Chapter 105 — Necronomicon [3] - Counterattack

The wind rustled.

Two pairs of bloodthirsty eyes were staring intently at the fight between the two True Knights, constantly sizing up Liora and brushing their fingers against the daggers on their waists.

They remained silent and motionless, like a hunter that was examining their prey and waiting for an opportunity to strike.

But suddenly, their expressions changed.

"What are you waiting for? When are you going to take action?", a loud cry came out of Baron Bloodshield’s mouth, causing a barrage of swear words to arise in the assassins’ minds.

As trained assassins, they understood very well that the best moment to attack was when the target had relaxed their guard. Therefore, they had been waiting for Liora to gain an advantage in the battle and lose her cool, or at the very least, become exhausted.

Unfortunately, the Baron’s words had removed their cover, ultimately destroying their plans and making their previous efforts worthless.

Still, recalling the commands of their superiors—ordering them to assist the Baron no matter what—they could only curse secretly.

Knowing that now was the best time to strike, they both launched themselves forward, not giving the female Knight any opportunity to react.

Though they didn’t speak, their actions were coordinated.

One attacked from the back, attracting the target’s attention, while the other one struck the moment the target adjusted their body, rendering them unable to defend.

The latter assassin’s eyes shone with excitement as he watched the dagger approach the powerless enemy.

--

From the Baron’s shout to the sudden assassination, less than a split second had passed.

Thus, even Liora found it difficult to react in time.

A chill ran down her spine as her intuition warned her of danger, telling her that the current situation was deadly.

If she were not cautious, she could very well die despite her current strength.

This didn’t make her panic, though.

Hadn’t she been hiding her strength all this time just to lead the hidden people out?

Though she never expected that there would be two hidden assassins, her goal had been half-achieved.

A glint flashed in her crimson eyes as she raised the sword and defended against the first dagger, the one aiming directly at her head.

The moment they collided, she instantly felt the dagger’s momentum.

"A True Knight!", Liora judged while feeling the remaining force coursing through her body.

She didn’t release that force, but let it guide her, using it as a way to twist her body.

But just when she was halfway through this readjustment, the sound of torn flesh reached her ears, accompanied by a sharp, menacing pain.

The second dagger had arrived!

Although her earlier movements had prevented it from striking directly at her heart, it had still pierced her left shoulder, tearing through her skin and penetrating her now-exposed bones.

A dark Life Force accompanied the blow and drilled into her body, trying to make the injury even more severe.

"Success!", the assassin’s eyes shone as he witnessed the result of his achievements.

Though he had failed to kill the target with a single strike, he had at least managed to seriously injure them.

With his companions, the Baron, and he cooperating, dealing with a severely wounded enemy should be quite easy.

Or at least, that’s what the assassin thought.

Unfortunately for him, Liora was not an ordinary True Knight.

The moment the two hidden enemies showed up, she stopped hiding her abilities.

Without her suppression, the Myriad Devils Body activated on its own. Blood Resonance and Renewal—enhanced by her Shroud Form—worked together, doing their best to help her recover.1

Her flesh squirmed eerily. The blood that had flowed out began turning back, as if time itself was being distorted.

A crimson light flashed across the open wound and, in the blink of an eye, transformed into newly-grown flesh, attaching seamlessly between her own.

Feeling her injuries recover rapidly, Liora didn’t stay still.

While her enemies were still caught in excitement because of the previous success, she stretched her hand out.

A black light shone brilliantly within her palm, which soon materialized into a golden spear surrounded by sinister, bloody flames.

For the first time since her arrival in this world, Liora activated an ability other than Shadow Manipulation—Spear of the Blighted Sun.

The skin in her palm tingled as if she were holding something spiky, but Liora ignored the strange sensation.

As the spear’s holy light shone on her face, she clutched its handle tightly with her two hands and thrust it to the side, where the stunned assassin was currently standing.

Faced with the target’s sudden outburst, the assassin was astonished.

He didn’t understand how the target’s injuries had vanished, and most importantly, he didn’t understand how they had created a spear out of thin air.

In their understanding, this was an ability that only Great Knights possessed.

However, when the spear’s holy light was reflected in his dark eyes, the assassin seemed to have understood.

"A member of the Holy Church! She must be a member of the Holy Church!", he screamed in his head, as his instincts urged him to move, to dodge the incoming blow.

Unfortunately, what he was facing at the moment was his natural enemy.

Although his mind screamed at him to run, the dark Life Force within his body had frozen, like a mouse meeting a cat.

Helpless, the assassin could only watch as the Spear of the Blighted Sun grew closer, until finally, it pierced his abdomen.

The demonic flames covering the spear surged and rushed towards its tip, soon engulfing his entire body in a sea of fire.

The True Knight assassin was not even able to let out a painful scream, as his body was instantly transformed into scattered ashes.

Watching this scene indifferently, Liora waved the spear casually, preventing the ashes from getting closer to her by fanning them away.

Then, she turned her head toward the other assassin.

With a calm expression, she thrust the spear forward once again, like a ruthless judge who was delivering punishment. Or rather, a judge who was sending people to their death.