A young man in blue robes sat on the grassy mound of Bacain Hill, his eyes closed in serenity. His disheveled black hair danced in the gentle morning breeze. Beside him lay his sheathed sword, its presence a stark contrast to the peaceful atmosphere. He is Prince Khane.
Suddenly, the sword began to shake, as if sensing an unseen threat. Prince Khane's eyes remained closed, but his hand instinctively went to the sword's hilt.
"Do you sense it, my wife?" he whispered, his voice calm and collected. "I wonder who would dare to come on a day like this. I am expecting an old friend, and yet these rats have decided to crash the party."
He paused, his grip on the sword tightening. "Given that I've slain their master recently, perhaps it's Sil's disciples seeking revenge. But why waste their time? They know I will not hesitate to strike."
With a swift motion, Prince Khane opened his eyes, their sharpness piercing the air. He unsheathed his sword, its blade glinting in the morning light. As he stood up slowly, his movements seemed almost ethereal.
"Welcome, my guests," he said, his voice dripping with sarcasm. "Though I don't have tea to offer, I'll serve you your blood instead." With a swift turn, he launched himself into the air, his sword at the ready.
Prince Khane observed that the men's attire was unusual, resembling that of assassins.
He placed his hand behind his back, his eyes narrowing. "Is there a leader among you? Step forward, and I'll make an example of you. You're not Sil's disciples, so who are you?"
A figure emerged, flying up to face Prince Khane. He wore all-black leather, an eye patch, and had short, black hair. His black cloak billowed behind him. "Death is here v for you, yet you ask questions. Say your last prayers now."
Prince Khane smirked. "Death is here? You mean the Assassin's Organization? Who hired you to kill me? Didn't they warn you about me?"
The figure, introducing himself as the invisible ghost, flew backward, his voice dripping with confidence. "I'll reveal my employer with your last breath." With that, his men charged towards Prince Khane.
Prince Khan's sword trembled once more. "Would you like to start the ceremony? alright! Let's begin the ceremony! Go!" he yelled, releasing the sword from his grasp.
It soared towards the assassins, attacking on its own. The assassins, possessing internal strength, countered the sword's assault.
The invisible ghost charged towards Prince Khane, sneering. "A fine sword. You're unarmed and no match for me with just your internal strength."
The invisible ghost shouted, "Divide! Formation!" as he held out his dagger.
It flew backward, multiplying into several blades that spiraled around each other, coalescing into a massive sword in mid-air. He charged towards Prince Khane with a fierce cry.
Prince Khane yawned, seemingly unimpressed. "How boring. I expected a more intense competition. I can take you down with my lowest level of power."
He opened his palm, and a blue light emanated from it, growing larger until it blocked the invisible ghost's attack. The invisible ghost unleashed a fierce cry, charging towards Prince Khane with a red aura surrounding him.
He delivered a powerful blow of internal strength, but Prince Khane blocked it effortlessly, using minimal force.
The invisible ghost vanished and reappeared at different corners, launching a flurry of attacks.
Prince Khane blocked each one with ease, his movements fluid and precise. "We've played enough; it's time to die," Prince Khane declared, stretching out his hand.
Water from below the cliff below surged up, responding to Prince Khane's control. The water encircled him, forming a protective barrier.
The invisible ghost's eyes widened in shock. "You...you're not ordinary."
Prince Khane's lips curled into a smile as he bowed his head. "Water," he whispered. Then, raising his head, he commanded, "To fire!"
The water slowly transformed into flames, which Prince Khane controlled with a flick of his wrist.
He aimed the inferno at the invisible ghost, who raised a shield made of red lights generated by his internal strength. The ghost attempted to disappear, but Prince Khane anticipated this.
Flames surrounded the ghost, trapping him. "I knew you weren't disappearing; you were just being swift," Prince Khane said. "If you try that again, the fire will chase you or consume you."
The invisible ghost struggled to ask, "What...are you?" as he continued to block the attack with his internal strength.
Prince Khane's response was nonchalant. "Me?" He glanced up, and the sun shone brighter, as if in sync with his movements.
"I'm just a nameless person you shouldn't have crossed paths with."
With a subtle gesture, Prince Khane amplified his attack, overwhelming the invisible ghost's defenses.
The force struck him with incredible power, sending him flying into the trees. He crashed to the ground, spewing blood, and weakly attempted to stand. However, his strength failed him.
As he tried to escape, a serpentine creature composed of fire chased him, piercing his stomach and creating a gaping hole. His eyes widened in shock, and he collapsed, lifeless.
The fire dissipated, leaving behind an eerie silence. Prince Khane gazed at his palm, fascinated. "I've only just learned this technique and didn't expect its power to be so strong. How fascinating."
His sword returned to him like a boomerang, and he raised his hand to catch it, grasping the hilt. The Invisible Ghost's demise marked the end of the battle, and Prince Khane stood victorious, his abilities proving to be more than a match for his opponent.
Prince Khane looked at the sword and saw that it was dripping with blood. "Are you already done, my wife?" he said with a smile, gazing at the dead assassins. "You're naughty."
He landed on the ground, and the sword shook in his hand. "You did well; that's very good," Prince Khane said, addressing the sword.
"I hope there's at least one alive to question," he continued. "We need to know who had the audacity to stress me. I'm having a visitor; how will I let him see this mess?"
Prince Khane used his powers to bring one of the assassins closer to him as he stood at the cliff's edge. The assassin was bleeding profusely, with blood gurgling from his mouth.
"Who paid you to kill me?" Prince Khan demanded. "Tell me, and I'll spare your life. Wife, obey my command—don't kill him. He will be the one to send the message."
"It's...it's...it's..." the assassin stammered.
"Speak fast; I need to clean this place," Prince Khane said, his patience wearing thin.
The assassin struggled to continue, "At Bacian...cliff...on the...first day...of this week...there will be...a young...man...in a blue robe."
Prince Khane's eyes narrowed, his mind racing to understand the significance of the assassin's words. "How is that...?" he started to ask, but his voice trailed off as realization dawned on him.
He paused, his body trembling with understanding. He realized that he had only told Eyrin, his old friend, these same words.
"Eyrin sent you to kill me?" Prince Khane asked, his voice laced with disbelief and hurt.
The assassin, still fearful, took advantage of Prince Khan's distraction. He slashed at Prince Khane again and again, but Prince Khane didn't defend himself. With one final push, the assassin sent Prince Khane tumbling off the cliff.
But before Prince Khane fell, the assassin grabbed his blue robe, and Prince Khane plummeted into the sea. The assassin mounted a nearby horse and rode away to the shore .He scanned the area but saw no sign of Prince Khane.