Rain was an interesting thing.
When couched by the warmth of a home, it was pleasant, a gentle and soothing rhythm for the soul.
When unfettered, pelting from above and soaking its victims through, it was uncomfortable, bone-chilling, and relentless in its patient torture.
Walking through the rain on this day, Theron felt the same about it as he always did.
It helped him feel.
Every flash of lightning and clap of thunder was another song in his mind, his steps moving to their cadence and his heart beating to their rhythm.
It was the perfect night, honestly.
The perfect night to kill.
Tonight he would complete a mission that had haunted the Bronze Assassins for many years.
A change to the cadence of the rain caught his attention. He was too used to its delicate pitter-patter. The slightest shifts resonated in him like a stone dropping onto the surface of a calm lake.
Water Mancers like himself weren’t known for their great combat strength, and most certainly couldn’t pick out changes in the rain like Theron, but control was their specialty.
It was why he was so confident.
‘Another assassin.’
Theron’s steps paused. With a light touch that didn’t even disturb the puddle beneath his feet, he slipped into an alley.
The target was a tycoon of a small city with a population of less than 20,000. Their estate was located at the core of the town and took precedent even over the mayor’s mansion. Security was tight, but it could be said that the tycoon’s greed was also his downfall. With how large the compound was, sneaking in hadn’t been a problem for Theron, and it clearly hadn’t been a problem for this assassin as well.
In the rain, it could be said that Theron’s concealment was unmatched. He slipped through buildings and slid through the shadows of trees and shrubbery, rounding the compound until he had sights on the back of his new target.
As expected, it was another Bronze Assassin. Theron didn’t have eyes on his face, but he was highly adept at reading the posture and gait of people.
Bronze Assassin Lyn.
Theron’s interactions with other assassins were few and far between. That said, he had a deep rolodex of knowledge regarding them nonetheless. At the very least, at the Bronze Assassin level, there was no one he didn’t have information on.
The second rule of the association.
An assassin’s greatest weapon was not their blade, but their mind.
Lyn slid through the shadows, moving with a sharpness that belied his stupidity.
‘Fool.’
Though impressive in movement, Lyn’s approach was too naive. He was approaching the estate from the west wing as it had the most lax security. But he couldn’t see the obvious trap right before him.
Theron had analyzed every mission report, he had even been staying in this small town for the past month, listening to the stories of passersby, tales of the assassins who didn’t get the chance to return to report anything.
If it was so easy to approach from the wing with the most lax security, everyone would have done it.
A sudden spark caught Theron off guard. Lyn’s robes fluttered, an arc of yellow lightning spreading out from him in a subtle sphere. The lightning dispersed quickly, and by the time it was a foot from his body, it was almost indiscernible beneath the heavy rain.
‘I’m too close.’
Theron moved, his cloak fluttering up to reveal a short sword and a dagger by his waist. He used the momentum of the wind to reveal their hilts, unsheathing them in a fluent motion.
The spark of lightning was no doubt a detection skill. Lyn hadn’t noticed his presence, but he must have realized the surroundings were too quiet. Feeling that something was wrong, he chose the path of added caution; he wasn’t as foolish as he seemed.
Lightning Mancers were known for their reaction speed and attack power, there should be very few reconnaissance and auxiliary abilities like this one.
The third rule of the association.
Adaptability was more important than strength.
Theron’s speed wasn’t as fast as Lyn’s, but he acted first.
As the ripple of lightning passed over him and Lyn realized there was someone to his back, Theron’s short sword had already thrust forward.
He could feel the blade gliding through the droplets of rain. Each trickle was like an extension of his senses, rebounding against and resonating with his blade.
Lyn turned toward him in a hurry, unsheathing a blade to counter.
A flicker of shock rippled through Lyn’s brown eyes when he met Theron’s cold gaze.
“Don’t you—!”
Their blades clashed.
The strength of Theron’s initiative forced Lyn a step back. The latter’s dagger almost slipped out of his grasp, but Theron’s own had surged forward.
“Dammit!” Lyn thrust out with his free hand, an arc of lightning pulsing toward Theron.
The flash of gold reflected in Theron’s cool blue eyes. They were so clear that Lyn could see his own reflection within them, and the calm indifference in the face of his attack.
The droplets of water around Theron pooled together, forming a guard that wrapped around his thrusting dagger, down his wrist and up his arm.
The lightning collided with the surface and followed the path of least resistance, rounding Theron’s back and sparking out in a puddle behind him.
Without the time to cast a skill with more focus, Lyn’s lightning was useless against Theron.
Especially in this rain.
The dagger pierced into Lyn’s chest. Droplets of rain that had coated it suddenly exploded out like the pieces of a grenade beneath Theron’s control, rupturing the Lightning Mancer’s inner organs.
“You…”
Lyn’s gaze flickered with unwillingness, rage, and helplessness.
Rule number one of the association.
Never kill your fellow assassin.
It was a nice rule. It was just unfortunate that Theron didn’t care.