For once, this man's killing intent emerged. His instincts were telling him that this girl was a threat! Not because of her current ability, but her extraordinary potential. He could tell that Shirley's condition was beyond poor. It was really one step from death! In such a state, she could dodge his attack… Not everyone could muster such a strong willpower to forcefully break through their limitations. It revealed a frightening side to Shirley that few people possessed! And this man was intent on destroying her completely! If she thought that she would survive or win, that would be laughable. He was unharmed, while she was half-dead. No matter what, he would kill her!
On the other hand, Shirley was bathed in her opponent's hair-raising aura. While auras were typically associated with Perception Realms or Condensed Drops, everyone had an aura. Much like how happy people could make people around them feel happy, it was the same concept. Only powerful warriors could wield them! Although this man was approaching Half-Perception Realm, Shirley could instinctively feel the urge to surrender! That was the oppression from a superior warrior! He was the strongest of anyone she fought. Her final opponent was an insurmountable wall!
Her enemy hissed and no longer watched. His sword thrusted forward. If once was enough, then twice! This time, there were no more miracles. He stabbed straight through her chest again! Shirley slumped as the blood loss increased to a frightening level. Her clothes, skin, and organs were drenched in hot blood. She vomited a mouthful of blood and bile. Her eyes gradually lost their luster while the pain and exhaustion corroded her consciousness. The sword dropped from her fingers and clanged on the hard stone surface. The rain pooled around her, turning into a bright red. A single sad teardrop mixed with the endless rain. The man ruthlessly pulled his sword out as Shirley collapsed face first.
"You caused us enough trouble, haven't you?" the man murmured. "Well, in the end, it doesn't matter. You died!" He stepped on her head, rubbed her face in gravel, and gave a low chuckle. "I'll need to clean up everyone else as well. I can't leave behind any traces after all." He flicked his sword, sending the blood flying off. After a silent second, he slashed down. He would cut Shirley's head clean off!
But before he could, his senses were screaming out in danger! The man reflexively rolled out of the way as a throwing knife flew past his head. It embedded itself halfway into the stone street! For a mere throwing knife to possess such strong penetrative power revealed how scary the attacker was! He felt a chill crawl up his spine. If it landed on his bare body, it might become a fatal blow!
Unfortunately, it was not over yet. Before he could catch his breath, several more knives burst from the darkness and closed in! Each was thrown with unbelievable skill and technique that they blended in with the shadows, amplifying their deadliness to another level! Since he was not even Half-Perception Realm yet, he could not notice them in time. The knives pierced him in several places instantly! With how long the blades were, they went deep into his skin, penetrating his muscles and organs! The injuries were so severe that a monstrous wave of pain assaulted his mind.
He instinctively reached to pull them out when a cold voice sounded, "I would recommend against doing that unless you have a death wish. If you remove one, you'll definitely die."
Three people appeared like ghosts causing the man to be terrified! They could come so close to him without him realizing it. Remember, he was no ordinary person. He was a trained expert of the Third Hand! Upon seeing that two of them wore strange masks, he immediately thought of the Second Hand, specifically the two leaders. Captain Julian and Vice-captain Julie commanded a terrifying level of strength and assassination capability! They were well-known throughout the organization as the demonic twins! To contend against Sir Winstin, albeit barely, spoke volumes about their prowess. But he grew confused. Why would the Second Hand, much less the two leaders, be in Firecast? They were stationed in the Alzar Kingdom's capital area…
Of course, it could not be those two. The current time coincided with the destruction of the Lannisail Household where the entire First Hand and Second Hand were annihilated from existence. Due to the distance between the cities and the pandemonium in the capital wrought by Lord Wenmord's spell, it would likely take weeks for the news to reach the Zino Kingdom. The Third Shadow had no way of knowing what danger the Whispering Shadow was currently facing. If the Third Shadow knew… He would not spend this time provoking more tigers. He would flee! Alas, there was no way that he could predict that Lord Wenmord and Sword King Sin would go rogue, much less the destruction of the Lannisail Household! It was too ridiculous!
Inari and his partner arrived next to Shirley. Under Inari's mask hid an aggrieved and furious expression. Once they found their information broker, Inari felt a deeply unsettling feeling as the sky started to rain. He and his partner took the broker across the city to find Shirley as soon as possible. And this was the result… Anyone could tell the damage to Shirley was beyond severe. It was horrendous! Instantly, Inari's murderous bloody explosive aura rampaged out of control. The man from the Third Hand quivered in fear. He could almost smell the blood in the air as he hallucinated of death and despair! That was how potent this aura was! How many people did Inari kill to achieve this? It had to be a staggering number! Inari was furious!
The man from the Third Hand took this opportunity while they were distracted to run! There was no way he could deal with these master assassins by himself. At least, he was planning to do that when he realized he could not move at all! No matter how he urged his body, it refused to listen! He was paralyzed like a stone statue. He grew confused then horrified. Inari grinned. Although Inari's attack looked simple on the surface, it was not at all. Every attack was precisely targeted at key joints or vitals. Together, they could effectively lock the body in place! It took a few seconds for the effect to settle, but it could last for several hours! Furthermore, if a single throwing knife was removed, then it would trigger a chain reaction that would instantly kill him. Only a highly accomplished Perception Realm with a deep mastery over the body could achieve this!
"We'll deal with you later," Inari said.
The man from the Third Hand spat, "Are you trying to save her? Don't waste your breath. I don't know who you are, but you'll regret going up against the Whispering Shadow!"
"Sit there and shut up."
I can't wait to see your expressions when she dies in front of you, the man mocked in his head. Just wait until the captain and vice-captain find you. They'll make mincemeat of you!
Inari's partner calmly knelt and assessed Shirley's condition closer. He had a demeanor as cold as ice. Even if the world burned the next second, he might not react at all. Yet upon seeing Shirley's state, he could not help but tremble a little. Her internal organs were cut and sliced in all sorts of places with the most severe being her lungs. On her body, two deep glaring sword wounds were present. Blood was seeping out so fast that it began to pool around her body. It did not take a Perception Realm to realize the severity.
Both Inari and his partner were at a bit of a loss. They were not like the Sword King who could manipulate Martial Energy. He could heal Benedict from the brink of death twice and withstand a shockwave powerful enough to obliterate the Lannisail Household. As Lord Wenmord once remarked, the Sword King was likely to be the only human who knew how to use Martial Energy! Therefore, Inari and his partner had to resort to conventional methods of healing… But that was impossible. Even if Shirley's body were fully healed, she would die from the blood loss alone! Despite their identities as some of the greatest assassins in their generation, they felt powerless seeing this.