pierced straight through the storm and stabbed toward Throne's kidney area.
Clang! The longsword swung back to block the Black Knife.
The two blades grated against each other, evenly matched.
"Is this the leader of the Black Knives? This woman has incredible strength."
Throne was just lamenting this when he heard the woman, who only had a pair of eyes exposed, gasp.
"It's you!"
Alecto finally recognized this person. Wasn't he that honorary knight from ten years ago? However, she was filled with confusion.
This person was just a small fry; she had put him out of her mind after failing to assassinate him all these years. She hadn't expected to see him here again, and for him to have become so powerful.
"That's why it's nostalgic. Lady Alecto, it's time for you to die, too."
Throne replied with a smile, and then both of them raised their knees simultaneously.
Thud!!
They collided with a kick and flew backward, but Alecto instantly vanished into the air, while Throne dissolved into starlight.
"Ranni, swap again."
With another instantaneous swap, Ranni landed in the middle of the assassins. Two Black Knives were only a few meters from her back, but the demigod's expression was as cold and silver-gray as the bright moon; clearly, her magic had long been ready.
Dark Moon Ice Ring.
A brilliant ice ring radiated outward from her as the center. The swaying grass instantly froze, and the Black Knives, who had rushed halfway, were too late to retreat. Three ice sculptures instantly appeared in the air. They were lifelike, still maintaining their lunging posture, but their rotating eyeballs were filled with horror.
Damn it!
Seeing this scene, Alecto rushed directly toward Ranni. There weren't many Black Knives left to begin with, and she had brought half of them today. If they all died here, the entire plan would be affected.
However, the Lunar Princess wasn't greedy for kills and didn't go to finish them off; she vanished from the spot once again.
Just freezing, not killing—Alecto certainly knew Ranni didn't have such good intentions, and she suddenly looked up. A Glintstone Dragon was diving down rapidly, holding a huge sword of light in its mouth.
Adula's Moonblade!
With a twist of its head, the Moonblade instantly shattered the three ice sculptures. Its spread wings also sent several invisible Black Knives vomiting blood.
Alecto jumped up and thrust angrily toward the passing Glintstone Dragon. It was just a single slash; the small dagger didn't even count as a toothpick for the dragon, but Adula let out a pained cry and immediately crashed to the ground, rolling several times, the 'thud' shaking the magic tower.
But the assassins didn't have a chance to finish it off.
Just as mud filled the air from the Glintstone Dragon's rolling, Throne jumped off its back, rolled to dissipate the momentum, and immediately released a Thops Barrier.
This certainly wasn't the wrong skill to use; hundreds of tiny ice spears flew over, bounced off the barrier, and sprayed in all directions.
Like a torrential ice rain, the night was shattered, covering a fan-shaped area of nearly a hundred square meters in front of him. Figures were revealed in the air. These ice spears exploded into sparks upon hitting armor and left bloody streaks on areas not covered by armor.
Ranni held the Dark Moon Greatsword level, and Throne also raised Moonveil.
The two of them, one in front and one behind, blocked these Black Knives in the middle, while two Baleful Shadows jumped over, raising their greatswords to slash fiercely at Throne's back.
Thud! A shield like a city gate dropped behind Throne, separating the two sides. The man didn't even look, exchanged a smile with Ranni, and then simultaneously swung their swords down.
Dragon Slash!
Moon Shatter!
Azure and silver-gray went forward to meet them—one vertical slash, one horizontal slash. The two half-moons formed a '+' shape in the air, sweeping across the assassins with a roar, and the intersection point was exactly on Alecto.
She seemed to become a witness to some kind of bond; she hurriedly side-rolled away, and then those two vast sword auras exploded behind her.
Boom—
Countless brilliant sword blades flew wildly, causing her entire body to burst with blood sprays. In pain to the point of near unconsciousness, she pushed off the ground, stubbornly lunging forward, heading straight for the Lunar Princess. A trapped beast fighting; the speed was extremely fast, barely visible to the naked eye.
Ranni stood still, watching the front coldly.
As some starlight drifted away, Throne stood right in front of her.
"I told you earlier."
The man was poised, gripping the longsword sheathed at his waist, and suddenly drew it toward the empty space in front of him.
Secret Sword: Isshin.
Sheathed, unsheathed—it seemed useless, but the next moment—
Swish, swish, swish...
Sword auras erupted, dense and blinding, slicing through dimensions. Amid the chaos, a slender figure emerged—the leader of the Black Knives, drenched in blood.
Throne's gaze fell on the shredded remains of Alecto. His thumb pressed down, and the final gleam of his blade vanished into its sheath.
Tonight. It ends.
......
The first light of dawn broke over the horizon. The Erdtree shimmered faintly, while the Three Sisters lay in ruins. Even the Snow Witch's tower had cracked under Adula's fury. Throne finally understood why this place had been so battered when the Tarnished arrived. Another battle like this, and nothing would remain but rubble.
The carnage was over. The Baleful Shadows, driven mad, were wiped out—all but one, whom Throne had intentionally spared. The Black Knife Assassins fared better. Three or four, realizing the mission was hopeless, vanished into the shadows. They were ghosts in the physical realm; once they chose to flee, no one could stop them. Only Alecto remained.
This night, at last, had ended.
In the history of The Lands Between, it was rare for so many heroes to fall in such a short span—let alone involving so many factions. Raya Lucaria Academy. The Tarnished. The Black Knife Assassins. The Baleful Shadows. The Crucible Knights.
"They are all souls lost under my blade."
Throne's expression hardened. The harvest was immense, almost overwhelming. His strength had surged, shattering bottlenecks. His magic now approached the realm of true high-powered sorcery—and the faith he had seized.
He clenched his fists, the feedback of power coursing through him. He stood on par with Godrick now, capable of taking him down even without the Roundtable Hold's aid. But the road ahead was long. He quickly buried his arrogance.
Even as a top-tier hero, The Lands Between teemed with hidden talents. Pride was a luxury he couldn't afford.
Throne glanced down at the assassin crumpled at his feet and gestured dismissively.
"Lock her up. There are matters to uncover."
"That won't be easy," Ranni said, stepping forward. Her eyes narrowed slightly, catching the morning light.
"But it must be done. They are Marika's subordinates. There are truths I need to know."
Throne surveyed the battlefield. Caria hadn't emerged unscathed. War Counselor Iji and Adula lay groaning, grievously wounded. Two Trolls knelt lifelessly, their bodies cold. One had been the Knight of the Cuckoo, guarding the inner city stairs.
Its gaze lingered skyward, black-red flames still flickering across its form. This battle hadn't left the field strewn with corpses, but every fallen warrior had been a force unto themselves. Throne had never fought in a clash where every participant was hero-level. It felt as though he'd ascended to another tier—that ancient era, the rank of heroes.
Miriam descended before them, dropping to one knee without hesitation.
"Leave this to me. The Onyx Lord's Evergaol will suffice. I'll make the necessary adjustments."
She'd spent the entire battle evading the Black Knife Assassins, but no one would accuse her of slacking off. There was no way around it—if one didn't know Starlight movement, the Black Knife Assassin was enough to instantly kill any sorcerer.
"Then I'll leave it to you, Teacher Miriam," Throne said, nodding.
The middle-aged woman acknowledged with a nod of her own. She dragged the unconscious Alecto a few paces, then turned back to offer a sorcerer's salute—this time, directed solely at Throne.
"Throne, you have proven yourself the pillar of Caria—a true hero."
Her words flowed slow and deliberate. Throne took it in stride. He'd conquered the academy in a single night, slain the Shadow, driven back the Black Knives. Such feats crowned him a hero. Strength like his placed him among Caria's top three without question.
Ranni's lips parted as if to speak, her dignity clamping them shut. She swallowed the praise.
"Go ahead," Throne said with a grin. "I can handle all the gratitude you've got."
"Hmph." She turned away sharply. "Who's praising you? This is your duty. You're a Carian Knight."
Her eyes narrowed to slits, cold and calculating. "For now, I'll concede you've done well. Better than expected."
"Then where's my reward?"
"Reward? Already?" She scoffed. "Back to the magic tower first. I need your full report."
"Your Highness, you sound like a tyrant squeezing her enforcer dry."
"Nonsense. I reward merit. I just haven't decided what yet."
Her chin lifted slightly, her gaze catching his half-smile. Then it hit her. Her head dropped, teeth clenched.
"Wait—what did you say to the Nox?"
Damn. She'd found out.
The momentum of victory faltered. Throne shifted uncomfortably. Ranni's lowered face hid her expression, but her aura crackled with instability. This wasn't just humiliation—it was a full collapse of dignity. He weighed his words carefully. If she was being vague, he couldn't risk exposing himself accidentally.
He spread his hands, feigning innocence. "What did I say? You'll have to give me a hint."
"You—!"
The urge to raise her Dark Moon Greatsword and cleave him in two nearly overwhelmed her. How could she repeat such shameful nonsense?
"You've got the nerve of a stray dog. Forget it. We'll settle this later. Consider your merits and demerits canceled."
Her gaze flicked sideways, catching two pairs of eyes watching intently.
"You two," she snapped. "Why aren't you tending to your wounds?"
War Counselor Iji and Adula exchanged glances, pain etched into their expressions.
"Your Highness," Iji said, "Destined Death has no cure. Only time can heal it. That's what you told us."
Insubordination. Again.