Breaking the Shadows

The black chains surged toward Yue Rin like vipers, twisting and writhing through the air with unnatural speed. There was no time to dodge—only to act.

Her golden spear flared with radiant energy as she swung it in a wide arc, unleashing a wave of sheer force. The impact shattered the incoming chains, sending splinters of dark energy scattering in every direction.

The lead assassin barely reacted, his stance unwavering. "Impressive," he murmured, voice tinged with something close to admiration. "But let's see how long you can keep up."

With a snap of his fingers, the battlefield shifted.

The shadows around them came alive, rising from the ground in jagged tendrils. They formed a dark, suffocating dome, blotting out the moonlight. An illusion? No… something worse.

Yue Rin's instincts screamed danger.

The assassins vanished into the darkness.

No sound. No movement. Only silence.

Her breath came slow and steady as she adjusted her grip on the spear. They wanted her blind. Vulnerable. But Yue Rin was no ordinary warrior—fear was an old friend.

Her golden aura pulsed outward. A warning. A challenge.

A whisper of movement—behind her!

She twisted, bringing her spear up just in time to block a dagger aimed for her throat. The assassin's attack was relentless, his strikes a blur of speed and precision. She parried. Countered. Struck.

But then—pain.

A second assassin emerged from the void, slashing across her ribs with a poisoned blade. Cold fire burned through her side.

Yue Rin clenched her teeth. She had no time for pain.

She spun low, using her momentum to slam the blunt end of her spear into the assassin's knee—a sickening crack echoed as he crumpled. Without hesitation, she reversed her grip and drove the spear through his chest.

One more down.

But the shadows were shifting again. The lead assassin was playing with her, waiting for an opening. She needed to break his control over the battlefield.

Her spear pulsed with golden flames as she drove it into the ground. A shockwave of divine energy erupted outward, forcing the shadows to recoil.

Light met darkness.

The illusion shattered.

The battlefield returned to the ruined temple, moonlight flooding the space once more. The remaining assassins were visible now—momentarily disoriented.

Yue Rin didn't hesitate.

She became a storm.

She dashed forward, her spear slicing through the night like a golden comet. The first assassin barely had time to react before her blade pierced his heart.

The second tried to retreat—too late. Yue Rin closed the gap in an instant, striking with brutal precision. Her spear tore through his defenses, leaving him lifeless before he hit the ground.

Only one remained.

The lead assassin sighed, shaking his head. "They were weak. But you… you are something else entirely."

He raised a single hand—and the entire air around them distorted.

A chilling realization gripped Yue Rin.

He had been holding back.

The shadows twisted into a monstrous form behind him, a writhing mass of black energy shaped like a demon with six burning eyes.

"You've entertained me long enough," he said, his voice calm. "Now, let's end this properly."

The ground trembled beneath Yue Rin's feet.