Chapter 53

The large assassin, clearly the leader of this deranged crew, barked an order to one of his men. "Finish the job."

The chosen assassin grinned wickedly, confidently stepping toward me and Mama. His movements were slow and deliberate, as if savoring the moment.

The injured woman, still barely conscious, raised her trembling hand in desperation, trying to stop him. But she was too weak.

One of the other assassins noticed her effort and slammed his boot onto her head, pressing her into the cold floor with a cruel laugh.

"Still got fight in you after going against the boss?" he sneered. "You're one hell of a girl."

The leader smirked but remained focused on his objective. "We'll deal with her later. First, we—"

Whoosh.

Before he could finish his sentence, the assassin walking toward us suddenly froze. His head detached cleanly from his body, flying across the hall before landing with a gruesome thud.

For a moment, silence filled the air.

The boss's face twisted in irritation as he turned to see what had interrupted him. His eyes widened in disbelief.

Charging toward his men were massive skeletal dinosaurs, their bones glowing faintly with the dark magic animating them. A velociraptor lunged at an assassin, tearing him apart in a single motion. A triceratops trampled another, crushing him into a lifeless smear.

"What the hell is this?" the boss roared, his composure faltering.

He scanned the room, his gaze finally locking on me. His face shifted from confusion to rage as he noticed my raised hand and the torrent of mana pouring out of me, connecting me to the skeletal beasts. My hair whipped violently in the invisible storm of energy.

"Focus on the little girl!" he shouted, pointing at me. "She's the caster!"

The remaining assassins hesitated for only a moment before charging at me as one.

The boss, his towering form now radiating fury, joined the fray. But before he could reach me, something colossal barreled into his path.

Boom!

He stumbled back, looking up just in time to see a skeletal T-Rex towering over him.

"A f*cking T-Rex!?" he bellowed, barely raising his arms in time to block its massive claws.

I smiled, watching him struggle.

"I sent that one just for you," I muttered under my breath.

My focus returned to the other assassins charging at me. They were nothing but pests now, insects to be crushed beneath the weight of my summoned creatures.

Velociraptors tore through the closest men, their skeletal claws slicing cleanly through flesh. A pterodactyl swooped down, snatching another assassin into the air before dropping him from a deadly height. The assassins screamed, their weapons utterly useless against my creations.

I couldn't help but grin.

It's been a long time since I've done something like this, I thought. And it feels... good.

But then, as I watched the carnage unfold, a darker thought crept into my mind.

If Mama and Papa find out about this... will they abandon me? Will they look at me the same way these assassins do? Like I'm a monster?

The questions hit me like a physical blow, breaking my focus. I hesitated, lowering my gaze as the doubts consumed me.

The boss, still grappling with the T-Rex, noticed my expression falter.

An opening! he thought, shoving the skeletal beast aside with all his strength. He charged toward me with terrifying speed, his fist raised to deliver a killing blow.

I snapped out of my thoughts just in time to see him barreling toward me. My face darkened, my earlier grin replaced with a dangerous scowl.

"Don't interrupt me while I'm thinking," I muttered.

A blade of dark energy formed in my hand, glowing ominously. I slashed it forward in one fluid motion, the attack swift and precise.

The boss realized the danger too late. He tried to dodge, but the blade tore through his arm, severing it completely.

He let out a guttural scream as he was thrown across the hall, landing in a heap. Blood gushed from the stump where his arm used to be.

The once-imposing leader scrambled to his feet, clutching his wound. His confidence was gone, replaced by sheer terror. His eyes darted around the room, taking in the sight of his slaughtered men and the skeletal beasts still rampaging.

He tried to run, but before he could take more than a few steps, the T-Rex's massive foot came crashing down on him. He raised his remaining arm in a futile attempt to block the blow, but the impact left him coughing up blood.

"I need to escape," he muttered, his voice trembling. "I'll die if I stay here."

But his escape was cut short as a pterodactyl swooped down and impaled him through the back with its sharp beak.

The boss let out one final, bloodcurdling scream before collapsing lifelessly to the ground.

One by one, the skeletal dinosaurs began to crumble. Their bones fell to the floor in a cascade of thudding echoes, their dark glow fading into nothingness.

I stood there, my hand finally lowering as the last of my mana dissipated.

The hall was silent now, the assassins either dead or gone. I turned to Mama, who was holding me tightly, her body trembling.

I clung to her, burying my face in her shoulder.

"Don't you dare scare my Mama again," I whispered, my voice cold and filled with resolve.