S2 Chapter 42 : Assassination Night

The Ace and The Four Kings

Xyrine Jean's POV

I stared at my reflection in the mirror, expressionless. A black tank top, a black cap, and fitted black pants—clothes I used to wear when I was still an assassin. My eyes drifted toward the katana hanging on the wall of my room, and with steady hands, I reached for it, gripping the handle tightly.

When I first set foot in Montreal, I thought I'd never have to use this again. I nearly cursed the day I learned that I would be nothing more than a student, that my days as an assassin were over. How ironic. Now, just the thought of having to wield it once more—of becoming an assassin again—felt like my heart was being torn apart.

I was drowning in my thoughts when I finally made up my mind. With a deep breath, I slung the katana onto my back, its weight familiar yet suffocating.

Maybe this is my fate after all.

To kill.

Silently, I stepped out of my room, careful not to draw any attention. I was only a few steps away from leaving the mansion when I saw them—Monique, Louren, Ten, Ren, and Spade—gathered in the living room, their laughter filling the space. They looked so carefree, so... happy.

I quickly averted my gaze.

Fool. Wasn't it you who convinced them to pretend?

But despite myself, my eyes returned to them—lingering on Spade, his arm resting around Monique's waist. My chest tightened, a sharp pain cutting through me, but I forced back the tears threatening to fall.

.... as long as I see you happy, Spade.

Tearing my gaze away, I turned on my heel and headed for the door. Just as I was about to leave, a voice called out.

"Where are you going, XJ?"

I stiffened. Immediately, I turned to see Louren watching me, his sharp eyes unwavering.

"XJ?"

"You can force me to pretend, but you can't make me call you Monique."

So he was serious about calling me that. Well, it's not like Spade ever knew that name.

"Yeah, where are you off to?" Ren chimed in.

"And why are you dressed like that? What's that on your back?" Ten added, her eyes narrowing in suspicion.

I glanced over my shoulder at the katana secured in its case—disguised enough that they wouldn't know what it was.

"Arnis," I replied simply.

"Since when did any of you care about Monique?" Spade suddenly muttered, his voice carrying an edge that made me flinch.

If you only knew that tonight, I'm wagering my life… that I'm stepping back into the shadows to make those who hurt you pay—what would you say?

I turned away before they could see the emotion in my eyes. Without another word, I stepped forward, forcing myself to leave them behind. But for a moment, just one last moment, I let my gaze linger on the five of them.

"That should've been me."

"I should be the one standing there with them..."

Kier Salazar, 31 years old.He comes from the wealthy and powerful Salazar family—a name synonymous with corruption. Their influence runs deep in dirty politics, drug trafficking, human trafficking, and countless other heinous crimes. But more than that, he is one of the key pillars of the Illuminati, a ruthless organization that kills without reason.

"Is that all the information you have on him and his group?"

"That's everything."

"Are you sure you want to do this alone? That organization has only grown stronger. I'm warning you."

"Warning?" I met his gaze, unflinching. "Two years ago, I wiped out half their group for murdering my client. What do you think I'm capable of now, when they've gone after someone important to me?" My voice was devoid of emotion, but the weight of my words was undeniable.

Jacob smirked, shaking his head. "Like I said, they're the ones who should be afraid."

Ignoring his remark, I picked up the photograph of Kier Salazar from the table. Without hesitation, I tossed it into the air, and in a split second, I unsheathed the katana strapped to my back. The blade sliced through the photo with lethal precision, reducing it to countless tiny pieces. I watched them flutter to the ground like fallen leaves, my grip on the hilt tightening.

"It's time for you to pay."

Dark Shadow Billiard and Bar.

I stopped in front of the neon-lit sign, my eyes narrowing. This was Kier Salazar's lair—his hunting ground.

Sliding off my motorcycle, I strode toward the entrance, my presence swallowed by the bar's suffocating atmosphere. Even from outside, the pounding bass of the music rattled through my chest. This place reeked of desperation, a sanctuary for lost souls, criminals, and those who had long since abandoned the path of redemption.

The moment I stepped inside, the stench of alcohol and smoke hit me like a wave, mixing with the murmurs of deals being made in hushed tones. But none of it mattered. My focus was locked onto one man—the one I had come for.

Kier Salazar.

There he was, lounging at a pool table in the farthest corner, a glass of liquor in one hand and a cue stick in the other. His laughter rang through the room as he pocketed another ball with ease, his arrogance evident in every move.

"You guys are pathetic!" he bellowed at his companions. "I've been sinking shots all night, and none of you can even put up a fight? Is there seriously no one here who can beat me?!"

A smirk tugged at the corner of my lips.

Reaching for a cue stick from the rack, I stepped forward.

"I'll play."

The moment the words left my mouth, the room fell silent. Every pair of eyes turned to me.

At first, Kier didn't react. Then, slowly, his brows furrowed as he took a closer look. "Who the hell are you?"

"Boss, check her out," one of his men sneered. "That body—damn. She's a fine one."

I bit back a smirk.

Kier chuckled, rolling his shoulders. "Well, well. I was starting to get bored." His eyes gleamed with amusement before he added, "But let's make this interesting. If I win, you're coming with me." His smirk widened.

"Fine," I replied, my voice calm and steady. "But if I win, you'll give me what I want."

Kier let out a booming laugh. "You think you can win? You're entertaining, I'll give you that!" He grabbed a cue stick and set up the table, still laughing as he took his first shot. Three balls sank in at once.

"Looks like I already know how this is going to end," he gloated.

The smirk faded from my lips. Idiot. Watch closely.

I studied the remaining balls, calculating my angles with precision. Then, in a single, fluid motion, I struck. One after another, the balls disappeared into the pockets, the sharp cracks of impact the only sound in the hushed room. When the last ball rolled into place, silence engulfed the bar.

Not a single one remained on the table.

I straightened, turning to face Kier. "Looks like the game's over."

His face darkened. "Bullshit. Who the hell are you?!"

I ignored his question. "Now, it's time for you to give me what I asked for."

Kier scoffed, trying to mask his unease with bravado. "Fine. I'm a man of my word. Name it."

His arrogance made my blood boil.

A man of his word? A man?

I tightened my grip on the cue stick.

"Your head," I said, my voice low and deadly.

Kier blinked. "What…?"

"I want your head." My response came without hesitation. Silence enveloped the entire room in the wake of my demand.

"HAHAHAHA!" His laughter rang out, sharp and mocking. "You know, you're quite amusing. But because of what you just said, you reminded me of someone—someone who once asked me that same question. The funny thing is… she's already dead."

"Are you sure?"

His laughter stopped abruptly. His eyes locked onto mine, sharp and questioning. "What do you mean?"

Instead of answering, I slowly lifted my head, allowing him a full view of my face.

"X...X-J?" His voice wavered with disbelief.

For several seconds, he stood frozen, his mind struggling to grasp the reality before him. Then, as though something had snapped inside him, he turned to flee. But before he could take a step, I hurled a kunai at him. It missed—just barely—grazing his cheek.

"I-I don't w-want to die…"

His trembling voice wasn't directed at me. It was the man behind him who had spoken, the one who had unknowingly stepped into the kunai's path. I watched, almost in slow motion, as he collapsed onto the floor, his lifeless eyes wide open, bathed in his own blood.

"Oops. That was on you." I shook my head, smiling.

"I killed you!" He screamed, his voice filled with rage and confusion.

"And yet, I'm still alive," I replied, the amusement evident in my tone.

"No. That's impossible!"

"This is real." My grip on my katana tightened. "And now… I'm taking your head!"

I leaped onto the pool table, drawing the katana from my back in one swift motion, its blade singing through the air as I swung it toward him.

"Ahhh!"

"How annoying." I clicked my tongue in irritation as I saw the severed head of the man he had used as a shield roll across the pool table. Like the first, his eyes remained open—frozen in terror.

The sight of fresh blood pooling on the surface made something inside me stir.

I inhaled sharply. "Do you know how much I despise the scent of blood?" My voice was quiet, almost distant. I met his horrified gaze. "Because once I smell it, I can't control myself."

He didn't respond. He just stood there, paralyzed.

"Do you know how to run?" I broke the silence.

"W-what?" His voice barely escaped his lips.

"Run." I wiped the blade of my katana, watching him intently.

But he remained frozen.

A flicker of irritation sparked within me.

"I SAID, RUN!"

At my command, he bolted, his feet barely touching the floor as he dashed out of the bar.

I tilted my head back, closing my eyes briefly. "Run as far as you can," I whispered, the thrill of the hunt pulsing through me.

"One… two… three…" I counted under my breath.

At ten, I stopped and opened my eyes. My gaze followed his retreating form.

"Time's up."

Jumping off the pool table, I strode outside and spotted him mounting a motorcycle. A smirk played on my lips. Without hesitation, I swung a leg over my own bike and started the engine.

Even as he accelerated, I was right behind him. I twisted the throttle, pushing the bike to 193 mph.

A chuckle slipped from my lips. 

I gunned the speed up to 200 mph, my adrenaline surging. Within seconds, I was side by side with him. He glanced at me—and smiled.

I wasn't sure what his grin meant, but something in it sent a shiver of excitement through me.

As we entered a secluded area, he suddenly increased his speed. I slowed down. The terrain was unfamiliar, and I wasn't about to take reckless chances.

I watched as he rode across a narrow bridge. The moment he reached the other side, he stopped, dismounted, and raised the bridge—cutting off my path.

Clever.

I brought my bike to a halt. From across the gap, he stood, grinning at me.

"No one escapes me, fool."

I exhaled slowly, then twisted the throttle to its limit. The engine roared beneath me as the speedometer climbed to 300 mph.

Yes. I'lll make the bike fly.

I launched the bike off the ground.

His eyes widened in disbelief, panic flashing across his face as he scrambled to mount his bike again.

"Run as far as you can. You won't live much longer."

I landed with a thud on the other side of the bridge—only to feel a sharp pain shoot through my abdomen.

I gritted my teeth, pressing a hand against my stomach. "What the hell…?" I muttered. The pain was dull but persistent. I ignored it and revved my bike once more.

He had disappeared into an abandoned building.

Something felt… off.

I swung off my motorcycle, my senses immediately sharpening. The air was thick with an eerie stillness.

Unsettling.

And yet, instead of retreating, I smirked and stepped forward. Each footfall felt like a step closer to hell.

It makes me grin like a lunatic. 

He stood at the center of the dimly lit space, bathed in crimson light. That same arrogant grin was still plastered on his face.

"You're a fool for following me here, XJ."

"Am I?" I took another step forward.

"Stay where you are!" His voice cracked with desperation.

More figures emerged from the shadows, surrounding me. I took a slow, measured breath.

Twenty?

My brow furrowed. "Did you let the others escape out of fear?"

"Shut up!" he barked. "The men surrounding you are assassins just like you!"

I tilted my head. "Oh?"

"I have a question." I lowered my gaze.

"Do you know why they call me ACE?" I asked, a small smile forming on my lips.

"I don't care! What are you waiting for? Kill him—"

"CHOOSE. YOUR HEAD OR THEIRS?" I whispered against his ear. When In the blink of an eye, I was behind him, pressing kunai to his throat.

I felt his entire body tremble.

I was waiting for his answer when I sensed an incoming attack. I rolled away just in time.

"Damn youuuu!" He howled as three daggers embedded themselves in his back.

"Oops, that wasn't me," I said with a smirk, watching the blood gush from his open flesh..

"YOU BASTARD, XJ! WHY DID YOU DODGE?!" He screamed. "YOU—WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR?! KILL HIM!"

The assassins surrounding me unsheathed their katanas.

Finally.

I grinned. "Let's begin."

I met their charge head-on, weaving between them like a ghost, my blades carving through flesh and bone. Blood splattered across my face, hot and metallic.

I exhaled in bliss.

"Ha… this is fun."

Licking the blood from my lips, I lifted my weapon.

"1.4.4.3."

They froze.

Assassins. Of course, they recognized the code.

It was the method I used to kill—brutally and without mercy.

Before they could flee, I launched myself into the air, my katana shifting into a chain.

One swift motion.

By the time I landed, ten heads rolled across the floor.

I shut my eyes tightly, one knee pressed to the ground, as a realization struck me.

"Yeah… I'm indeed a killer."

"You… you monster!"

I turned my gaze toward the man trembling in the corner. His voice was shaking, his whole body betraying the terror that gripped him.

"Now that it's just the two of us, can I finally take what I came for?" I asked, a smile curling on my lips.

"DEMON! YOU'RE A DEMON, XJ!" he screamed again, his voice raw with desperation.

Ignoring his words, I returned my katana to its original form and took slow, deliberate steps toward him. But just as I was about to reach him, he suddenly let out a bitter laugh.

"Fool! Even if you kill me now, nothing will change!" His voice was laced with defiance, his eyes burning with something beyond fear. "Do you really think you'll find happiness once I'm dead? You won't! You will never be happy again!"

The smile vanished from my lips. His words—so certain, so final—struck a chord deep within me.

"I will never be happy again?" I murmured, my head slightly bowed.

"Yes! Never! Not in a—"

"SHUT UP!"

With a flick of my wrist, I hurled my katana into the air. In a blink, I surged forward, catching the weapon mid-flight without so much as a glance, and with a single, fluid motion—severed his head.

I watched as it tumbled to the blood-soaked ground, rolling lifelessly before coming to a stop.

"You made a mistake when you didn't make sure Spade and I were dead that night," I spat, my voice laced with rage. "And you made an even bigger mistake by leaving me alive!"

I tightened my grip on my katana, my chest heaving. "You should've just killed me. If I were dead, I wouldn't have to endure this pain. I wouldn't have to suffer every single time the only person I ever loved looks at me… and doesn't recognize me!"

As the weight of my words crashed over me, my katana slipped from my grasp, clattering onto the floor. Tears—unwanted, unstoppable—fell silently down my face.

"You should've just killed me!" I screamed, dropping to my knees in the crimson pool beneath me.

I didn't know how long I knelt there, drowning in grief, when I suddenly felt the cold press of steel against my neck. My instincts kicked in, and I reached for my discarded katana—only for it to be kicked away.

"Thanks to Kier for bringing you here," a voice sneered. "Shame we had to use him… and that he had to die."

Slowly, I turned my head, and my breath caught in my throat.

Standing before me were the very members of the Illuminati—the ones I had slaughtered just moments ago.

"Ah…" A dry chuckle escaped me as the realization sank in. It had all been a trap.

I exhaled deeply, then smiled, resigned. "Well? What are you waiting for? Go ahead. Take my head."

It didn't matter anymore. There was no escaping this abandoned place.

I watched as the man before me raised his katana. I didn't flinch. I didn't feel fear.

Maybe… this was my fate all along. To kill and to be killed.

I closed my eyes and smiled.

Seconds passed. I waited.

But instead of the cold bite of steel, I heard a dull thud.

"You're not allowed to die yet!"

My heart pounded violently against my ribs as I snapped my eyes open.

And then—our gazes met.

No…

This can't be…