Chapter 176

Chapter 176: Shocking Number 7

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The ghost-like Shadow Warriors scattered across the area immediately began deploying delayed signal transmitters as per Number 7's orders.

Even though the barrier would collapse soon due to its energy depletion, the transmitted signal would notify the Imperial Army—already in position—that the operation was a success. This crucial window would allow them to advance swiftly and catch the Kingdom off guard.

By the time the flare was launched, the Shadow Warriors would have already left their positions, prepared to ambush their targets in the ensuing chaos.

After completing their primary objective, the Shadow Warriors moved swiftly like phantoms behind the heavily guarded checkpoints, aiming to assassinate as many officers and magicians as possible to weaken the defenders.

However… before they even covered 20 meters, Number 7 spotted three figures flying through the sky. His expression sharpened, and without hesitation, he mimicked the cry of a bird—a covert signal—ordering the six assassins to conceal themselves in the surrounding bushes in perfect synchronization, ready to strike down their prey.

But unlike in previous encounters, something was off.

The smiling, seemingly harmless girl among the three—Solitar—showed no reaction to the corpse on the ground. Instead, her gaze immediately shifted toward their hiding spot as though she had seen through them from the very start.

Even before landing, she looked toward the bushes where they lay motionless, her eyes widening slightly in amusement before she pointed a finger directly at them.

"There, there, and there. Their magic concealment technique is remarkable. If they were facing humans, very few would detect them. Even ordinary demons would struggle to notice… Are these the warriors in the shadows? How interesting."

"Kill them?" Linie, who had only just noticed the hidden ambush after Solitar's remark, turned her head curiously and asked.

But Ash shook his head slightly.

"No. I want to learn how they conceal their magic."

---

"...?!!"

How is this possible?!

Someone had detected them from more than ten meters away?

Who was that woman? Why was there no intelligence on her?

Even though Number 7 was a cold-blooded killer, he felt a chill grip his heart, as if an invisible hand had brushed against his spine. For a brief moment, his blood ran cold.

But he did not hesitate.

His fingers moved in quick, practiced gestures.

At close range, they were confident they could eliminate a first-rank magician with ease. But against a Winged Magician already suspended in the air…

That was an entirely different situation. Even third or fourth-rank magicians would struggle in such a fight.

After all, they were not demons.

For demons, flying magic was not even considered magic—it was instinct, as natural as walking or drinking water. Even demon warriors could fly.

But humans… they couldn't.

And against an airborne magician, they were nothing more than moving targets.

Indoors, a warrior facing a magician had the advantage. If the warrior was even slightly stronger, most magicians—unless highly specialized in melee combat—would be slain before they had the chance to cast a spell. It was usually an instant kill.

However, in an open field, if a warrior fought a magician without closing the distance, the situation was completely reversed.

And the enemy had already taken flight.

Even trying to escape under these circumstances would be a desperate, doomed struggle.

But they were Shadow Warriors—trained from childhood to serve the Empire without hesitation. Even knowing that their odds of survival were slim, all six of them immediately turned into shadows and fled in different directions, vanishing into the darkness.

Although some would certainly fall, as long as even one of them escaped, the mission would still be considered a success.

However, reality was far crueler than they had expected.

They had barely covered ten meters when—

—BOOM!!

The earth suddenly let out a mournful groan, as if crying out in exhaustion. The bushes around them flattened in an instant, exposing their positions completely. Even their own bodies felt unbearably heavy at that moment.

Four of them, caught off guard, collapsed under the crushing weight, unable to stand again.

"...Since you've come all this way, don't leave."

Ash landed lightly on the ground, placing a hand on Number 7's shoulder.

"—You're courting death!!"

Number 7 was momentarily delighted—the magician had dared to get close. Enduring the abnormal gravity, he twisted his body and lashed out, his bloodstained dagger cutting a sharp arc through the air.

But—

There was no splatter of blood.

Instead, before he could even react, his wrist was caught in an iron grip. His feet were yanked off the ground, and in an instant, his entire body was hurled into the air before being slammed into the stone pavement like a discarded sandbag.

The stone cracked under the impact, and Number 7's sturdy frame was forcibly embedded into the ground. His entire body convulsed violently, pain searing through his nerves.

Another assassin charged toward Ash at high speed, but—

In the next moment, Linie shot forward at an inhuman speed, an afterimage flickering in her wake. In a single motion, she passed by the attacker, neatly bisecting him at the waist.

Blood did not splatter as expected. Instead, due to the overwhelming gravitational force, it gushed out in an unnaturally swift torrent.

"…Master Ash's magic is truly convenient. Not even a drop on my clothes."

Linie crouched beside the lifeless body, her expression devoid of emotion. Resting her chin in both hands, she silently observed the corpse, watching with idle curiosity as its final movements ceased.

There was no sympathy, no fear, no guilt.

Her expression was that of a child who had casually dissected a frog and was now watching it struggle in fascination.

---

Why…?

From their approach, they should have clearly seen the location where we planted the signal transmitters… so why haven't they destroyed them?

Gritting his teeth, Number 7 forced himself to endure the pain. His gaze flickered toward the signal transmitter just a short distance away. Desperately, he tried to calm his mind, to analyze the situation, to understand what was happening.

Above him, Ash regarded him with cold indifference. Then, without a second thought, he pressed his foot onto Number 7's chest, pinning him in place.

"…The national defense barrier is too much trouble. Analyzing and dismantling it is one way, but since you've already made a move, we might as well take advantage of it. Instead of forcing our way through, it's far easier to draw you out, eliminate your forces, and then dismantle the barrier at our leisure."

"Don't… don't try to bluff! Without the defensive barrier, you'll be crushed by the Empire—"

"—Enough. From here on, someone else will handle this."

Ash cut him off mid-sentence, already turning away. Without sparing Number 7 another glance, he strode toward the barrier's core, intent on confirming the situation there.

Though he had some knowledge of mind magic, he had only recently begun learning it. Extracting memories was still difficult for him, so he needed a specialist—otherwise, the only method left was torture.

---

Just as he was about to release the gravitational spell—

Countless golden swords materialized in the sky.

A moment later, they rained down mercilessly.

The five remaining assassins screamed as their limbs were severed cleanly, their hands and feet torn away by the brutal onslaught.

The air filled with their agonized cries, but the soldiers who arrived in response to the commotion did not so much as flinch. Without hesitation, they moved to secure the area and begin handling the intruders.

Amidst the chaos, Ash paid no attention to the signal transmitter.

And at that moment—seeing that his enemy had completely ignored the transmitter—Number 7 finally made up his mind.