Sabrina barely managed to suppress the scream that was about to escape her without her knowing. She was able to do so thanks to the harsh training she had received to not show emotions outwardly.
'What the hell is this? Where did Archbishop Mirak go, and what is this strange phenomenon...'
Certainly, it was Archbishop Mirak who had initially received her brainwaves. And it was Archbishop Mirak who had asked her where she was. No sooner had that happened than the reply came back that he had found her.
'No, was it really Archbishop Mirak?'
An ominous thought flashed through Sabrina's mind. That is, the being she had thought was Archbishop Mirak was actually not Mirak.
It was an impossible occurrence, but it had actually happened. Where was Archbishop Mirak?
Sabrina's question was erased when she saw a certain figure rolling toward her vicinity. It was Archbishop Mirak's head, mutated like a dead tree. He was dead with his eyes wide open as if he had seen something unbelievable.
'The Archbishop is dead?'
Archbishop Mirak was someone who could turn into blood and reconstitute his flesh even if ground up alive. Having received the blessing of Red Eternity, he possessed vast vitality and could regenerate his original body from just a single finger joint.
Even without combat expertise, it would be possible to simply crush opponents with pure physical superiority. Yes. That was what the blessing of Red Eternity made possible.
[Why. Is it strange that the Archbishop died?]
As if reading Sabrina's thoughts, blood-red eyes curved like crescents and asked.
Sabrina bit her lips tightly. The opponent was mocking her.
Sabrina immediately sprang out from the shadows and thrust her sword toward the blood-red eyes' forehead.
Though it seemed like an act done in anger, it was the opposite. Sabrina had calculated the entire situation. Since she was surrounded anyway, her top priority was to incapacitate this creature even if she couldn't kill it, then escape.
The fact that Archbishop Mirak was dead was shocking, but she had to accept it. She needed to quickly grasp reality and present the optimal alternative. That was what the leader of the Dead Dagger should do.
Thwack!
[Interesting.]
She definitely felt the sensation of piercing, but the opponent was still speaking perfectly fine. The darkness that had been pressing in around her approached.
She belatedly realized it was writhing hair.
Just before Sabrina's body was caught by the hair and disappeared.
Her figure vanished as if being sucked into the shadows. Sabrina appeared like a mirage outside the barrier of hair.
The hair that had swallowed empty air writhed as it searched for its next prey. It looked like countless seaweed swaying with the current, or like numerous earthworms targeting prey.
That eerie movement suddenly stopped, and from inside, a woman revealed herself as if unraveling thread. A beauty hatching as she breaks out of an egg.
'Grace Seeker.'
She had roughly guessed, but to think she had killed Archbishop Mirak. Sabrina's expression hardened. She was well aware that Grace Seeker was a person of interest. But she hadn't thought she was capable of defeating an archbishop.
'Archbishop Mirak was defeated even after mutating. And there had been no request for help until then.'
He had been defeated instantly without even having the leisure to call for help. Not a trace of vitality could be felt from the severed head. It was as if it had been forcibly drained by something.
Grace, who had been looking down at Sabrina, spoke.
"To be honest, I gave a lot of thought to whether I should finish you off in one go. But I decided not to."
It was a nuance suggesting she could kill her but chose not to. Sabrina let out a "hah" and laughed.
"How tearfully grateful for such consideration."
"Oh my, you don't need to be grateful. Because it wasn't consideration for you, but consideration for my beloved little sister."
Little sister. No sooner had those words ended than Sabrina felt a chilling sensation at her throat.
She quickly drew her dagger and swung it toward the air.
-Clang!
Sparks flew as shadow blades collided with each other.
Beyond those sparks, she saw Malina glaring at her as if ready to kill.
"Sabrina!"
"Tch. Malina, huh. Persistent bitch."
She had revealed herself because of Grace Seeker of all people. Malina didn't miss the opportunity. Regardless of her naive mindset, her skills as an assassin were very excellent.
'Wait. That means...'
Sabrina's right eye turned toward another direction. That man was there. Osian, clad in brilliant starlight armor.
'Damn! Of all people, if that bastard gets involved...'
The brute strength to grab and crush a bishop with bare hands, and the sword that inflicted wounds that even the cardinal couldn't regenerate. He truly boasted the worst possible compatibility, as if his very existence was born to kill her.
Sabrina grimaced as she felt the pain of the burn covering the left side of her face.
"...Right. If I've come this far, I can't retreat anymore."
Assassins always hide in darkness and secretly kill their enemies. Invisible, undetectable, leaving no traces. That was the essence of being an assassin.
But not all assassins achieve the same results. The moment they miss their one chance and fail, they are nakedly exposed to the enemy's threat.
When that happens, the advantages of stealth and surprise attacks that they possess disappear. They are left bare in a cage full of beasts. Lesser assassins meet their end there.
But skilled assassins are different. They sever their enemy's windpipe even in that muddy battle.
Even if they get wounded or, in severe cases, become disabled, they definitely kill their enemy. Because they know that's the only way they can survive.
Never letting go of life. That was the mindset of a first-rate assassin.
Sabrina was the same. She usually avoided fights and employed a method of hunting opponents using her subordinates.
But she too was someone who had walked her path building up blood. She knew very well when to wield her sword with her own hands. Now that she was cornered, the reason Sabrina chose to fight instead of flee was for this reason.
'Right. This turned out well. If the Archbishop is dead and gone, that means the credit I can claim becomes greater, doesn't it?'
Sabrina decided to think positively. It wasn't entirely disadvantageous since Dead Dagger assassins who had answered her call were arriving one after another.
"What will you do?"
Osian asked Malina.
"If we don't deal with her now, she'll definitely become troublesome later. We absolutely must kill her here."
Malina answered decisively. Actually, Osian was thinking similarly. She was the leader of an organization that employed cunning assassins. If they let Sabrina escape here, there was no telling what she might do after becoming stronger by receiving the blessing of Red Eternity.
"Then it's decided. However, I'll yield the credit to you."
Knowing well what kind of relationship Malina had with Sabrina, Osian gladly decided to yield to her.
"Can you do it?"
"...Yes. Because I have to do it."
This was Malina's fight but that didn't mean Osian would just stand by. Black shadows were rising from various places. They were Dead Dagger assassins.
Among them were some who had become corrupted beings and mutated bizarrely.
'So they're using the power of outer gods while also possessing thief-class abilities.'
The mutated Dead Dagger assassins were covered in crow-like feathers all over their bodies. Under deeply pulled hoods, faces like actual crows protruded. They weren't masks but their faces had truly mutated into beaks.
'Their clothes are the same.'
Looking closely at the large feathers growing from their bodies, each one was a sharp dagger. They were pitch black as they didn't absorb light, but their sharpness could be felt on the skin. Some had blade wings floating behind their backs, while others had arms that had deteriorated like those of a mantis.
Whatever they were, they were forms faithful to the purpose of cutting and stabbing opponents.
Overall, they looked slender and agile. Unlike the corrupted beings led by Red Eternity, they had appearances designed to subdue opponents swiftly and quickly. It could be considered a form of convergent evolution for survival.
Grace, who had been fluttering her hair, landed beside Osian. She was as light as a feather, making no sound at all.
"You've changed a bit."
Osian glanced at Grace and muttered. From her eyes to her aura. Unlike before, she gave off a more violent feeling.
Various powers writhing within Grace's body could be vaguely felt.
'It's not her power alone. Something is mixed in.'
Well, she was the leader of the Blood Brotherhood who hadn't been caught even by Tirna's wanted order. Naturally, she would have hidden a secret trump card that others didn't know about. Killing Archbishop Mirak was probably thanks to such power.
Grace answered coyly.
"A woman's transformation is innocent. I dressed up a bit."
"Is that so?"
"Oh my. Is that all your impression amounts to?"
He had no intention of bothering to probe further. If Grace had become stronger, shouldn't he rather be more pleased? At least for now, they were fighting together.
"More importantly, where's the other one?"
"Ah, you mean Kudan? You don't need to worry. It's just that I came first, but that kid departed too. It should be about time for him to arrive, right?"
-BOOM!
No sooner had Grace's words ended than a massive explosion occurred in the rear ranks of the Dead Dagger assassins.
It wasn't an explosion containing gunpowder. Rather, it was that kind of impact where pure physical force condensed and expanded.
The condensed energy spread out, pushing away the atmosphere and making space itself ripple. The bodies of Dead Dagger assassins hit by it could be seen scattering into pieces. It was a tremendous attack that pulverized bodies strengthened as corrupted beings.
Soon, breaking through the corpses of assassins being torn to pieces, a large man could be seen charging in like a wild boar.
"Ah, he came just in time."
He couldn't say "well done" to Kudan.
-Swish swish swish!
Using his appearance as a signal flare, the corrupted beings moved. The fight had essentially begun unintentionally due to Kudan.
The Dead Dagger assassins all drew their weapons at once and rushed toward them. Some melted into shadows, while others even created clones with black shadows. Chilling killing intent gleamed in attacks that confused the vision.
Malina disappeared smoothly as if hiding in the shadows. Naturally, Osian and Grace ended up facing the Dead Dagger.
Malina revealed herself in front of Sabrina.
"Malina. Really, you're tireless. Wouldn't it be better to just give up at this point?"
Looking at Malina who had come to face her alone, Sabrina had a complex expression. She was angry that it seemed like she was being ignored, but at the same time, she was pleased that the target she absolutely had to kill had come to her of her own accord. Sabrina decided to think positively.
"Sabrina. Let's end this damn karma."
"Haha! What a bold bitch! You should only spout such words after becoming stronger than me!"
-Sizzle sizzle sizzle.
Sabrina's body began to change. Two arms burst through flesh from under her armpits. They were in the form of chitin with joints clearly visible like a doll's.
Shadows rose greatly from Sabrina's lower body as if surging. Soon her body began to gradually rise, riding the shadows. The shadows that wrapped around her lower body transformed into a giant snake.
-Crack.
Sabrina's mouth tore open down to below her ears. From the gaping mouth, sharp teeth and venomous breath filled with poison poured out.
Sabrina, with four arms and a snake's lower body, looked down at Malina with her now elevated gaze. She too had mutated by receiving the power of Red Eternity.
-Clang!
Sabrina gripped two shadow swords and two shadow spears with her four hands.
"I'll kill you here and tear apart and devour everyone over there!"
The cry of Sabrina, who no longer retained any human form, rang out thunderously through space. Malina frowned at the rumbling felt through her skin. Simultaneously, thick poisonous fog began to rise around them.
-Hissss.
The ground around Sabrina began to melt as bubbles boiled up. It was poison so powerful that it affected even the flesh field imbued with tremendous vitality.
-Shaaaaa!
Snake-like, long-slit pupils captured Malina but Malina calmly gazed at Sabrina in that state.
"What's wrong? Did you get scared or something? Why don't you say something? I can listen to your last words on your way out."
Sabrina expected Malina to show a reaction mixed with fear. But the reaction that actually came back was the complete opposite of her expectations.
"Somehow, seeing you like that makes me feel sorry for you."