Chapter 22: Kamui’s Offensive

As Blayn's words fell, three figures emerged from the shadows, approaching from different directions.

They stepped out slowly, revealing themselves.

"Not bad, you actually noticed us."

"So, you deliberately led us here?"

"As expected, our assassination target isn't simple... but unfortunately for you, we're your opponents."

Their voices carried a tone of arrogance, making it clear they didn't take Blayn seriously.

"Oh? I take it you're Ogre's assassins," Blayn said calmly.

At the moment, Ogre was the only person in the capital who had serious conflict with him.

The assassins didn't deny it.

A burly, bald man with a scruffy beard sneered, "Since you already know, just accept your fate. Maybe we'll grant you a quick death."

A heavily made-up woman, wearing a revealing outfit, cracked a leather whip against the ground with a sharp snap. "Enough talk—let's finish this and collect our reward."

But before either of them could act, the third assassin—a tall, thin man wielding a blood-red broadsword—had already lunged at Blayn, striking first.

Blayn remained composed, his expression unchanging, but he wasn't careless.

He swiftly drew his black and white twin swords, relying solely on his eye's insight to counter his opponent.

The moment the tall man moved, Blayn had already seen through his attack pattern.

He stepped forward, meeting the assault head-on. His twin blades clashed against the broadsword, deflecting it, and in the same motion, he seized an opening to counterattack.

Blayn's black sword aimed straight for his opponent's throat—yet, in an unnatural display, the man's neck retracted backward, stretching like rubber. His control over his body was disturbingly abnormal.

Blayn's strike barely grazed him.

Even as his white sword followed with a horizontal slash, it only managed to leave a shallow cut on the man's neck—far from a fatal wound.

Realizing the danger, the tall man quickly retreated.

Blayn didn't pursue. The other two assassins had already closed in.

"What a disgrace—running away from this kid!" the woman mocked as she attacked.

The tall man scowled, irritated by her words. "Mind your own damn business!"

"Don't underestimate him," the bald man warned grimly, his tone the most serious of the three.

That brief exchange had already proven that this young man wasn't ordinary.

Even if they doubted he could take on all three of them at once, letting him escape would mean losing the bounty—and their reputation.

In the blink of an eye, Blayn found himself surrounded.

At this distance, even his Mangekyō Sharingan's insight wasn't enough.

His taijutsu wasn't superior to theirs, and these weren't ordinary thugs—they had skill, coordination, and had effectively cut off his escape routes.

Even though he could predict all their movements at once, his speed wasn't fast enough to evade attacks from three angles simultaneously.

Cornered, Blayn had no choice but to activate Kamui's intangibility.

He deliberately didn't dodge, allowing the woman's whip to strike.

"Got him!" she exclaimed in delight, her eyes gleaming.

She relished using her whip to torment pretty boys like him.

But then—something impossible happened.

Her whip phased straight through Blayn's body, as if he weren't even there. Instead, it struck the tall man behind him with a loud crack!

"Ahhh! What the hell, you crazy woman?!" the man howled in pain.

"I—I don't know!" she stammered, completely stunned.

Why had her attack passed through Blayn and hit her own ally instead?

Blayn seized the opportunity. In one swift motion, his white sword pierced straight through her heart.

This was the power of Kamui's intangibility—making him untouchable while leaving his enemies open to counterattacks.

Of course, to land his own strikes, he had to briefly disable the effect; otherwise, he wouldn't be able to touch his opponents either.

The woman's eyes widened in shock, filled with terror and confusion.

All she saw in response were Blayn's cold, merciless blood-red eyes.

Then, she collapsed, dead.

[Ding! The Host has eliminated "Imperial Fist Temple Expert" and earned 9 System Point]

It was clear that while her whip wasn't a Shingu, her combat ability was on par with a Shinguuser.

The remaining two assassins likely possessed similar strength.

As for the so-called "Imperial Fist Temple," Blayn had no idea what it was. He would investigate later.

In reality, the Imperial Fist Temple was an elite training ground for the Empire's martial artists, emphasizing brutal physical conditioning.

Its strongest warriors—the Four Rakshasa Demons—had honed their bodies to the point of controlling them at will, capable of fighting Teigu users barehanded.

But these three clearly weren't among them. The Four Rakshasa Demons served as the Prime Minister's personal executioners—far beyond someone like Ogre's reach.

"Limei... she's dead...?"

The tall man stared in disbelief at his fallen comrade.

They had come here brimming with confidence, yet in mere moments, they had already lost one of their own.

The bald man clenched his fists, his face dark with rage. "We have to kill him—avenge Limei!"

Blayn had no objections. He planned to eliminate both of them anyway.

Unlike the others, the bald man wielded no weapon. He relied solely on brute strength. If he got ahold of someone, tearing off their limbs was child's play.

He was the most troublesome of the three.

But Blayn wasn't hesitant. His left eye focused sharply on the bald man's neck—activating Kamui's offensive ability.

In an instant, the space around his throat distorted.

Kamui's offensive ability worked by warping space itself. As long as his left eye locked onto a target, no physical defense could resist it.

Even the most durable armor was meaningless against spatial distortion.

With both eyes, the technique's speed was even greater—far too fast for most to react.

"What—?!"

The bald man's eyes widened in shock as he felt a terrifying force pulling at his neck.

Panic surged through him. He was stronger than the average Shingu user—yet he couldn't even comprehend what was happening.

A second later, his neck twisted violently—snapping instantly.

(40 Chapters Ahead)

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