Although a bit confused, Linton quickly realized who these people were—they were clearly the assassins. Earlier, Linton and Gasein had made a very public exit, which likely attracted unwanted attention. The reason they hadn't been immediately attacked was that it would have been difficult to find them in the forest. But with all the commotion yesterday, it was only natural that someone would come to investigate, and that's probably how the assassins tracked them down.
For the group of assassins dead-set on killing them, Linton naturally wanted to know who had sent them. By this time, Reina and Princess Yalan had already armed themselves and stood by Linton's side, while Gasein sluggishly got to his feet. Only Barry remained unconscious, showing no reaction.
Linton wasn't afraid of these people, but the princess beside him was a concern. He wanted to involve her in this mess so he could investigate who was behind the attack. It was clear the princess didn't know who the assassins were targeting, and for now, the assassins likely didn't know they were dealing with royalty either.
"Why are there assassins?" Reina asked.
"That depends on who the princess has offended," Linton replied. "Royal matters are always tricky, which is why I told you it was dangerous to run off on your own."
Princess Yalan didn't say anything, but it was clear she suspected the assassins were after her. Stepping forward, she shouted to the black-clad figures in front of them, "Who sent you?"
The assassins, of course, didn't respond to Princess Yalan. Her words instead seemed to be a signal to attack, as the assassins immediately charged toward Linton and his group. And it wasn't just the few people in front—sounds came from the surrounding forest as more figures emerged, clearly indicating they had already encircled Linton and his companions.
"Raklaid, above the stars, unleash the sealed ring..." Princess Yalan wasted no time, raising her staff and beginning to chant as electric sparks began to flicker around her.
The assassins hesitated for a moment. They had tracked Linton and Gasein, but suddenly, a powerful lightning mage had appeared. Despite their pause, they continued their attack, undeterred.
Linton ignored the rushing attackers for the moment, noting that while their auras glowed with battle energy, they weren't particularly formidable. His real attention was focused on the figure standing behind them. All the other assassins had joined the fray, but one person remained still. Linton couldn't make out his face, but it was clear that this person was their leader.
This leader likely wasn't weak. Linton had already fought and been mistaken for a star-class mage, indicating he had a high-level reputation. The fact that these assassins came back meant they had prepared someone capable of dealing with a star-class mage. Linton surmised that the one standing back was their designated counter to him.
Suddenly, a bolt of lightning shot from Princess Yalan's staff, striking several of the oncoming assassins. Linton glanced at her, a little surprised at the power of her magic. On the other side, Reina had engaged another group, protecting Gasein and Barry. Gasein tried to help, but it was clear he was too weak even to hold his sword.
"Earth Escape: Earth Dragon Bullet!" Linton rushed forward to assist. The number of enemies, combined with their battle energy-enhanced skills, was too much for Reina and Yalan to handle alone.
With a wave of his hand, an earth dragon burst from the ground beside Linton and charged forward. It devoured two of the attackers before surging toward the assassin leader.
Linton kept his eyes on this person, curious to see how they would react. Just as the earth dragon was about to hit its mark, the leader suddenly pulled out a staff from under his cloak.
"Ice Freeze!" A blue light flashed, and the temperature around them plummeted. Linton could feel the chill even from where he stood, and frost quickly spread around the leader. Most notably, the earth dragon Linton had summoned was instantly frozen solid.
"A star-class mage?" Princess Yalan exclaimed in shock.
"A star-class mage?" Linton repeated, glancing at the assassin leader. It seemed they hadn't needed to chant—was this a proper star-class mage? It made sense. The best way to counter a star-class mage was to send another. Perhaps they thought Linton was young and inexperienced, so they'd sent someone stronger.
Princess Yalan, on the other hand, became more convinced that the assassins were after her. Only powerful factions could employ a star-class mage as an assassin, and her mind quickly turned to the royal family. Could it really be one of her siblings?
She couldn't immediately think of who would hate her enough to send such a deadly force. Glancing at Linton, she realized that without him, she and Reina would have no chance of defeating this mage.
"Has your magic recovered?" Princess Yalan asked.
Linton checked his mana reserves. He hadn't calculated his recovery rate, but after a full night of rest, he was back at full strength. Understanding what she meant, he replied, "You handle the others; this guy's mine."
Just as he finished speaking, a massive ice pillar shot toward Linton, clearly aimed at him. The princess was evidently not even considered a threat.
"Amaterasu!" Linton raised his head and cast Amaterasu, sending a jet of black fire to meet the ice pillar.
A hiss, like the sound of fire extinguishing, echoed as the black flames hit the ice. The pillar instantly melted, turning to water, and then evaporated into steam, disappearing as if it had never been there.
The ice pillar was easily neutralized, and Linton's black flames continued, heading straight for the assassin leader.
Not knowing what the black fire was, the leader quickly realized that he couldn't let it touch him. Fortunately, they were still some distance apart, and the flames weren't particularly fast. He dodged just in time, rolling out of the way. He quickly searched for Linton, but as soon as he raised his head, their eyes met.
A flash of red light gleamed from Linton's eyes, and the next moment, the leader found himself pinned to the spot by several triangular spikes. He had no idea where they had come from or when they had pierced him, but the intense pain was undeniable as blood began to pour from his wounds.
"AAAAHHH!" The leader screamed in agony, struggling to move but completely paralyzed.
"Did no one ever teach you not to make eye contact with a Uchiha?" Linton walked toward him slowly.
The leader's screams drew the attention of the other assassins and Princess Yalan, but what they saw was bizarre. The assassin leader stood there, writhing in pain as though he were being attacked, yet there were no visible injuries, and not a single drop of blood was spilled. What was happening?
Linton had used a genjutsu. In this world, it seemed no one knew how to defend against illusions. Other techniques could be explained as magic, but genjutsu appeared to be completely unfamiliar. Even a more formidable foe, like the Flame Beast, had fallen prey to Linton's illusion. Now, the assassin leader had suffered the same fate.
The technique Linton used was the Uchiha clan's unique genjutsu: **Magic: Shackling Stakes Technique**, which could only be performed with the Sharingan. Its greatest strength lay in the fact that it required no hand seals—just a single glance to trap the enemy in a deadly illusion.
"How...is this possible?" the leader gritted his teeth in pain. "What did you do? Your eyes...what are they?"
"You've got it backwards. I'm the one asking the questions." Linton reached the assassin leader and pulled off his cloak. Beneath it was a man who looked about fifty years old, thin and pale, with no particularly distinguishing features—he looked like an ordinary person.
"Now, who are you, and who sent you?" Linton grabbed a handful of the leader's hair and pulled his head up.
The man didn't answer, but Linton noticed his hand moving slightly. Frowning, Linton realized the leader might be on the verge of breaking free from the illusion. Did this world also have methods to dispel genjutsu?
"Ice Speed Freeze!" the man suddenly shouted, and Linton immediately jumped back in response.
(End of Chapter)