Ashley and I were sitting on the academy roof enjoying the afternoon Sun when I got up.
"I'm going to meet Lady Raika. You coming Ash?"
"No. I have matters to attend to so you go on ahead."
"I'll see you later then."
I jumped down from the roof and it took a few seconds before I finally landed on the ground, cracking the paving in the process. Several students looked at me in amazement but I ignored them as I went inside the building and went to the receptionist lady. She was wearing glasses and her black hair was in a ponytail.
"Hello. Is Lady Raika here today?"
"Yes she signed in today."
"Thank you. Her usual class right?"
"Yes."
I walked down the hallway to various salutes and bows from the academy students.
"This is annoying."
I vanished and appeared in my old classroom. My classmates were there as well as Lady Raika. She smiled.
"So you didn't forget us huh boy?"
"How could I when you're here."
"So what brings you here Isaac."
"I'm here for Rebecca and Katherine. I promised them a favour."
"Unfortunately they're not here right now, including other class members. Lady Maria took them for extra training."
"Oh...okay."
I vanished to the academy rooftop. It was the first time in a long while since I felt so alone. I sat in a meditative position.
"Sage Nirvana Technique"
A magic circle appeared underneath me and I began absorbing mana from the air with the circle purifying it for me. I continued absorbing mana late into the night. I soon got up, remembering my appointment with Maria.
"I'm looking forward to this."
I vanished and appeared outside Maria's room in the Palace. I used some wind magic to make a sort of wind mat that I could sit on. I crossed my legs and arms and I waited...and waited. Nothing was happening. They were already aware of me since I could feel their presence detection magic was interacting with mine. Soon, Ashley opened the door in nothing but a white shirt. I entered the room and was surprised to see Maria was laying on the bed wearing a very thin transparent robe. She instantly looked away as our eyes met. She was very cute as she blushed. Ashley closed the door behind us.
1 week later
We were at the border between Linchestin and Aria. I had recieved Intel from the spies that the Aryans seem to have been burying something along nine places on the border. They looked like what appeared to be eggs so I had formed 9 groups of elite and junior assassins with an Original in each group. I was tired of teaching the academy students so I took it upon myself to lead a team. There were 4 of us in each group and Alma was the vice captain. I had one clone of mine hidden in each group. I had left Maria and Ashley at the palace after being too hard on them on our midnight battles. I spoke.
"We're approaching the first target. Everyone seize any magical fluctuations."
I breathed in to calm myself down.
"Hasunome"
My pupil turned white. I looked at the ground and what I saw shocked me. It looked like high density amounts of chaotic mana were inside the eggs. I then remembered an excerpt from a book I've read.
[Many years ago, powerful beasts once roamed this land, causing havoc and mayhem wherever they went. Soon, the three races banded together and wiped them out but their remnants remain. There are rumours that their eggs which contains the last will of the once great Chaos Beasts, exist to this day.]
"That's Chaos Mana."
Alma stood next to me.
"What's Chaos Mana?"
"It's mana that contains the rage and despair of the chaos beasts as they were massacred hundreds of thousands of years ago. Don't touch it. It'll erode your mind and soul."
"Then how do we destroy the eggs.
I laughed.
"We don't. First of all, we can't even if we tried."
Alma looked at me with a paralysing gaze.
"You mean it's impossible even for YOU to destroy?"
"It's not that it can't be destroyed but rather the consequences that come after. The chaos mana will escape and envelope this entire region, causing it to become a wasteland."
"Then can't we just take them with us?"
"No. They've already settled into the ground. Moving them will activate the egg's defensive mechanism where it will spew out chaos mana all over. The moment it touched the ground it was impossible to move it. Even the Aryans carried it inside of jade boxes."
"Oh..."
Alma dropped the matter completely. Of course it wasn't impossible to destroy them. I could simply open void corridors around the eggs and let the chaos mana seep into the void where it will naturally dissipate but...where's the fun in that? As the eggs lose chaos mana, the beasts inside will become weaker. No matter what I don't want that happening. I've never fought anyone or anything stronger than my father. He gave me more hell than the demons I killed when I was ten. Either way, fighting legendary creatures to the death should be a very interesting venture and an opportunity to go all out.
"Ignore them for now. Let's move on."
We moved deeper into the Principality, killing every enemy in sight while also using the opportunity to teach the new recruits assassination techniques and how to adapt to certain scenarios. We came across a fort and this time, I took command. I smiled.
"Assassins can also use spells. Be creative and find fun ways of eliminating your targets. Of course it depends on the context. If it has to be an accidental death than your options are limited but if it's a situation like this then..."
I used magic to make the ground the soldiers in the fort were standing on rise up, crushing them with the roof.
"..then you can kill them like this also. Of course you can't leave traces of yourself and that includes your mana signature. That's why manipulating the elements instead, especially the earth element decreases the risk of you being caught. Using spells will cause your mana signature to be everywhere."
We went even further and we discovered another fort. So far, the Principality hasn't found out about their forts being targeted.
"There's another way to kill without leaving traces and that is using great physical strength. It leaves absolutely no traces if you attack from afar like this."
I pulled my fist back and very quickly punched the air. A shockwave emerged from my fist and severely damaged the fort, causing it to topple over. I began thinking to myself about how Ashley could've blew the entire fortress off with much less effort. I turned back and faced them.
"All right. I'll leave you with this for now. Alma here will take over. I'll leave a clone here but it'll be hiding. If you can sense it by the end of the mission, you'll be rewarded with enough taels to go and exchange for a superior mana rejuvenation pill back at the Familia Manor."
"Yes Shinokage."
"Good luck then."
With that, I vanished.
"Now I can finally move alone. I flew deep into Aria. I was heading for the palace.
A short while later
I had barged my way into the palace and slaughtered all the soldiers with my magic. I kicked the door open to the throne room, entered and sealed the area with a void barrier. Nothing could come in or out. I wasted no time in killing all the soldiers. The king was left alone with the two girls he had with him.
"I admire you you know? Being able to do something like 'that' in front of your own guards? It's shows you saw them as nothing more than dogs."
The king simply scoffed.
"I'll forgive your earlier transgressions since I find you pretty impressive. First bow to this deity before we can have a conversation. Maybe I'll allow you to become my underling."
I was mad. So mad that my mana flared up a bit as it leaked from my body.
"You two may want to get a bit."
"HAHAHA! What can you do against me, WHO WAS CHOSEN BY THE G-"
I accelerated forward at blinding speed, crushing his skull with my fist. Luckily I had placed the continuous healing circle on him beforehand. Although some parts of his brain were destroyed, the healing magic imitated the destroyed body parts and acted in their place.
"I'm not even going to let you live after you said to me."
I turned around.
"You two were slaves right? I'm giving you a chance to do whatever you want with him."
I opened my dimensional storage.
"Here's some knives. He won't die for the next few hours, regardless of what you do. He also won't be able to talk or move at all."
The king was shaking terribly in his seat as the two girls picked up the knives and immediately started stabbing him.
"Now it's time to visit the children of this bastard. If I'm right, he only has a son and daughter. I should choose one to become the next ruler. After all..."
I couldn't help but smile.
"...I want this war to be entertaining."